Movie Guide Sept 15 2007

The Gonzo Guru’s
GOOF-PROOF GUIDE TO MOVIES


















The Gonzo Guru’s
GOOF-PROOF GUIDE TO MOVIES

How to pick the right movie for
a great evening at home.
Best movie choices for couples,
kids, women, men, teens and families.
Top movies in every genre – action,
adventure, comedy, drama, crime,
thrillers, horror, sci-fi, westerns, epics,
musicals, documentaries and porn.
Best performances by our favorite
stars. Best movies of the top directors.
Best foreign films. ‘Best Picture’
Oscar winners. And more.
CONTENTS
How to use this guide 7

1. Who’ll be watching?
i. Best couples movies 5
ii. Best family movies 601
iii. Best kid movies
iv. Best chick flicks
v. Best guy movies
vi. Best teen movies
vii. Best over-60 movies 601
2. What kind of movie do you want to see?
i. Best Action 34
ii. Best Adventure
iii. Best Comedy
iv. Best Drama
v. Best Crime
vi. Best Horror
vii. Best Science-Fiction
viii. Best Westerns
ix. Best War Movies
x. Best Thrillers
xi. Best Epics
xii. Best Musicals
xiii. Best Documentaries
xiv. Best Porn
3. Favorite stars and their best movies 118
4. ‘Best Picture’ Oscar Winners
5. Great directors and their masterpieces
6. Ingmar Bergman: an appreciation
7. Great trilogies
8. Top 100 movies lists
i. American Film Institute 186
ii. British Film Institute
iii. Time Magazine
iv. Village Voice
v. Sight and Sound Magazine
9. What are the Gonzo Guru’s favorite movies? 106
10. The greatest foreign films
11. Some movie terms, movements, theories
12. A brief history of the movies
13. Essay: the state of the movies 323-333
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

How do you pick a movie to watch at home? If you’re like most people, you’re kind of aware of what’s out there, and you choose a recent release that you missed. You may end up enjoying a good movie. On the other hand, you may end up ruining your evening.
This has happened to the Gonzo Guru. I once lost what might’ve been a great girlfriend because I rented a stinker recommended by a friend -- and this lovely woman thought I was an uneducated, tasteless lout because of my movie choice. Actually, my friend was the lout. He was as knowledgable about movies as a Pygmy is about whale blubber (they’re more familiar with monkey-flesh).
I tried to tell the lovely woman this, but it only seemed to make matters worse. The lovely creature slammed my own front door in my face. Perhaps I didn’t explain the difference between whale blubber and monkey flesh very well.
The sight of her gorgeous ass vanishing through that door haunts me still.
Driven by the loss of a fine bonk, the Gonzo Guru decided to save others from similar life-spoiling fates. So he took it upon himself to broaden his already extensive knowledge of the movies, based on a lifetime of passionate moviegoing. He thought of all those who need expert advice -- couples who want to entertain each other with their movie choices, and perhaps promote a romantic evening, ending in an excellent bonk. Parents who need to know what movies to rent for their kids. Guys who, when they’re with their guy friends, want to watch dumb guy movies. Chicks who, being chicks, want to watch chick flicks with their gal pals. Teens who, being teens, have special hormonal needs.
Who can these people turn to? Only to the many uneducated, tasteless louts of monkey-flesh experts out there.
But now they can turn to the Gonzo Guru’s Goof-Proof Guide to Movies: pure whale blubber.
Listen up, people who rent movies. There’s a treasure house of over a century’s great movies to choose from. You miss out terribly if you restrict yourself to just the most recent releases.
So how do you find one of these great movies to watch?
Three simple steps:
1. On the “Contents” page of this guide, select a category.
2. Flip to the page number next to that category.
3. Choose your movie. That’s it.
Watch movies according to your own plan

The Gonzo Guru’s handy movie lists will inspire you with ideas about watching movies according to your own plan.
You might decide to watch the ‘Best Picture’ Oscar winners of the last ten years for the next ten weeks.
Or watch a year’s worth of comedies.
Or ten great romantic movies with your boyfriend or girlfriend.
Or twenty great animated movies with your kids.
If you and a friend like science-fiction or horror, you can decide to watch the twenty best of those.
Or check out the best pictures of your favorite star, or a great director’s best movies.
You might even start a movie-watching club and enjoy discussing movies after you’ve seen them together – the way people do with book-reading clubs.
If you’re into building your own DVD collection, you’ll find the Gonzo Guru’s lists invaluable.
It’s all here for you: collected, categorized, rated, and quality-controlled. You can train yourself to become an expert movie-lover without sweat. Others will look up to you for movie choices. Guys will admire you with stars in their eyes. Women will fall at your feet. And your own movie-going at home will become one of the greatest pleasures of your life.
Expert movie-going pleasure such as never before: that’s the Gonzo Guru’s vow to you, from the depths of his movie-lovin’ heart. You have his personal, iron-plated, gold-standard, blue-ribbon, rock-solid, lifetime guarantee.











WHO’LL BE WATCHING?

i. Best Couples Movies
Romance and love are Big Themes of the movies. The Gonzo Guru went on a grand quest to find every great movie for lovers. He has returned covered in lipstick and perfume, satisfyingly exhausted from meaningful looks, sighs of longing, and orgasmic clinches. Here are five alluring lists filled with hugs, kisses, passion, sparks, spats and heat for all you star-crossed lovers.

a. The 100 Greatest Love Stories of All Time
As chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of film industry leaders assembled by the American Film Institute.

1. Casablanca (old love Ingrid Bergman turns up hitched at Humphrey Bogart’s place in WW2)
2. Gone With The Wind (Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable in epic Civil War romance)
3. West Side Story (Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer: one love, two gangs)
4. Roman Holiday (princess Audrey Hepburn unaware Gregory Peck is a reporter)
5. An Affair To Remember (Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant, engaged to others, have shipboard romance)
6. The Way We Were (Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford: united by love, divided by politics)
7. Doctor Zhivago (Omar Sharif, Julie Christie: love in the Russian Revolution)
8. It’s A Wonderful Life (angel helps despairing James Stewart)
9. Love Story (Ryan O’Neal falls for Ali McGraw, who gets fatal disease)
10. City Lights (Charlie Chaplin in love with blind girl)
11. Annie Hall (neurotic Woody Allen falls for ditsy WASP Diane Keaton)
12. My Fair Lady (snob Rex Harrison bets friend he can pass off Cockney flowergirl Audrey Hepburn as duchess by changing her accent)
13. Out Of Africa (baroness Meryl Streep has affair with big-game hunter Robert Redford)
14. The African Queen (missionary Katharine Hepburn reforms drunk Humphrey Bogart in WW2 romantic comedy)
15. Wuthering Heights (childhood friends Merle Oberon and Lawrence Olivier now grownup)
16. Singin’ In The Rain (actor Gene Kelly falls for Debbie Reynolds as they make their first talkie)
17. Moonstruck (Cher falls for fiancee’s brother Nicolas Cage)
18. Vertigo (detective James Stewart has obsessive freak for Kim Novak)
19. Ghost (ghost of murdered husband Patrick Swayze protects Demi Moore)
20. From Here To Eternity (sergeant Burt Lancaster falls for captain’s wife Deborah Kerr)
21. Pretty Woman (rich Richard Gere woos hooker Julia Roberts)
22. On Golden Pond (daughter Jane Fonda, dad Henry Fonda, mom Katharine Hepburn)
23. Now Voyager (spinster Bette Davis falls for married Paul Henreid)
24. King Kong (big ape falls for blond human Fay Wray)
25. When Harry Met Sally (best friends Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan do sex)
26. The Lady Eve (Barbara Stanwyck cons rich dope Henry Fonda)
27. The Sound Of Music (nun-to-be Julie Andrews brings music to kids of disciplinarian Christopher Plummer)
28. The Shop Around The Corner (James Stewart has no idea that he is romancing annoying Margaret Sullavan by mail)
29. An Officer And A Gentleman (Navy Schooler Richard Gere meets factory girl Debra Winger)
30. Swing Time (dance partners Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers hamstrung by previous attachments)
31. The King And I (widow Deborah Kerr becomes governess to kids of King of Siam Yul Brynner)
32. Dark Victory (doctor George Brent tries to save stricken wife Bette Davis)
33. Camille (father of Robert Taylor begs courtesan Greta Garbo not to ruin son’s life)
34. Beauty And The Beast (animation: Belle brings out beauty in the beast)
35. Gigi (playboy Louis Jourdan falls for trainee courtesan Leslie Caron)
36. Random Harvest (WW1 vet Ronald Colman finds happiness with Greer Garson when accident intervenes)
37. Titanic (poor boy Leonardo DiCaprio and rich girl Kate Winslet on doomed ship)
38. It Happened One Night (runaway heiress Claudette Colbert meets reporter Clark Gable)
39. An American In Paris (struggling painter Gene Kelly falls for Leslie Caron, fiancée of someone else)
40. Ninotcha (no-nonsense Greta Garbo fascinated by count Melvyn Douglas)
41. Funny Girl (Ziegfeld star Barbra Streisand and gambler Omar Sharif)
42. Anna Karenina (married Greta Garbo falls for dashing officer Fredric March)
43. A Star Is Born (Judy Garland’s career takes off as alcoholic husband James Mason flounders)
44. The Philadelphia Story (first husband Cary Grant turns up at Katharine Hepburn’s wedding)
45. Sleepless In Seattle (son of Tom Hanks tries to get Dad hitched to Meg Ryan)
46. To Catch A Thief (heiress Grace Kelly and cat burglar Cary Grant)
47. Splendor In The Grass (Natalie Wood in love with rich boy Warren Beatty)
48. Last Tango In Paris (middle-aged Marlon Brando and young Maria Schneider in sex-only relationship)
49. The Postman Always Rings Twice (lovers Lana Turner and John Garfield plot husband’s death)
50. Shakespeare in Love (Gwyneth Paltrow inspires Joseph Fiennes to write great play)
51. Bringing Up Baby (heiress Katharine Hepburn goes after zoologist Cary Grant in screwball comedy)
52. The Graduate (Dustin Hoffman seduced by girlfriend’s mom Anne Bancroft)
53. A Place In The Sun (Montgomery Clift caught between high-society Elizabeth Taylor and factory girl Shelley Winters)
54. Sabrina (chauffeur’s daughter Audrey Hepburn intrigues brothers Humphrey Bogart and William Holden)
55. Reds (radical journalist Warren Beatty and feminist Diane Keaton go to Russia in 1917)
56. The English Patient (in WW2, Ralph Fiennes betrays country for love of Kristin Scott Thomas)
7. Two For The Road (up-and-down love life of Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney)
58. Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn face daughter’s love for black Sidney Poitier)
59. Picnic (drifter William Holden goes after friend’s girl Kim Novak)
60. To Have And Have Not (Humphrey Bogart romances Lauren Bacall in wartime)
61. Breakfast At Tiffany's (good-time girl Audrey Hepburn and struggling writer George Peppard)
62. The Apartment (Jack Lemmon falls for boss’s girlfriend Shirley Maclaine)
63. Sunrise (silent movie: wife and lover plot husband’s death)
64. Marty (homely Ernest Borgnine falls for teacher Betsy Blair)
65. Bonnie And Clyde (Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway on crime spree)
66. Manhattan (Woody Allen falls for Diane Keaton, mistress of best friend)
67. A Streetcar Named Desire (Vivien Leigh causes problems with brother-in-law Marlon Brando)
68. What's Up, Doc? (mistaken luggage creates havoc for Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neal)
69. Harold And Maude (love between septuagenarian Ruth Gordon and teen Bud Cort)
70. Sense And Sensibility (thorny path to true love for Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant)
71. Way Down East (rich guy dumps poor pregnant Lilian Gish)
72. Roxanne (big-nosed Steve Martin loves beautiful Darryl Hannah)
73. The Ghost And Mrs. Muir (widow Gene Tierney takes up with ghost)
74. Woman Of The Year (Spencer Tracy feels neglected by wife Katharine Hepburn)
75. The American President (Annette Bening becomes girlfriend of President Michael Douglas)
76. The Quiet Man (Maureen O’Hara can’t respect John Wayne unless he fights her brother)
77. The Awful Truth (Irene Dunne and Cary Grant try to ruin each other’s re-marriage plans)
78. Coming Home (Jane Fonda in love with Vietnam invalid Jon Voight)
79. Jezebel (forceful Bette Davis causes rift with Henry Fonda in Southern epic)
80. The Sheik (sheik Rudolph Valentino abducts socialite Agnes Ayres)
81. The Goodbye Girl (divorced Marsha Mason comes home to find Richard Dreyfuss subletting her apartment)
82. Witness (cop Harrison Ford falls for Amish woman Kelly McGillis)
83. Morocco (legionnaire Gary Cooper and cabaret singer Marlene Dietrich)
84. Double Indemnity (Barbara Stanwyck and Fred McMurray plot husband’s murder)
85. Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing (American William Holden and Eurasian Jennifer Jones in Hong Kong)
86. Notorious (Cary Grant asks Ingrid Bergman to marry Nazi to spy on him)
87. The Unbearable Lightness Of Being (Daniel Day Lewis, Lena Olin and Juliette Binoche in Prague Spring love triangle)
88. The Princess Bride (Cary Elwes wants to rescue kidnapped Robin Wright)
89. Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? (Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton tear each other to pieces)
90. The Bridges Of Madison County (photog Clint Eastwood and housewife Meryl Streep in mature romance)
91. Working Girl (Melanie Griffith fights boss Sigourney Weaver for Harrison Ford’s affections)
92. Porgy And Bess (Dorothy Dandridge finds refuge with crippled Sidney Poitier)
93. Dirty Dancing (Jennifer Grey learns a step or two from Patrick Swayze)
94. Body Heat (Kathleen Turner wants William Hurt to kill her husband)
95. Lady And The Tramp (uptown Cocker Spaniel and downtown mutt)
96. Barefoot In The Park (newly marrieds Robert Redford and Jane Fonda)
97. Grease (cool John Travolta and uncool Olivia Newton-John in high-school jinks)
98. The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (Maureen O’Hara is accused of murder; can hunchback Charles Laughton save her?)
99. Pillow Talk (Rock Hudson woos Doris Day as rich Texan)
100. Jerry Maguire (can sports agent Tom Cruise revive career and have Renee Zellweger?)

b. The Gonzo Guru's Rest of the Best by decade
Silents, 20s and 30s
Broken Blossoms, The Big Parade, Seventh Heaven, Flesh and the Devil, A Farewell to Arms, Red Dust, Trouble in Paradise, Queen Christina, Of Human Bondage, Alice The Gonzo Gurus, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, My Man Godfrey, Maytime, Algiers, Three Comrades, Love Affair, Camille, Tabu, Holiday, Dodsworth, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Old Maid
40s
Kings Row, Lydia, Penny Serenade, Suspicion, Since You Went Away, A Song to Remember, The Best Years of Our Lives, To Each His Own, Pride and Prejudice, Hold Back the Dawn, Laura, The Enchanted Cottage, Duel in the Sun, Humoresque, Portrait of Jennie, All This and Heaven Too, His Girl Friday, Rebecca, Waterloo Bridge, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, Meet John Doe, That Hamilton Woman, The Palm Beach Story, Heaven Can Wait, The More the Merrier, Jane Eyre, The Clock, Leave Her to Heaven, Brief Encounter, Gilda, Humoresque, Letter From an Unknown Woman, The Red Shoes, Adam’s Rib, The Heiress
50s
In a Lonely Place, The Band Wagon, On The Waterfront, Rebel Without a Cause, Giant, North by Northwest, All That Heaven Allows, Oklahoma!, Carousel, Love In The Afternoon, Raintree County, Sayonara, South Pacific, Some Like It Hot, Father of the Bride, Pat and Mike, Niagara, Three Coins in the Fountain, Guys and Dolls, Summertime, South Pacific
60s
The Americanization of Emily, A Patch Of Blue, Jules and Jim, Lolita, Charade, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, A Man and a Woman, The Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet
70s
Carnal Knowledge, Summer Of '42, Badlands, Robin And Marian, Rocky, Days Of Heaven, Ryan's Daughter, A Little Romance
80s
About Last Night, Children Of A Lesser God, Bull Durham, Dangerous Liaisons, The Little Mermaid, Somewhere in Time, Baby It's You, Flashdance, Sixteen Candles, The Terminator, Lady Jane, My Beautiful Launderette, A Room with a View, Twice in a Lifetime, Pretty in Pink, Sid & Nancy, Something Wild, Fatal Attraction, Cousins, Say Anything...


90s
Basic Instinct, The Last Of The Mohicans, Groundhog Day, Chasing Amy, The End Of The Affair, White Palace, Wild at Heart, Frankie and Johnny, Jungle Fever, Truly Madly Deeply, The Bodyguard, The Crying Game, The Cutting Edge, The Last of the Mohicans, Singles, Indecent Proposal, Like Water for Chocolate, The Remains of the Day, Shadowlands, Untamed Heart, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Before Sunrise, Leaving Las Vegas, A Walk in the Clouds, While You Were Sleeping, Beautiful Thing, Jude, As Good As It Gets, Mrs. Brown, My Best Friend's Wedding, The Wings of the Dove, The Horse Whisperer, Out of Sight, Rushmore, What Dreams May Come, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Notting Hill, Random Hearts
2000
Love and Basketball, Bridget Jones's Diary, Kate and Leopold, Intolerable Cruelty, King Kong, Brokeback Mountain, Dedication

c. Sensual movies
For those of you who are really in the mood for love, here’s a list of sensual, erotic movies to feed your fantasies.
20s
The Sheik, Don Juan, Flesh and the Devil, Hula, Pandora's Box, Sadie Thompson
30s
The Blue Angel, Hell's Angels, Morocco, Susan Lenox: Her Rise and Fall, Tabu, Blonde Venus, Red Dust, Baby Face, Ecstasy, Footlight Parade
40s
The Outlaw, Double Indemnity, Duel in the Sun, Gilda, Notorious, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Forever Amber, Out of the Past
50s
Gun Crazy, La Ronde (French), A Streetcar Named Desire, The Seven Year Itch, Baby Doll, And God Created Woman (French), Some Like It Hot
60s
La Dolce Vita (Italian), Splendor in the Grass, Lolita, Goldfinger, Blow-Up, Belle de Jour (French), The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, Women In Love
70s
The Lickerish Quartet, Carnal Knowledge, The Last Picture Show, Heat, Last Tango in Paris, Deep Throat (porn), The Night Porter, Emmanuelle (soft-core porn), The Story of O, In the Realm of the Senses (Japan), The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea, Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (Brazil), Pretty Baby, 10
80s
Dressed to Kill, Body Heat, Little Darlings, Tattoo, Cat People, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Breathless, The Hunger, Risky Business, Bolero, Crimes of Passion, About Last Night..., Betty Blue (French), Nine 1/2 Weeks, Angel Heart, The Big Easy, Fatal Attraction, Siesta, Dangerous Liaisons, Two Moon Junction, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, The Cook the Thief His Wife and Her Lover, sex lies and videotape, Swept Away (Italian)
90s
Henry and June, The Hot Spot, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, Wild Orchid, Flirting, Whore, Basic Instinct, Bitter Moon, Damage, Like Water for Chocolate, The Lover, Single White Female, Body of Evidence, Boxing Helena, Jamon, Jamon (Spain), Sliver, Wide Sargasso Sea, Color of Night, Exotica, Jason's Lyric, The Last Seduction, Paris France, Sirens, Jade, Showgirls, Species, Bound, Crash, Fear, 2 Days in the Valley, Boogie Nights, The Pillow Book, Happiness, There's Something About Mary, Wild Things, Boys Don't Cry, Eyes Wide Shut, Romance (French)
2000s
The Center of the World, Requiem for a Dream, Baise-Moi (French, hardcore), Intimacy (French), Lost and Delirious, Monster's Ball, Mulholland Drive, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Unfaithful, In the Cut, Nine Songs, The Dreamers

d. Porn
Want to go hardcore? Check best porn movies on page 70.

e. Great couples team-ups
1. Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor: The Comedians, The VIPs, The Taming of the Shrew, Cleopatra, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Boom
2. Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn: Pat and Mike, Adam’s Rib, State of the Union, Woman of the Year, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
3. Doris Day and Rock Hudson: Pillow Talk, Lover Come Back, Send Me No Flowers
4. John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara: Big Jake, McLintock! The Quiet Man, Rio Grande
5. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan: Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail
WHO’LL BE WATCHING?

ii. Best Family Movies
Some movies are great for the whole family -- a chance for Mom, Dad and the kids to chuckle together, get tense together, and hug each other together over a happy ending. The Gonzo Guru didn’t have home movies when he grew up, so his recommendations represent his wistful ideal -- what kind of movie will make a family happy? (The Gonzo Guru also recommends the greatest comedies, page 59, for family viewing.)

a. The Gonzo Guru’s Top 50 Family Movies
1. The Wizard of Oz (Judy Garland battles Wicked Witch in land of Oz)
2. The Lord of the Rings (a hobbit must take ring of power to Mordor to save Middle Earth)
3. The Adventures of Robin Hood (Errol Flynn battles the Sheriff of Nottingham on behalf of the poor)
4. Babe (pig wants to act like a dog and herd sheep)
5. Beauty and the Beast (animation: Belle brings out the beauty in the beast)
6. Duck Soup (Marx Brothers)
7. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (boy befriends alien kid stranded on earth)
8. National Velvet (teen Elizabeth Taylor wins a horse who’s then trained for England biggest race)
9. The African Queen (missionary Katharine Hepburn reforms drunk Humphrey Bogart in WW2 romantic comedy)
10. Shane (young Joey befriends gunfighter Alan Ladd who protects his mom)
11. Wallace and Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit (animation, 2005)
12. King Kong (the new 3 hour-version directed by Peter Jackson)
13. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Paul Newman and Robert Redford lead outlaw band)
14. The Great Escape (WW2 war prisoners with Steve McQueen)
15. Chariots of Fire (Jewish and Christian runners in Olympics)
16. Ghostbusters (Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd defend NYC against ghosts)
17. The Little Mermaid (animation: mermaid makes deal with sea witch to become human so she can meet prince)
18. The King and I (Deborah Kerr becomes governess to kids of King Yul Brynner)
19. A Hard Day's Night (a day in the life of the Beatles)
20. Mary Poppins (magical nanny Julie Andrews fixes unhappy family)
21. The Sound of Music (nun-to-be Julie Andrews brings music to seven kids of Christopher Plummer)
22. To Kill a Mockingbird (kids’ father Gregory Peck is a lawyer who defends innocent black man in racist South)
23. West Side Story (Natalie Wood is in love with opposing gang’s leader)
24. Yellow Submarine (animation: the Beatles travel in a Yellow Submarine to free Pepperland from Blue Meanies)
25. The Three Musketeers (three swordsmen vs. bad cardinal Richelieu and Lady de Winter)
26. The Black Stallion (boy and horse stranded on desert island)
27. High Noon (sheriff Gary Cooper stands alone against bad guys)
28. Breaking Away (young bicycle racer wants to be Italian)
29. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (aliens touch down on earth)
30. Fiddler on the Roof (musical about Jewish family in Russia)
31. Rocky (local boxer Sylvester Stallone gets shot at title)
32. Star Wars (Luke Skywalker tries to save Princess Leia from Darth Vader)
33. Back to the Future (80s teen Michael J. Fox goes back to 50s, tries to get his parents to meet so he can exist)
34. Back To The Future 2 (80s teen goes to future to straighten out family, then back to 50s to stop bad guy)
35. Back To The Future 3 (80s teen time-travels back to gunslinging outlaw time)
36. Big (Tom Hanks is a boy in a man’s body)
37. The Princess Bride (Cary Elwes rescues Robin Wright Penn from odious prince)
38. Raiders of the Lost Ark (Harrison Ford and Nazis hunt for Ark)
39. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Harrison Ford teams up with dad Sean Connery against bad guys)
40. Superman (man with superpowers saves earth)
41. Jurassic Park (threatening dinosaurs come back via genetics)
42. Apollo 13 (astronauts might not make it back home)
43. The Iron Giant (animation: boy befriends alien giant robot that man wants to destroy)
44. A League of Their Own (women’s baseball team with Geena Davis)
45. The Lion King (animation: lion cub loses kingdom, gains it)
46. Mrs. Doubtfire (Robin Williams becomes female nanny)
47. Toy Story (animation: lost toys make their way back home)
48. Shrek (ogre and donkey on quest to rescue princess)
49. Chicken Run (animation: chickens escape from farm)
50. Harry Potter (boy at school for wizards – series of seven movies)

b. The Gonzo Guru’s Rest of the Best by decade
20s
The Gold Rush (tramp Charlie looks for gold and falls in love), Steamboat Bill, Jr. (effete Buster Keaton joins his cantankerous Dad’s riverboat crew)

30s
Bringing Up Baby (screwball comedy with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn), It Happened One Night (runaway heiress Claudette Colbert meets reporter Clark Gable), King Kong (big ape falls for human blonde), Lost Horizon (plane crash lands Ronald Coleman and Jane Wyatt in fabled Shangri-La), Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (jealous queen poisons girl), Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (naïve James Stewart takes on corrupt town)
40s
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (and Dracula and the Wolfman), Casablanca (old love Ingrid Bergman shows up hitched at Humphrey Bogart’s place in WW2), Great Expectations (poor orphan’s rise), Pinocchio (wooden puppet wants to become real boy), Sullivan's Travels (shallow movie director wants to experience poverty), My Pal Trigger (the love of cowboy Roy Rogers for his horse)
50s
The Day the Earth Stood Still (an alien arrives on earth with a message, but will earth listen?), Little Fugitive (young Joey runs away to Coney Island because he thinks he killed his brother), Peter Pan (a boy who never grows up invites three siblings to Neverland adventures), Singin' In The Rain (Gene Kelly falls in love with Debbie Reynolds as they make first talkie movie), Rear Window (wheelchair-bound James Stewart sleuthes next-door murder), Some Like It Hot (Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis hide from killers as women in Marilyn Monroe’s all-girl band), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (whaler Kirk Douglas finds advanced submarine Nautilus and captain Nemo)
60s
Cat Ballou (Jane Fonda hires famous gunslinger to avenge father’s murder, gets drunken Lee Marvin), Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (black comedy to see with older kids: insane general starts the end of the world – Peter Sellers plays three comic roles), Lawrence of Arabia (British officer leads Arabs in war), The Longest Day (D-day), The Magnificent Seven (seven cowboys, including Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen, protect village against bandits), The Music Man (con man brings music to small town), My Fair Lady (Rex Harrison bets friend he can pass off flowergirl Audrey Hepburn as duchess), Swiss Family Robinson (family shipwrecks on desert island)
70s
The Bad News Bears (Walter Matthau coaches a little-league baseball team of misfits), Bound for Glory (David Carradine as Woody Guthrie, discovering working-class woes in dust-bowl era), The Buddy Holly Story (Gary Busey as early rock ‘n roller), The Four Musketeers (sequel), Walkabout (two kids lost in Australian outback, helped by Aborigine boy)

80s
The Bear (orphaned bear adopted by big male, threatened by hunters), Beetlejuice (ghosts hire another ghost to get rid of new owners of their house), Field of Dreams (farmer Kevin Costner builds baseball field, dead players return), Gandhi (man sets India free), Never Cry Wolf (researcher investigates wolves, finds humans the real threat), Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (detective Bob Hoskins has to prove innocence of cartoon rabbit)
90s
Edward Scissorhands (fairy tale of man with scissors for hands), Fly Away Home (father and daughter lead orphaned flock of geese home in flight), Groundhog Day (Bill Murray lives same day over and over), James and the Giant Peach (boy flies to New York in giant peach), Little Man Tate (Jodie Foster raises genius son), A Little Princess (young girl clashes with headmistress), Little Women (four sisters grow up in Civil War), The Secret Garden (orphaned girl restores garden, discovers secret of uncle’s castle), The Secret of Roan Inish (girl goes to live with grandparents, discovers mysteries of seals), The Winslow Boy (father risks all to clear son’s name). October Sky (coalminer’s son becomes rocketeer)
2000s
The Rookie (team promises to win championship if coach tries out for major leagues), Monsters, Inc. (animation: little girl causes havoc in monster world), Lilo & Stitch (animation: girl adopts extraterrestrial experiment as dog), Spirited Away (animation: girl lost in world of witches and monsters), Ratatoulle
WHO’LL BE WATCHING?

iii. Best Movies for Kids
What do the kids want to see? It can drive a parent crazy. The Gonzo Guru sucked his thumb, reverted to his childhood, remembered how he used to love stupid fart jokes, and steeped himself in pre-adolescent behavior -- to come up with five useful lists of great kid movies you can feel good about them seeing, even when you’re not around.
a. Best Animated Movies for Kids
Animation is a great choice for kids; the good ones are fun for parents, too. Here a list of the Top 100 Animated Features of all Time chosen by the Online Film Critics Society’s 138 reviewers. The list includes some very interesting Japanese animation.

1. Toy Story (lost toys find way home)
2. Fantasia (amazing animated interpretations of classical music)
3. Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (witch poisons Snow White)
4. Toy Story 2 (toys rescue kidnapped toy)
5. The Iron Giant (boy befriends alien giant robot whom man wants to destroy)
6. Beauty And The Beast (Belle brings out the beauty in the beast)
7. The Nightmare Before Christmas (pumpkin king tries to get Halloween town to do Christmas)
8. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (live detective Bob Hoskins is cartoon rabbit’s only hope to prove innocence)
9. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (for grown kids, X-rated).
10. Spirited Away (Japan: girl lost in world of witches and monsters)
11. Pinocchio (wooden puppet wants to become real boy)
12. The Lion King (lion cub loses kingdom)
13. Chicken Run (chickens escape murderous farmers)
14. Bambi (young deer Bambi grows up in forest)
15. Shrek (ogre and donkey on quest to rescue princess)
16. Princess Mononoke (Japan: war between forest and mining colony)
17. Monsters Inc. (little girl causes havoc in world of monsters)
18. Yellow Submarine (the Beatles go to Pepperland to save it from Blue Meanies)
19. Aladdin (street urchin and princess fall in love)
20. Akira (Japan, for older kids: two kids save Neo-Tokyo from psycho biker)
21. A Bug's Life (misfit ant tries to save colony from grasshoppers)
22. The Little Mermaid (mermaid girl wants to be human to meet prince)
23. Grave Of The Fireflies (Japan; wartime tragedy of brother and sister)
24. Dumbo (why does Dumbo the baby elephant have such big ears?)
25. Waking Life (for much older kids: man searches for meaning of life in a dream)
26. Sleeping Beauty (prince breaks curse on princess)
27. The Jungle Book (boy raised by wolves in jungle)
28. 101 Dalmatians (Cruella De Vil kidnaps puppies to make furcoat of them)
29. Ice Age (tiger, sloth and mammoth return human baby to tribe)
30. My Neighbor Totoro (Japan: two girls have adventures with magical forest creatures)
31. Watership Down (rabbits flee doomed warren to find new home)
32. Charlotte's Web (spider saves pig from slaughter)
33. Lady And The Tramp (downtown mutt and uptown Cocker Spaniel)
34. The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie (many cartoon adventures)
35. The Secret of NIMH (mouse seeks aid of rats to save her invalid son)
36. Peter Pan (the boy who won’t grow up takes children on adventure in Neverland)
37. Cinderella (Fairy Godmother helps servant girl to meet prince at a ball)
38. Ghost in the Shell (Japan: female cyborg cop and partner hunt hacker Pupper Master)
39. Alice in Wonderland (girl enters bizarre world)
40. The Prince of Egypt (story of Moses)
41. Antz (neurotic ant in totalitarian ant society)
42. Animal Farm (animals revolt, but nasty pigs take over)
43. Lilo & Stitch (girl adopts extraterrestrial experiment as pet dog)
44. Alice (Czech: bizarre Alice, live girl in sinister puppet world)
45. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (girl accused of murder, will hunchback save her?)
46. Kiki's Delivery Service (Japan: 13-year-old witch runs air courier service).
47. Beavis & Butthead Do America (for older kids: epic journey to recover their stolen TV station)
48. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (Japan, older kids: female scientist fights alien phantoms)
49. Mulan (young Chinese maiden joins army in disguise and becomes hero)
50. Fantastic Planet (French: tiny humanoids fight for equality on plante of giants -- The Gonzo Guru loves this movie).
51. Fritz the Cat (X-rated, not for kids: sex-obsessed tomcat in satire of 60s).
52. Gulliver's Travels (Gulliver in land of tiny Lilliputians, tries to prevent war)
53. Heavy Metal (for much older kids: glowing green orb terrorizes girl)
54. Metropolis (Japan: boy meet robot girl, they get in all sorts of trouble)
55. Robin Hood (Disney: characters are animals)
56. Tarzan (man raised by gorillas must decide where he belongs)
57. The Emperor's New Groove (emperor is changed into llama)
58. The Adventures of Prince Achmed (German: Arab prince rides flying horse)
59. Asterix Et Cleopatre (French: Asterisk and Obelisk travel to ancient Egypt to help Cleopatra)
60. Fantasia 2000 (fantastic stories set to classical music)
61. Transformers: The Movie (autobots fight a planet-consuming robot)
62. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (Batman mistaken for mass murderer)
63. James and the Giant Peach (boy flies to New York in giant peach)
64. Snoopy Come Home (where is Snoopy?)
65. An American Tail (young Russian mouse loses family in America)
66. The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh (honey, bees, bouncing, balloons)
67. Song of the South (uncle Remus tells tales of Brer Rabbit)
68. A Boy Named Charlie Brown (Charlie Brown in spelling bee)
69. When the Wind Blows (Japan: elderly Brit couple prepare for nuclear attack in anti-nuclear film)
70. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (two stories: Toad gets a motorcar, schoolmaster falls for town beauty)
71. The Brave Little Toaster (household appliances try to find family on vacation)
72. Mad Monster Party (what happens when Dr Frankenstein calls for a convention of Dracula, The Werewolf, The Creature and other monsters?)
73. The Fox and the Hound (childhood friends grow up to be enemies)
74. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (wild stallion befriends human, falls in love with mare)
75. Anastasia (only surving child of Russian royal family hooks up with con men while undead Rasputin tries to kill her)
76. The Rescuers (two mice search for kidnapped girl)
77. The Plague Dogs (two dogs escape from laboratory)
78. The Phantom Tollbooth (boy drives through tollbooth in toy car to world of adventure)
79. The Land Before Time (four orphan dinosaurs band together in hostile world)
80. The Emperor's Nightingale (Czech: Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale)
81. Arabian Knight aka The Thief and the Cobbler (struggling cobbler befriends clever thief in oriental city)
82. Titan A.E. (young man and enemy aliens in race to find hidden earth ship)
83. Perfect Blue (Japan: pop singer/actress is stalked)
84. Ninja Scroll (Japan: ninja fights demons)
85. The Great Mouse Detective (toymaker has been kidnapped)
86. The Powerpuff Girls Movie (the girls fight army of superpowered monkeys)
87. The Aristocats (cats struggle to get their inheritance)
88. Gay Purr-ee (cats rescue friend in Paris)
89. Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (kids of world rescue parents kidnapped by aliens)
90. The Lord of the Rings (Frodo must take ring of power to Mordor to save Middle Earth)
91. The Three Caballeros (Donald Duck tours Latin America)
92. Allegro Non Troppo (Italian: animator tries to escsape dungeon in which he creates animation set to classical music))
93. Hercules (Hercules must become true hero to reclaim immortality)
94. Bebe's Kids (man tries to look after kids to impress girlfriend)
95. Treasure Planet (cabin boy on space ship)
96. The Last Unicorn (unicorn and magician fight evil king)
97. Streetfight aka Coonskin (for grown kids: spoof of blaxploitation movies)
98. The Adventures of Mark Twain (Claymation adventures of Tom Sawyer)
99. Fire and Ice (Larn the warrior searches for abducted princess)
100. The Black Cauldron (young boy on quest to find magic power before tyrant does)
Recent Additions:
101. American Pop
102. The Flight of Dragons
103. Pocahontas
104. Rugrats Movie
105. Stuart Little
106. Kirikou et la sorcière (African boy saves village from witch)
107. Dinosaur
108. Atlantis: The Lost Empire
109. Osmosis Jones
110. Finding Nemo
111. Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

b. The Gonzo Guru‘s Top 50 Live-Action Movies for kids

1. The Wizard of Oz (young Judy Garland vs. Wicked Witch in land of Oz)
2. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (boy befriends young alien stranded on earth)
3. Babe (pig wants to be champion sheep herder, actually a dog’s job)
4. The Sound of Music (governess Julie Andrews brings music to family)
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (boy at school for wizards, seven movies in full series)
6. Home Alone (Macaulay Calkin defends home against thieves)
7. Spy Kids (kids try to rescue parents)
8. Mary Poppins (magic nanny comes to work for unhappy family)
9. The Parent Trap (Hayley Mills plays twins from divorced parents who meet for first time at summer camp and switch roles)
10. Honey I Shrunk the Kids (scientist Dad shrinks kids to insect size)
11. The Karate Kid (bullied boy learns karate from old master)
12. Star Wars (outer space adventure)
13. The Empire Strikes Back (Star Wars sequel)
14. Back to the Future (young Michael J. Fox goes back in time, tries to get parents together so he can be born)
15. The Adventures Of Robin Hood (Errol Flynn robs rich to give to poor)
16. Black Stallion (boy and horse stranded on island)
17. National Velvet (young Elizabeth Taylor’s horse trains for big race)
18. My Life As A Dog (wonderful, funny story about Swedish boy’s life)
19. The Muppet Movie (Kermit and friends cross US to Hollywood)
20. The Mask (Jim Carrey becomes manic superhero when he puts on mysterious mask)
21. The Neverending Story (boy enters fantasy world and he has to save it)
22. The Princess Bride (man tries to rescue his love before she marries nasty prince)
23. Whale Rider (young girl wants to lead her tribe)
24. The Secret Garden (kids discover secret garden)
25. Raiders Of The Lost Ark (Harrison Ford and Nazis hunt for Biblical ark)
26. Miracle On 34th Street (lawyer tries to save Santa from asylum)
27. Duck Soup (crazy Marx Brothers)
28. It's A Wonderful Life (angel shows despairing James Stewart life without him)
29. Singin' In The Rain (best musical ever)
30. The Miracle Worker (mute girl learns to talk)
31. To Kill A Mockingbird (lawyer-father of kids defend innocent black man in racist South)
32. Oliver Twist (orphan boy joins gang of pickpockets)
33. The Railway Children (Dad goes missing, family falls on hard times)
34. Rabbit-Proof Fence (true story of aboriginal girls who escape government camp)
35. Billy Elliot (boy torn between love of dance and family)
36. The Outsiders (rival teen gangs)
37. Walkabout (two kids stranded in Australian outback)
38. Jason And The Argonauts (legendary adventurers search for Golden Fleece)
39. Pather Panchali (subtitles: life of boy in Indian village)
40. Kes (poor abused boy befriends hunting bird)
41. Edward Scissorhands (lonely boy with scissors for hands discovered by girl)
42. The Red Balloon (red balloon follows boy around Paris)
43. King Kong (big ape falls for blonde)
44. The General (Buster Keaton in slapstick Civil War)
45. The Kid (tramp looks after kid)
46. Whistle Down The Wind (kids discover man wanted for murder hiding in barn)
47. The Nutty Professor (nerdy Prof Jerry Lewis drinks potion that turns him into handsome, obnoxious guy)
48. The Mighty Ducks (coach turns worst peewee hockey team into winners)
49. Free Willy (12-year-old risks everything to free whale)
50. The Love Bug (VW Beetle Herbie has mind of its own


c. The Gonzo Guru’s Rest of the Best by decade

20s
The Gold Rush (the Tramp in the Gold Rush), Steamboat Bill, Jr. (effete Buster Keaton joins cantankerous Dad’s riverboat crew)
30s
Little Women (four sisters grow up while Dad’s in Civil War), Anne Of Green Gables (orphan girl is adopted by farmer and his sister), Little Miss Marker (young Shirley Temple is left as marker for gambling debt), A Night at the Opera (Marx Bros), A Day at the Races (Marx Bros), Modern Times (tramp Charlie Chaplin in factory), Heidi (young girl brings happiness to daughter of wealthy man), Bringing Up Baby (heiress Katharine Hepburn is determined to snag zoologist Cary Grant), The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn (young Mickey Rooney on a raft on the Mississippi), The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (Maureen O’Hare is accused of murder: will hunchback Charles Laughton save her?), The Little Princess (head mistress turns Shirley Temple into servant when her father is reported killed)
40s
The Thief Of Baghdad (a thief and a deposed prince have many adventures), Lassie Come Home (poor family sells dog who misses them and takes long journey home), Meet Me In St. Louis (great musical: 17-year-old Judy Garland falls in love with boy next door, but family has to leave St. Louis), Christmas In Connecticut (Barbara Stanwyck’s masquerade as farm woman is about to be exposed), The Yearling (kid adopts young deer), Beauty And The Beast (French, subtitles), The Bishop's Wife (angel Cary Grant helps people in ways they don’t expect), Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (and the Wolfman and Dracula, too), The Red Pony (ten-year-old Tom wants a pony), The Secret Garden (three children discover a secret garden)
50s
Harvey (James Stewart says he has an invisible 6-feet-tall rabbit friend), A Christmas Carol (skinflint Scrooge is haunted by three ghosts), The Day The Earth Stood Still (alien tells earth they must find peace or be destroyed), Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (French: slapstick farce), Hans Christian Andersen (Danny Kaye as the famous fairytale writer), The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (crazy story by Dr. Seuss), White Christmas (song-and-dance team Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye meet up with song-and-dance women), The Night Of The Hunter (very scary: two kids chased by killer priest Robert Mitchum), The Ten Commandments (Charlton Heston leads Jews out of Egypt), Old Yeller (boy adopts mongrel dog in 1860s), Tom Thumb (musical story about finger-sized man and villains), Darby O'Gill and the Little People (teller of tall tales captures leprechaun king and gold), A Dog Of Flanders (orphan boy has artistic longings), Swiss Family Robinson (family shipwrecked on desert island), Some Like it Hot (to hide from killers, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis dress up as women and join all-girl band)
60s
The Music Man (con man comes to town with boys band scam), The Wonderful World Of The Brothers Grimm (fairytales), Flipper (boy and dolphin), My Fair Lady (Rex Harrison bets friend he can pass off flowergirl Audrey Hepburn as a duchess), Around the World Under the Sea (5-man submarine crew travel world’s oceans), Born Free (couple raise lion in Africa), Doctor Dolittle (Rex Harrison speaks many animal languages to many animals), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (weird prof invents flying car that gets kidnapped), Oliver! (musical of orphan boy who joins gang of pickpockets), Playtime (French slapstick with Monsieur Hulot), Yours Mine And Ours (widower with 10 kids marries widow with 8), Captain Nemo And The Underwater City (survivors of doomed ship trapped in underwater city)
70s
Fiddler on the Roof (great musical: Jewish milkman and five marriageable daughters in old Russia), Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (poor boy wins chance to tour weird candy factory), The Spirit Of The Beehive (subtitles: Spanish girl searches for Frankenstein), Escape To Witch Mountain (two orphans chased by villainous millionaire), The Cat From Outer Space (UFO piloted by cat lands on earth)
80s
Clash of the Titans (Perseus battles Medusa and monster to rescue his love Andromeda), The Great Muppet Caper (Kermit and friends get involved with jewelry theft in London), Annie (musical: orphan Annie wants a family), The Man From Snowy River (young man searches for lost prize stallion to prove himself), A Christmas Story (young boy wants a BB gun for Xmas), The Muppets Take Manhattan (Kermit and friends try to put on a Broadway musical), The Goonies (kids find pirate treasure map), The Adventures Of Milo & Otis (a cat and a dog get separated and try to find each other in many adventures), Labyrinth (16-year old Jennifer Connelly has to complete a labyrinth or her baby brother will be turned into a goblin), Au Revoir Les Enfants (French boarding school in WW2), Never Cry Wolf (researcher sent to investigate wolf menace finds good things about them), The Bear (orphan bear cub meets adult bear as human hunters threaten them), Big (boy ends up in Tom Hanks’ grownup body), Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (human detective must clear cartoon rabbit accused of murder), Where is the Friend's House? (Iran)
90s
Curly Sue (rich women takes in scam artist and young girl), Hook (adult Peter Pan returns to Neverland to rescue kids kidnapped by Captain Hook), Beethoven (vet wants to kill family’s St. Bernard), Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (two dogs and a cat go on journey to find their owners), Rookie Of The Year (boy joins major league as pitcher), The Sandlot (new boy joins baseball buddies), Andre (seal befriends girl), Angels In The Outfield (angels help boy get family and let LA baseball team win), Baby's Day Out (kidnappers find Baby Bink a handful), Black Beauty (the life of a horse), The Borrowers (four-inch tall family shares house with regular people, tries to save it from evil developer), The Flintstones (Fred Flintstone doesn’t know he’s being set up as fall guy in embezzlement scheme), Richie Rich (rich kid Macaulay Culkin tries to make friends with regular kids), The Santa Clause (man takes over Santa’s job), The Indian In The Cupboard (boy gets magic presents), Jumanji (kids play board game and release wild animals all over town), Fly Away Home (14-year-old girl and Dad try to lead orphaned geese in flight to get home), Matilda (nice little girl with special powers takes on cruel school principal), MicroCosmos (amazing documentary of insect life), Shiloh (boy becomes friends with abused dog), Buddy (socialite raises a gorilla), Flubber (Robin Williams discover substance which allows objects to fly), Leave It to Beaver (fun with an all-American family), A Simple Wish (male fairy godmother tries to help little girl realize her dad’s big wish), Zeus And Roxanne (a dog and a dolphin make friends), Ever After (a totally new version of Cinderella), Madeline (red-headed girl is good at getting into trouble and solving problems), Paulie (the adventures of a parrot), Star Kid (shy boy changes when he puts on cybersuit), Inspector Gadget (security guard Matthew Broderick turns into a robotic cybercop and fights the evil Claw), Muppets From Space (Kermit and friends must rescue Gonzo from evil government agent and reunite him with his alien family), The White Balloon (Iran)
2000s
My Dog Skip (friendship between a boy and a dog), The Princess Diaries (awkward teen discovers she’s a European princess)

d. Comic Book Superheroes in Live-Action Movies

Tarzan (Lord Greystoke), Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Catwoman, X-men, Fantastic Four, The Phantom, Daredevil, The Hulk, Blade




e. Best Animal Movies for kids

1. Jaws (Shark-Great White) (Roy Scheider)
2. Old Yeller (Dog-Labrodor) (Tommy Kirk)
3. King Kong (Gorilla) (Fay Wray)
4. Moby Dick (Albino Whale) (Gregory Peck)
5. Lassie Come Home (Dog-Collie) (Roddy McDowall)
6. Benji (Dog-Mutt) (Edgar Buhcanan)
7. National Velvet (Horse) (Elizibeth Taylor)
8. Babe (Pig) (James Cromwell)
9. Gorillas In The Mist (Silverback Gorillas) (Sigourney Weaver)
10. The Bear (Dir. Jean-Jacques Annaud/no actors)
11. My Friend Flicka (Horse) (Roddy McDowall)
12. The Yearling (Deer) (Gregory Peck)
13. Sounder (Dog) (Paul Winfield)
14. Born Free (Elsa the Lion) (Virginia McKenna)
15. Harry And Tonto (Cat) (Art Carney)
16. Cujo (Bad Dog-St. Bernard) (Dee Wallace)
17. Turner and Hooch (Dog-Mastif) (Tom Hanks)
18. The Black Stallion (Horse) (Mickey Rooney)
19. Seabiscuit (Race Horse) (Tobey Maguire)
20. The Ghost and the Darkness (Lions) (Val Kilmer)
21. The Adventures of Milo and Otis (Cat & Dog) (Nar. Dudley Moore)
22. The Shaggy Dog (English Sheep Dog) (Tommy Kirk)
23. The Incredible Journey (Cat and 2 Dogs)
24. The Adventures of Rin Tin-Tin (Dog-German Shepherd) (Robert Blake)
25. That Darn Cat (Cat-Siamese) (Hayley Mills)
26. The Birds (Bad Birds) (Tippi Hedren)
27. Free Willy (Nice Killer Whale) (Jason James Richter)
28. Black Beauty (Horse) (Mark Lester)
29. Salty (Sea Lion) (Clint Howard)
30. Flipper (Bottlenose Dolphin) (Luke Halpin)
31. Andre (Seal) (Tina Majorino)
32. 101 Dalmations (Dalmations) (Glenn Close)
33. Zeus And Roxanne (Dog, Dolphin) (Steve Guttenberg)
34. Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (Cat, Golden Retriever, Bulldog)
35. Dr. Doolittle (various animals) (Rex Harrison)
36. Willard (Bad Rat) (Ernest Borgnine)
37. Oh Heavenly Dog (Benji the Dog) (Chevy Chase)
38. Babe: Pig In the City (Pig) (James Cromwell)
39. Lad, A Dog (Dog-Collie) (Angela Cartwright)
40. International Velvet (Horse) (Tatum O'Neal)
41. Call Of The Wild, Dog of the Yukon (Dog-Husky) (Rutger Hauer)
42. Napoleon And Samantha (Lion) (Johnny Whitaker)
43. Mighty Joe Young (Gorilla) (Robert Armstrong)
44. Beethoven (Dog-St. Bernard) (Charles Grodin)
45. Sammy The Way Out Seal (1962) (Seal) (Billy Mummy)
46. Living Free (Elsa the Lion) (Susan Hampshire)
47. Dr. Doolittle (various animals) (Eddie Murphy)
48. Shiloh (Dog-Beagle) (Rod Steiger)
49. It's A Dog’s Life (Dog-Bull Terrier) (Dean Jagger)
50. Paulie (Parrot) (Hallie Kate Eisenberg)
51. Orca, The Killer Whale (Killer Whale) (Richard Harris)
52. Air Bud: Golden Receiver (Dog-Golden Retriever) (Kevin Zegers)
53. White Fang (Dog-Husky) (Ethan Hawke)
54. Project X (Chimpanzee) (Matthew Broderick)
55. Buddy (1997) (Gorilla) (Rene Russo)
56. The Amazing Panda Adventure (1995) (Panda) (Stephen Land)
57. The Cat From Outer Space (1978) (Cat) (Ken Berry)
58. Larger Than Life (Elephant) (Bill Murray)
59. Fly Away Home (Geese) (Jeff Daniels)
60. Flipper (Dolphin) (Elijah Wood)
61. Operation Dumbo Drop (Elephant) (Danny Glover)
62. Joey (Kangaroo) (Ed Begley Jr.)
63. That Darn Cat (Siamese) (Christina Ricci)
64. Ring Of Bright Water (Otter) (Virginia McKenna)
65. Mighty Joe Young (Gorilla) (Bill Paxton)
66. Mouse Hunt (Mouse) (Nathan Lane)
67. Francis (Mule) (Donald O'Connor)
68. Harry And The Hendersons (Bigfoot) (John Lithgow)
69. King Kong (Gorilla) (Naomi Watts)
70. Dunston Checks In (Sam the Orangutan) (Jason Alexander)
71. The Red Pony (Pony) (Peter Miles)
72. Jumanji (various) (Robin Williams)
73. Best In Show (Dogs) (Eugene Levy)
74. Never Cry Wolf (Wolves) (Charles Martin Smith)
75. A Dog of Flanders (Dog) (Jesse James)
76. The Doberman Gang (Dogs-Dobermans) (Hal Reed)
77. My Dog Skip (Dog-Jack Russell) (Frankie Muniz)
78. Cats and Dogs (Cat-Persian, Dog-Beagle) (Jeff Goldblum)
79. Fluke (Dog-Irish Setter) (Matthew Modine)
80. Jungle Book (various) (Sabu)
81. K-9 (German Shepherd) (Jim Belushi)
82. Legend Of The White Horse (Horse) (Christopher Lloyd)
83. Wishbone: Dog Days West (Dog-Jack Russell) (Angee Hughes)
84. Snow Dogs (Huskies) (Cuba Gooding Jr.)
85. Top Dog (German Shepherd) (Chuck Norris)
86. Running Free (Horse) (Chase Moore)
87. Run for the Roses (Race Horse) (Vera Miles)
88. Gus (Mule) (Don Knotts)
89. Monkey Trouble (Capuchin Monkey) (Thora Birch)
90. Phar Lap (Race Horse) (Martin Vaughan)
91. Ben (Rat) (Joseph Campanella)
92. Good Boy! (Dogs) (Molly Shannon)
93. C.H.O.M.P.S. (Dog-Robot) (Valerie Bertinelli)
94. Salt Water Moose (Moose) (Johnny Morina)
95. Zebra In The Kitchen (various animals) (Jay North)
96. Johnny & Clyde (Dog) (John White)
97. Congo (Gorillas) (Tim Curry)
98. My Magic Dog (Dog) (Bryan Mendez)
99. Bedtime For Bonzo (Chimp) (Ronald Reagan)
100. Anaconda (Bad Anaconda) (John Voight)

Animated animals

Bambi (Fawn), Chicken Run, The Lion King, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, Stuart Little (Mouse), Dumbo (Elephant), Finding Nemo (Clown Fish), Lady And The Tramp (Dogs-Mutt and Cocker Spaniel), 101 Dalmations, Animal Farm (Napoleon the Pig / Barnyard animals)

Supporting animals

The Edge (Bart the Bear) (Anthony Hopkins), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Humpback Whales) (William Shatner), The Horse Whisperer (Horses) (Robert Redford), Every Which Way But Loose (Clyde the Orangutan) (Clint Eastwood), Any Which Way You Can (Clyde the Orangutan) (Clint Eastwood), In Pursuit Of Honor (Horses) (Don Johnson), The Beastmaster (various animals) (Marc Singer), The Secret Of Roan Inish (Silkie) (Eileen Colgan), The Wizard of Oz (Toto-Cairn Terrier) (Judy Garland), Tarzan The Ape Man (Cheeta the Chimpanzee) (Johnny Weissmuller)







WHO’LL BE WATCHING?

iv. Best Chick Flicks

a. 50 Greatest Chick Flicks of All Time

The Gonzo Guru’s private bits are radically different from chick bits, so he doesn’t have a dog in this fight. But he’s been around the smell of estrogen all his life, what with three sisters, many relationships with wonderful women, an amazing wife, and countless post-divorce girlfriends until at long last he found Miss Perfect Gonzo Gurette. So he’s throwing his own two cents into the hand-beaded evening bag, but he also has the male intuition to start with a list made by women and for women -- the 50 Greatest Chick Flicks of All Time chosen by O, The Oprah Magazine: “Women's pictures used to be guilty pleasures: No more! Now they're kicking butt, getting respect, and grossing huge. From frothy romances to whale-riding adventures, these films show us who we are, where we've been, what we can take, and better yet, what we can dish out.” Here it is, the first of NINE lists. Yes, nine.

1. Morocco (Foreign Legionnaire Gary Cooper meets nightclub singer Marlene Dietrich)
2. Camille (father of up-and-coming Robert Taylor begs courtesan Greta Garbo not to ruin his son’s career)
3. Notorious (Cary Grant persuades Ingrid Bergman to marry Nazi to spy on him)
4. The French Lieutenant's Woman (Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons act in a period movie that parallels their own relationship)
5. The English Patient (in WW2, Ralph Fiennes betrays country for love of Kristin Scott-Thomas)
6. The Women (star-packed comedy of wealthy women and dude ranch. “I've had two years to grow claws, mother. Jungle red.”)
7. Julia (playwright Jane Fonda and friend Vanessa Redgrave fight fascism)
8. Desperately Seeking Susan (personals ad sets plot in motion with Madonna)
9. The Truth About Cats & Dogs (guy woos a stand-in for the right woman)
10. Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (“You know, even though we've watched Pretty Woman like thirty-six times, I never get tired of making fun of it”)
11. The Hours (Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf writes novel “Mrs. Dalloway”, Julianne Moore reads it, Meryl Streep lives it)
12. All About Eve (stage star Bette Davis is being ousted by ingénue Anne Baxter: “Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night”)
13. Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (lives of waitresses)
14. Aliens (Sigourney Weaver takes on big bad alien bugs)
15. Thelma & Louise (Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis on the run after killing would-be rapist: “You shoot off a guy's head with his pants down, believe me, Texas ain't the place you want to get caught”)
16. What's Love Got to Do With It (Tina Turner’s life with abusive Ike)
17. Girlfight (young girl blazes trail for female boxers)
18. Black Narcissus (Deborah Kerr leads five nuns to establish religious community in Himalayas)
19. The Shop Around The Corner (James Stewart doesn’t know he’s romancing annoying Margaret Sullavan through mail)
20. The Lady Eve (Barbara Stanwyck cons rich dope Henry Fonda)
21. Born Yesterday (Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn in romantic comedy)
22. Pat and Mike (Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy in romantic comedy)
23. Breakfast At Tiffany's (Audrey Hepburn as classic good-time girl: “You can always tell what kind of a person a man really thinks you are by the earrings he gives you”)
24. Bull Durham (team groupie Susan Sarandon romances Kevin Costner and Tim Robbins)
25. Pretty Woman (rich businessman Richard Gere and poor prostitute Julia Roberts: “I appreciate this whole seduction thing you've got going on here, but let me give you a tip: I'm a sure thing”)
26. Bridget Jones's Diary (London chick’s dating life: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that when one part of your life starts going okay, another falls spectacularly to pieces”)
27. Something's Gotta Give (Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson in mature romantic comedy)
28. Rebecca (Joan Fontaine marries rich Lawrence Olivier, has to deal with legacy of first wife)
29. Island in the Sun (Harry Belafonte has political ambitions complicated by his romance with a white woman)
30. Smooth Talk (15-year-old Laura Dern’s sexual awakening)
31. She's Gotta Have It (Spike Lee’s movie about a sexually liberated black woman)
32. A Walk on the Moon (housewife Diane Lane finds romance with a salesman)
34. Four Weddings And A Funeral (it takes Hugh Grant quite a while to land Andie McDowell)
35. Sense And Sensibility (two impoverished daughters need husbands: “Can the soul be really satisfied with such polite affections? To love is to burn -- to be on fire, like Juliet or Guinevere or Heloise”)
36. Monsoon Wedding (arranged Indian marriage and spontaneous love)
37. His Girl Friday (newspaper editor doesn’t want his ex-wife star reporter to marry someone else)
38. High Society (Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and John Lund all want Grace Kelly)
39. An Imitation of Life (black woman works for Lana Turner in moving film about race)
40. Terms of Endearment (mother Shirley Maclaine and daughter Debra Winger over 30 years.:“My daughter’s in pain! Give her the shots!”)
41. The Color Purple (Whoopi Goldberg in first starring role as abused young girl)
42. Daughters of the Dust (haunting drama of black woman)
43. Little Women (the classic story of sisters)
44. Eve's Bayou (doctor Samuel L. Jackson flirts with a patient, is seen by daughter, family falls apart)
45. The Virgin Suicides (group of male friends obsess over mysterious sisters, one of whom commits suicide)
46. Lovely & Amazing (comedy about mom and three confused daughters)
47. Laurel Canyon (female record producer and mixed-upped LA crowd)
48. Rabbit-Proof Fence (Aborigine kids on the run in Australia)
49. Whale Rider (girl wants to lead her tribe)
50. Bend It Like Beckham (girl plays soccer against father’s wishes)


b. The Gonzo Guru’s Rest of the Best by decade
30s
It Happened One Night (runaway heriress Claudette Colbert and reporter Clark Gable -- “I come from a long line of stubborn idiots”)
40s
The Philadelphia Story (Katharine Hepburn courted by ex-husband as she’s about to remarry -- “Put me in your pocket, Mike”), Casablanca (old flame Ingrid Bergman turns up married at Humphrey Bogart’s bar), Brief Encounter (woman tempted to cheat -- “I've fallen in love, I didn't think such violent things could happen to ordinary people”)
50s
Sabrina (brothers Humphrey Bogart and William Holden after chauffeur’s daughter Audrey Hepburn), An Affair to Remember (Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr in shipboard romance -- “Why didn't you tell me? If it had to happen to one of us, why did it have to be you?”), Pillow Talk (Doris Day and Rock Husband have phone romance -- “Mr. Allen, this may come as a surprise to you, but there are some men who don't end every sentence with a proposition”)
60s
Barefoot in the Park (Robert Redford as Jane Fonda young marrieds), Camelot (Richard Harris and Vanessa Redgrave in musical about King Arthur and Guinevere), Funny Girl (Barbra Streisand in musical about comedienne Fanny Brice and gambler boyfriend Omar Sharif)
70s
The Way We Were (Jewish activist Barbra Streisand and conservative WASP Robert Redford -- “I feel like I've been invited for drinks, and everyone else is staying for dinner”), The Turning Point (woman who gave up dancing to have family has daughter who joins ballet company), Grease (greaser guy and good girl -- “Men are rats. Listen to me, they're fleas on rats. Worse than that, they're amoebas on fleas on rats”)
80s
Sophie's Choice (writer befriends Holocaust survivor Meryl Streep and troubled boyfriend), The Big Chill (60s friends get together as marrieds), Flashdance (girl wants to get into ballet school), An Officer and a Gentleman (Richard Gere is at navy School, Debra Winger works in town factory), Nine to Five (Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin turn tables on nasty boss -- “If you say another word about me or make another indecent proposal, I'm gonna get that gun of mine and I'm gonna change you from a rooster to a hen with one shot!”), Romancing the Stone (romance writer Kathleen Turner gets involved with adventurer Michael Douglas --“What did you do, wake up this morning and say, 'Today, I'm going to ruin a man's life’?”), Splash (Tom Hanks falls for mermaid Daryl Hannah -- “All my life I've been waiting for someone and when I find her, she's ... she's a fish”), Out of Africa (Baroness Meryl Streep and big-game hunter Robert Redford in Africa -- “I'd mate for life, one day at a time”), Pretty In Pink (poor Molly Ringwald wants rich High School hunk -- “May I admire you again today?”), A Room With a View (Helena Bonham-Carter and chaperone Maggie Smith in Florence -- “He doesn't want you to be real, and to think and to live. He doesn't love you.”), Moonstruck (Cher falls for her fiancee’s brother Nicolas Cage -- “The past and the future is a joke to me now. I see that they're nothing. I see they ain't here. The only thing that's here is you - and me”)
The Princess Bride (man rescues his love from marriage to nasty prince -- “You can't hurt me. Westley and I are joined by the bonds of love. And you cannot track that, not with a thousand bloodhounds, and you cannot break it, not with a thousand swords”), Roxanne (big-nosed Steve Martin in love with beautiful Darryl Hannah -- “You have a beautiful, great big, flesh-and-bone nose! I love your nose! I love you, Charlie”), Beaches (Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey are longtime friends -- “I was jealous … your talent, this incredible talent! I can't even yodel!”), Working Girl (Melanie Griffith fights nasty Sigourney Weaver for Harrison Ford --“You're the first woman I've seen in one of these things that dresses like a woman, not like a woman thinks a man would dress if he was a woman”), Say Anything ... (young love between Ione Skye and John Cusack -- “She's gone. She gave me a pen. I gave her my heart, she gave me a pen”), Shirley Valentine (middle-aged Liverpool housewife wonders where she’s at -- “I think sex is like supermarkets, you know, overrated. Just a lot of pushing and shoving and you still come out with very little at the end”), Steel Magnolias (Southern gals face life -- “Time marches on and sooner or later you realize it is marchin' across your face”), When Harry Met Sally... (Jewish Billy Crystal and WASP Meg Ryan -- “I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible”)
90s
Ghost (dead husband Patrick Swayze tries to protect wife Demi Moore), Cold Comfort Farm (Kate Beckinsale sorts out crazy farm family), Sleepless in Seattle (son tries to hook up Dad with woman -- “Verbal ability is a highly overrated thing in a guy, and it's our pathetic need for it that gets us into so much trouble”), Frankie and Johnny (cook Al Pacino and waitress Michelle Pfeiffer -- ”I'm a BLT down sort of person, and I think you're looking for someone a little more pheasant under glass”), Fried Green Tomatoes (women in Alabama -- “I can't even look at my own vagina”), Truly, Madly, Deeply (dead boyfriend returns as ghost), Enchanted April (Londoners in Italy -- “In my day, husbands and beds were very seldom mentioned in the same breath. Husbands were taken seriously, as the only true obstacle to sin”), The Joy Luck Club (four Asians women and their daughters -- “This one moment would decide for my whole life whether fear would rule or I would”), Legends of the Fall (one woman, two brothers, one of whom is Brad Pitt), Muriel's Wedding (woman takes tropical vacation -- “I don't love you either, but I think I could like having you around”)
The American President (Annette Bening is a lobbyist, and Michael Douglas is the president -- "You're attracted to me, but the idea of physical intimacy is uncomfortable because you only know me as the President"), Before Sunrise (French Julie Delpy and American Ethan Hawke meet on train), The Bridges of Madison County (travelling photog Clint Eastwood and housewife Meryl Streep in mature romance --“And in that moment, everything I knew to be true about myself up until then was gone. I was acting like another woman, yet I was more myself than ever before”), Clueless (Alicia Silverstone thinks she knows everything, and can’t spot love under her nose -- “Sometimes you have to show a little skin. This reminds boys of being naked, and then they think of sex”), Forget Paris (Billy Crystal and Debra Winger in up-and-down romance -- “Marriages don't work when one partner is happy and the other is miserable. They only work when both are miserable”), Waiting to Exhale (love lives of four different black women)
The First Wives Club (divorcees Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn and Diane Keaton avenge themselves on treacherous husbands -- “Don't get mad, get everything”), Jerry Maguire (sports agent Tom Cruise tries independence, has to deal with Renee Zellweger – “You had me at hello”), As Good As It Gets (misanthropic Jack Nicholson and struggling single mom Helen Hunt -- “I might be the only person on the face of the earth that knows you're the greatest woman on earth. I might be the only one who appreciates how amazing you are in every single thing that you do”), Titanic (rich Kate Winslet and poor Leonardo DiCaprio on doomed ship), City of Angels (angel Nicolas Cage falls in love with heart surgeon Meg Ryan -- “I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss from her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it. One”), Hope Floats (Sandra Bullock tries to put her life together)
You’ve Got Mail (Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan don’t know they’re having email romance), Never Been Kissed (journalist Drew Barrymore enrolls in old high school to research a story -- “That thing, that moment, when you kiss someone and everything around becomes hazy and the only thing in focus is you and this person and you realize that that person is the only person that you're supposed to kiss for the rest of your life, and for one moment you get this amazing gift and you want to laugh and you want to cry because you feel so lucky that you found it and so scared that that it will go away all at the same time”), Notting Hill (filmstar Julia Roberts and ordinary guy Hugh Grant -- “After all, I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her”), Runaway Bride (reporter Richard Gere and runaway bride Julia Roberts)
2000
Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts pursues polluting corporation), Far from Heaven (50s housewife Julianne Moore falls for black man), Before Sunset (French Julie Delpy and American Ethan Hawke meet again after 9 years), My Big Fat Greek Wedding (“Nice Greek girls who don't find a husband, work in the family restaurant. So here I am, day after day, year after year, thirty and way past my expiration date”), Pride and Prejudice (young women available for rich husbands in Jane Austen classic -- “I was wrong”), The Upside Of Anger (Joan Allen drinks and rages with drinking buddy Kevin Costner in mature comedy)

c. The Greatest Chicks in Movies

1. Marilyn Monroe: Don’t Bother To Knock, Niagara, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, There’s No Business Like Show Business, The Seven Year Itch, River Of No Return, Some Like It Hot, The Misfits
2. Katharine Hepburn: Little Women, Morning Glory, Alice The Gonzo Gurus, Pat And Mike, Woman Of The Year, State Of The Union, Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story, Adam’s Rib, The African Queen, Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, The Lion In Winter, On Golden Pond, Rooster Cogburn, The Glass Menagerie, A Delicate Balance, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
3. Bette Davis: Of Human Bondage, Dangerous, Jezebel, The Private Lives Of Elizabeth And Essex, Dark Victory, The Letter, The Little Foxes, Now Voyager, Mr Skeffington, All About Eve, The Star, What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?
4. Greta Garbo: Anna Christie, Romance, Mata Hari, Grand Hotel, Anna Karenina, Camille, Ninotcha
5. Ingrid Bergman: Intermezzo, Casablanca, Gaslight, The Bells Of St. Mary’s, Notorious, Joan Of Arc, Stromboli, Voyage in Italy, Elena And Her Men, Anastasia, Murder On The Orient Express, Autumn Sonata
6. Elizabeth Taylor: National Velvet, Life With Father, Father Of The Bride, Giant, Raintree Country, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Suddenly Last Summer, Butterfield 8, Cleopatra, Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf, The Taming Of The Shrew
7. Sophia Loren: Boy On A Dolphin, Desire Under The Elms, The Black Orchid, The Millionairess, Heller In Pink Tights, It Started In Naples, Two Women, El Cid, The Condemned Of Altona, Yesterday Today And Tomorrow, The Fall Of The Roman Empire, Marriage Italian Style, Lady L, Judith, Arabesque, A Countess From Hong Kong, The Voyage, A Special Day, Grumpier Old Men
8. Audrey Hepburn: Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Funny Face, The Nun’s Story, Breakfast At Tiffany’s, Charade, My Fair Lady, Wait Until Dark, Robin And Marian
9. Joan Crawford: Grand Hotel, The Shining Hour, The Women, Above Suspicion, Mildred Pierce, Johnny Guitar, The Best Of Everything, Sudden Fear, Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?
10. Ava Gardner: The Showboat, The Snows Of Kilimanjaro, Mogambo, The Barefoot Comntessa, Bhowani Junction, The Sun Also Rises, The Naked Maja, On The Beach, 55 Days At Peking, Seven Days In May, The Night Of The Iguana, The Bible, Mayerling
11. Rita Hayworth: Only Angels Have Wings, Blood And Sand, Gilda, The Lady From Shanghai, Miss Sadie Thompson, Pal Joey
12. Lana Turner: Love Finds Andy Hardy, Dr, Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, Honky Tonk, Johnny Eager, Somewhere I‘ll Find You, Weekend At The Waldorf, The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Three Musketeers, The Merry Widow, The Bad And The Beautiful, The Flame And The Flesh, Peyton Place, Another Time Another Place, Imitation Of Life, Portrait In Black, Bachelor In Paradise, Madame X
13. Grace Kelly: High Noon, Mogambo, Dial M For Murder, Rear Window, The Country Girl. To Catch A Thief, High Society
14. Barbra Streisand: Funny Girl, The Owl And The Pussycat, What’s Up Doc? The Way We Were, A Star Is Born, Yentl, The Mirror Has Two Faces
15. Judy Garland: Broadway Melody, Love Finds Andy Hardy, The Wizard Of Oz, Meet Me In St. Louis, The Harvey Girls, In The Good Old Summertime, A Star Is Born
16. Shirley MacLaine: Can-Can, The Apartment, The Children’s Hour, Two For The Seesaw, Irma La Douce, What A Way To Go! The Yellow Rolls-Royce, Gambit, Sweet Charity, Two Mules For Sister Sara, The Turning Point, Being There, Terms of Endearment, Steel Magnolias, Postcards From The Edge, Used People, Rumor Has It
17. Meryl Streep: The Deer Hunter, Kramer Vs. Kramer, The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Sophie’s Choice, Silkwood, Out Of Africa, Ironweed, Bridges Of Madison County, Adaptation, The Manchurian Candidate
18. Barbara Stanwyck: Annie Oakley, Stella Dallas, Golden Boy, The Lady Eve, Meet John Doe, Ball of Fire, Double Indemnity, Forty Guns
19. Nicole Kidman: Dead Calm, To Die For, Moulin Rouge, The Others, The Hours, Dogville, The Interpreter
20. Deborah Kerr: Quo Vadis, The Prisoner Of Zenda, From Here To Eternity, The End Of The Affair, The King and I, Tea And Sympathy, An Affair To Remember, Separate Tables, Veloved Infidel, The Sundowners, The Innocents, The Chalk Garden, The Night Of The Iguana, Eye Of The Devil, Prudence And The Pill
21. Jane Fonda: Barefoot In The Park, Barbarella, The Shoot Horses Don’t They? Klute, Julia, Coming Home, The China Syndrome, On Golden Pond, The Morning After, Monster In Law
22. Susan Sarandon: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Pretty Baby, Atlantic City, The Hunger, Compromising Positions, The Witches Of Eastwick, Bull Durham, January Man, A Dry White Season, White Palace, Thelma and Louise, Bob Roberts, Lorenzo’s Oil, Little Women, Dead Man Walking, Cradle Will Rock, The Banger Sisters, Moonlight Mile, Shall We Dance, Alfie, Irresistible, Elizabethtown
23. Doris Day: The Man Who Knew Too Much, The Pajama Game, Teacher’s Pet, Pillow Talk, That Touch Of Mink, Send Me No Flowers

d. The Most Romantic Leading Men
Interesting -- this list would be very short without the addition of foreign actors.
1. Cary Grant: She Done Him Wrong, The Awful Truth, Only Angels Have Wings, An Affair to Remember, The Philadelphia Story, Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday, Notorious, To Catch a Thief, North by Northwest, Charade
2. Clark Gable: It Happened One Night, Mutiny On The Bounty, Gone With The Wind, Run Silent Run Deep, The Misfits, The Formula, Firestarter
3. Humphrey Bogart: The Petrified Forest, High Sierra, Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, To Have And Have Not, The Big Sleep, The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre, The African Queen, Key Largo
4. Robert Redford: Barefoot In The Park, Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, The Way We Were, Jeremiah Johnson, The Sting, Three Days Of The Condor, The Great Gatsby, All The President’s Men, The Natural, Indecent Proposal
5. Marcello Mastroianni: White Nights, La Dolce Vita, La Notte, Divorce Italian Style, A Very Private Affair, 8 1/2, Yesterday Today And Tomorrow, Marriage Italian Style, La Grande Bouffe, City Of Women, Pret-a-Porter, A Hundred And One Nights
6. Yves Montand: The Anatomy Of Love, The Crucible, The Wages Of Fear, Let’s Make Love, The Confession, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, Cesar And Rosalie, State Of Siege
7. Jean-Paul Belmondo: A Bout De Souffle (Breathless), Moderato Cantabile, Two Women, A Woman Is A Woman, That Man From Rio, Pierrot Le Fou, Love Is A Funny Thing, Mississippi Mermaid, Borsalino, Stavisky
8. Louis Jourdan: Letter From An Unknown Woman, Madame Bovary, Three Coins In The Fountain, Gigi, The Best Of Everything, Can-Can, The V.I.P.s, A Flea In Her Ear, Octopussy, Swamp Thing, Hotel
Speculation: Why aren’t there more romantic leading men today? There seems to be a big gap in the market. An actor like George Clooney, for example, could make himself superpopular if he did more romantic roles, because he certainly has what it takes to be the modern Clark Gable. Does Hollywood only write pictures for boys who want action –- and not for women who want to fantasize about some gorgeous, attentive hunk?

e. ‘Women’s Picture’ directors

1. Douglas Sirk: Magnificent Obsession, All That Heaven Allows, There’s Always Tomorrow, Written On The Wind, Interlude, The Tarnished Angels, A Time To Love And A Time To Die, Imitation Of Life, Bourbon Street Blues
2. Joseph Von Sternberg: The Blue Angel, Morocco, Dishonored, An American Tragedy, Shanghai Express, Blonde Venus, The Scarlet Empress, The Devil Is A Woman, The Great Waltz, The Shanghai Gesture

f. Woman Directors

1. Dorothy Arzner (worked from 20s thru 40s): First Comes Courage, Dance Girl Dance, The Bride Wore Red, Nana, Christopher Strong, Merrily We Go to Hell, Working Girls, Honor Among Lovers, Anybody's Woman, Paramount on Parade, Sarah and Son, The Wild Party, Manhattan Cocktail, Get Your Man, Ten Modern Commandments
2. Ida Lupino (worked in 50s): The Bigamist, The Hitch-Hiker, Fast and Beautiful, Outrage, Never Fear
3. Elaine May: Ishtar
4. Penny Marshall: Riding in Cars with Boys, The Preacher's Wife, Renaissance Man, A League of Their Own, Awakenings, Big, Jumpin' Jack Flash
5. Penelope Spheeris: The Kid & I, We Sold Our Souls for Rock 'n Roll, Posers, Hollywierd, Senseless, The Decline of Western Civilization Part III, The Thing in Bob's Garage, Black Sheep, The Little Rascals, The Beverly Hillbillies, Wayne's World, Thunder and Mud, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years, Dudes, Hollywood Vice Squad, The Boys Next Door, Suburbia, The Decline of Western Civilization, I Don't Know
6.Kathryn Bigelow: K-19: The Widowmaker, The Weight of Water, Strange Days, Point Break, Blue Steel, Near Dark, The Loveless, The Set-Up
7. Nora Ephron: When Harry Met Sally (writer),
8. Amy Heckerling: I Could Never Be Your Woman, Loser, Clueless, Look Who's Talking Too, Look Who's Talking, European Vacation, Johnny Dangerously, Fast Times at Ridgemont High
9. Gillian Armstrong:
9. Jane Campion (Australian): In the Cut, Holy Smoke, The Portrait of a Lady, The Piano, An Angel at My Table, Sweetie
10. Lisa Cholodenko: Cavedweller, Laurel Canyon, High Art, Dinner Party, Souvenir
11. Nicole Holofcener: Friends with Money, Lovely & Amazing, Walking and Talking, Angry
10. Sofia Coppola: Lick The Star, The Virgin Suicides, Lost In Translation, Marie-Antoinette
11. Mary Harron: I Shot Andy Warhol, American Psycho, The Notorious Bettie Page
12. Kimberly Peirce: The Last Good Breath, Boys Don’t Cry
13. Patty Jenkins: Just Drive, Velocity Rules, Monster
13. Nicole Kassell: The Green Hour, The Woodsman
14. Miranda July: Getting Stronger Every Day, You and Me and Everyone We Know, Nest Of Tens
15. Catherine Hardwicke: Thirteen
15. Sally Potter (British): Yes, The Man Who Cried, The Tango Lesson, Orlando, I Am an Ox I Am a Horse I Am a Man I Am a Woman aka Women Filmmakers in Russia, The Gold Diggers, London Story, Thriller
17. Agnes Varda (French): The Gleaners and I: Two Years Later, The Gleaners & I, The Young Girls of Rochefort, The Universe of Jacques Demy, A Hundred and One Nights,The Young Girls Turn 25, Jane B. by Agnes V., Vagabond, Mural Murals, Daguerréotypes, One Sings the Other Doesn't, Lions Love, Huey, Far from Vietnam, Uncle Janco, The Creatures, Happiness, Cleo from 5 to 7
18. Nelly Kaplan (French): The Pleasure of Love, Charles and Lucie, A Young Emmanuelle, Papa the Little Boats, A Very Curious Girl, The Picasso Look
19. Catherine Breillat (French): Anatomy of Hell, Sex Is Comedy, Brief Crossing, Fat Girl, Romance, Perfect Love, Dirty Like an Angel, Junior Size 36, Nocturnal Uproar, A Real Young Girl
20. Claire Denis (French): The Intruder, Friday Night, Trouble Every Day, Beau Travail aka Good Work, Nenette and Boni, I Can't Sleep, Boom-Boom, Against Oblivion, No Fear, No Die, Man No Run, Chocolat
21. Mira Nair (Indian): Vanity Fair, September 11, Monsoon Wedding, Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, The Day the Mercedes Became a Hat, Mississippi Masala, Salaam Bombay!
22. Kinuyo Tanaka (Japanese): Girl of Dark, The Wandering Princess, Love Under the Crucifix, The Eternal Breasts, The Moon Has Risen, Love Letter
16. Margarethe Von Trotta (German): Rosenstrasse, The Promise, The Long Silence, The African Woman, Love and Fear, Friends and Husbands, Marianne and Juliane, Sisters, or the Balance of Happiness, The Second Awakening of Christa Klages, The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum
24. Ulrike Ottinger (German): Zwölf Stühle, Exile Shanghai, Taiga, Countdown, Joan of Arc of Mongolia, The Image of Dorian Gray in the Yellow Press, Freak Orlando, Portrait of a Female Drunkard, Madame X: An Absolute Ruler, Laocoon & Sons, Berlin Fever
23. Dorris Dorrie (German): Naked, Enlightenment Guaranteed, Am I Beautiful? Nobody Loves Me, Happy Birthday!, Money, Love in Germany, Me and Him, Paradise, Men, In the Belly of the Whale, Straight Through the Heart, The First Waltz, Max & Sandy
24. Chantal Akerman (Belgian): Tomorrow We Move, From the Other Side, The Captive, South, Chantal Akerman by Chantal Akerman, A Couch in New York, From the East, Moving In, Night and Day, Against Oblivion, Franz Schubert's Last Three Sonatas, Three Stanzas on the Name Sacher, American Stories Food Family and Philosophy, Window Shopping, Letters Home, The Hammer, Sloth, I'm Hungry I'm Cold, Letter from a Filmmaker, The Eighties, The Man with the Suitcase, On Tour with Pina Bausch, All Night Long, Tell Me, The Meetings of Anna, News from Home, Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, I You She He, Hanging Out Yonkers, La Chambre, Hôtel Monterey, The Beloved Child or I Play at Being a Married Woman, Blow Up My Town
25. Marleen Gorris (Dutch): Carolina, The Luzhin Defence, Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, Antonia's Line, Tales from the Street, The Last Island, Broken Mirrors, A Question of Silence

g. Actresses Who Were More Than Actresses In The Movie Business

The movies have been a male-dominated form, an unfortunate effect of general sexism. Even today, women directors are too few and far between. The only position in which women have dominated is that of actress. Even so, some actresses have achieved an influence and/or aura that extends beyond their screen roles, mostly because of their independent, rebellious spirits. These rebels include:

1. Mary Pickford, the biggest silent star, who committed the ultimate act of power, by founding a movie studio, United Artists.
2. Bette Davis, epitome of the strong dramatic actress.
3. Olivia De Havilland, who challenged the Hollywood contract system.
4. Marlene Dietrich, who scandalized Hollywood by acting independent and wearing pants.
5. Katharine Hepburn, who took her own career into her hands, and embodied an indelible East Coast Brahmin flintiness.
6. Ingrid Bergman, who scandalized Hollywood by having a child out of wedlock.
7. Ida Lupino, who directed.
8. Marilyn Monroe, the biggest blond sex bomb ever, who married baseball star Joe Di Maggio and playwright Arthur Miller, bonked the Kennedys, and committed suicide.
9. Elizabeth Taylor, who transitioned from child star to sex symbol to dramatic actress, and married whoever she wanted at the time.
10. Jane Fonda, who became Barbarella, Hanoi Jane, a fitness guru, a producer, and a wife to sexpot-creator/director Roger Vadim, leftwing activist Tom Hayden, and media mogul Ted Turner.
11. Doris Day, the total 50s icon.
12. Barbra Streisand, who directed.
13. Sophia Loren, international sex symbol and dramatic actress.
14. Jeanne Moreau, darling of cineastes everywhere.
15. Simone Signoret, leftwing activist married to leftwing husband Yves Montand.
16. Susan Sarandon, leftwing activist with leftwing husband Tim Robbins.

h. Some other movie women to know about

1. Alice Guy-Brache, who was the first director ever. She made the first scripted feature, the 60-second
2. Dawn Steel, who was president of Columbia Pictures.
3. Sherry Lansing, CEO of Paramount Pictures.
4. Lili Fini Zanuck, who produced Cocoon, Driving Miss Daisy, Rich In Love, Clean Slate, Wild Bill, and Mulholland Falls.
5. Julia Phillips, who produced Steelyard Blues, The Sting, Taxi Driver, and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, and who wrote the tell-all Hollywood memoir You’ll Never Eat Lunch In This Town Again.
6. Lynda Obst, who’s produced How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Abandon, Someone Like You, Hope Floats, One Fine Day, This Is My Life, The Fisher King, Heartbreak Hotel, and Adventures in Babysitting.
7. Alma Hitchcock, wife of Alfred Hitchcock, without whom he wouldn’t have made his movies.
8. Thelma Schoonmaker, Oscar-winning film editor, and Martin Scorcese’s favorite editor.
9. Edith Head, Oscar-winning costume designer.
10. Director of Photography XXXXX, who shot Good Night and Good Luck.

i. A List Of Women’s And Feminist Cinema

1896: La fée aux choux; director: Alice Guy-Blaché — the first feature film
1921: The Blot; director: Lois Weber
1922: La souriante Madame Beudet (The Smiling Madame Beudet); director: Germaine Dulac — often cited as one of the first feminist feature films
1923–1926: Die Geschichte des Prinzen Achmed (The Adventures of Prince Achmed); director: Lotte Reiniger — animated film
1927: The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty; director: Esfir Shub
1931: Mädchen in Uniform (Girls in uniform); director: Leontine Sagan
1940: Dance, Girl, Dance; director: Dorothy Arzner
1943: Meshes of the Afternoon; director: Maya Deren
1959: Bridges Go-Round; director: Shirley Clarke
1964: The Cool World; director: Shirley Clarke — the cruel reality of street life in the U.S.
1966: Sedmikrasky (Daisies); director: Vera Chytilová — the story of two young girls who explore the world without taking it too seriously
1968: Rat Life and Diet in North America; director: Joyce Wieland
1969: La fiancée du pirate (A very curious girl); director: Nelly Kaplan
1971: The Woman's Film; directors: Louise Alaimo, Judy Smith
1971: L'aggetivo donna; directors: Ronny Daopolus, Annabella Miscuglio — a radical feminist documentary which analyses the double exploitation of women workers and the isolated situation of housewives and children
1971: Wanda; director: Barbara Loden
1972: Sambizanga; director: Sarah Maldoror — feature film about the liberation movement in Angola
1972/73: Es kommt darauf an, sie zu verändern; director: Claudia von Alemann — organised women workers discuss the possibilities for change
1975: Kaddy Bekat — Lettre Paysanne (Letter from My Village); director: Safi Faye
1976: Jeanne Dielmann 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles; director: Chantal Akerman — the daily life of a housewife
1976: Pasqualino settebellezze (Seven Beauties); director: Lina Wertmüller
1978: Die allseitig reduzierte Persönlichkeit (The Universally Reduced Personality); director: Helke Sander
1978: Mais qu'est ce qu'elles veulent? (But what do they want, after all?) — director: Coline Serreau
1979: Daughter Rite; director: Michelle Citron — a feminist pseudo-documentary which deconstructs the conventions of Direct Cinema
1979: Bildnis einer Trinkerin (Aller jamais retour; Portrait of a Female Drunkard); director: Ulrike Ottinger
1979: Killing Us Softly; directors: Margarete Lazarus, Renner Wunderlich — the effects of advertising on women
1979: Deutschland bleiche Mutter (Germany pale mother); director: Helma Sanders-Bahms
1980: The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter; director: Connie Field
1981: 36 Chowringhee Lane; director: Aparna Sen
1982: A Question Of Silence; director: Marleen Gorris
1983: Born in Flames; director: Lizzie Borden
1983: Le Grain de sable (Grain of Sand); director: Pomme Meffre — the gradual disintegration of a woman (played by Delphine Seyrig)
1985: Verführung: die grausame Frau (Seduction: The Cruel Woman); directors: Efi Mikesch, Monika Treut
1986: Ethnic Notions; director: Marion Riggs
1988: Love, Women, and Flowers (AmorR, Mujeres, y Flores); directors: Marta Rodriguez and Jorge Silva (Colombia)
1988: Die Jungfrauenmaschine (Virgin Machine); director: Monika Treut
1988: Kali-Filme (Kali Films); directors: Birgit Hein and Wilhelm Hein
1989: A dry white season; director: Euzhan Palcy
1990: An Angel at My Table; director: Jane Campion
1991: Daughters of the Dust; director: Julie Dash
1991: A Place of Rage; director: Pratibha Parmar
1993: Bhaji on the Beach; director: Gurinder Chadha
1994: Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter; director: Deborah Hoffman
1995: Coûte que coûte (At all costs); director: Claire Simon — documentary
1996: [Ffire (film)|Fire]]; director: Deepa Mehta
1996: White Men Are Cracking Up; director: Ngozi Onwurah
2001: "Ophelia Learns to Swim"; director: Jurgen Vsych
2003: Te doy mis ojos (Take my eyes); director: Icíar Bollaín
2003: Gujarat: A Laboratory of Hindu Rastra, Fascism; director: Suma Josson
2003: At Five in the Afternoon; director: Samira Makhmalbaf
2005: Karov la bayit - Close to Home, directors: Dalia Hager, Vidi Bilu



WHO’LL BE WATCHING?

v. Best Guy Movies
The Gonzo Guru had no problem with this one. He delved into his darkest, deepest male self, where lurk fire-breathing dragons and muscle-bound sword-swinging he-men with bazookas strapped to gonads of steel. Macho movies. Hard men. Mano a mano. Tough decisions. Fast action. Ultra-violence. Often, death. Yes, beautiful, satisfying, lip-smacking, finger-licking death.

a. The Gonzo Guru’s Top 100 Guy Movies

1. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Clint Eastwood in Sergio Leone’s Civil War western)
2. Scarface (Al Pacino as vicious Miami gangleader)
3. The Wild Bunch (William Holden in last stand of aging gunfighters)
3. The Godfather 1 & 2 (Al Pacino in best Mafia movie)
6. Pulp Fiction (John Travolta, Bruce Willis in wild, hilarious post-modern Tarantino classic)
7. Road Warrior aka Mad Max 2 (Mel Gibson in post-apocalyptic road movie)
8. The Killer (John Woo-directed Hong Kong movie, incredible gun action)
9. Raging Bull (Robert De Niro as the boxer Jake La Motta in Scorcese classic)
10. Enter The Dragon (Bruce Lee in best kung fu movie)
11. From Russia with Love (Sean Connery in 2nd James Bond movie)
12. The Seven Samurai (Toshiro Mifune in Kurasawa’s samurai classic)
13. The Magnificent Seven (Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, James Coburn, and Charles Bronson in classic remake of classic Seven Samurai)
14. Point Blank (Lee Marvin wants his money back from his old gang)
15. For a Few Dollars More (Clint Eastwood in second Man With No Name spaghetti western)
16. A Fistful of Dollars (Clint Eastwood in first Man With No Name spaghetti western)
17. Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood as cop who plays dirty to get his man)
18. Apocalypse Now (Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando in Coppola’s hallucinatory Vietnam war movie)
19. Platoon (private Charlie Sheen caught in Vietnam between good sergeant Willem Dafoe and bad sergeant Tom Berenger)
20. Full Metal Jacket (Matthew Modine in Kubrick’s Vietnam war movie)
21. The Wages of Fear (French thriller -- Yves Montand drives truck over treacherous roads with explosive load)
22. Bullitt (Steve McQueen as the cop who gets his man – best car chase ever)
23. North Dallas Forty (Nick Nolte as a much-injured football player)
24. Semi-Tough (Burt Reynolds as a football player)
25. The Big Lebowski (Jeff Bridges as a fucked-up loony layabout)
26. Cool Hand Luke (Paul Newman as a a prison legend)
27. The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger as a robot from the future come to whack humans)
28. The Dirty Dozen (Lee Marvin trains convicts for dangerous war mission)
29. The Deer Hunter (Robert De Niro, Christopher Walkins in Vietnam war)
30. The Outlaw Josey Wales (gunman Clint Eastwood on run from the law with weird band of hangers-on)
31. Heat (Al Pacino and Robert De Niro square off as cop and gangleader in LA)
32. The Searchers (John Wayne hunts for girl kidnapped by Indians)
33. The Longest Yard (convicts take on guards in football game)
34. Rio Bravo (John Wayne and Dean Martin in classic western)
35. The Great Escape (Steve McQueen in WW2 POW camp)
36. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (outlaws Paul Newman and Robert Redford in fun western)
37. Deliverance (Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight and friends caught by hillbillies on river expedition)
38. Mad Max (Mel Gibson in first of post-apocalyptic road movies)
39. Lethal Weapon (Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as cop buddies)
40. Braveheart (Mel Gibson leads Scots against English king)
41. This is Spinal Tap (side-splitting spoof of Brit rock band’s rise and fall)
42. Spartacus (Kirk Douglas leads slave revolt against Rome)
43. The Bridge on the River Kwai (life in a Japanese POW camp)
44. Slap Shot (Paul Newman in ice-hockey movie)
45. The French Connection (New York cop Gene Hackman tracks down French drug smugglers)
46. Goodfellas (young man wants to make it in Mafia)
47. Goldfinger (Sean Connery as James Bond)
48. Rocky (local boxer Sylvester Stallone gets a shot at championship)
49. Diehard (Bruce Willis vs. terrorists in building)
50. The Matrix (Keanu Reeves in brainy sci-fi thriller)
51. The Maltese Falcon (Humphrey Bogart as private eye in classic noir)
52. National Lampoon’s Animal House (John Belushi in college romp)
53. The Blues Brothers (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd smash cars in crazy drive across US)
54. Blade Runner (Harrison Ford tracks down replicants in future world)
55. The Right Stuff (the real life of early astronauts)
56. Papillon (Steve McQueen escapes from Devil Island)
57. 48 Hours (Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte in comedy cop buddy movie)
58. Patton (George C. Scott as fiery WW2 general)
59. Out of the Past (Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas in classic film noir)
60. The Sting (Paul Newman and Robert Redford pull off biggest con)
61. Death Race 2000 (future race to death in fun sci-fi)
62. Robocop (man revived as robot polices city)
63. Down By Law (three weird guys meet in New Orleans)
64. Taxi Driver (Robert De Niro takes psychopathic revenge)
65. To Have and Have Not (Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in war movie)
66. Rollerball (James Caan in violent sci-fi game)
67. The Last Detail (Jack Nicholson takes dumb private to jail)
68. Blazing Saddles (Mel Brooks spoofs the western)
69. Caddyshack (hilarious goings-on at a country club with Chevy Chase and Bill Murray)
70. Shaft (black private eye gets chicks)
71. The Untouchables (Kevin Costner and Sean Connery vs Al Capone)
72. North by Northwest (Cary Grant on the run, accused of murder)
73. Hud (Paul Newman as a never-do-well cattle rancher)
74. The Hustler (pool hustling)
75. Easy Rider (drugged Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper cross US on big bikes)
76. On the Waterfront (Marlon Brando in corrupt union world)
77. Kelly’s Heroes (Donald Sutherland in hilarious war movie)
78. Reservoir Dogs (gang falls apart after crime in Tarantino’s first movie)
79. Le Grand Bouffe (four guys decide to eat themselves to death, and do a little screwing, too)
80. Unforgiven (gunman Clint Eastwood hired by prostitutes to avenge them)
81. Diner (boys become men in New Jersey)
82. Fight Club (Brad Pitt as fighter)
83. Oldboy (Korea – bizarre revenge movie)
84. Stripes (Bill Murray in funny army movie)
85. Office Space (office shenanigans)
86. Swingers (young guys in Hollywood)
87. Death Wish (Charles Bronson as vigilante avenger)
88. Highplains Drifter (gunman Clint Eastwood comes to town to clean it up)
89. First Blood (Vietnam vet Sylvester Stallone settles a few war scores)
90. The Samurai (Alain Delon in cool French gangster movie)
91. Ronin (crime on the Riviera with Robert De Niro)
92. The Professional (little girl teams up with hitman Jean Reno)
93. Last Tango in Paris (aging Marlon Brando fucks young chick’s brains out)
94. The Vikings (Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis square off in sword saga)
95. Raiders of the Lost Ark (Harrison Ford and Nazis hunt for Ark)
96. Saving Private Ryan (WW2 movie with Tom Hanks)
97. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (working-class heroes in England)
98. Troy (Brad Pitt as Greek war hero Achilles)
99. The Ipcress File (Michael Caine as cool Brit spy)
100. The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (Richard Burton, Claire Bloom in Cold War spy drama)

b. Sports Illustrated's Greatest Sports Movies
1. Bull Durham (baseball, Kevin Costner)
2. Rocky (boxing, Sylvester Stallone)
3. Raging Bull (boxing, Robert De Niro)
4. Hoop Dreams (basketball documentary)
5. Slap Shot (ice hockey, Paul Newman)
6. Hoosiers (baseball)
7. Olympia (Nazi Olympics documentary)
8. Breaking Away (bicycling)
9. Chariots of Fire (Olympic running)
10. When We Were Kings (Ali documentary – rumble in the jungle)
11. Bang The Drum Slowly (baseball Robert De Niro)
12. Dogtown and Z-Boys
13.A League of Their Own (women baseball, Geena Davis)
14. The Freshman
15. The Endless Summer (surfers)
16. North Dallas Forty (football, Nic Nolte)
17. Brian's Song
18. Caddyshack (golf Chevy Chase)
19. Downhill Racer (skiing Robert Redford)
20. Requiem for a Heavyweight (boxing Anthony Quinn)
21. Pumping Iron (body-building doc with Arnold Schwarzenegger)
22. The Set-Up
23. The Hustler (pool Paul Newman)
24. Searching for Bobby Fischer (chess)
25. Horse Feathers (Marx Bros)
26. The Bad News Bears
27. National Velvet (horse racing, Elizabeth Taylor as girl)
28. Eight Men Out
29. Rollerball (violent sci-fi game, James Caan)
30. The Rookie
31. Baseball (Ken Burns documentary)
32. Vision Quest
33. Fat City (boxing, Jeff Bridges)
34. Everybody's All-American
35. Million Dollar Legs
36. Jerry Maguire (sports agent Tom Cruise)
37. The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick (soocer, German movie)
38. Field of Dreams (baseball, Kevin Costner)
39. The Harder They Fall
40. The Longest Yard (football, Burt Reynolds)
41. Remember The Titans (football, black coach integrates football team)
42. The Pride of the Yankees
43. Fists of Fury (kung fu Bruce Lee)
44. The Deadliest Season
45. Grand Prix (car racing)
46. Any Given Sunday
47. It Happens Every Spring
48. The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings
49. Phar Lap (horse racing)
50. Best in Show (dogs)

c. The Guyest Guys in movies
The rest are all pretty boys or wimps. Bruce Willis? Brad Pitt? Please.
1. John Wayne: Stagecoach, Fort Apache, Red River, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, Sands of Iwo Jima, The Searchers, Rio Bravo, The Alamo, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, True Grit, The Shootist
2. Clint Eastwood: A Fistful Of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, The Good The Bad And The Ugly, Play Misty For Me, Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby
3. Sean Connery: Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, The Hill, The Man Who Would Be King, The Name Of The Rose, The Untouchables, The Hunt For Red October, Robin And Marian
4. Steve McQueen: The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, Love With The Proper Stranger, Baby The Rain Must Fall, Nevada Smith, The Sand Pebbles, The Thomas Crown Affair, Bullitt, Le Mans, Junior Bonner, The Getaway, Papillon, The Towering Inferno, An Enemy Of The People, Tom Horn
5. Kirk Douglas: Out Of The Past, I Walk Alone, A Letter To Three Wives, Champion, Young Man With A Horn, The Glass Menagerie, Ace In The Hole, The Big Sky, The Bad And The Beautiful, The Story Of Three Loves, Man Without A Star, The Indian Fighter, Lust For Life, Gunfight At The OK Corral, Paths Of Glory, The Vikings, Last Train From Gun Hill, The Devil’s Disciple, Strangers When We Meet, Spartacus, Town Without Pity, The Last Sunset, Lonely Are The Brave, Two Weeks In Another Town, For Love Or Money, Seven Days In May, The Heroes Of Telemark, In Harm’s Way, Cast A Giant Shadow, The Way West, The War Wagon, A Lovely Way To Die, The Brotherhood, The Arrangement, To Catch A Spy, A Gunfight, Posse, The Fury, The Man From Snowy River, Tough Guys
6. Burt Lancaster: I Walk Alone, All My Sons, The Flame And The Arrow, Ten Tall Men, The Crimson Pirate, Come Back Little Sheba, From Here To Eternity, Apache, Vera Cruz, The Kentuckian, The Rose Tattoo, Trapeze, The Rainmaker, Gunfight At The OK Corral, Sweet Smell Of Success, The Unforgiven, Elmer Gantry, The Young Savages, Judgment At Nuremberg, Birdman Of Alcatraz, The Leopard, Seven Days In May, The Train, The Professionals, The Swimmer, Castle Keep, Valdez Is Coming, Ulzana’s Raid, 1900, The Cassandra Crossing, Twilight’s Last Gleaming, The Island Of Dr. Moreau, Go Tell The Spartans, Zulu Dawn, Atlantic City, Local Hero, Tough Guys
7. Anthony Quinn: The Plainsman, The Buccaneer, Union Pacific, Blood And Sand, They Died With Their Boots On, Road To Morocco, The Black Swan, The Ox-Bow Incident, Buffalo Bill, Sinbad The Sailor, Tycoon, The Brigand, Viva Zapata! Against All Flags, La Strada, Attila, Lust For Life, Man From Del Rio, The River’s Edge, The Black Orchid, The Savage Innocents, Warlock, Last Train From Gun Hill, Heller In Pink Tights, The Guns Of Navarone, Barabbas, Requiem For A Heavyweight, Lawrence Of Arabia, Behold A Pale Horse, The Visit, Zorba The Greek, A High Wind In Jamaica, Lost Command, The 25th Hour, The Shoes Of The Fisherman, Fatal Desire, The Magus, The Secret Of Santa Vittoria, A Dream Of Kings, The Greek Tycoon, Caravans, The Children Of Sanchez, Lion Of The Desert, Only The Lonely, A Walk In The Clouds
8. Marlon Brando: A Streetcar Named Desire, Viva Zapata, Julius Caesar, The Wild One, On The Waterfront, The Young Lions, Burn, Mutiny on the Bounty, Sayonara, The Godfather, Last Tango in Paris, A Dry White Season
9. Yul Brynner: The Ten Commandments, Anastasia, The Sound And The Fury, The Brothers Karamazov, Solomon and Sheba, The Magnificent Seven, Taras Bulba, Kings Of The Sun, Invitation To A Gunfighter, Cast A Giant Shadow, Triple Cross, The Long Duel, Villa Rides, Catlow, Westworld, The Ultimate Warrior, Futureworld
10. Robert Mitchum: Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, Nevada, Story Of GI Joe, Pursued, Out Of The Past, The Big Steal, The Lusty Men, Angel Face, River Of No Return, The Night of the Hunter, Bandido, Fire Down Below, The Enemy Below, Home From The Hill, The Sundowners, Cape Fear, The Longest Day, Two For The Seesaw, El Dorado, The Way West, Villa Rides, Anzio, Ryan’s Daughter, The Friends Of Eddie Coyle, The Yakuza, Farewell My Lovely, The Last Tycoon, The Big Sleep, That Championship Season, The Winds Of War
11. Charles Bronson: Apache, Machine-Gun Kelly, The Magnificent Seven, Kid Galahad, The Great Escape, The Sandpiper, The Dirty Dozen, Villa Rides, Once Upon A Time In The West, Rider On The Rain, Red Sun, The Valachi Papers, Chato’s Land, The Mechanic, The Stone Killer, Mr. Majestyk, Death Wish, Hard Times, Breakheart Pass, Death Wish 2, 3, 4, 5, The Indian Runner
WHO’LL BE WATCHING?

vi. Best Teen Movies
The Gonzo Guru remembers it only yesterday: raging hormones, incessant masturbation, highly annoying nymphets, never-used condoms, horrible teachers, horrible parents, horrible universe. Sometimes only a good movie can get a teen through the crap of the day. Here they are, from giggles to gasps, from grisly to gross-out, from up-yours to all mixed-up.
1. Teen Angst
Rebel without a Cause & East of Eden (both James Dean), River’s Edge (Keanu Reeves), Diner, You’re a Big Boy Now, Antwoine Fisher, Bend it like Beckham, 8 Mile (Eminem), Breaking Away, Virgin Suicides, West Side Story, The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, King Creole (Elvis), I Vitelloni (Fellini), Pixote, City of God

2. School
Cooley High, National Lampoon’s Animal House (John Belushi), Dazed and Confused, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Freshman, Heathers, Mean Girls, Dead Poets Society, Clueless, Election, American Pie, Welcome to the Dollhouse, Fame, If… Superbad

3. Romance
The Graduate, Harold and Maude, Mystic Pizza, Say Anything …, Romeo and Juliet (Franco Zeffirelli), Romeo and Juliet (Leonardo DiCaprio), Shakespeare in Love, When Harry Met Sally…, Down to You & She’s All That (both Freddie Prinze), The Princess Diaries, The Princess Bride

4. Horror
Friday the 13th, Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Dawn of the Dead, Scary Movie, Scream

5. Classic Slapstick
Duck Soup & A Night at the Opera (Marx Bros), The Bank Dick (W.C. Fields), Abbott & Costello meet Frankenstein, Sons of the Desert (Laurel & Hardy)

6. John Hughes directed: Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Buehler’s Day Off
7. Jerry Lewis: The Nutty Professor, The Bellboy, Artists and Models (with Dean Martin)
8. Peter Sellers: The Pink Panther, A Shot in the Dark. Dr. Strangelove, Being There
9. Monty Python: Life of Brian, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Monty Python and the Meaning of Life, And Now For Something Completely Different
10. Mel Brooks: Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, The Producers, Spaceballs
11. Woody Allen: Annie Hall, Sleepers, Bananas, Take the Money and Run
12. Ben Stiller: There’s Something about Mary, Meet the Fockers, Derek Zoolander, Your Friends and Neighbors, Reality Bites, Flirting with Disaster
13. Saturday Night Live Alumni:
(i) Eddie Murphy: 48 Hours, Beverley Hills Cop, Trading Places
(ii) Bill Murray: Meatballs, Stripes, Groundhog Day, Rushmore, Lost in Translation
(iii) Mike Myers: Wayne’s World, Austin Powers
(iv) Jim Carrey: Dumb and Dumber, Ace Ventura Pet Detective, The Mask, Liar Liar, Bruce Almighty
(v) Steve Martin: The Jerk, The Three Amigos, All of Me, Father of the Bride
(vi) Dan Aykroyd: Trading Places, Blues Brothers, Ghostbusters
(vii) Chevy Chase: The Groove Tube, Caddyshack, National Lampoon’s Vacation
(viii) Adam Sandler: The Waterboy, The Wedding Singer
(ix) Will Ferrell: A Night at the Roxbury, Anchorman Ron Burgundy

14. More comedy: Agent Cody Banks, Arthur, Back to the Future, Beetlejuice, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Clerks, The Goodbye Girl, Grosse Point Blank, Happiness, Harold and Kumar, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, The Kentucky Fried Movie, Legally Blonde, Malibu’s Most Wanted, M*A*S*H, Pump Up the Volume, Raising Arizona, Riding in Cars with Boys, Risky Business, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, Slackers, Spiderman, Silver Streak, 10, Wedding Crashers, Working Girl, Up in Smoke (Cheech & Chong)
15. British Humor: Rocky Horror Picture Show, Tom Jones, Carry On Up the Khyber, Carry On Nurse, Carry On Cleopatra, The Belles of St. Trinians, Bridget Jones Diary, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Full Monty, A Fish Called Wanda, The Commitments, The Mouse that Roared (Peter Sellers)
16. Spoofs: This is Spinal Tap, Police Academy, Airplane! The Naked Gun, Men in Black, Dr. Strangelove
WHO’LL BE WATCHING?

vii. Best Over-60 Movies
Where are the old people in movies? The Gonzo Guru took a look through thick prescription lenses, and found movies that actually STAR old folks. Fierce old folks, who don’t go gently into any good night. Let’s face it, the world is wasted on young people. BTW, keep your Viagra for yourself, and pass me a double Martini with four olives in it.

1. Grumpy Old Men (Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau). Two old codgers fight and fall in love.
2. Monster-in-Law (Jane Fonda, Jennifer Lopez). Mother-in-law tries to thwart son’s wedding to Latina fiancee.
3. On Golden Pond (Henry Fonda, Katherine Hepburn, Jane Fonda). Old couple reaffirm their life-long love.
4. Batteries Not Included (Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy). Strange visitations.
5. Driving Miss Daisy (Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman). Prejudiced Southern Jewish old lady and her black chauffeur.
6. Harold and Maude (Ruth Gordon). Disturbed boy and madcap old lady fall in love.
7. Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? (Bette Davis, Jane Crawford). Two old sisters, one of whom was a bigger star than the other, who goes violently crazy.
8. The Mother. After the death of her husband, an older woman finds romance with a younger man -- her daughter’s boyfriend.
9. Terms Of Endearment (Shirley Maclaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson). Mother and daughter over 30 years.
10. About Schmidt (Jack Nicholson). Man faces retirement, wife’s death, estrangement from daughter.
11. Blood Work (Clint Eastwood). Former FBI agent called out of retirement to solve a two-year-old crime.
12. Calendar Girls (Helen Mirren). Group of middle-aged British homemakers decide to pose for nude calendar to raise money for local hospital.
13. Cocoon (Don Ameche, Hume Cronyn). Residents in senior community encounter aliens, who offer them the gift of eternal life.
14. Goodbye, Lenin! (German) Socialist mother falls into coma and recovers just after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Son tries to recreate socialist Germany because he fears the shock of the change will kill her.
15. Nobody’s Fool (Paul Newman, Jessica Tandy). Man reconnects with his son – and himself – in a small town populated by interesting characters.
16. Secondhand Lions (Robert Duvall, Michael Caine). Eccentric brothers with mysterious pasts agree to let 14-year-old nephew spend the summer.
17. Something’s Gotta Give (Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson). Mature romantic comedy.
18. To Dance with the White Dog (Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy). Wife dies, husband plunged into grief, spirits improve when he meets white dog only he can see.
19. Ship of Fools (Simone Signoret, Oskar Werner). Mature romance on doomed ship.
20. Mommie Dearest (Faye Dunaway). Joan Crawford abuses her daughter.
21. Tough Guys (Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster). Old crooks, out of jail after 30 years for train robbery, now try to steal the whole train.
WHAT KIND OF MOVIE DO YOU WANT TO SEE?

i. Best Action Movies

There’s nothing like a bit of action to keep you nailed to the edge of your couch. The Gonzo Guru makes no excuses: here’s HIS choice of the top 50 action movies, and they are the best ever, and if you’ve got a problem with that, meet me outside the set of The Terminator after midnight with your Magnum 44. I’ll take my list of the top 50 over any other list of the top 50. This list is guaranteed to kickstart your engine, Keith Moon your heartbeat, and kick-box your guts through your sternum.
The first American movie ever was an action movie: The Great Train Robbery in 1903. Other early classic action movies were Buster Keaton’s The General, The Most Dangerous Game (1932), Captain Blood (1935), and The Sea Hawk (1940).

a. The Gonzo Guru’s Top 50 Action Movies

1. The Road Warrior aka Mad Max 2 (Mel Gibson)
2. Apocalypto (directed by Mel Gibson)
3. Aliens (Sigourney Weaver)
3. Point Blank (Lee Marvin)
4. The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
5. Speed (Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock)
6. The Killer (director John Woo – Hong Kong shoot ‘em up classic)
7. Face-Off (John Travolta)
8. Star Trek -- The Wrath of Khan (Ricardo Montalban as bad guy Khan)
9. The Dirty Dozen (Lee Marvin)
10. The French Connection (Gene Hackman)
11. Bullitt (Steve McQueen, best car chase)
12. Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood)
13. From Russia with Love (Sean Connery as James Bond)
14. Goldfinger (Sean Connery as James Bond)
15. Enter The Dragon (kung fu with Bruce Lee)
16. The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three (Walter Matthau)
17. The Matrix (Keanu Reeves)
18. Jaws (Roy Schneider)
19. Star Wars (Harrison Ford)
20. 48 Hours (Eddie Murphy, Nick Nolte)
21. Lethal Weapon 1 and 2 (Mel Gibson, Danny Glover)
23. North by Northwest (Cary Grant)
24. Die Hard 1 and 2 (Bruce Willis)
26. Hard Boiled (director John Woo)
27. La Femme Nikita (French)
28. Predator 2
29. Clear and Present Danger (Harrison Ford)
30. The Fugitive (Harrison Ford)
31. True Lies (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
32. Heat (Al Pacino, Robert De Niro)
33. Spiderman 1 and 2 (Tobey MacGuire)
35. Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 (Uma Thurman)
37. The Bourne Identity (Matt Damon)
38. Desperado (Antonio Banderas)
39. The Professional/Leon (Jean Reno)
40. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
41. Men in Black (Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith)
42. Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (British crime)
43. Alien vs. Predator (black woman joins Predators in fight against Aliens)
44. Sin City (Mickey Rourke episode)
45. Batman (Michael Keaton in first Batman movie)
46. Batman Begins (how did Batman begin?)
47. Armageddon (Bruce Willis)
48. Oldboy (Korean movie)
49. Licence To Kill (Timothy Dalton as James Bond)
50. True Romance (Dennis Hopper)

b. The Gonzo Guru’s Rest of the Best by decade
60s
Zulu, The Train, Dr. No, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice
70s
Airport, Duel, Shaft, The Getaway, The Poseidon Adventure, Rollerball, Assault on Precinct 13, Black Sunday, Superman, Mad Max, The Warriors, Get Carter
80s
Escape from New York, Nighthawks, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Return of the Jedi, Beverly Hills Cop, Commando, Police Story, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Runaway Train, Raw Deal, Lethal Weapon (and sequels), Police Story 2, Predator, Robocop, The Untouchables, Red Heat, The Abyss, Batman, Big Trouble in Little China
90s
The Hunt for Red October, Total Recall, Backdraft, Once Upon a Time in China, Point Break, Passenger 57, Patriot Games, Under Siege, Demolition Man, In the Line of Fire, Supercop 2, Drop Zone, Drunken Master 2, Fist of Legend, Iron Monkey, Bad Boys, Crimson Tide, First Strike, Independence Day, Mission: Impossible, The Rock, Set It Off, Twister, Air Force One, Con Air, The Fifth Element, Gattaca, Starship Troopers, Titanic, Volcano, Deep Impact, Enemy of the State, Ronin, Run Lola Run, Blade, Rush Hour, Fight Club, Three Kings, Jurassic Park
2000s
Charlie's Angels, Mission: Impossible II, Romeo Must Die, Shaft, The Fast and the Furious, Kiss of the Dragon, Spy Kids, Batman Begins, The Bourne Supremacy, Catwoman, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Collateral, The Day After Tomorrow, The Devil's Rejects, Fantastic Four, Hellboy, Hulk, King Kong, Koroshiya 1, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Narc, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, The Sum of all Fears, Team America: World Police, X-Men, Minority Report, Inside Man

c. Action heroes based on comic book characters
Tarzan (Lord Greystoke), Buck Rogers, Superman, Batman, Spiderman, X-men, Fantastic Four, The Hulk, The Phantom, Catwoman, Blade

d. Action stars
1. Arnold Schwarzenegger: Conan The Barbarian, Conan The Destroyer, The Terminator, Red Sonja, Commando, Raw Deal, Predator, The Running Man, Red Heat, Total Recall, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, True Lies, Eraser, Collateral Damage, Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines
2. Sylvester Stallone: Death Race 2000, Rocky I, II, III, IV and V, F.I.ST., Paradise Alley, Nighthawkls, First Blood, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Cobra, Rambo III, Tango And Cash, Cliffhanger, Demolition Man, The Specialist, Judge Dredd, Assassins, Daylight, Cop Land, Get Carter
3. Bruce Willis: Diehard 1, 2, Hudson Hawk, The Last Boy Scout, Loaded Weapon 1, Striking Distance, Pulp Fiction, Die Hard: With A Vengeance, Last Man Standing, The Fifth Element, The Jackal, Armageddon, The Siege, Breakfast Of Chjampions, The Sixth Sense, The Whole Nine Yards, Hart’s War, Grand Champion, Tears Of The Sun, The Whole Ten Yards, Hostage, Sin City, 16 Blocks
4. Mel Gibson: Mad Max, Gallipoli, The Road Warrior aka Mad Max 2, The Year Of Living Dangerously, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Lethal Weapon 1, 2, 3 and 4, Air America, Hamlet, Maverick, Braveheart, Ransom, Conspiracy Theory, Payback, The Patriot, What Women Want, We Were Soldiers, Signs
5. Steve McQueen: The Magnificent Seven, Hell Is For Heroes, The Wra Lover, The Great Escape, Soldier In The Rain, Love With The Proper Stranger, Baby The Rain Must Fall, The Cincinnati Kid, Nevada Smith, The Sand Pebbbles, The Thomas Crown Affair, Bullitt, Le Mans, Junior Bonner, The Getaway, Papillon, The Towering Inferno, Tom Horn, The Hunter
6. Steven Siegal: Above The Law, Hard To Kill, Marked For Death, Out For Justice, Under Siege, Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, Executive Decision, Fire Down Below, Exit Wounds, Half Past Dead, The Foreigner, Out For A Kill, Belly Of The Beast, Into The Sun, Today You Die, Shadows Of The Past
7. Chuck Norris: Good Guys Wear Black, A Force Of One, The Octagon, An Eye For An Eye, Silent Rage, Forced Vegnegance, Lone Wolf McQuade, Missing In Action, Missing In Action 2: The Beginning, Code Of Silence, Invasion USA, The Delta Force, Firewalker, Braddock: Missing In Action III, Hero And The Terror, Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection, The Hitman, Sidekicks, Walker Texas Ranger 3: Deadly Reunion, Hellbound, Top Dog, Forest Warrior, The Cutter
8. Jean-Claude Van Damme: No Retreat No Surrender, Bloodsport, Black Eagle, Cyborg, Kickboxer, Lionheart, Death Warrant, Double Impact, Universal Soldier, Nowhere To Run, Hadr Target, Timecop, Street Fighter, Sudden Death, The Quest, Maximum Risk, Double Team, Knock Off, Legionnaire, Universal Soldier: The Return, Replicant, The Order, Derailed, Narco, Wake Of Death, Second In Command, The Hard Corps
9. Vin Diesel: The Fast And The Furious, Knockaround Guys, xXx, A Man Apart, The Chronicles Of Riddick, The Pacifier, Find Me Guilty

WHAT KIND OF MOVIE DO YOU WANT TO SEE?

ii. Best Adventure Movies

What’s the difference between an action movie and an adventure film? An actioner becomes an adventure story when it’s set in another era (Rome, WW2, the future), or in an exotic locale (jungles, deserts, islands, the ocean), or stars a swashbuckler (Errol Flynn as Captain Blood) or historic figure (Errol Flynn as Robin Hood), or fantasy hero (Zorro, Tarzan). Diehard is action; Raiders of the Lost Ark is adventure. The Gonzo Guru went to the ends of the earth for his top 50 adventure movies ever, which are the best ever, no doubt about it -- and if you have a problem with that, go rent a pirate ship to cross the Seven Seas to slay the dragon hoarding the treasure that can save the kingdom from a giant ape.

a. The Gonzo Guru’s Top 50 Adventure Movies

1. The Seven Samurai (Japan, Toshiro Mifune)
2. The Wages Of Fear (French, Yves Montand)
3. Lawrence Of Arabia (Peter O’Toole)
4. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Keir Dullea, Hal the computer)
5. Raiders Of The Lost Ark (Harrison Ford)
6. The Magnificent Seven (Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson)
7. The Adventures Of Robin Hood (Errol Flynn)
8. Robin And Marian (Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn)
9. The Lord Of The Rings 1, 2, 3
10. To Have And Have Not (Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall)
11. The Man Who Would Be King (Sean Connery, Michael Caine)
12. The African Queen (Humphey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn)
13. Braveheart (Mel Gibson)
14. Blade Runner (sci, fi, Harrison Ford)
15. Scaramouche (Stewart Granger)
16. Star Wars 2: The Empire Strikes Back (best Star Wars movie)
17. Jurassic Park (people-chomping dinosaurs)
18. Thelma And Louise (Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis on the run)
19. Waterworld (sci-fi, Kevin Costner)
20. The Great Escape (Steve McQueen)
21. The Prisoner of Zenda (Errol Flynn)
22. The Thief Of Bagdad (1940)
23. The Last Of The Mohicans (Daniel Day Lewis)
24. Excalibur (King Arthur and Merlin)
25. Apollo 13 (Tom Hanks)
26. The Three Musketeers (Michael York, Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlain)
27. King Kong (2005)
28. Captain Blood (Errol Flynn)
29. Bridge On The River Kwai (David Lean POW camp epic)
30. Greystoke: Legend Of Tarzan
31. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Humphrey Bogart)
32. Romancing The Stone (Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner)
33. Deliverance (Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight)
34. Star Wars
35. Robin Hood, Prince Of Thieves (Kevin Costner)
36. The Guns Of Navarone (Gregory Peck, David Niven)
37. The Mummy (Brendan Fraser)
38. The Rocketeer (Bill Campbell)
39. Pirates Of The Caribbean (Johnny Depp)
40. Around The World In 80 Days (David Niven)
41. Gunga Din (Errol Flynn)
42. Mutiny On The Bounty (Marlon Brando)
43. Moby Dick (Gregory Peck)
44. Yojimbo (Japan, Toshiro Mifune)
45. Papillon (Steve McQueen)
43. Zorro (Antonio Banderas)
44. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (high-class kung-fu)
45. The Right Stuff (astronauts)
46. Top Gun (Tom Cruise)
47. Aguirre The Wrath Of God (German bizarro)
48. Planet Of The Apes (Charlton Heston)
49. Tears Of The Sun (Bruce Willis)
50. Troy (Brad Pitt)

b. The Gonzo Guru’s Rest of the Best by decade

20s
The Mark of Zorro, The Three Musketeers, The Black Pirate, Don Juan
30s
Red Dust, Shanghai Express, Tarzan The Ape Man, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Tarzan and His Mate, Treasure Island, The Call of the Wild, The Lives of a Bengal Lancer, She, The Charge of the Light Brigade, Captains Courageous, The Hurricane, The Adventures of Marco Polo, Kidnapped, Beau Geste, The Four Feathers, The Man In the Iron Mask, Only Angels Have Wings, Stanley and Livingstone


40s
Hudson's Bay, The Mark of Zorro, The Sea Hawk, The Black Swan, Saboteur, They Died With Their Boots On, The Three Musketeers, The Adventures of Don Juan
50s
The Flame and the Arrow, King Solomon's Mines, The Crimson Pirate, Mogambo, The High and the Mighty, War and Peace, The Spirit of St. Louis
60s
Spartacus, Dr. No, Hatari! Zulu, The Flight of the Phoenix, Khartoum
70s
The Wind and the Lion, Black Stallion
80s
For Your Eyes Only, Conan the Barbarian, Return of the Jedi, The Emerald Forest, The Mission, The Abyss, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
90s
The Hunt for Red October, White Hunter Black Heart, K2: The Ultimate High, Cliffhanger, The River Wild, Goldeneye, The World Is Not Enough, Rob Roy, First Knight
2000s
The Perfect Storm, Sahara, The Last Samurai, Master and Commander

c. James Bond movies (from Ian Fleming’s novels)
1. Sean Connery: Dr. No, From Russia With Love (terrific), Goldfinger (terrific), Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds Are Forever
2. George Lazenby: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
3. Roger Moore: A View To A Kill, Octopussy, For Your Eyes Only (terrific), Moonraker (terrific), The Spy Who Loved Me, The Man With The Golden Gun, Live And Let Die
3. Timothy Dalton: License To Kill (terrific), The Living Daylights
4. Pierce Brosnan: Die Another Day, The World Is Not Enough (terrific), Tomorrow Never Dies, GoldenEye


d. Jack Ryan movies (from Tom Clancy’s novels)
Patriot Games (Harrison Ford), Clear And Present Danger (terrific, Harrison Ford), The Hunt For Red October (Alec Baldwin), The Sum Of All Fears (Ben Affleck)

e. Errol Flynn movies
Against All Flags, Adventures Of Don Juan, Objective Burma! They Died With Their Boots On, The Sea Hawk, The Private Lives Of Elizabeth And Essex, The Dawn Patrol, The Adventures Of Robin Hood, The Prince And The Pauper, Captain Blood

WHAT KIND OF MOVIE DO YOU WANT TO SEE?

iii. Best Comedies

Some comedies make you chuckle gently throughout, because of their sophisticated wit and stinging repartee. Others make you pee in your pants because of some bizarre slapstick. Now if The Gonzo Guru has one thing besides a head, it’s a sense of humor. And when it comes to his sense of humor, he has high standards, which are based on one criterium: the scene in a Laurel and Hardy short where Ollie is caught between two rooms. In the one room he is trying to diaper a rebellious baby. In the other room he is trying to iron his pants on a rebellious ironing board. He has to rush between the two rooms, and there’s a rebellious door in between that smacks him every time he goes through it. This is the funniest scene in the history of movies, and every movie recommended in the following seven lists (yes, SEVEN) lives up to that scene. Now excuse me while I go catch my foreskin in a zipper.

a. 100 funniest American movies of all time
As chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of film industry people assembled by the American Film Institute. From slapstick to romantic comedy; from satire and black comedy to musical comedy; from comedy of manners to comedy of errors.

1. Some Like It Hot (Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis)
2. Tootsie (Dustin Hoffman)
3. Dr. Strangelove (Peter Sellers)
4. Annie Hall (Woody Allen)
5. Duck Soup (Marx Brothers)
6. Blazing Saddles (Mel Brooks)
7. MASH (Donald Sutherland)
8. It Happened One Night (Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert)
9. The Graduate (Dustin Hoffman)
10. Airplane!
11. The Producers (Mel Brooks)
12. A Night At The Opera (Marx Bros)
13. Young Frankenstein (Mel Brooks)
14. Bringing Up Baby (Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn)
15. The Philadelphia Story (Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn)
16. Singin' In The Rain (Debbie Reynolds, Gene Kelly)
17. The Odd Couple (Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau)
18. The General (Buster Keaton).
19. His Girl Friday (Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell)
20. The Apartment (Jack Lemmon)
21. A Fish Called Wanda (John Cleese).
22. Adam’s Rib (Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy)
23. When Harry Met Sally... (Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan)
24. Born Yesterday (Judy Holliday, William Holden, Broderick Crawford)
25. The Gold Rush (Charlie Chaplin).
26. Being There (Peter Sellers).
27. There's Something About Mary (Ben Stiller, Cameron Diaz)
28. Ghostbusters (Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray)
29. This Is Spinal Tap
30. Arsenic And Old Lace (Cary Grant)
31. Raising Arizona (Nicholas Cage)
32. The Thin Man (Dick Powell).
33. Modern Times (Charlie Chaplin)
34. Groundhog Day (Bill Murray)
35. Harvey (James Stewart).
36. National Lampoon's Animal House (John Belushi)
37. The Great Dictator (Charlie Chaplin)
38. City Lights (Charlie Chaplin)
39. Sullivan's Travels (Joel McCrea)
40. It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World (many famous comics)
41. Moonstruck (Cher)
42. Big (Tom Hanks)
43. American Graffiti (Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard)
44. My Man Godfrey (Dick Powell)
45. Harold And Maude (Ruth Gordon)
46. Manhattan (Woody Allen)
47. Shampoo (Warren Beatty)
48. A Shot In The Dark (Peter Sellers)
49. To Be or Not To Be (Carole Lombard, Jack Benny)
50. Cat Ballou (Lee Marvin, Jane Fonda)
51. The Seven Year Itch (Marilyn Monroe)
52. Ninotchka (Greta Garbo)
53. Arthur (Dudley Moore)
54. The Miracle Of Morgan's Creek (Eddie Bracken, Betty Hutton)
55. The Lady Eve (Barbara Stanwyck)
56. Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein
57. Diner (Steve Guttenberg, Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon, Daniel Stern)
58. It's A Gift (W.C. Fields)
59. A Day At The Races (Marx Bros)
60. Topper (Cary Grant)
61. What's Up, Doc? (Barbra Streisand)
62. Sherlock, Jr. (Buster Keaton)
63. Beverly Hills Cop (Eddie Murphy)
64. Broadcast News (Albert Brooks)
65. Horse Feathers (Marx Bros)
66. Take The Money And Run (Woody Allen)
67. Mrs. Doubtfire (Robin Williams)
68. The Awful Truth (Cary Grant, Irene Dunn)
69. Bananas (Woody Allen)
70. Mr. Deeds Goes To Town (Gary Cooper, Jean Arthur)
71. Caddyshack (Chevy Chase)
72. Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (Cary Grant, Myrna Loy)
73. Monkey Business (Marx Bros)
74. 9 To 5 (Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton)
75. She Done Him Wrong (Mae West)
76. Victor/Victoria (Julie Andrews)
77. The Palm Beach Story (Claudette Colbert, Joel McCrea)
78. Road To Morocco (Bob Hope, Bing Crosby)
79. The Freshman (Marlon Brando, Matthew Broderick)
80. Sleeper (Woody Allen)
81. The Navigator (Buster Keaton)
82. Private Benjamin (Goldie Hawn)
83. Father Of The Bride (Spencer Tracy)
84. Lost In America (Albert Brooks)
85. Dinner At Eight (John Barrymore, Jean Harlow)
86. City Slickers (Billy Crystal)
87. Fast Times At Ridgemont High (Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh)
88. Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton)
89. The Jerk (Steve Martin)
90. Woman Of The Year (Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy)
91. The Heartbreak Kid (Charles Grodin, Cybill Shepherd)
92. Ball Of Fire (Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck)
93. Fargo (Frances McDormand)
94. Auntie Mame (Rosalind Russell)
95. Silver Streak (Gene Wilder & Richard Pryor)
96. Sons Of The Desert (Laurel & Hardy)
97. Bull Durham (Kevin Costner)
98. The Court Jester (Danny Kaye)
99. The Nutty Professor (Jerry Lewis)
100. Good Morning, Vietnam (Robin Williams)


b. The Gonzo Guru’s Rest of the Best by decade

20s
Tillie's Punctured Romance, Exit Smiling
30s
Million Dollar Legs, Trouble in Paradise, Ruggles of Red Gap, Stage Door, Topper, Holiday, Pygmalion, The Cat and the Canary (1939), Destry Rides Again, Ninotchka, The Women
40s
My Favorite Wife, The Shop Around the Corner, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, Heaven Can Wait, The More the Merrier, Blithe Spirit, Wonder Man, The Kid From Brooklyn, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Paleface, Everybody Does It
50s
The Lavender Hill Mob, The Man in the White Suit, Pat and Mike, Genevieve, Mr. Hulot's Holiday (French), The Belles of St. Trinian's, Big Deal on Madonna Street, Mon Oncle (French), The League of Gentlemen, Pillow Talk, The Mouse That Roared (Peter Sellers), The Court Jester (Danny Kaye), The Inspector General (Danny Kaye), The Mouse That Roared (Peter Sellers), No Time For Sergeants (Andy Griffith), The Family Jewels (Jerry Lewis)
60s
Tom Jones, The Pink Panther, Marriage, Italian Style (Italian), The Great Race, Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, The Fortune Cookie, Barefoot in the Park, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (Don Knotts), Good Neighbor Sam (Jack Lemmon), Bedazzled, A Guide for the Married Man, Playtime (French), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
70s
Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Shampoo, The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings, Car Wash, The Goodbye Girl, Kentucky Fried Movie, Semi-Tough, Breaking Away, Monty Python's Life of Brian,10, Up In Smoke (Cheech & Chong)
80s
Stir Crazy, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, 48 Hours, My Favorite Year, Risky Business, Trading Places, Splash, Top Secret!, Back to the Future, The Breakfast Club, Easy Money (Rodney Dangerfield, Joe Pesci), Prizzi's Honor, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Princess Bride, Roxanne, Three Men and a Baby, Married to the Mob, Midnight Run, The Naked Gun, Working Girl, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Look Who's Talking, Parenthood, Say Anything …, National Lampoon's Vacation, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Down And Out in Beverly Hills, Ruthless People (Bette Midler, Danny DeVito), The Toy (Richard Pryor, Jackie Gleeson), Stir Crazy (Richard Pryor, Gene Wilder), Silver Streak, Sister Act (Whoopi Goldberg), Three Amigos! (Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Martin Short), Meatballs (Bill Murray), Waterboy (Adam Sandler), Tommy Boy (Chris Farley, David Spade), Foul Play (Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn), Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure

90s
Home Alone, Oscar, Pretty Woman, Hot Shots! Soap Dish, A League of Their Own, My Cousin Vinny, Wayne's World, Dazed and Confused, Sleepless in Seattle, The Beverly Hillbillies, Robin Hood: Men In Tights, Ace Ventura Pet Detective, Bullets Over Broadway, Clerks, Ed Wood, Forrest Gump, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Babe, Clueless, Dumb and Dumber, Get Shorty, Mighty Aphrodite, The Nutty Professor, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, The Full Monty, Grosse Pointe Blank, Men in Black, My Best Friend's Wedding, Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, Wag the Dog, Babe: Pig in the City, Life is Beautiful (Italian), Pleasantville, Rushmore, There's Something About Mary, The Truman Show, You've Got Mail, American Pie, Analyze This, Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler), Galaxy Quest, Topsy-Turvy, The Birdcage, Wayne's World (Mike Myers, Dana Carvey), Scary Movie, Mars Attacks, South Park the Movie, Bean (Rowan Atkinson), Rush Hour (Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker), American Pie, The Big Lebowski, My Cousin Vinny (Joe Pesci, Fred Gwynne), Multiplicity (Michael Keaton), A Night at the Roxbury (Will Ferrell), Mouse Hunt, Blame It on the Bellboy (Dudley Moore, Bronson Pinchot), Encino Man (Brendan Fraser, Pauly Shore),
2000s
Meet the Parents, Bridget Jones's Diary, Meet The Fockers, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked-Up, Superbad, Dedication, Borat


c. Great Classic Comics

1. Charlie Chaplin: The Kid, The Gold Rush, City Lights, Modern Times, The Great Dictator, Limelight
2. Buster Keaton: Our Hospitality, The Navigator, Sherlock, Jr., The General, Steamboat Bill, Jr.
3. Fatty Arbuckle & Mabel Normand: Mabel, Fatty and the Law, Fatty and Mabel Adrift
4. Laurel & Hardy: Sons of the Desert, Our Relations, Way Out West, The Flying Deuces, A Chump At Oxford
5. Harold Lloyd: Grandma's Boy, Safety Last, Why Worry?, Girl Shy, The Freshman
6. Harry Langdon: The Strong Man, Long Pants
7. Marx Brothers: The Cocoanuts, Animal Crackers, Monkey Business, Horse Feathers, Duck Soup, A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races
8. W. C. Fields: It's A Gift, You Can't Cheat an Honest Man, The Bank Dick, Never Give a Sucker an Even Break, My Little Chickadee (with Mae West)
9. Mae West: Night After Night, She Done Him Wrong, I'm No Angel, Belle of the Nineties, Klondike Annie
10. The Three Stooges made 190 short subject episodes for Columbia pictures. No full-length movies. Other short film greats were made by Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, The Keystone Cops, Laurel and Hardy, and Harry Langdon.

d. Best Screwball Comedies

The Front Page, It Happened One Night, Twentieth Century, Libeled Lady, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, My Man Godfrey, The Awful Truth, Nothing Sacred, Bringing Up Baby, You Can't Take It With You, His Girl Friday, My Favorite Wife, Ball of Fire, The Man Who Came to Dinner, The Talk of the Town

e. Best Comedy Directors

1. Frank Capra: Lady for a Day, It Happened One Night, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, You Can't Take it With You, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Meet John Doe, Arsenic and Old Lace, It's a Wonderful Life, State of the Union
2. Preston Sturges: The Great McGinty, The Lady Eve, Sullivan's Travels, The Palm Beach Story, Hail the Conquering Hero, The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, Unfaithfully Yours
3. Leo McCarey: Duck Soup, Belle Of The Nineties, Ruggles Of Red Gap, The Milky Way, Make Way For Tomorrow, The Awful Truth, Going My Way, The Bells of St, Mary’s, Rally Round The Flag Boys!
4. Howard Hawks: Man’s Favorite Sport? Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Monkey Business, I Was A Male War Bride, To Have And Have Not, The Outlaw, Ball Of Fire, His Girl Friday, Only Angels Have Wings, Bringing Up Baby
5. Billy Wilder: A Foreign Affair, Ace in the Hole, Sabrina, The Seven Year Itch, Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, One Two Three, Irma La Douce, Kiss Me Stupid, The Fortune Cookie, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, Avanti! The Front Page, Buddy Buddy
6. Jerry Lewis: The Family Jewels, The Patsy, The Nutty Profesor, The Errand Boy, The Ladies Man, The Bellboy
7. Blake Edwards: The Pink Panther, A Shot in the Dark, Inspector Clouseau, The Pink Panther Strikes Again, The Return of the Pink Panther, Revenge of the Pink Panther, Curse of the Pink Panther, 10, The Great Race, The Party, S.O.B., Victor/Victoria, A Fine Mess
8. Richard Lester: Royal Flash, The Three Musketeers, The Four Musketeers, The Bed-Sitting Room, Petulia, How I Won The War, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Help! The Knack, A Hard Day’s Night, The Mouse On The Moon, It’s Trad Dad! The Running, Jumping, & Standing Still Film
9. Mel Brooks: The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie. High Anxiety, Space Balls, History of the World Part 1
10. Woody Allen: Take the Money and Run, Bananas, Play It Again Sam, Sleeper, Love and Death, Annie Hall, Manhattan, Zelig, Broadway Danny Rose, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Hannah and Her Sisters, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Husbands and Wives, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Bullets Over Broadway
11. John Waters: Hairspray, A Dirty Shame, Cecil B. DeMented, Pecker, Serial Mom, Cry-Baby, Polyester, Desperate Living, Female Trouble, Pink Flamingos, Multiple Maniacs, Mondo Trasho
12. David and Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams: Kentucky Fried Movie, Airplane! Police Squad! Top Secret! The Naked Gun, Hot Shots! Hot Shots! Part Deux
13. Harold Ramis: Caddyshack, National Lampoon’s Vacation, Groundhog Day, Multiplicity, Analyze This, Analyze That, Bedazzled
14. John Landis: The Kentucky Fried Movie, Animal House, The Blues Brothers, Trading Places, Into The Night, Spies Like Us, Three Amigos, Coming To America, Oscar, Beverley Hills Cop 3, The Stupids
15. Peter and Bobby Farrelly: Dumb and Dumber, Kingpin, Outside Providence, Stuck on You, Me Myself and Irene, Say It Isn’t So, There’s Something about Mary, Osmosis Jones, Shallow Hal
16. Kevin Smith: Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back, Jersey Girl
17. Terry Gilliam: Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, The Fisher King, The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen, Brazil, The Meaning Of Life, Time Bandits, Jabberwocky, Monty Python And The Holy Grail

f. Best comedy writers

1. Neil Simon: Barefoot In The Park, The Odd Couple, Sweet Charity, The Out-Of-Towners, Plaza Suite, Last Of The Red Hot Lovers, The Heartbreak Kid, The Prisoner Of Second Avenue, The Sunshine Boys, Murder By Death, The Goodbye Girl, California Suite, Chapter Two, The Lonely Guy, Lost In Yonkers
2. Buck Henry: The Graduate, Candy, Catch-22, The Owl And The Pussycat, Is There Sex After Death, What’s Up Doc? First Family, To Die For
3. Monty Python: And Now for Something Completely Different, Life of Brian, The Meaning of Life, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, A Fish Called Wanda (written by John Cleese)
4. Charlie Kaufman: Being John Malkovich, Human Nature, Adaptation, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

g. Best Black Comedies, Anti-War Comedies, Spoofs

Duck Soup, The Great Dictator, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Sunset Boulevard, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, The Russians Are Coming! The Russians are Coming!, M*A*S*H, Harold and Maude, Eating Raoul, Heathers, The Player, True Romance, This Is Spinal Tap


WHAT KIND OF MOVIE DO YOU WANT TO SEE?

iv. Best Drama

Dramas are serious. They cover major themes: woman and man; war and peace; the failure of success; the pain of intimacy. They feature agonizing choices: love vs. duty; money vs. honor; taking vs. giving. The Gonzo Guru has been there in his own life. He bears enough scars and welts from trauma and tragedy to be able to tell a deep drama from the shallow scratch of a surface itch. Here are his top dramas. They will sear your soul and broil your emotions – as well as give you all the catharsis you need to cleanse your sticky, dusty, grimy conscience.

a. The Gonzo Guru’s Top 50 Dramas

1. Citizen Kane (Orson Welles)
2. A Streetcar Named Desire (Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh)
3. Nashville (Robert Altman epic)
4. All About Eve (Bette Davis)
5. The Night of the Hunter (Robert Mitchum)
6. Giant (Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean)
7. Raging Bull (Robert De Niro)
8. Casablanca (Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman)
9. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor)
10. Sunset Boulevard (William Holden)
11. On the Waterfront (Marlon Brando)
12. Rashomon (Japan)
13. The Apartment (Jack Lemmon)
14. To Kill a Mockingbird (Gregory Peck)
15. From Here to Eternity (Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift)
16. Taxi Driver (Robert De Niro)
17. The Magnificent Ambersons
18. Midnight Cowboy (Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight)
19. Five Easy Pieces (Jack Nicholson)
20. Do The Right Thing (Spike Lee on race)
21. Sunrise (silent movie).
22. Gone With The Wind (Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable)
23. The Grapes of Wrath (Henry Fonda)
24. Hud (Paul Newman)
25. Pride and Prejudice (Lawrence Olivier)
26. Rebecca (Joan Fontaine. Laurence Olivier)
27. Rebel Without a Cause (James Dean)
28. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Elizabeth Taylor)
29. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
30. To Kill a Mockingbird (Gregory Peck)
31. The Piano (Holly Hunter)
32. The Caine Mutiny
33. The Last Picture Show
34. Cool Hand Luke (Paul Newman)
35. The English Patient (Ralph Fiennes)
36. Mean Streets (Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro)
37. Doctor Zhivago (Omar Sharif, Julie Christie)
38. Saturday Night Fever (John Travolta)
39. Crimes and Misdemeanors
40. East of Eden (James Dean)
41. The Best Years of Our Lives
42. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Jack Nicholson)
43. Witness for the Prosecution (Marlene Dietrich)
44. The Lost Weekend (Fredric March)
45. I Want to Live! (Susan Hayward)
46. Elmer Gantry (Burt Lancaster)
47. A Place in the Sun
48. The Deer Hunter (Robert De Niro)
49. Shine (Ralph Fiennes)
50. American Beauty (Kevin Spacey has hots for daughter’s best friend)


b. The Gonzo Guru’s Rest of the Best by decade
20s
Broken Blossoms, Way Down East, The Jazz Singer, Seventh Heaven
30s
Anna Christie, Min and Bill, The Champ, Grand Hotel, I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang, Red Dust, Little Women, Morning Glory, Great Expectations, The Informer, Mutiny on the Bounty, Dodsworth, Fury, Dead End, The Good Earth, The Hurricane, Lost Horizon, Stage Door, A Star is Born, Boys Town, Goodbye Mr. Chips
40s
Knute Rockne: All-American, How Green Was My Valley, Meet John Doe, Mrs. Miniver, The Pride of the Yankees, The Human Comedy, The Song of Bernadette, Since You Went Away, Body and Soul, Gentleman's Agreement, Odd Man Out, Hamlet, I Remember Mama, The Snake Pit, All the King's Men, Champion, The Heiress, A Letter to Three Wives
50s
The Bad and the Beautiful, Come Back, Little Sheba, The Wild One, The Country Girl, Marty, The Blackboard Jungle, Bad Day At Black Rock, Baby Doll, 12 Angry Men, Sweet Smell of Success, The Defiant Ones, Anatomy of a Murder, Compulsion, The Nun's Story, Suddenly Last Summer, A Face in the Crowd, Panic in the Streets
60s
Inherit the Wind, The Hustler, The Misfits, The Manchurian Candidate, The Miracle Worker, Easy Rider, In the Heat of the Night, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The Best Man, America America, Splendor in the Grass
70s
The Candidate, Rocky, The Conversation, Network, Kramer vs. Kramer
80s
The Elephant Man, Ordinary People, Frances, Sophie's Choice, The Verdict, Chariots of Fire, The Killing Fields, Amadeus, Rain Man, Driving Miss Daisy
90s
JFK, A Few Good Men, Malcolm X, The Player, Philadelphia, Schindler's List, Blue Sky, Forrest Gump, Natural Born Killers, Quiz Show, The Shawshank Redemption, Apollo 13, Dead Man Walking, Leaving Las Vegas, Nixon, Sling Blade, As Good As It Gets, Good Will Hunting, The Ice Storm, The Sweet Hereafter, Titanic, Elizabeth, Life is Beautiful (Italian), October Sky, Summer of Sam, Election
2000s
Traffic, Chocolat, The Celebration (Danish), Erin Brockovich, A Beautiful Mind (Russell Crowe), Gosford Park, In The Bedroom, Gangs Of New York, The Hours, The Pianist, Lost In Translation, Mystic River, Seabiscuit, Million Dollar Baby, The Aviator, Finding Neverland, Ray, Sideways, The Squid And The Whale, Laurel Canyon, Friends With Money


c. Leading dramatic actresses and one actor
1. Bette Davis: Cabin In The Cotton, Of Human Bondage, Dangerous, Jezebel, The Private Lives Of Elizabeth And Essex, Dark Victory, The Old Maid, The Letter, The Little Foxes, Now Voyager, All About Eve, Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?
2. Joan Crawford: Grand Hotel, The Shining Hour, The Women, Above Suspicion, Mildred Pierce, Johnny Guitar, The Best Of Everything, Sudden Fear, Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?
3. Susan Hayward: Beau Geste, Bataan, My Foolish Heart, Rawhide, David And Bathsheba, With A Song In My Heart, The Snows Of Kilimanjaro, The Lusty Men, Demetrius And The Gladiators, Garden Of Evil, I’ll Cry Tomorrow, Top Secret Affair, I Want to Live! Woman Obsessed, Ada, Back Street, Where Love Has Gone, Valley Of The Dolls
4. Lana Turner: Dr, Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, Johnny Eager, Somewhere I‘ll Find You, Weekend At The Waldorf, The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Merry Widow, The Bad And The Beautiful, The Flame And The Flesh, Peyton Place, Another Time Another Place, Imitation Of Life, Portrait In Black, Bachelor In Paradise, Madame X
5. Meryl Streep: The Deer Hunter, Kramer Vs. Kramer, The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Sophie’s Choice, Silkwood, Out Of Africa, Ironweed, Bridges Of Madison County
6. Marlon Brando: A Streetcar Named Desire, Viva Zapata, Julius Caesar, The Wild One, On The Waterfront, The Young Lions, Burn, Mutiny on the Bounty, Sayonara, The Godfather, Last Tango in Paris, A Dry White Season

d. Dramas by Shakespeare made into movies
Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, Romeo And Juliet, Henry V, Macbeth, Taming Of The Shrew, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, Love’s Labour Lost, As You Like It
There are 56 movie and TV Hamlets. Best-known: Laurence Olivier (1948), Mel Gibson (1964), Ethan Hawke (2000), Christopher Plummer (1964), Derek Jacobi (1980), Kevin Kline (1990), Richard Burton (1964), Maximilian Schell (1969), Ian McKellen (1970), Asta Nielsen (1921, Danish). The Gonzo Guru has three favorite Hamlet movies: Kenneth Branagh, directed by Branagh (1996), that films the whole 4-hour play; Nicol Williamson, directed by Tony Richardson (1969), shot in great moody close-ups; and the Russian Hamlet -- Innokenti Smoktunovsky, directed by Grigori Kozintsev (1963), who also directed a brilliant King Lear. By the way, these two Russian productions are the biggest and most epic Shakespeares you’ll ever see. I think they got the whole Russian Army to work for free. There’s also a Hindi Hamlet (1954).

e. Dramas by Tennessee Williams made into movies
The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Rose Tattoo, Baby Doll, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, The Fugitive Kind, Suddenly Last Summer, Summer and Smoke, The Roman Spring Of Mrs. Stone, Sweet Bird Of Youth, Period of Adjustment, Thye Night Of The Iguana, This Property Is Condemned, Boom

f. Other plays made into movies (alphabetical)
Amadeus, Arsenic and Old Lace, Auntie Mame, Awful Truth, Bad Seed, Becket, Bell Book And Candle, Bells Are Ringing, The Birdcage, Born Yesterday, Brief Encounter, Bus Stop, Bye Bye Birdie, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Children Of A Lesser God, Cyrano de Bergerac, Dial M For Murder, A Delicate Balance, Diary of Anne Frank, Dinner At Eight, Driving Miss Daisy, Educating Rita, Elephant Man, Front Page, Gaslight, Glengarry Glen Ross, Harvey, Hedda Gabler (Glenda Jackson), His Girl Friday, Inherit The Wind, Key Largo, The Letter, The Lion In Winter, Little Foxes, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Madness Of King George, A Man For All Seasons, The Man Who Came To Dinner, The Mioracle Worker, Mister Roberts, The Odd Couple, One Two Three, On Golden Pond, Phantom Of The Opera, The Philadelphia Story, Picnic, Play It Again Sam, Real Women Have Curves, Rhinoceros, Romeo And Juliet (Franco Zefferelli, Baz Luhrman), Rope, Roxanne, Same Time Next Year, The Seven Year Itch, Shirley Valentine, Six Degrees Of Separation, Sleuth, Stalag 17, Steel Magnolias, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Sunshine Boys, Wait Until Dark, Noises Off, Witness For The Prosecution, The Women, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Twelve Angry Men
WHAT KIND OF MOVIE DO YOU WANT TO SEE?

v. Best Crime Movies
Gangster, Detective/Mystery, Crime Sprees, Noir

Doesn’t evil lurk in all our hearts? Oh, the freedom to be a gangster, to off an oaf who stands in our way, to pull off a great scam, to push an old lady in a wheelchair down a flight of stairs just to see what will happen. Hey, if we’re not bold enough to throw off the shackles of civil behavior ourselves, we can watch the criminally intent do it for us in the movies. The Gonzo Guru has imagined himself doing all sorts of illegal things. He has on occasion even seen the inside of a jail, accused by the authorities of harboring substances which he looked to have ingested, but which they couldn’t find, because he had the foresight to ingest them all when he heard the police knock on his door. Here are The Gonzo Guru’s top 50 crime choices, culled at great moral risk from a treasure house of nefarious doings. If you think you have a better list, sue me. Or kill me. But wait: your gun is firing blanks, and isn’t that a garotte you feel from behind sliding around your throat?

a. The Gonzo Guru’s Top 50 Crime Movies

1. The Godfather I & II (Al Pacino)
3. Scarface (Al Pacino)
4. Double Indemnity (Barbara Stanwyck)
5. White Heat (James Cagney)
6. Angels With Dirty Faces (James Cagney)
7. Point Blank (Lee Marvin)
8. Bonnie and Clyde (Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway)
9. Dog Day Afternoon (Al Pacino)
10. Chinatown (Jack Nicholson)
11. Goodfellas (Joe Pesci, Robert DeNiro)
12. Pulp Fiction (John Travolta)
13. Out of the Past (Robert Mitchum, Kirk Douglas)
14. A Simple Plan
15. Prizzi’s Honor (Jack Nicholson, Katherine Turner)
16. M (German)
17. Heat (Al Pacino, Robert De Niro)
18. Taxi Driver (Robert De Niro)
19. Touch of Evil (Charlton Heston, Orson Welles)
20. The Silence of the Lambs (Judie Foster, Anthony Hopkins)
21. Once Upon a Time in America (Robert De Niro, James Woods)
22. On the Waterfront (Marlon Brando)
23. Mean Streets (Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel)
24. Badlands (Martin Sheen)
25. Serpico (Al Pacino)
26. Prince of the City
27. The Postman Always Rings Twice (John Garfield, Lana Turner)
28. Gun Crazy (noir)
29. The Big Sleep (Humphrey Bogart)
30. Rififi (French)
31. Bullitt (Steve McQueen)
32. Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood)
33. The French Connection (Gene Hackman)
34. 48 Hours (Eddie Murphy, Nick Nolte)
35. Lethal Weapon (Mel Gibson, Danny Glover)
36. The Maltese Falcon (Humphrey Bogart)
37. Blood Simple
38. Basic Instinct (Michael Douglas)
39. The Birdman of Alcatraz (Burt Lancaster)
40. Cool Hand Luke (Paul Newman)
41. In Cold Blood
42. In the Heat of the Night (Sidney Poiter, Rod Steiger)
43. Key Largo (Humphrey Bogart)
44. Little Caesar (Edward G. Robinson)
45. The Untouchables (Kevin Costner, Sean Connery)
46. The Roaring Twenties (James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart)
47. The Public Enemy (James Cagney)
48. High Sierra (Humphrey Bogart)
49. Detour (noir)
50. Klute (Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland)

b. The Gonzo Guru’s Rest of the Best by decade
Silents and 20s
The Musketeers of Pig Alley, The Regeneration, Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler, Underworld, The Lights of New York, The Racket

30s
The Big House, Bad Company, I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang, Scarface: The Shame of the Nation, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, Manhattan Melodrama, The Petrified Forest, G-Men, Bullets or Ballots, The Petrified Forest, Dead End, Marked Woman, Each Dawn I Die

40s
They Drive by Night, The Glass Key, This Gun for Hire, Dillinger, The Killers, Brute Force, Kiss of Death, T-Men, Force of Evil, Raw Deal, They Live By Night


50s
The Asphalt Jungle, The Enforcer, The Lavender Hill Mob, Strangers on a Train, The Big Heat, The Big Combo, The Killing, The Defiant Ones, Al Capone, Anatomy of a Murder, The FBI Story

60s
Cape Fear, Underworld USA, The Brotherhood, The Thomas Crown Affair, The Italian Job

70s
Get Carter, Shaft, The Hot Rock, Shaft's Big Score! Dillinger, Shaft in Africa, Thieves Like Us, French Connection II, Assault on Precinct 13

80s
The Long Good Friday, Fort Apache: The Bronx, Manhunter, Things Change, Dick Tracy, The Cotton Club

90s
The Godfather III, Miller's Crossing, Q & A, Bugsy, Cape Fear (1991),
JFK, One Good Cop, Hoffa, Reservoir Dogs, A Bronx Tale, Carlito's Way, In the Line of Fire, Heavenly Creatures, Natural Born Killers, The Professional (French), The Shawshank Redemption, Casino, Clockers, Se7en, The Usual Suspects, Bound, Fargo, Donnie Brasco, L. A. Confidential, The Big Lebowski, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Out of Sight, The Thomas Crown Affair

2000s
Traffic


c. Detective-Mystery Rest of the Best by decade
Silents and 20s
The Perils of Pauline – serials, Sherlock Holmes, Behind That Curtain, The Canary Murder Case

30s
The Kennel Murder Case, The Thin Man, After the Thin Man, Charlie Chan at the Opera, The Lady Vanishes, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles

40s
Rebecca, The Falcon Takes Over, The Glass Key, Laura, Murder My Sweet, And Then There Were None (1945, remade as Ten Little Indians in 1965, 1975, 1989), Lady in the Lake, Notorious, The Lady from Shanghai, The Third Man


50s
The Big Heat, Kiss Me Deadly, Witness for the Prosecution, Touch of Evil

60s
Charade, The Pink Panther, A Shot in the Dark, Blow-Up, Harper, In The Heat Of The Night, Tony Rome, Madigan, Marlowe

70s
Sleuth, The Long Goodbye, The Conversation, Murder on the Orient Express, Farewell My Lovely, Night Moves, Death on the Nile

80s
Evil Under the Sun, The Big Easy

90s
Se7en, The Usual Suspects, Fargo, L. A. Confidential, The Talented Mr. Ripley

d. Film Noir
Film Noir is the dark side of humanity: violence, doomed love, and betrayal in the amoral city with cynical anti-heroes and sexy femme fatales shot with long shadows and German Expressionist lighting. It started with The Maltese Falcon in 1941 and ended with A Touch of Evil in 1958.

Classic Noirs: The Maltese Falcon (Humphrey Bogart), Detour, The Big Sleep, This Gun For Hire, Double Indemnity (Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson), The Narrow Margin, Out of the Past (Robert Mitchum, Kirk Douglas, Jane Greer), D.O.A. (Edmund O’Brien), The Postman Always Rings Twice (John Garfield, Lana Turner), The Big Heat (Glen Ford), Kiss Me Deadly, The Big Steal, The Killing, Key Largo (Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Barrymore, Edward G. Robinson), Kiss of Death, A Touch of Evil (Charlton Heston, Orson Welles), Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Big Combo

e. Neo-noir
Body Double, Slamdance, Chinatown (Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Roman Polanski), Blood Simple, Body Heat (William Hurt, Kathleen Turner), Night Moves (Gene Hackman, Melanie Griffith, James Woods), The Long Goodbye (Eliot Gould), The Late Show (Art Carney & Lily Tomlin), Bullitt (Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bissett), Point Blank (Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson), Against All Odds (Jeff Bridges)



f. Classic hoods
1. James Cagney: The Public Enemy, The Roaring Twenties, Angels With Dirty Faces, White Heat, Tribute To A Bad Man
2. Edward G. Robinson: Outside The Law, Little Caesar, Smart Money, Tiger Shark, Silver Dollar, The Little Giant, Dark Hazard, The Man With Two Faces, The Whole Town’s Talking, Barbary Coast, Thunder In The City, Confessions Of A Nazi Spy, Dr. Erlich’s Magic Bullet, Larceny Inc, Tales Of Manhattan, Double Indemnity, The Stranger, Key Largo, Night Has A Thousand Eyes
3. George Raft: Scarface, Night World, Night After Night, If I Had A Million, The Midnight Club, The Bowery, The Glass Key, Every Night At Eight, She Couldn’t Take It, It Had To Happen, Yours For The Asking, Each Dawn I Die, I Stole A Million, They Drive By Night, Nob Hill, Johnny Danger, Mr. Ace, Johnny Allegro, I’ll Get You For This, Loan Shark, A Bullet For Joey, Some Like It Hot

g. Famous detectives and private eyes
1. Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade: The Maltese Falcon (1941, Humphrey Bogart), The Maltese Falcon (1931, Ricardo Cortez)
2. Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe: Murder My Sweet (1944, Dick Powell), The Big Sleep (1946, Humphrey Bogart), Lady In The Lake (1947, Robert Montgomery), Marlowe (1969, James Garner), The Long Goodbye (1973, Elliot Gould), Farewell My Lovely (1975, Robert Mitchum), The Big Sleep (1978, Robert Mitchum)
3. Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes: This most famous of all detectives is the most filmed character ever, played by 75 actors in over 200 films. The classic portrayal is by Basil Rathbone in 14 movies: The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror, Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon, Sherlock Holmes in Washington, Sherlock Holmes Faces Death, Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman, The Scarlet Claw, The Pearl of Death, The House of Fear, The Woman in Green, Pursuit to Algiers, Terror by Night, Dressed to Kill
4. Leslie Charteris’s The Saint: The Saint in New York (Louis Hayward). With George Sanders: The Saint Strikes Back, The Saint in London, The Saint's Double Trouble, The Saint Takes Over, The Saint in Palm Springs. With Hugh Sinclair: The Saint's Vacation, The Saint Meets the Tiger. With Louis Hayward: The Saint's Girl Friday. With Val Kilmer: The Saint (1997).
5. Dashiell Hammett’s The Thin Man: The Thin Man, After The Thin Man, Another Thin Man, Shadow Of The Thin Man, The Thin Man Goes Home, Song Of The Thin Man (all starring Dick Powell and Myrna Loy as a wise-cracking sleuthing couple)
6. Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer: I The Jury, The Long Wait, Kiss Me Deadly, My Gun Is Quick, The Girl Hunters, The Delta Factor
7. Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot: The Alphabet Murders aka The ABC Murders (Tony Randall), Murder on the Orient Express (Albert Finney). With Peter Ustinov: Death on the Nile, Evil Under the Sun, Appointment with Death
8. Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple: with Margaret Rutherford: Murder She Said, Murder at the Gallop, Murder Most Foul, Murder Ahoy. With Angela Lansbury: The Mirror Crack'd
9. Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood): Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, The Enforcer, Sudden Impact, The Dead Pool
10. Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers): The Pink Panther, A Shot In The Dark, Inspector Clouseau (Alan Arkin), The Return Of The Pink Panther, The Pink Panther Strrikes Again, The Revenge Of The Pink Panther, Son Of The Pink Panther (Roberto Benigni)
11. Other famous movie detectives are Charlie Chan, Mr Moto, Bulldog Drummond, Boston Blackie, The Falcon (British), Philo Vance, Ellery Queen and Nancy Drew (starring the teenage actress Bonita Granville).
WHAT KIND OF MOVIE DO YOU WANT TO SEE?

vi. Best Horror

Who or what is under my bed? Our love of horror movies is rooted in our primeval childhood fears. As a kid, The Gonzo Guru had the usual dreams of being chased by monsters, and he WAS once chased by something in the woods, or at least he thought he was. As a grownup, he once dared himself to walk down a long, pitch-dark alley in a strange city, and he did. Here are his top 50 horror movies. His choice is based not only on scariness and buckets of spilled blood, but also on the one thing horror does best -- create metaphors for large, resonant issues and themes. For example, what better metaphor for our horror of death than a great zombie movie? Even a relatively silly movie like Friday the 13th has a deep subtext: that if you’re a teenage girl who dares to fuck boys, you’re going to get killed. OK, maybe not that deep. Now excuse me while I slash the little bastard who screwed my 16-year-old daughter.

a. The Gonzo Guru’s Top 50 Horror Movies

1. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Leatherface needs to carve your meat.
2. Dawn of the Dead. Ultimate zombies.
3. Psycho. Enjoy your shower at the Bates Motel. And blame this one for all the slasher movies.
4. The Exorcist. Demon possesses child.
5. Alien. In space no one can hear you scream.
6. Jaws. Great white shark snacks on humans.
7. The Night of the Hunter. Freak Robert Mitchum after little kids.
8. The Thing. Kurt Russell. Where did it come from? What will it look like next?
9. Night of the Living Dead. First zombie movie.
10. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Definitive study of serial murder.
11. Audition (Japan). Beware of whom you date.
12. The Innocents. Ghosts haunt Deborah Kerr.
13. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? Slasher septuagenarian Bette Davis.
14. Repulsion. Lonely Catherine Deneuve goes crazy.
15. Dressed to Kill. Brian De Palma’s best horror movie.
16. Eraserhead. David Lynch at his freakiest.
17. Freaks. Yes, real live freaks.
18. Nosferatu (silent). Eeriest Dracula ever.
19. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (silent). German expressionist style-setter.
20. Carrie. Brian De Palma’s 2nd best horror movie.
21. The Fly. Jeff Goldblum turns into a fly – stage by sickening stage.
22. Poltergeist. “They’re here.” And so is Tobe Hooper, director of Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
23. Rosemary’s Baby. Guess who fathered Mia Farrow’s baby.
24. Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Aliens possess unwitting humans.
25. Eyes Without a Face. Surgeon stops at nothing to give daughter a face.
26. Curse of the Cat People. Lonely childhood breeds eeriness.
27. I Walked With a Zombie. Voodoo horror.
28. The Birds. Birds turn on humans.
29. The Silence of the Lambs. Ultimate serial killer horror.
30. The Pit and the Pendulum. Vincent Price chews scenery, chops people.
31. Friday the 13th. Summer camp teens get slashed.
32. The Shining. Jack Nicholson goes crazy on wife and kid.
33. Wolf. Contemporary werewolf Jack Nicholson.
34. The Sixth Sense. “I see dead people.”
35. Halloween. Jason slashes.
36. Suspiria (Italian, Argento). Blood at its most baroque.
37. An American Werewolf in London. Tragic werewolf.
38. Evil Dead. Punk splatterfest.
39. The Wicker Man. There’s a pagan ceremony in your future.
40. Dead Alive. Son’s horror journey back to Mom (by Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson).
41. Cannibal Holocaust. Brutal and beastly.
42. Witchfinder General. I’m coming to torture you.
43. The Haunting. Haunted house.
44. Peeping Tom. Look into my killer camera.
45. Bride of Frankenstein. Boris Karloff marries.
46. Switchblade Romance. Contemporary horror.
47. A Nightmare on Elm Street. Don’t fall asleep, Freddy will get you.
48. The Abominable Dr. Phibes. Stylish art deco horror.
49. Les Diaboliques (French). Terrifying plot twists.
50. Vampyr (1932). Nordic masterpiece.


b. The Gonzo Guru’s Rest of the Best by decade

20s and 30s
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (silent), London After Midnight (silent), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (silent), The Phantom of the Opera (silent), Dracula, Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932), Island of Lost Souls, The Mummy, The Old Dark House, White Zombie, The Ghoul, The Invisible Man, King Kong, The Black Cat, Bride of Frankenstein, Mad Love, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), The Hound of the Baskervilles

40s
The Wolf Man, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941), Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, The Mummy's Hand, House of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Cat People, I Walked With a Zombie, Phantom of the Opera, The Seventh Victim, The Lodger, The Uninvited, The Body Snatcher, Dead of Night, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein

50s
House of Wax, Night/Curse of the Demon, The Mummy (1959), Tarantula, The Blob, The Thing (From Another World) (1951), Dracula (1958), House of Wax, Creature From the Black Lagoon, Creature With the Atom Brain, Godzilla aka Gojira (Japan), I Was a Teenage Werewolf, The Curse of Frankenstein, The Incredible Shrinking Man, The Fly (1958), The Horror of Dracula, The Revenge of Frankenstein

60s
Little Shop of Horrors, Village of the Damned, The Brides of Dracula, The Phantom of the Opera, The Curse of the Werewolf, The Last Man on Earth, Dracula: Prince of Darkness, The Plague of the Zombies, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, Black Sunday (Italian), Hour of the Wolf, Targets, Burn Witch, Burn! Carnival of Souls, Dead Ringer, Kwaidan aka Ghost Stories, Japan), The Masque of the Red Death, The Tomb of Ligeia, Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte, Frankenstein Created Woman, Seconds, The Devil Rides Out aka The Devil's Bride

70s
The Vampire Lovers, Demons, Amityville Horror, Zombie, The Hills Have Eyes, Black Christmas, The Last House on the Left, When A Stranger Calls, Deep Red, Salem's Lot, Martin, Bay of Blood, Shivers, A Clockwork Orange, Blacula, Deliverance, The Legend of Hell House, Sisters, It's Alive! Race with the Devil, Burnt Offerings, The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane, The Omen, The Hills Have Eyes, The Changeling, Dracula (1979), The Fog, Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979), Phantasm, Don’t Look Now

80s
Prom Night, The Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn, Hellraiser, Hellraiser 2, Friday the 13th 2, Friday the 13th 3, Friday the 13th 4: The Final Chapter, Friday the 13th 5, Friday the 13th 6: Jason Lives, Friday the 13th 7: The New Blood, Friday the 13th 8: Jason takes Manhattan, Halloween 2, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Halloween 5, Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Day of the Dead, Pet Semetary, Return of the Living Dead, Silver Bullet, Children of the Corn, Puppet Master, Christine, Night of the Demons, Critters, The Thing (1982), Silent Night Deadly Night, April Fools Day, The Howling, Dead Ringers, Inferno, Nekromantik, The Beyond, Scanners, Videodrome, The Dead Zone, The Hunger, The Keep, The Company of Wolves, Ghostbusters, Gremlins, Day of the Dead, Fright Night, Re-Animator, The Fly, The Hitcher, Manhunter, Dead of Winter, Fatal Attraction, Hellraiser, The Lost Boys, Near Dark, The Stepfather, The Witches of Eastwick, Beetlejuice, The Vanishing
90s
Subspecies, Scream, Scream 2, Wes Craven's New Nightmare, Army of Darkness, Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, Bram Stoker's Dracula, It, Halloween: The Curse of Mike Myers, In the Mouth of Madness, Freddy's Dead the Final Nightmare, Cemetary Man, Interview with the Vampire, The First Power, Tremors, Event Horizon, Jack Frost, Needful Things, Stir of Echoes, The Sect, Braindead, Arachnophobia, Darkman, Edward Scissorhands, Jacob's Ladder, The Witches, Cape Fear, The People Under the Stairs, Basic Instinct, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Candyman, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Body Snatchers, Ed Wood, Interview with the Vampire, Crash, Se7en, The Craft, From Dusk Till Dawn, Lost Highway, Mars Attacks! The Devil's Advocate, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Apt Pupil, Ringu (Japan), The Blair Witch Project, The Mummy, The Sixth Sense, Sleepy Hollow

2000s
What Lies Beneath, 28 Days Later, The Descent, Saw I and II, Final Destination, The Others, The Ring, Dawn of the Dead, Van Helsing, Saw, Hostel, The Hills Have Eyes


c. Great Horror Directors
1. Tod Browning: Dracula (1931), Freaks, Mark Of The Vampire, The Devil-Doll
2. James Whale: Frankenstein, The Old Dark House, The Invisible Man (1933), Bride Of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man (1966)
3. Jacques Tourneur: Cat People, I Walked With A Zombie, The Leopard Man, Night/Curse Of The Demon
4. Alfred Hitchcock: Rope, Psycho, The Birds, Frenzy
5. John Landis: An American Werewolf In London, Twilight Zone, Innocent Blood, Michael Jackson’s Thriller video
6. Mario Bava: Lust Of The Vampire, Black Sunday, Blood And Black Lace, Planet Of The Vampires, Curse Of The Living Dead, Danger: Diabolik, A Bay Of Blood, Baron Blood, Lisa And The Devil
7. Dario Argento: Deep Red, Suspiria, Dario Argento’s Inforno, Unsane, Creepers, Two Evil Eyes, Dario Argento’s Trauma, The Phantom Of The Opera
8. Lucio Fulci: Zombie, Gates of Hell, The Beyond
9. Brian De Palma: Sisters, Phantom Of The Paradise, Obsession, Carrie, Dressed To Kill, Body Double
10. Tobe Hooper: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Eaten Alive, The Dark, Salem’s Lot, The Funhouse, Poltergeist, Lifeforce, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 2, Night Terrors, The Mangler, Toolbox Murders
11. Wes Craven: The Last House On The Left, The Hills Have Eyes, Stranger In Our House, The Evolution Of Snuff, Deadly Blessing, Swamp Thing, A Nightmare On Elm Street, The Hills Have Eyes Part II, Shocker, The People Under The Stairs, New Mightmare, Vampire In Brooklyn, Scream 1, 2 and 3, Cursed, Red Eye
12. John Carpenter: Halloween I, II, III, IV and V, The Fog, Halloween II, Christine, Prince Of Darkness. They Live, In The Mouth Of Madness, Village Of The Damned, Vampires
13. George A. Romero: Night Of The Living Dead, The Crazies, Martin, Dawn Of The Dead, Knightriders, Creepshow, Day Of The Dead, Monkey Shines, The Dark Half, Bruiser, Land Of The Dead
14. Sam Raimi: The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, Darkman, Army Of Darkness, A Simple Plan
15. David Cronenberg: Shivers, Rabid, The Brood, Scanners, Videodrome, The Dead Zone, The Fly, Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch, Crash, eXistenZ, Spider, A History Of Violence
16. Zombie somebody

d. Hammer Films
The Curse Of Frankenstein, Tales Of Frankenstein, Dracula, The Revenge Of Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Brides Of Dracula, The Two Faces Of Dr. Jekyll, The Curse Of The Werewolf, The Phantom Of The Opera, The Damned, The Evil Of Frankenstein, The Gorgon, The Curse Of The Mummy’s Tomb, The Secet Of Blood Island, The Plague Of The Zombies, Dracula: Prince Of Darkness, Rasputin: The Mad Monk, Frankenstein Created Woman, The Mummy’s Shroud, Quatermass And The Pit, The Devil Rides Out, Dracula Has Risen From His Grave, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, Taste The Blood Of Dracula, The Vampire Lovers, Scars Of Dracula, The Horror Of Frankenstein, Lust For A Vampire, Countess Dracula, Blood From The Mummy’s Tomb, Hands Of The Ripper, Dr, Jekyll And Sister Hyde, Vampire Circus, The Satanic Rites Of Dracula, Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter, Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell, The Legend Of The Seven Golden Vampires, To The Devil A Daughter, The Two Faces Of Evil, Mark Of The Devil

e. Movies made from Stephen King’s fiction
Carrie, Salem’s Lot, The Shining, Creepshow, Cujo, The Dead Zone, Christine, Children Of The Corn, Firestarter, Pet Sematary, Misery, The Lawnmower Man, Dolores Claiborne


WHAT KIND OF MOVIE DO YOU WANT TO SEE?

vii. Best Science-Fiction

One of the first movies ever made was science-fiction: the French Trip to the Moon by George Melies in 1902. The movies, easily adaptable to fantasy, are tailor-made for science-fiction -- so it’s a shame that so few really great sci-fi movies have been made, given the fact that so many great sci-fi novels have been written. Why, for example, hasn’t Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World been made into a movie? Unfortunately Hollywood likes to spend its bucks on outer-space horse-operas instead of on truly mind-blowing speculative stuff, or on sci-fi that critiques contemporary society. They’ve done J.G. Ballard’s childhood memoir Empire of the Sun (Steven Spielberg), his sex-and-cars shocker Crash (Cronenberg), and there’s a movie of The Atrocity Exhibition floating about, but where is his sci-fi -- The Wind From Nowhere, The Drowned World, The Crystal World, and The Drought? Movie producers and directors, listen up. One shining exception is Peter Watkins, who with his fantasies Privilege, The Peace Game, and Punishment Park savagely skewers contemporary society.

a. The Gonzo Guru’s Top 50 Sci-Fi Movies

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (directed by Stanley Kubrick)
2. Clockwork Orange (directed by Stanley Kubrick)
3. Blade Runner (Harrison Ford)
4. The Empire Strikes Back (Harrison Ford)
5. Solaris (Russian director Tarkovsky)
6. Dr. Strangelove (directed by Stanley Kubrick)
7. The Man Who Fell to Earth (David Bowie)
8. Alien (Sigourney Weaver)
9. Aliens (directed by James Cameron)
10. The Fly (directed by David Cronenberg)
11. Time Bandits (directed by Terry Gilliam)
12. The Road Warrior aka Mad Max 2 (Mel Gibson)
13. The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
14. Brazil (black comedy directed by Terry Gilliam)
15. Punishment Park
16. Sleeper (Woody Allen comedy)
17. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (director Steven Spielberg)
18. Fahrenheit 451 (Oskar Werner, Julie Christie)
19. Metropolis (silent)
20. The Matrix (Keanu Reeves)
21. Fantastic Planet (animated)
22. Village of the Damned (British)
23. Dawn of the Dead (George Romero)
24. Star Wars
25. Planet of the Apes (Charlton Heston)
26. Waterworld (Kevin Costner)
27. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (black and white orginal)
28. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
29. Star Trek II – The Wrath of Khan (William Shatner, Ricardo Montalban)
30. Jurassic Park (Jeff Goldblum)
31. Them! (James Arness)
32. Armageddon (Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler)
33. Altered States (William Hurt)
34. RoboCop
35. The Fifth Element (Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich)
36. Gattaca (Ethan Hawke, Jude Law)
37. Men in Black (Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith)
38. Starship Troopers (directed by Paul Verhoeven)
39. Dune (directed by David Lynch)
40. The Day the Earth Stood Still (Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal)
41. Colossus - The Forbin Project
42. Soylent Green (Charlton Heston)
43. Silent Running (Bruce Dern)
44. Westworld (Yul Brynner)
45. Dark Star (Kiefer Sutherland)
46. The Fly (Vincent Price, 1958)
47. The Day of the Triffids
48. Star Man (Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen)
49. The Thing (director Howard Hawks)
50. Alphaville (French, Eddie Constantine, director: Godard)
51. 1984 (John Hurt, Richard Burton)


b. The Gonzo Guru's Rest of the Best by decade

Silents, 20s, 30s, 40s
Le Voyage Dans La Lune aka A Trip to the Moon (1902 French, first movie ever made), Mysterious Island, Just Imagine, Doctor X, A Nous La Liberte, Modern Times, The Invisible Man, Island of Lost Souls, The Mystery of the Wax Museum, Flash Gordon: Rocketship, Things to Come

50s
The Blob, Destination Moon, Rocketship X-M, The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Man From Planet X, The Man in the White Suit, The Thing (From Another World) (1951), When Worlds Collide, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, Donovan's Brain, House of Wax, Invaders From Mars, It Came From Outer Space, It Came From Beneath the Sea, It Conquered the World, Plan 9 from Outer Space, This The Magnetic Monster, The War of the Worlds (1953), The Creature From the Black Lagoon, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, Island Earth, Forbidden Planet, Godzilla, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Quatermass Experiment, The Incredible Shrinking Man, The Crawling Eye, The Fly (1958), Journey to the Center of the Earth

60s
The Time Machine, Mysterious Island, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Damned, X - The Man With X-Ray Eyes, Failsafe, First Men in the Moon, Robinson Crusoe on Mars, Fantastic Voyage, One Million Years BC, Barbarella, The Mind of Mr. Soames, Marooned, Journey to the Far Side of the Sun, Quartermass and the Pit, Privilege, The Peace Game

70s
Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Omega Man, Silent Running, The Andromeda Strain, THX 1138 (George Lucas’s first movie), Slaughterhouse Five, The Stepford Wives, Death Race 2000, Rollerball, Logan's Run, Capricorn One, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Mad Max, Star Trek - The Motion Picture, Time After Time, Dark Star, Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978), The Black Hole, Zardoz

80s
Flash Gordon, The Gods Must Be Crazy, The Last Starfighter, Star Trek 1 – 6, Escape From New York, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1982), Outland, Somewhere in Time, Tron, Metropolis (1984 -- re-release of 1927 classic), Enemy Mine, Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome, Lifeforce, Cocoon, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai, War Games, 2010: The Year We Make Contact, The Day After, Back to the Future, Innerspace, Alien Nation, The Abyss, Batman, The Running Man, Dune, Spaceballs, Star Wars: Return Of the Jedi, The Thing (1982), Predator, Communion, They Live, Earth Girls Are Easy, Akira (animation)

90s
Moon 44, Flatliners, Space Truckers, Alien Intruder, Total Recall, New Eden, Freejack, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Stargate, Alien 3, Fortress, Timecop, Johnny Mnemonic, Judge Dredd, Outbreak, Coneheads, Strange Days, Twelve Monkeys, Demolition Man, Independence Day, Contact, Species, The Truman Show, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Not of This Earth, X-files, Virtuosity, Cyberzone, Escape From LA, Dark City, Dark Planet, Dark Universe, Dark Future, Waterworld, The Postman, Soldier, Timecop, The Arrival, Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, Galaxy Quest, Star Quest, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Scorpio One, Lost in Space, Alien Resurrection, Event Horizon, First Encounter, Sphere, Mars Attacks!


2000s
Donnie Darko, Ghosts of Mars, Planet of the Apes (2001), What Planet Are You From? Supernova, Mission to Mars, Red Planet, Pitch Black, The Time Machine, Prime, The Cell, Signs, X-Men, Men in Black II, A.I., Minority Report, The American Astronaut, Solaris (2002), Matrix Revolutions, The War of the Worlds, I Robot, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Sunshine

c. Great Science Fiction Directors
1. George Pal: Tom Thumb, The Time Machine, Atlantis The Lost Continent, The Wonderful World Of The Brothers Grimm, Seven Faces of Dr. Lao
2. Stanley Kubrick: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Clockwork Orange, Dr Strangelove
3. Steven Spielberg: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Minority Report, AI, War Of The Worlds
4. George Lucas: THX 1138, Star Wars (6 films, only the first two are really good)
5. James Cameron: The Terminator, T2 and T3, Abyss, Aliens
6. Michael Crichton: The Andromeda Strain, Westworld, Jurassic Park (writer)
7. Nicholas Meyer: The Day After, Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan
8. Paul Verhoeven: The Hollow Man, Starship Troopers, Total Recall
9. Peter Watkins: Privilege, The Peace Game, Punishment Park

d. Movies made from Philip K. Dick’s fiction
Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, Screamers, Impostor, Paycheck, A Scanner Darkly

e. Movies made from Isaac Asimov’s fiction
Bicentennial Man, Nightfall, I Robot

f. Movies made from Robert A. Heinlein’s fiction
Destination Moon, Project Moon Base, The Brain Eaters, The Puppet Masters, Starship Troopers

g. Movies made from Arthur C. Clarke’s fiction
2001: A Space Odyssey, 2010, Trapped In Space, Rendezvous With Rama

e. Let’s not forget the great sci-fi TV series: The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limit, and Star Trek.
WHAT KIND OF MOVIE DO YOU WANT TO SEE?

viii. Best Westerns

The first American movie ever made was a Western (The Great Train Robbery). If there’s one genre the movies have done right by, it’s this classic American genre, as basic to American culture as Greek tragedy is to theater culture, with similarly enduring iconic props: six-shooter, horse, saloon, cattle, railroad. One of the bizarre things about Westerns is that its best director is an Italian, Sergio Leone, who made his movies in Spain, and made them after Hollywood had given up on the genre. Come to think of it, the best-selling novelist of Westerns was a German, Karl May, who wrote 70 Westerns, yet never saw the West in his life. He was Hitler’s favorite writer. Lex Barker starred in seven German Westerns in the 60s as Karl May’s hero Old Shatterhand. Anyway, that’s your Western arcana for you. Now excuse me while I whip out my six-gun in a saloon to face down a yellow-bellied card sharp.


a. The Gonzo Guru’s Top 50 Westerns

1. Once Upon A Time in the West (Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, Claudia Cardinale)
2. The Good the Bad and the Ugy (Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach)
3. The Wild Bunch (William Holden, Robert Ryan)
4. The Searchers (John Wayne)
5. Rio Bravo (John Wayne, Dean Martin)
6. For a Few Dollars More (Clint Eastwood)
7. A Fistful of Dollars (Clint Eastwood)
8. The Magnificent Seven (Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen)
9. Gunfight at the OK Corral (Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas)
10. The Outlaw Josey Wales (Clint Eastwood)
11. Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson)
12. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Paul Newman, Robert Redford)
13. El Topo (Spain, very violent)
14. High Noon (Gary Cooper)
15. Shane (Alan Ladd)
16. McCabe and Mrs. Miller (Warren Beatty, Julie Christie)
17. One-Eyed Jacks (Marlon Brando)
18. Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman)
19. Stagecoach (John Wayne)
20. Silverado (Kevin Kline)
21. The Tall Men (Clark Gable, Jane Russell, Robert Ryan)
22. The Last of the Mohicans (Daniel Day Lewis)
23. Ballad of Cable Hogue (Jason Robards)
24. High Plains Drifter (Clint Eastwood)
25. Red River (John Wayne)
26. The Comancheros (John Wayne, Stuart Whitman)
27. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (John Wayne, James Stewart)
28. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (John Wayne)
29. My Darling Clementine (Henry Fonda)
30. El Dorado
31. Will Penny (Charlton Heston)
32. The Ox-bow Incident (Henry Fonda, Anthony Quinn)
33. Winchester 73 (James Stewart)
34. The Shootist (John Wayne’s last role)
35. Ride the High Country
36. The Westerner
37. Fort Apache (John Wayne, Henry Fonda)
38. The Gunfighter
39. Destry Rides Again
40. Missouri Breaks (Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando)
41. The Naked Spur (James Stewart)
42. Broken Arrow (James Stewart)
43. Man of the West
44. They Died with their Boots On (Errol Flynn)
45. Dances with Wolves (Kevin Costner)
46. The Man from Laramie
47. The Last Train from Gun Hill
48. Broken Lance (Spencer Tracy)
49. Blood on the Moon
50. Dead Man (Johnny Depp)


b. The Gonzo Guru’s Rest of the Best by decade

Silents and 20s
The Great Train Robbery, The Squaw Man, Truthful Tulliver, The Heart of Texas Ryan, The Covered Wagon, The Iron Horse, Riders of the Purple Sage, Tumbleweeds, In Old Arizona, The Virginian, The Great K&A Train Robbery

30s
Hop-Along Cassidy, South of the Border, Way Out West, The Phantom Empire, The Big Trail, Montana Moon, Cimarron, Viva Villa!, Wells Fargo, Annie Oakley, Tumblin' Tumbleweeds, The Last of the Mohicans (1936), The Plainsman, Rhythm of the Saddle, Allegheny Uprising, Destry Rides Again, Dodge City, Drums Along the Mohawk, Jesse James, Stagecoach, Union Pacific, Young Mr. Lincoln, The Oklahoma Kid, Northwest Passage


40s
Dark Command, Arizona, 3 Godfathers, Blood on the Moon, Angel and the Badman, The Mark of Zorro, Fort Apache, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Northwest Passage, My Pal Trigger, The Return of Frank James, Santa Fe Trail, Virginia City, The Westerner, Billy the Kid, Western Union, King of the Cowboys, The Outlaw, Duel in the Sun, My Darling Clementine, Home in Oklahoma, Pursued, Red River, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

50s
Trail of Robin Hood, Annie Get Your Gun, The Gunfighter, Hondo, Escape from Fort Bravo, Johnny Guitar, Vera Cruz, Ride Lonesome, Son of Paleface, Broken Arrow, Bend of the River, The Big Sky, Rancho Notorious, Hondo, The Naked Spur, Pony Express, Broken Lance, Johnny Guitar, Vera Cruz, The Lone Ranger, Bad Day at Black Rock, The Far Country, Oklahoma!, The Man From Laramie, Giant, Seven Men From Now, Fastest Gun Alive, Forty Guns, Run of the Arrow, Giant, The Tin Star, The Tall T, 3:10 to Yuma, The Big Country, Cowboy, Man of the West, Terror in a Texas Town, Warlock, Alias Jesse James, Ride Lonesome, Man Without A Star, Rio Grande, The Bravados, The Last Hunt, From Hell to Texas, The Last Train from Gun Hill

White Feather (Robert Wagner)
Walk The Proud Land (Audie Murphy)

60s
Flaming Star (Elvis Presley in fine performance), The Sons of Katie Elder, Two Mules for Sister Sara, A Big Hand for the Little Lady, The Alamo, The Misfits, Lonely Are the Brave, Sergeant Rutledge, Ride the High Country, How the West Was Won, Hud, McLintock!, Cat Ballou, Shenandoah, The Professionals, El Dorado, Hombre, Support Your Local Sheriff!, True Grit, Il Grande silenzio (Italian), Ride in the Whirlwind, The Shooting, The Hanging Tree, Hour of the Gun, Hang 'Em High

70s
Jeremiah Johnson, Giù la testa (Italian), Bad Company (Jeff Bridges), Junior Bonner, Little Big Man, A Man Called Horse, Rio Lobo, Big Jake, Hannie Caulder, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, The Cowboys, The Culpepper Cattle Co., The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid, High Plains Drifter, Westworld, Blazing Saddles, Comes a Horseman, Buffalo Bill and the Indians, The Shootist

80s
The Man From Snowy River, The Grey Fox, Barbarosa, Heaven's Gate, The Long Riders, Young Guns, Lonesome Dove (TV miniseries)

90s
Quigley Down Under, Back to the Future III, Dances with Wolves, Grim Prairie Tales, City Slickers, The Last of the Mohicans, Unforgiven, The Ballad of Little Jo, Geronimo: An American Legen, Posse, Tombstone, Bad Girls, Maverick, Wyatt Earp, The Quick and the Dead, Dead Man, The Wild Wild West, The Good Old Boys

2000s
Shanghai Noon, Open Range, The Missing

c. Great Western Directors
1. John Ford: Drums Along the Mohawk, Stagecoach, My Darling Clementine; Calvary Trilogy: Fort Apache, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and Rio Grande; Sergeant Rutledge, Wagonmaster, The Searchers, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Cheyenne Autumn
2. Sergio Leone: A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good the Bad and the Ugly, Duck You Sucker, Once Upon a Time in the West
3. Howard Hawks: Red River, Big Sky, Rio Bravo, El Dorado, Rio Lobo
4. Anthony Mann: Winchester 73, Bend Of The River, The Naked Spur, The Far Country, The Man From Laramie, The Tin Star, Man of the West, Cimarron
5. Budd Boetticher: The Man From The Alamo, The Tall T, Buchanan Rides Alone, Westbound, Ride Lonesome, Comanche Station
6. Sam Peckinpah: Ride The High Country, Major Dundee, The Wild Bunch, The Ballad Of Cable Hogue, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Junior Bonner
7. Delmer Daves: Broken Arrow, Jubal, The Last Wagon, The Hanging Tree

d. Wyatt Earp Westerns
My Darling Clementine (Henry Fonda), Gunfight at the OK Corral (Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas), Hour of the Gun (James Garner, Jason Robards), Wyatt Earp (Kevin Costner, Dennis Quaid), Tombstone (Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer)


e. Western Stars
1. John Wayne: Stagecoach, Fort Apache, Red River, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, The Searchers, Rio Bravo, The Alamo, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, True Grit, The Shootist
2. Clint Eastwood: A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good The Bad and the Ugly, Hang ‘em High, High Plains Drifter, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Unforgiven
3. Other Western stars: Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Randolph Scott



f. Spaghetti Westerns (Westerns made in Spain by Italians)

A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good the Bad and the Ugly, Django, Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot!, A Bullet for the General, Ace High, The Great Silence, The Five Man Army, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Price of Power, The Sabata Trilogy, A Fistful of Dynamite (Duck You Sucker), Savage Guns, They Call Me Trinity, Storm Rider, Trinity is Still My Name, My Name is Nobody, Four of the Apocalypse, Keoma, 800 Balas, A Professional Gun
WHAT KIND OF MOVIE DO YOU WANT TO SEE?

ix. Best War Movies

The century of film was also the century of war. There are many great war movies -- so many, the Gonzo Guru’s Top 50 is a Top 58, because he couldn’t cut it down further. War movies make you realize that the movies are really about fantasy: though there are many great anti-war movies, most of them glorify this terrible human endeavor. But what the heck: glorifying war can make for an exciting movie. If we can fantasize about sex, why can’t we fantasize about war?

a. The Gonzo Guru’s Top 58 War Movies

1. The Grand Illusion (French, Jean Gabin)
2. Lawrence of Arabia (Peter O’Toole)
3. Paths of Glory (Kirk Douglas)
4. Apocalypse Now (Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando)
5. The Bridge on the River Kwai (Alec Guinness)
6. Platoon (Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe)
7. Full-Metal Jacket (Matthew Modine)
8. All Quiet on the Western Front
9. Gone with the Wind (Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Trevor Howard)
10. Casablanca (Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman)
11. The Americanization of Emily (Julie Andrews, James Garner)
12. Dr Strangelove (Peter Sellers)
13. Rome, Open City (Italian)
14. Europa, Europa (Germany)
15. Lacombe Lucien (French)
16. From Here to Eternity (Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr)
17. The Burmese Harp (Japan)
18. Battle of Algiers
19. Ashes and Diamonds (Poland)
20. The Deer Hunter (Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken)
21. Patton (George C. Scott)
22. Ran (Japan)
23. Breaker Morant
24. Spartacus (Kirk Douglas)
25. No Man's Land (Yugoslavia)
26. Gallipoli (Mel Gibson)
27. Salvador (James Woods)
28. The English Patient (Ralph Fiennes)
29. Hell In The Pacific (Lee Marvin)
30. Braveheart (Mel Gibson)
31. The Last of the Mohicans (Daniel Day Lewis)
32. The Young Lions (Marlon Brando)
33. Kanal
34. King Rat (George Segal)
35. The Dirty Dozen (Lee Marvin)
36. The Great Escape (Steve McQueen)
37. Sergeant York
38. They Died with their Boots On (Errol Flynn)
39. Catch 22 (Alan Arkin)
40. Red Badge of Courage
41. The Caine Mutiny
42. The Longest Day
43. Mister Roberts
44. The Guns of Navarone
45. MASH (Donald Sutherland, Elliot Gould)
46. The Big Red One
47. Das Boot (Germany)
48. The Hill (Sean Connery)
49. Tora! Tora! Tora!
50. The Killing Fields
51. Schindler's List
52. The Thin Red Line
53. Black Hawk Down
54. The Pianist (Adrien Brody)
55. Saving Private Ryan
56. Zulu
57. The Battle of the Bulge
58. The Dam Busters


b. The Gonzo Guru’s Rest of the Best by decade

Silents and 20s
The Birth Of A Nation, Intolerance, Hearts of the World, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, America, The Big Parade, The General, What Price Glory? Wings, Battleship Potemkin, The Dawn Patrol

30s
The Dawn Patrol, Hell's Angels, The Lost Patrol, The Charge of the Light Brigade, Alexander Nevsky, The Dawn Patrol, Confessions of a Nazi Spy, Drums Along the Mohawk, The Four Feathers, Gone with the Wind, The Rules of the Game

40s
The Fighting 69th, Foreign Correspondent, The Great Dictator, Northwest Passage, Waterloo Bridge, Buck Privates, Dive Bomber, ...One of Our Aircraft is Missing, A Yank in the R.A.F., Wake Island, Across the Pacific, The Flying Tigers, The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp, In Which We Serve, Mrs. Miniver, Wake Island, Went the Day Well?, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Action in the North Atlantic, Air Force, Bataan, Crash Dive, Cry Havoc, Destination Tokyo, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Gung Ho!, A Guy Named Joe, The Human Comedy, The Immortal Sergeant, So Proudly We Hail, We Dive at Dawn, Cover Girl, The Fighting Seabees, The Fighting Sullivans, Henry V, Immortal Batallion, Lifeboat, Passage to Marseilles, Pin-Up Girl, Since You Went Away, A Wing and a Prayer, Anchors Aweigh, The Clock, A Matter Of Life And Death, They Were Expendable, The Best Years of Our Lives, A Walk in the Sun, Command Decision, Battleground, Home of the Brave, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, The Story of G.I. Joe, Back to Bataan, They Were Expendable, In Which We Serve, The Fighting Sullivans, A Walk in the Sun, The Story of Dr. Wassell, Objective, Burma!, Twelve O'Clock High, Sands of Iwo Jima, The Lost Patrol, Destination Tokyo, Sahara, Guadalcanal Diary, Battleground

50s
The Men, Three Came Home, The African Queen, Fixed Bayonets, The Cruel Sea, Flying Leathernecks, Go For Broke!, Operation Pacific, The Steel Helmet, Retreat Hell, Stalag 17, The Bridges at Toko-Ri, Battle Cry, The Colditz Story, Mister Roberts, The Man Who Never Was, Attack!, The Enemy Below, In Love and War, The Horse Soldiers, A Town Like Alice, Reach For The Sky, Stalag 17, The Desert Fox, Pork Chop Hill, The Desert Rats, Battle Cry, To Hell and Back, Halls of Montezuma, Ice Cold In Alex, Run Silent Run Deep, Dunkirk, Torpedo Run, The Naked and the Dead, Carve Her Name With Pride

60s
The Alamo, The Manchurian Candidate, Fail-Safe, A Yank in Viet-Nam, In Harm's Way, The Ipcress File, Von Ryan's Express, Castle Keep, Where Eagles Dare, Battle of Britain, In Harm's Way, The Blue Max, Battle of the Bulge, The Train, Closely Watched Trains (Czech), Sink the Bismarck, The Bridge at Remagen, Von Ryan's Express, 633 Squadron, The Sand Pebbles, Hell Is For Heroes, Too Late the Hero, The Green Berets, Operation Crossbow

70s
Cromwell, Kelly's Heroes, Coming Home, Midway, Force 10 From Navarone, Go Tell The Spartans, A Bridge Too Far, Midway, MacArthur, Soldier of Orange (Netherlands), The Boys in Company C, Kelly's Heroes, Force 10 From Navarone, Mosquito Squadron, Cross of Iron

80s
A Rumor of War, First Blood, An Officer and a Gentleman, Uncommon Valor, Missing In Action, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Heartbreak Ridge, Top Gun, Gardens of Stone, Hamburger Hill, No Way Out, Bat 21, Rambo III, Black Rain (Japan), Come And See (Russia), Charlie Miopic, When The Wind Blows, Born on the Fourth of July, Casualties of War, Fat Man and Little Boy, Empire Of The Sun, Glory, Henry V

90s
Memphis Belle, The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, A Midnight Clear, Gettysburg, Heaven and Earth, Stalingrad (Germany), Napoleon, Clear and Present Danger, Crimson Tide, Tuskegee Airmen, Courage Under Fire, Land And Freedom, Life is Beautiful, The Last Days, Three Kings, Ride With The Devil

2000s
Behind Enemy Lines, Enemy at the Gates, Pearl Harbor, Hart's War, The Sum of All Fears, Enigma, We Were Soldiers, U-571, Windtalkers, The Fallen. Tears Of The Sun

c. Great Anti-War Black Comedies
Duck Soup, Stalag 17, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Catch-22, M*A*S*H, How I Won the War, Good Morning Vietnam, No Man’s Land

d. War Comedies
The General, Mister Roberts, Operation Petticoat, Stripes, Private Benjamin, Top Secret!, The Secret War of Harry Frigg, McHale's Navy, What Did You Do in the War Daddy?, Wake Me When It's Over, Sailor Beware, Operation Snatch, Kelly's Heroes, To Be or Not To Be, The Americanization of Emily
WHAT KIND OF MOVIE DO YOU WANT TO SEE?

x. Best Thrillers

Thrillers are action pictures, full of chills and spills, but with more chills than spills. Tension is the name of the game. And by gum, the Gonzo Guru’s top 50 will milk the sweat out of your couch potato sphincter like lava from Pompey. Hitchcock is the unsurpassed master of suspense, so not only will you find Psycho up there at #1, you’ll find another eight movies by him on this list. And every film by every other thriller director has Hitchcock’s influence stamped all over it.

a. The Gonzo Guru’s Top 50 Thrillers

1. Psycho (Anthony Perkins)
2. The Wages of Fear (French, Yves Montand)
3. Silence of the Lambs (Anthony Hopkins, Judie Foster)
4. The Third Man (Joseph Cotton, Orson Welles)
5. Diabolique (French, Simone Signoret)
6. The Night of the Hunter (Robert Mitchum)
7. Wait Until Dark (Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin)
8. The Manchurian Candidate (Lawrence Harvey, Frank Sinatra)
9. Rear Window (James Stewart, Grace Kelly)
10. North By Northwest (Cary Grant)
11. The Birds (Hitchcock)
12. Dressed to Kill (Angie Dickinson, Michael Caine)
13. Jaws (Roy Schneider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw)
14. Speed (Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock)
15. The Fugitive (Harrison Ford)
16. Touch of Evil (Charlton Heston, Orson Welles)
17. Oldboy (Korea)
18. Fatal Attraction (Harrison Ford, Glenn Close)
19. Double Indemnity (Barbara Stanwyck, Fred McMurray)
20. Se7en (Brad Pitt)
21. Dial M for Murder (Hitchcock)
22. Blade Runner (Harrison Ford)
23. Rosemary’s Baby (Mia Farrow)
24. The Shining (Jack Nicholson)
25. Point Blank (Lee Marvin)
26. Jurassic Park
27. The French Connection (Gene Hackman)
28. Shadow of a Doubt (Joseph Cotton)
29. Notorious (Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman)
30. Strangers on a Train (Hitchcock)
31. Marathon Man (Dustin Hoffman)
32. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
33. Basic Instinct (Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone)
34. Klute (Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland)
35. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (Bette Davis)
36. Repulsion (Catherine Deneuve)
37. Alien (Sigourney Weaver)
38. Bullitt (Steve McQueen)
39. Don’t Look Now (Donald Sutherland, Julie Christie)
40. Charade (Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn)
41. The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
42. A Simple Plan
43. Play Misty for Me (Clint Eastwood)
44. Blood Simple
45. Memento
46. Day of the Jackal
47. Face-Off (John Travolta)
48. The Bourne Identity (Matt Damon)
49. The Sixth Sense (Bruce Willis)
50. M (Germany, silent)

b. The Gonzo Guru’s Rest of the Best by decade

30s
Mata Hari, King Kong, The Black Cat, Fury, Confessions of a Nazi Spy

40s
Gaslight, Laura, The Woman in the Window, The House on 92nd Street, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Spiral Staircase, Odd Man Out, Key Largo, The Lady From Shanghai, The Snake Pit, Sorry Wrong Number, White Heat

50s
The Asphalt Jungle, Five Fingers, High Noon, Niagara, Bad Day at Black Rock, Kiss Me Deadly, The Killing, I Want to Live! Touch Of Evil, Compulsion

60s
Peeping Tom, Cape Fear, Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Fail Safe, Goldfinger, Marnie, Seven Days in May, The Ipcress File, In Cold Blood, Pretty Poison, Z

70s
The Anderson Tapes, Deliverance, Sisters, The Conversation, The Parallax View, Dog Day Afternoon, Three Days of the Condor, Carrie, Obsession, The Eyes of Laura Mars, The China Syndrome, Dirty Harry



80s
Blow Out, Body Double, Defence of the Realm, Witness, House of Games, No Way Out, The Vanishing (Dutch and English) (1988 and 1993), Dead Calm, Sea of Love

90s
The Grifters, Misery, Cape Fear, One False Move, Reservoir Dogs, Sleeping with the Enemy, Final Analysis, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Single White Female, Malice, Blink, True Lies, Crimson Tide, Telephone Booth, The Usual Suspects, Mission Impossible, Out of Sight, Arlington Road, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Thelma and Louise, Predator 2, In the Line of Fire, Diehard

2000s
Bourne Ultimatum, Inside Man

c. Great Thriller Directors

1. Alfred Hitchcock: The 39 Steps, The Lady Vanishes, Foreign Correspondent, Rebecca, Suspicion, Saboteur, Shadow of a Doubt, Lifeboat, Spellbound, Notorious, Strangers on a Train, Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, Vertigo, North By Northwest, Psycho, The Birds, Marnie, Torn Curtain, Frenzy
2. Fritz Lang: M, Fury, You Only Live Once, The Woman In The Window, Scarlet Street, Clash By Night, The Blue Gardenia, The Big Heat, Human Desire, While The City Sleeps, Beyond A Reasonable Doubt
3. Brian De Palma: Sisters, Carrie, The Fury, Dressed to Kill, Blow Out, Body Double, Mission Impossible, The Untouchables
4. William Friedkin: The French Connection, The Exorcist, Sorcerer, To Live And Die In LA, Rampage, The Hunted
5. James Cameron: The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, True Lies, T2: Judgment Day
6. Richard Donner: The Omen, Superman, Inside Moves, Lethal Weapon 1, 2, 3 and 4, Assassins, Conspiracy Theory

WHAT KIND OF MOVIE DO YOU WANT TO SEE?

xi. Best Epics

Most films are soufflés, or appetizers, or desserts -- but epics are big fat globs of hearty meatloaf. The story of an individual is often cast as the story of an entire country. Or a way of life. Or a revolution. It’s drama writ large. Casts of thousands. Big battles on mighty plains, and in the thick jungle of the human heart.

a. The Gonzo Guru’s Top 50 Epics

1. Andrei Rublev (Russian icon painter in time of Genghis Khan)
2. The Best Of Youth (6-hour epic of Italian family, 1960 to 2000)
2. The Godfather I & II (Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro)
3. Seven Samurai (Japan)
4. 2001: A Space Odyssey
5. Nashville (directed by Robert Altman)
6. Gone With The Wind (Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable)
7. 1900 (Italian, Robert De Niro, Gerard Depardieu)
8. Lawrence of Arabia (Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif)
9. Giant (Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean)
10. Rocco and His Brothers (Italian, Alain Delon)
11. Reds (Warren Beatty)
12. Ran (Japan)
13. Spartacus (Kirk Douglas)
14. Braveheart (Mel Gibson)
15. A Man For All Seasons (Paul Scofield, Peter O’Toole?)
16. Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston)
17. The Bridge on the River Kwai
18. Barry Lyndon
19. Once Upon a Time in America
20. Exodus (Paul Newman)
21. Doctor Zhivago (Omar Sharif, Julie Christie)
22. Kagemusha (Japan)
23. Napoleon (French, 1927)
24. The Birth Of A Nation (1915)
25. Intolerance (1916)
26. The Battleship Potemkin (Russian)
27. Ivan the Terrible, Part I and II (Russian)
28. Alexander Nevsky (Russian)
29. Viva Zapata! (Marlon Brando)
30. Elizabeth 1 (Helen Mirren)
31. Excalibur (King Arthur and Merlin) XXXXXXXXXX
31. Burn (Marlon Brando)
32. The English Patient (Ralph Fiennes)
33. Patton (Edward C. Scott)
34. The Vikings (Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis)
35. Mutiny on the Bounty (Marlon Brando, Charles Laughton)
36. Cheyenne Autumn
37. The Best Years of Our Lives
38. El Cid (Charlton Heston)
39. The Last Emperor (Bertolucci)
40. The Ten Commandments
41. The Great Escape (Steve McQueen)
42. The Wind and the Lion
43. Malcolm X (Denzel Washington)
44. The Lord of the Rings I, II and III
47. Dances with Wolves (Kevin Costner)
48. Waterworld (Kevin Costner)
49. The Damned (Dirk Bogarde, Helmut Berger)
50. The Last of the Mohicans (Daniel Day Lewis)
51. Boogie Nights (epic about the porn film industry)


b. The Gonzo Guru’s Rest of the Best by decade

Silents and 20s
Judith of Bethulia, Orphans of the Storm, The Covered Wagon, The Ten Commandments, The Thief of Bagdad, Ben-Hur, King of Kings

30s
The Sign of the Cross, Cavalcade, Cleopatra, Anna Karenina, The Crusades. The Last Days of Pompeii, Mutiny on the Bounty, San Francisco, The Adventures of Robin Hood, In Old Chicago, Drums Along the Mohawk

40s
Northwest Passage, Wilson, Duel in the Sun, Anna Karenina, The Fountainhead, Madame Bovary, Samson and Delilah

50s
Quo Vadis? The Greatest Show on Earth, The Robe, Sign of the Pagan, Lust for Life, War and Peace, The Agony and the Ecstasy, Around the World in 80 Days

60s
King of Kings, How the West was Won, Barabbas, The Longest Day, Cleopatra, 55 Days at Peking, The Fall of the Roman Empire, The Greatest Story Ever Told, The Bible, Hawaii, The Sand Pebbles
70s
Ryan's Daughter, The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno, Dersu Uzala

80s
Dune, Passage to India, Out of Africa, The Mission, Empire of the Sun, Heaven’s Gate, Gandhi

90s
JFK, Gettysburg, Glory, Nixon, Kundun, Titanic, Apollo 13

2000s
Gladiator, The Patriot, Musa, Troy, Kingdom of Heaven

c. Great epic directors
1. Cecil B. De Mille: The Ten Commandments (1923), The King Of Kings, Cleopatra (1934), Samson And Delilah, The Greatest Show On Earth, The Ten Commandments (1956)
2. David Lean: Bridge On The River Kwai, Lawrence Of Arabia, Dr. Zhivago, Ryan’s Daughter, Passage To India
3. Stanley Kubrick: Spartacus, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Barry Lyndon
4. Akira Kurosawa: Seven Samurai, Throne Of Blood, Dersu Uzala, Kagemusha, Ran
WHAT KIND OF MOVIE DO YOU WANT TO SEE?

xii. Best Musicals

What can make you happier than a great musical? You end the movie with a song in your heart and a dance in your feet. A peculiar genre, the musical is an American invention: it starts on Broadway and it ends up in Hollywood. One treasure chest of the form still awaits movie embodiment: the musicals written by Stephen Sondheim. Perhaps he’s too smart for Hollywood, but the Gonzo Guru is waiting for the day when Sweeney Todd hits the screen. It’s dark, but so was Cabaret, and look what a great movie it made.

a. The Gonzo Guru’s Top 50 Musicals

1. Singin’ in the Rain (Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds)
2. An American in Paris (Gene Kelly)
3. The Wizard of Oz (Judy Garland)
4. My Fair Lady (Rex Harrison, Audrey Hepburn)
5. West Side Story
6. Cabaret (Liza Minelli)
7. The Sound of Music (Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer)
8. A Star Is Born (Judy Garland)
9. A Hard Day's Night (The Beatles)
10. Chicago (Renee Zellweger, Katherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere)
11. Fantasia (Disney animation)
12. All That Jazz (Roy Schneider)
13. Woodstock (60s Rock Bands)
14. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
15. Fiddler on the Roof
16. Top Hat
17. Guys and Dolls (Marlon Brando)
18. Hello, Dolly! (Babra Streisand)
19. Funny Girl (Babra Streisand)
20. South Pacific
21. Funny Face
22. This is Spinal Tap (mock documentary of dumb rock band)
23. Saturday Night Fever (John Travolta)
24. Grease (John Travolta)
25. 42nd Street
26. Yankee Doodle Dandy (James Cagney)
27. Meet Me in St. Louis
28. The Red Shoes
29. On The Town
30. High Society
31. Show Boat
32. Oklahoma!
33. A Chorus Line
34. King Creole (Elvis Presley)
35. The King and I (Yul Brynner, Deborah Kerr)
36. Gigi
37. Swing Time
38. The Music Man
39. Camelot
40. Oliver!
41. Hair!
42. Pennies From Heaven (Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters)
43. Annie
44. Little Shop of Horrors
45. Moulin Rouge
46. Evita
47. Dancer in the Dark (Bjork)
48. Sweet Charity
49. Man of La Mancha
50. Fame

b. The Gonzo Guru's Rest of the Best by decade
20s
The Jazz Singer, Applause, The Broadway Melody, Hallelujah! The Hollywood Revue of 1929, The Love Parade, Show Boat, Show of Shows

30s
The Smiling Lieutenant, Love Me Tonight, Footlight Parade, Gold Diggers of 1933, The Gay Divorcee, The Broadway Melody of 1936, Gold Diggers of 1935, The Little Colonel, Born to Dance, The Great Ziegfeld, Rose Marie, Show Boat, Maytime, One Hundred Men and a Girl

40s
Strike Up the Band, Holiday Inn, Girl Crazy, Stage Door Canteen, Stormy Weather, Anchors Aweigh, Easter Parade

50s
The Band Wagon, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, White Christmas, Carousel, Jailhouse Rock

60s
Mary Poppins, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Paint Your Wagon


70s
Jesus Christ Superstar

80s
Grease 2, Flashdance, Footloose, Dirty Dancing, Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense

90s
The Commitments, Strictly Ballroom, Shall We Dance? (Japan), Selena, Dance With Me, Cry Baby, Hairspray, Everyone Says I Love You, Love’s Labour Lost, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Bride and Prejudice

2000s
De-Lovely, Phantom of the Opera, Ray, Walk The Line, Once

c. Great musical stars
1. Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers dance films: Flying Down to Rio, The Gay Divorcee, Top Hat, Follow the Fleet, Swing Time, Shall We Dance
2. Gene Kelly: Anchors Aweigh, Ziegfeld Follies, On The Town (director as well), An American In Paris (director), Singin’ In The Rain (director), Brigadoon, Les Girls
3. Bing Crosby: Anything Goes, Pennies From Heaven, Road To Singapore, Road To Zanzibar, Road To Morocco
4. Judy Garland: The Wizard Of Oz, Strike Up The Band, Ziegfeld Girl, Babes On Broadway, Fopr Me And My Gal, Girl Crazy, Meet Me In St. Louis, Ziegfeld Follies
5. Barbra Streisand: Funny Girl, Hey Dolly! On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, Funny Lady, A Star Is Born
6. Julie Andrews: Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Thorougly Modern Millie, Star!

d. Great Musical Directors
1. Vincent Minelli: Meet Me In St. Louis, Ziegfeld Follies, An American In Paris, The Bandwagon, Brigadoon, Gigi, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
2. Robert Wise: West Side Story, The Sound Of Music, Star!

e. Rock ‘n Roll movies
Rock Around The Clock, The Girl Can’t Help It, Privilege, Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense, Madonna: Truth or Dare, Almost Famous, A Hard Day's Night, Help! This Is Spinal Tap, The Buddy Holly Story, La Bamba, Blackboard Jungle, High School Confidential, The Kids Are Alright, Sid and Nancy, Woodstock (concert film), The Last Waltz (concert film), Gimme Shelter (Rolling Stones tour), Pink Floyd: The Wall (concert film), Some Kind of Monster (Metallica documentary), Don't Look Back (Bob Dylan), No Direction Home (Bob Dylan), Chuck Berry - Hail Hail Rock 'n' Roll, The Rutles - All You Need Is Cash, The Doors (Oliver Stone), Ray, The Commitments, Walk The Line (Johnny Cash), The Great Rock ‘n Roll Swindle (The Sex Pistols), The Decline of Western Civilzation (LA Heavy Metal Bands)

f. Elvis Presley movies
Love Me Tender, Jailhouse Rock, Loving You, King Creole (very good), G.I. Blues, Flaming Star (good drama), Wild In The Country, Blue Hawaii, Kid Galahad, Viva Las Vegas

g. Cliff Richard movies (when Elvis ruled the US, Cliff ruled the UK)
Expresso Bongo, The Young Ones, Summer Holiday, Finders Keepers, Two A Penny

WHAT KIND OF MOVIE DO YOU WANT TO SEE?

xiii. Best Documentaries

This movie form hardly ever reached movie theaters, until one man, Michael Moore, with one movie, Fahrenheit 9/11, made more than a $100m, and suddenly documentaries got hot, and now you can find them at your local movie complex, just like story films.

a. Channel 4’s Top 50 Documentaries

1. Seven Up! (1964 + Fourteen 7-year old children, revisited every seven years)
2. Touching The Void (failed attempt to scale the Siula Grande, that almost cost climbers’ lives.
3. Bowling For Columbine (Michael Moore on Columbine School massacre and guns)
4. The World at War (WW2 narrated by Sir Lawrence Olivier)
5. Capturing the Friedmans (family accused of child sexual abuse)
6. The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off (last months of Jonny Kennedy, skin condition epidermolysis bullosa)
7. Life on Earth: A Natural History (Sir David Attenborough traces story of evolution)
8. Farenheit 9/11 (Michael Moore on September 11 terrorist attacks, "War on Terror", Iraq War)
9. When We Were Kings (Rumble in the Jungle, Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman)
10. Faking It (members of the public trained in trade opposite to their character, to fool panel of experts)
11. Hoop Dreams (two teenagers chase professional basketball dream)
12. Death on the Rock (SAS officers shot three members of the IRA in Gibraltar)
13. The Leader, His Driver and the Driver's Wife (Nick Broomfield 's apartheid documentary about white supremacist leader Eugène Terre'Blanche)
14. One Day in September (Munich massacre at 1972 Olympics)
15. Fourteen Days in May (last days on Death Row of Edward Earl Johnson, protesting innocence till the last)
16. The Family (working-class family in everyday lives, reality TV precursor)
17. Night Mail (classic short accompanied by Auden poem)
18. The Nazis: A Warning from History (how a cultured people allowed Hitler 's rise to power)
19. Super Size Me (Morgan Spurlock consumes large amounts of fast food)
20. The Death of Yugoslavia (civil wars and collapse)
21. Walking with Dinosaurs (computer-generated imagery illustrates life in the Mesozoic era)
22. Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer (Nick Broomfield's 2nd film on Aileen Wuornos, her declining mental condition and execution despite this)
23. Beyond the Clouds (four families in rural China)
24. Cracked Actor (David Bowie when he was known to have used mind-altering drugs)
25. The Secret Policeman (racism in Greater Manchester Police, institutional racism in police forces in general)
26. John's Not Mad (John Davidson sufferers from severe form of Tourette's Syndrome)
27. Michael Palin: Around the World in 80 Days (ex-Python emulates journey of Phileas Fogg in Jules Verne 's book, using transportation then)
28. The Thin Blue Line (murder of Texas police cop killed on routine traffic stop and irregularities of investigation)
29. Wife Swap (two couples experience each other's lifestyles when the two wives switch households for fortnight)
30. Simon Schama 's A History of Britain
31. The Power of Nightmares (fallacies around al-Qaeda -- whether threat of terrorism is exaggerrated)
32. Spellbound (follows eight contestants preparing for National Spelling Bee)
33. The War Game (1965 -- nuclear attack on Britain, famously unaired for 20 years)
34. Signs of the Time on design and taste
35. Graham Taylor: An Impossible Job
36. Woodstock
37. People's Century
38. Beneath the Veil
39. Feltham Sings (Young Offenders' Institution)
40. The Human Body (Professor Robert Winston)
41. In the Name of Justice (wrongful conviction of the Birmingham Six)
42. Driving School
43. Hearts of Darkness (making of Apocalypse Now)
44. Nanook of the North (Inuit life)
45. Home from the Hill (Colonel Harry Hook)
46. Civilisation (presented by Sir Kenneth Clark)
47. Fred Dibnah Steeplejack
48. Malcolm & Barbara: A Love Story (Alzheimer's)
49. The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara
50. When Louis Met Jimmy (Louis Theroux meets legendary DJ Jimmy Savile)




b. More Great Documentaries

1. Is it Easy to be Young? -- Podnieks, Latvia
2. Hotel Terminus -- Ophuls, France
3. The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On -- Hara, Japan
4. Wednesday – Kossakovsky, Russia
5. Etre Et Avoir – Philibert, France
6. Shoah – Lanzmann, France
7. The House is Black – Farrokzhad, Iran
8. I Am Cuba – Kalatozov, Russia
9. Roger And Me – Moore, USA
10. Man With A Movie Camera – Vertov, USSR
11. Mahatma - India
12. November Days – Marcel Ophuls, France
13. Mysterious Object at Noon – Weeresethakul, Thailand
14. Marlene – Schell, Germany
15. A Day I will Never Forget – Longinotto, UK/Sudan
16. Gallivant – Kotting, UK
17. Arena: My Way - UK
18. A Man Vanishes – Imamura, Japan
19. The Minamata films – Tsuchimoto, Japan
20. The Perfect Human - Jorgen Leth, Denmark
21. Confession – Sokurov, Russia
22. Salesman – Maysles, USA
23. Gimme Shelter – Maysles, USA
24. Hello do you Hear Us? Podnieks, Latvia
25. Grey Gardens – Maysles, USA
26. Sans Soleil – Chris Marker, France
27. A Social Genocide – Fernando Solanas, Argentina
28. Painleve’s films - France
29. 3 Rooms of Melancholia – Honkasalo, Finland
30. Who’s Counting – Terre Nash, Canada
31. Let There Be Light – John Huston, USA
32. Rien Que Les Heures – Cavalacanti, France
33. Siddheshwari Devi – Kaul, India
34. Don’t Look Back -- D.A. Pennebaker on Bob Dylan
35. The Men of Aran -- Robert J. Flaherty
36. High School -- Frederick Wiseman
37. Eadweard Muybridge, Zoopraxographer -- Thom Andersen
38. 11 x 14 -- James Benning
39. Gates Of Heaven -- Errol Morris
40. Laughter -- Harry d’Abbadie d’Arrast
41. Lonesome -- Pal Fejos
42. Point Blank -- Matt Earl Beesley
43. Vinyl -- Andy Warhol
44. American Dream -- Barbara Kopple
45. Darwin’s Nightmare – Hubert Sauper (terrible effect of globalization on African village)
46. March Of The Penguins – Luc Jacquet
47. Winged Migration – Jacques Perrin
48. The Corporation

c. Great documentary makers
1. The Maysles Brothers (Albert and David): Psychiatry In Russia, Youth In Poland, Showman, What’s Happening! The Beratles In The SA, A Visit With Truman Capote, Meet Marlon Brando, Salesman, Gimme Shelter, Christo’s Valley Curtain, Grey Gardens, Running Fence, Muhammad And Larry, Ozawa, Horowitz Plays Mozart, Islands, Jessye Norman Sings Carmen, Christo In Paris, Soldiers Of Music, Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit ’92, Baroque Duet, Abortion: Desperate Choices, The Beatles: The First US Visit, Umbrellas, Letting Go: A Hospice Journey, Concert Of Wills: Making The Getty Center, LaLee’s Kin: The Legacy Of Cotton, With The Filmmaker: Portraits By Albert Maysles, This Is An Adventure, The Gates
2. D.A. Pennebaker: Daybreak Express, Brussles Loops, Lambert, Hendricks & Co, Hier Strauss, Don’t Look Back, Monterey Pop, Keep On Rockin’, Original Cast Album—Company, One P.M., Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, Energy War, Town Bloody Hall, DeLorean, Rockaby, Jimi Plays Monterey, Shake! Otis At Monterey, 101, Jimi Hendrix Live, Jerry Lee Lewis: The Story Of Rock ‘n Roll, The Music Tells You, The War Room, Woodstock Diary, Keine Zeit, Moon Over Broadway, Depeche Mode: The Videos 86-98, Searching For Jimi Hendrix, Down From The Mountain, Only The Strong Survive, Elaine Stritch: At Libwerrty, Best Of Bowie
3. Frederick Wiseman: Titicut Follies, High School, Law And Order, Hospital, I Miss Sonja Henie, Basic Training, Essene, Juvenile Court, Primate, Welfare, Meat, Canal Zone, Sinai Field Mission, Manoeuvre, Seraphita’s Diary, Model, The Store, Racetrack, Multi-Handicapped, Deaf, Adjustment And Work, Missile, Blind, Near Death, Central Park, Aspen, Zoo, High School II, Ballet, La Comedie-Francaise Ou L’amour, Public Housing, Belfast Maine, Domestic Violenced, The Last Letter, Domestic Violence 2, The Garden
4. Robert Drew:
4. Chris Marker (French): Sans Soleil, Akira Kurosawa, Level Five, The Last Bolshevik, From Chris to Christo, Junkopia, Grin Without A Cat, Cuba: Battle Of The 10,000,000, The Train Rools On, Be Seeing You, Cinetracts, The Sixth Face Of The Pentagon, Far From Vietnam, If I Had Four Dromedaries, The Koumiko Mystery, Le Joli Mai, La Jetee, Description Of A Struggle, The Astronauts, Letter From Siberia, Sunday In Peking, Statues Also Die, Olympia 52
5. Errol Morris: Gates Of Heaven, Vernon Florida, The Thin Blue Line, The Dark Wind, A Brief History Of Time, Fast Cheap & Out Of Control, Mr. Death: The Rise And Fall Of Fred A. Leuchter Jr, The Fog Of War: Eleven Lessons From The Life Of Robert S. McNamara
6. Michael Moore: Roger & Me, Canadian bacon,The Big One, TV nation, And Justice For All, Bowling For Columbine, The Best Of R.E.M.: In View 1988—2003, Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko
7. Nick Broomfield: Who Cares, Proud To Be British, Juvenuile Liaison, Behind The Rent Strike, Whittingham, Fort Augustus, Soldier Girls, Tattooed Tears, Chicken Ranch, Lily Tomlin, Driving Me Crazy, Dark Obsession, The Leader His Driver And The Driver’s Wife, Aileen Wournos: Th Selling Of A Serial Killer, Monster In A Box, Tracking Down Maggie: The Unofficial Biography Of Margaret Thatcher, Heidi Fleiss: Hollywood Madam, Fetishes, Kurt & Courtney, Biggie And Tupac, Aileen: Life And Death Of A Serial Killer
9. Peter Watkins: The Web, The Field Of Red, The Diary Of An Unknown Soldier, The Forgotten Faces, Culloden, The War Game, Privilege, Gladiatoream, Punishment Park, Edvard Much, Fallan, The Seventies People, Evening Land, The Journey, The Freethinker, La Commune (Paris 1871)
10. Barbara Kopple: Harlan County USA, Keeping On, American Dream, Beyond ‘JFK’: The Question Of Conspiracy, A Century Of Women, Wild Man Blues, Woodstock 94, A Conversation With Gregory Peck, My Generation, The Hamptons, Bearing Witness, Havoc, The Edge Of Madness
11. Marcel Ophuls (French): Love At Twenty, Banana Peel, Fire At Will, Munich Or Peace In Our Time, The Sorrow And The Pity, The Harvest Of My Lai, A Sense Of Loss, The Memory Of Justice, Hotel Terminus, November Days, The Troubles We’ve Seen: A History Of Journalism In Wartime
12. Claude Lanzmann (French): Israel Why, Shoah, Tsahai, A Visitor From The Living, Sobibor
13. Robert Greenwald: Sharon: Portrait Of A Mistress, Katie: Portrait Of A Centerfold, Flatbed Annie & Sweetiepie: Lady Truckers, Xanadu, In The Custody Of Strangers, The Burning Bed, Shattered Spirits, On Fire, Sweet Hearts Dance, Forgotten Prisoners: The Amnesty Files, Hear No Evil, A Woman Of Independent Means, Breaking Up, The Living Witness, Steal This Movie, Uncovered: The Whole Truth About The Iraq War aka The Truth Uncovered, Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War On Journalism, Uncovered: The War On Iraq, Wal-Mart: The High Cost Of Low Price
WHAT KIND OF MOVIE DO YOU WANT TO SEE?

xiv. Best Porn

The film Deep Throat, starring a woman character with a clit in her throat, proved that you could make a fortune from shooting a movie in which people fuck and suck each other on camera. Since then, the porn industry has churned them out, even though the video revolution made them almost go underground for a while. Fortunately, cable TV arrived, and now the hotel business has really given porno a shot in the vag by offering porn on their TV sets to the weary business traveler. The Gonzo Guru imagines CEOs all over the world returning to their hotel rooms at night after a hard-charging day of decisions, meetings, and firings, and, as a reward for all their labors, having a good old two-fisted hardcore wank on their high-income trouser snakes.
You’d think any porn film would be much like any other, but no: there are giants of the form, and here are the 74 most sex-crazed movies ever ejaculated -- the absolute creamy sperm of the crop.

Top 74 Porn Movies since 1972

1. Devil in Miss Jones (1972, d. Gerard Damiano). The first explicit sex film to cover a serious subject.
2. Behind the Green Door (1972, d. Jim & Artie Mitchell). Marilyn Chambers as a girl kidnapped to appear in a strange sex show.
3. Wet Rainbow (1973, d. Duddy Kane). Three-way relationship between couple Georgina Spelvin and Harry Reems and a young hippy girl.
4. Marriage and Other 4 Letter Words (1974, d. Rick Robinson). Young happily married couple Brigette Maier and Rick Cassidy who decide to try swinging.
5. Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann (1974, d. Henry Paris). First big-budget porno movie that approaches mainstream Hollywood in quality.
6. 3 AM (1975, d. Robert McCallum). Best acting of any adult film made: Georgina Spelvin, Bob Rose, Charles Hooper and Clair Dia.
7. Honey Pie (1975, d. Howard Ziehm). Loop-carrier (separate scenes loosely held together by a connecting premise) that’s a good movie.
8. Naked Came the Stranger (1975, d. Henry Paris). Comedy with less explicit sexual images than many others, recommended as a 'couples movie.'
9. Passions of Carol (1975, d. Warren Evans). Porn adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
10. Sensations (1975, d. Lasse Braun). French. One of best European porno films ever.
11. Story of Joanna (1975, d. Gerard Damiano). Weird man Jamie Gillis degrades Terri Hall into his personal property after first charming her.
12. Alice in Wonderland (1976, d. Bud Townsend). Adaptation of Lewis Carroll.
13. Autobiography of a Flea (1976, d. Sharon McKnight). Set in France in 1810; very young girl being corrupted by priests.
14. Femmes de Sade (1976, d. Alex deRenzy). Psychopath released from prison, rapes and brutalizes the women he encounters.
15. Opening of Misty Beethoven (1976, d. Henry Paris). Pygmalion/My Fair Lady theme, with Jamie Gillis betting he can turn Paris street hooker Constance Money into the next 'Goldenrod Girl.' One of the all-time greatest adult movies.
16. Babyface (1977, d. Alex deRenzy). New guy in a male whorehouse.
17. Barbara Broadcast (1977, d. Henry Paris). Reporter CJ Laing interviewing hooker turned best-selling author Annette Haven in whacky restaurant that serves sex.
18. Desires Within Young Girls (1977, d. Ramsey Carson). Freshly widowed woman Georgina Spelvin spends last money to get her two daughters married to rich man.
19. Eruption (1977, d. Stanley Kurlin). Porn's version of Double Indemnity.
20. Mary! Mary! (1977, d. Bernard Morris). Husband with trouble lasting during sex, invokes devil to help, now he can't get his erection down.
21. Anna Obsessed (1978, d. Martin & Martin). She can't get off, so she and boyfriend experiment with different forms of sex.
22. Candy Stripers (1978, d. Bob Chinn). Two fisting scenes; funny.
23. Easy (1978, d. Anthony Spinelli). Jessie St. James is looking for love.
24. Little Girls Blue (1978, d. Joanna Williams). Schoolgirls get to know each other and faculty very well.
25. Other Side of Julie (1978, d. Anthony Riverton). Jackie O'Neill gets sexually liberated when she discovers husband earns his money as a stud for hire.
26. Pretty Peaches (1978, d. Alex deRenzy). Air-headed brunette bimbo loses her memory in a car accident.
27. Sex World (1978, d. Anthony Spinelli). Exclusive resort catering to the guests' sexual dreams. One of most acclaimed porn movies.
28. Take Off (1978, d. Armand Weston). One of best porno movies. Dorian Gray theme. Wade Nichols as unaging person in several decades of this century.
29. V the Hot One (1978, d. Robert McCallum). Great acting from Annette Haven as high-class woman with secret obsession of being a prostitute
30. Ecstasy Girls (1979, d. Robert McCallum). Acclaimed porn movie. Rich, puritanical, dying man’s scheming brother tries to get proof of family’s promiscuity to get a bigger slice of inheritance.
31. Her Name was Lisa (1979, d. Richard Mahler). Mourners gather round coffin of model Lisa; flashbacks to her gradual decline into drugs.
32. Exposed (1980, d. Jeffrey Fairbanks). Happily married couple. Husband, trying to keep former life as porn stud from his wife, is forced to make one last porn movie.
33. (Dream Girl of) F (1980, d. Svetlana). One sexual fantasy after another, as John Leslie enters a house to find help after his car breaks down.
34. Insatiable (1980, d. Godfrey Daniels). The return after long absence of porn legend Marilyn Chambers.
35. Platinum Paradise (1980, d. Cecil Howard). High quality in both production and sexual content, good appeal for average viewer.
36. Randy the Electric Lady (1980, d. Philip Schumann). Sci-fi comedy. Evil doctor out to rule the world through 'orgasmine,' a substance secreted by Desiree Cousteau upon climax.
37. Taboo #1 (1980, d. Kirdy Stevens). Instant and popular classic. Mom Kay Parker lusts after her teenage son.
38. Talk Dirty to Me (1980, d. Anthony Spinelli). Smooth-talking womanizer Jack and slightly retarded sidekick Lenny.
39. Amanda by Night (1981, dir: Robert McCallum). Good story. Hooker turns up dead, her friends in danger because they might be able to identify the killer.
40. Aunt Peg (1981, d. Bob Vose and Anthony Spinelli). Aunt Peg is every man's dream: rich, beautiful and as promiscuous as they come. Over-sexed niece comes to stay, ready to take Hollywood by storm. With John Holmes’s 14 1/2".
41. Bad Girls (1981, d. Svetlana). Great cast of newcomers as 4 models on a shoot in the wild.
42. Night Dreams (1981, d. Rinse Dream). Unusual film that started a whole new sub-genre. Innovative, surreal, bizarre, exceptional photography from Hollywood regulars.
43. Nothing to Hide (1981, d. Anthony Spinelli). Even better sequel to Talk Dirty to Me, about smooth-talking Jack and his sidekick Lenny.
44. Outlaw Ladies (1981, d. Henri Pachard). Five women seek sexual thrills outside of norms of their society. Large cast a who's who of early 80's porno stars.
45. Pandora's Mirror (1981, d. Warren Evans). Big budget with all-star cast. Pandora finds magic mirror that reveals sex scenes to anyone gazing into it.
46. Taboo #2 (1981, d. Kirdy Stevens). All-star cast enhanced by numerous gorgeous newcomers. Kay Parker and mammoth breasts gets ample screen time. “Cecil B. DeMille had his biblical epics, John Ford has his westerns, and Mel Brooks his comic spoofs. In the world of adult porn, Kirdy Stevens has the market cornered on incest.”
47. 1001 Erotic Nights (1982, d. Stephen Lucas). Sheherazade tells sultan an erotic tale every night in order to prolong her life.
48. Between Lovers (1983, d. Henri Pachard). Two of the best actresses, Jessie St. James and Georgina Spelvin. Jessie catches husband John Leslie cheating, starts affair with Joey Silvera, marries him. Stuck with two husbands who become buddies.
49. Devil in Miss Jones 2 (1983, d. Henri Pachard). Unlike the Damiano original, this sequel is played for the laughs.
50. Dixie Ray Hollywood Star (1983, d. Anthony Spinelli). Hard-boiled detective story even works without sex (originally intended as R-rated with X-Rated footage added).
51. Night Hunger (1983, d. Gerard Damiano). 70 years of the Blair family, afflicted with satyriasis, an unending desire for sex.
52. Sexcapades (1983, d. Henri Pachard). Porn movie director Harry Crocker who tried making it in the art movie world, now tries to make a comeback in erotica.
53. Every Woman has a Fantasy (1984, d. Edwin Durrell). Husband, obsessed with finding out what goes on at wife's coffee-klatches, tries several ploys to get as close to the action as possible until finally he attends one in drag.
54. Firestorm (1984, d. Cecil Howard). Complex layered plot, superb production values, and a lot of eroticism.
55. Urban Heat (1984, d. Candida Royale). Hot sultry weekend in New York City. Roving camera spies on lovers in a series of vignette-styled movies.
56. Three Daughters (1986, d. Candida Royale). Heather blossoms into a young woman, having her very first orgasm through masturbation while reading women's erotica. She and her best girlfriend sensually explore their bodies, and she has her first tender affair. Her parents rediscover their own passion.
57. Night Trips (1989, d. Andrew Blake). One of the first classics by Andrew Blake. Beautiful photography.
58. House of Dreams (1990, d. Andrew Blake). Images so beautiful and dreamy they take over from the sex.
59. Buttman's European Vacation (1990, d. John Stagliano). Best of the Buttman movies. Cast includes Zara Whites and Silver.
60. Secrets (1991, dir. Andrew Blake). Beverly Hills call girls get caught up in international intrigue. Film has brilliant look.
61. Wild Goose Chase (1991, d. John Stagliano). Great camera work, lovely the female physiques, hot sex.
62. Chameleons, Not The Sequel (1992, d. John Leslie). Good original story.
63. Two Women (1992, d. Alex deRenzy). Final swan song of Alex deRenzy.
64. Latex (1994, d. Michael Ninn). Award-winning director of Sex and Sex 2, with groundbreaking Latex, one of best adult films ever. Inspired by the classic Metropolis, Jon Dough wanders a future land as a psychic freak who can release peoples' repressed sexual fantasies with a touch. Full of great computer effects, creative latex costumes, knockout cinematography, fantastically hot sex. Unlike anything you've ever seen.
65. Sex (1995, d. Michael Ninn). Best adult film ever made, acclaimed by critics throughout the industry. Triumphant exploration of the human spirit starring Gerry Pike. A small-town boy who makes it big as a model in the big city, Gerry Pike collapses under the weight of his own success. Acting that would grace any multi-million dollar Hollywood production and some of the most sumptuously photographed sex scenes ever, most notably Pike's sublime blending with Sunset Thomas in a convertible in the middle of the Mojave desert. If you only watch one adult film in your life, this should be it.
66. Shock (1996, d. Michael Ninn). Adult cinema auteur Michael Ninn's Latex rocked the industry by combining superior production values with a cast that included all of the prime deities from porn's modern pantheon. With Shock, Latex 's blisteringly hot follow up, Ninn returns with new and improved applications for latex, lush shot-on-film cinematography and a cast that is even hotter and more all-inclusive than was that he assembled for Latex. Fantasy world in which, for example, two statues come to life to pleasure a very flesh and blood young woman.
67. Dream Catcher (1998, d. Michael Ninn). Another brilliant film by the team that made Latex, Sex 1, Sex 2, Shock, and Fade To Blue. The film contains seven sensational sexual "numbers." A winning formula that is very appealing to women and to couples.
68. Fade To Blue (1998, dir: Michael Ninn). The vast desert is the setting for Juli Ashton's memories of the gas station/restaurant where she was raised by her father in this signature Michael Ninn feature.
69. Ritual (1999, d. Michael Ninn). Meet Katherine Yale, adult film icon. Pursued relentlessly by her fans, Katherine begins a downward spiral of depression and anxiety ultimately ending with her emotional destruction. With bizarre medical procedures and surreal sitcom parodies.
70. Cashmere (1999, d. Michael Ninn). The concept: the music and styles of the late 60's and early 70's. Highly recommendly, particularly for couples.
71. Eyes Of Desire I (1999, d. Candida Royale). A soft spoken, beautiful photographer retreats to her friend's hillside home to rethink her relationship and career. The quiet gives rise to an unspoken longing.
72. Shayla’s Web (1999, d. Michael Ninn). Addicted to Web Porn, John Rice has maxed out his credit cards; tomorrow he'll be evicted. He doesn't know he's part of an experiment run by a large Internet provider.
73. Private Ninn 1: Perfect (2002, d. Michael Ninn) The year 2034. The Earth is a dark, polluted, and overpopulated planet, a one-party, totalitarian state. John Rice is called in by the police to seek out and destroy the "Mecas," highly intelligent androids with an insatiable urge for sex -- prostitutes under the former regime. Rice, together with his glamorous assistant, Miss Majors, sets out on his quest though a fantastic world.
74. Fashionistas (2003, d. John Stagliano). Big budget. Several full-on S&M scenes with very real action. Production elements of a mainstream motion picture, not intended for the novice porno viewer.

3. FAVORITE STARS AND THEIR BEST MOVIES

The Gonzo Guru has ranked the stars according to two criteria: acting chops and body of work. Therefore, though John Wayne only gave one performance his entire life (himself), he left a formidable body of work, and accordingly ranks very high. There are a number of such “persona” actors who worked hard at creating a character for themselves and stuck to it, and were cast for that very reason.
Sometimes the two criteria (acting chops and body of work) come together, as in Marlon Brando. He’s the best actor who ever lived not only because his acting chops were the best, but also because he left the greatest body of work. Incidentally, he revolutionized the whole art of film acting, and was the most influential actor who ever lived.
He was also the sexiest young stud to ever walk on screen. Most fuckable guy ever, in the view of the Gonz, straight male that I am. Fuckability probably rules our personal ratings of favorite stars.
Now when it comes to the fuckability of female stars, there’s one babe who beats the field, in the opinion of the Gonzo Guru and many other discerning male moviegoers, including the Kennedy brothers. We’re talking Marilyn Monroe, dudes. But then, there’s also Sophia Loren and Elizabeth Taylor to drool over. As far as the Gonzo Guru is concerned, heaven is a place where Elizabeth Taylor gives you a blowjob, looking at you with those violet eyes, and then you bonk Marilyn Monroe (sharing with the Kennedy’s!), and finally you pull out to come between Sophia Loren’s tits. And before the Gonz gets accused of mad sexist privileging (guilty as charged), ladies, here’s one for you: imagine fucking Marlon Brando while Brad Pitt is tonguing your nipples, and Cary Grant is waiting in an Armani suit with a bunch of flowers to take you out to dinner afterwards.
Enough of this facile merriment. Here are your favorite stars and their best movies. They’re ranked according to widely held views, but also according to the Gonzo Guru’s personal views. You are free to disagree with me, even though you’d be wrong by 180 degrees.

a. Dead Actors -- or practically retired
1. Marlon Brando: A Streetcar Named Desire, Viva Zapata, Julius Caesar, The Wild One, On The Waterfront, The Young Lions, Burn, Mutiny on the Bounty, Sayonara, The Godfather, Last Tango in Paris, A Dry White Season
2. Laurence Olivier: Wuthering Heights, Rebecca, Pride And Prejudice, That Hamilton Woman, Henry V, Hamlet, The Prince And The Showgirl, The Entertainer, Spartacus, Uncle Vanya, Bunny Lake Is Missing, Othello, Khartoum, Lady Caroline Lamb, Sleuth, Marathon Man, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, The Boys From Brazil, A Little Romance, Dracula
3. James Cagney: The Public Enemy, Footlight Parade, Boy Meets Girl, Angels With Dirty Faces, The Strawberry Blonde, Yankee Doodle Dandy, White Heat, Mister Roberts, Tribute To A Bad Man, Love Me Or Leave Me, Ragtime
4. Orson Welles: Citizen Kane, Journey Into Fear, Jane Eyre, The Stranger, The Lady From Shanghai, Macbeth, The Third Man, The Black Rose, Othello, King Lear, Mr. Arkadin, Moby Dick, Touch Of Evil, The Roots Of Heaven, The Trial, Compulsion, Chimes At Midnight, A Man For All Seasons, Casino Royale, The Sailor From Gibraltar, Oedipus The King, The Immortal Story, House Of Cards, Catch 22, Treasure Island, Voyage Of The Damned
5. James Stewart: You Can’t Take It With You, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Philadelphia Story, It’s a Wonderful Life, Winchester 73, Harvey, The Man from Laramie, Rear Window, Vertigo, Anatomy Of A Murder
6. John Wayne: Stagecoach, Fort Apache, Red River, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, Sands of Iwo Jima, The Searchers, Rio Bravo, The Alamo, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, True Grit, The Shootist
7. Humphrey Bogart: The Petrified Forest, High Sierra, The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, To Have And Have Not, The Big Sleep, The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre, The African Queen, Key Largo
8. Cary Grant: She Done Him Wrong, The Awful Truth, Only Angels Have Wings, An Affair to Remember, The Philadelphia Story, Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday, Notorious, To Catch a Thief, North by Northwest, Charade
9. Spencer Tracy: Fury, San Francisco, Captains Courageous, Boys Town, Adam’s Rib, Father Of The Bride, Broken Lance, Pat And Mike, State Of The Union, Woman Of The Year, Bad day At Black Rock, The Last Hurrah, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Old Man And The Sea, Inherit The Wind, Judgement At Nuremberg
10. Charlie Chaplin: The Kid, The Gold Rush, The Circus, City Lights, Modern Times, The Great Dictator, Monsieur Verdoux, Limelight, A King In New York, A Countess From Hong Kong
11. Buster Keaton: Sherlock Jr, The Navigator, The General, Steamboat Bill Jr, Around The World In Eighty Days, It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Film, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum
12. Henry Fonda: Young Mr. Lincoln, The Grapes Of Wrath, The Lady Eve, My Darling Clementine, Fort Apache, Twelve Angry Men, Advise And Consent, Once Upon A Time In The West, On Golden Pond
13. Montgomery Clift: Red River, The Heiress, A Place In The Sun, I Confess, From Here To Eternity, Raintree County, Lonelyhearts, The Young Lions, Suddenly Last Summer, Wild River, The Misfits, Judgment At Nuremberg, Freud
14. Burt Lancaster: I Walk Alone, All My Sons, The Flame And The Arrow, Ten Tall Men, The Crimson Pirate, Come Back Little Sheba, From Here To Eternity, Apache, Vera Cruz, The Kentuckian, The Rose Tattoo, Trapeze, The Rainmaker, Gunfight At The OK Corral, Sweet Smell Of Success, The Unforgiven, Elmer Gantry, The Young Savages, Judgment At Nuremberg, Birdman Of Alcatraz, The Leopard, Seven Days In May, The Train, The Professionals, The Swimmer, Castle Keep, Valdez Is Coming, Ulzana’s Raid,1900, The Cassandra Crossing, Twilight’s Last Gleaming, The Island Of Dr. Moreau, Go Tell The Spartans, Zulu Dawn, Atlantic City, Local Hero, Tough Guys
15. Paul Newman: Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, From The Terrace, The Hustler, Hud, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, Absence Of Malice, The Verdict, The Color Of Money, Nobody’s Fool, Road To Perdition
16. Charlton Heston: Julius Caesar, The Greatest Show On Earth, Ruby Gentry, The Naken Jungle, The Ten Commandments, Touch Of Evil, The Big Country, The Buccaneer, The Wreck Of The Mary Deare, Ben-Hur, El Cid, 55 Days At Peking, Major Dundee, The Agony And The Ecstasy, Khartoum, Planet Of The Apes, Will Penny, Julius Caesar, Beneath The Planet Of The Apes, The Omega Man, Antony And Cleopatra, Soylent Green, The Three Musketeers, Earthquake, The Last Hard Men, The Mountain Men, Hamlet, Any Given Sunday
17. Gregory Peck: Spellbound, The Keys Of The Kingdom, Duel In The Sun, The Yearling, Gentleman’s Agreement, Twelve O’Clock High, Roman Holiday, Moby Dick, Cape Fear, To Kill a Mocking Bird
18. Jack Lemmon: Mister Roberts, Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, The Days Of Wine And Roses, The Odd Couple, Save The Tiger, The China Syndrome, Missing, Glengarry Glen Ross
19. Peter Sellers: I’m All Right Jack, Lolita, The Pink Panther, Dr. Strangelove, A Shot in the Dark, The Party, Being There
20. Robert Mitchum: Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, Nevada, Story Of GI Joe, Pursued, Out Of The Past, The Big Steal, The Lusty Men, Angel Face, River Of No Return, The Night of the Hunter, Bandido, Fire Down Below, The Enemy Below, Home From The Hill, The Sundowners, Cape Fear, The Longest Day, Two For The Seesaw, El Dorado, The Way West, Villa Rides, Anzio, Ryan’s Daughter, The Friends Of Eddie Coyle, The Yakuza, Farewell My Lovely, The Last Tycoon, The Big Sleep, That Championship Season, The Winds Of War
21. Gary Cooper: Design For Living, Desire, Mr. Deeds Goes To Town, Meet John Doe, Sergeant York, The Pride Of The Yankees, For Whom The Bell Tolls, The Fountainhead, High Noon
22. Alec Guinness: Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, Kind Hearts And Coronets, The Lavender Hill Mob, The Man In The White Suit, Father Brown, The Ladykillers, The Bridge On The River Kwai, The Horse’s Mouth, Our Man In Havana, Tunes Of Glory, Lawrence Of Arabia, The Fall Of The Roman Empire, Situation Hopeless … But Not Serious, Doctor Zhivago, The Quiller Memorandum, The Comedians, Scrooge, Hitler: The Last Ten Days, Star Wars, Smiley’s People, A Passage To India, Little Dorrit
23. James Dean: Rebel without a Cause, East of Eden, Giant
24. Peter O'Toole: Lawrence Of Arabia, Becket, Lord Jim, What’s New Pussycat? The Sandpiper, How To Steal A Million, The Night Of The Generals, Casino Royale, The Lion In Winter, Goodbye Mr. Chips, The Ruling Class, Man Of La Mancha, Man Friday, Zulu Dawn, Caligula, The Stunt Man, My Favorite Year, Supergirl, The Last Emperor, High Spirits, Troy
25. David Niven: Dodsworth, Thank You Jeeves, The Charge Of The Light Brigade, The Prisoner Of Zenda, Dinner At The Ritz, Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife, The Dawn Patrol, Wuthering Heights, Raffles, Bonnie Prince Charlie, The Elusive Pimpernel, The Moon Is Blue, Around The World In Eighty Days, My Man Godfrey, Bonjour Tristesse, Separate Tables, Ask Any Girl, Please Don’t Eat The Daisies, The Guns Of Navarone, 55 Days At Peking, The Pink Panther (3 movies), Casino Royale, Prudence And The Pill, The Impossible Years, King Queen Knave, Death On The Nile
26. Anthony Quinn: The Plainsman, The Buccaneer, Union Pacific, Blood And Sand, They Died With Their Boots On, Road To Morocco, The Black Swan, The Ox-Bow Incident, Buffalo Bill, Sinbad The Sailor, Tycoon, The Brigand, Viva Zapata! Against All Flags, La Strada, Attila, Lust For Life, Man From Del Rio, The River’s Edge, The Black Orchid, The Savage Innocents, Warlock, Last Train From Gun Hill, Heller In Pink Tights, The Guns Of Navarone, Barabbas, Requiem For A Heavyweight, Lawrence Of Arabia, Behold A Pale Horse, The Visit, Zorba The Greek, A High Wind In Jamaica, Lost Command, The 25th Hour, The Shoes Of The Fisherman, Fatal Desire, The Magus, The Secret Of Santa Vittoria, A Dream Of Kings, The Greek Tycoon, Caravans, The Children Of Sanchez, Lion Of The Desert, Only The Lonely, A Walk In The Clouds
27. Richard Burton: The Robe, Alexander The Great, Look Back In Anger, Ice Palace, The Longest Day, Cleopatra, The VIPs, Zulu, Becket, The Night Of The Iguana, Hamlet, What’s New Pussycat? The Sandpiper, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The Taming Of The Shrew, Doctor Faustus, The Comedians, Boom, Where Eagles Dare, Anne Of The Thousand Days, The Assassination Of Trotsky, The Klansman, Equus, The Wild Geese, 1984
28. Warren Beatty: Splendor In The Grass, Bonnie And Clyde, Shampoo, Heaven Can Wait, Reds, Dick Tracy, Bugsy, Bulworth
29. Robert Redford: Barefoot In The Park, Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, The Way We Were, Jeremiah Johnson, The Sting, Three Days Of The Condor, The Great Gatsby, All The President’s Men, The Natural, Indecent Proposal
30. Yul Brynner: The Ten Commandments, Anastasia, The Brothers Karamazov, The Sound And The Fury, Solomon and Sheba, The Magnificent Seven, Taras Bulba, Kings Of The Sun, Invitation To A Gunfighter, Cast A Giant Shadow, Triple Cross, The Long Duel, Villa Rides, Catlow, Westworld, The Ultimate Warrior, Futureworld
31. John Gielgud: Julius Caesar, Around The World In Eight Days, The Barretts Of Wimpole Street, Saint Joan, Becket, The Loved One, Sebastian. The Charge Of The Light Brigade, The Shoes Olf The Fisherman, Julius Caesar, Lost Horizon, Gold, 11 Harrowhouse, Murder On The Orient Express, Galileo, Aces High, Providence, Joseph Andrews, A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man, Murder By Decree, Caligula, The Elephant Man, Chariots Of Fire, Lion Of The Desert, Arthur, Gandhi, The Wicked Lady, Time After Time, The Shooting Party, Plenty, Arthur 2: On The Rocks, Prospero’s Books, Shine, The Portrait Of A Lady
32. George C. Scott: Anatomy Of A Murder, Don Juan In Hell, The Hustler, The Power And The Glory, The List Of Adrian Messenger, Dr. Strangelove, The Yellow Roll-Royce, The Bible, The Crucible, The Flim-Flam Man, Petulia, Patton, They Might Be Giants, The New Centurions, Oklahoma Crude, The Day Of The Dolphin, Movie Movie
33. Rod Steiger: On The Waterfront, Oklahoma! Run Of The Arrow, Al Capone, The Mark, The Longest Day, The Pawnbroker, The Loved One, Doctor Zhivago, In The Heat Of The Night, No Way To Treat A Lady, The Illustrated Man, Three Into Two Won’t Go, Waterloo, Duck You Sucker, Mussolini: The Last Four Days, Lucky Luciano, FIST, The Amityville Horror, Love And Bullets, Lion Of The Desert, The Chosen, The Naked Face, The Kindred, American Gothic, January Man, The Ballad Of The Sad Café, The Last Tattoo, Shiloh, Mars Attacks! A Month Of Sundays
34. Clark Gable: It Happened One Night, Mutiny On The Bounty, Gone With The Wind, Run Silent Run Deep, The Misfits, The Formula, Firestarter
35. William Holden: Golden Boy, Arizona, The Man From Colorado, Streets Of Laredo, Sunset Boulevard, Union Station, Born Yesterday, The Turning Point, Stalag 17, The Moon Is Blue, Executive Suite, Sabrina, Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing, Picnic, The Bridge On The River Kwai, The Horse Soldiers, The World Of Suzie Wong, The Lion, Paris When It Sizzles, Alvarez Kelly, The Devil’s Brigade, The Wild Bunch, Wild Rovers, The Towering Inferno, Network, Fedora, Damien: Omen 2, Ashanti, SOB
36. Gene Kelly: For Me And My Gal, Anchors Aweigh, Ziegfeld Follies, The Pirate, The Three Musketeers (1948), Take Me Out To The Ball Game, On The Town, An American In Paris, Singin’ In The Rain, Brigadoon, Les Girls, Marjorie Morningstar
37. Fredric March: Paramount On Parade, Honor Among Lovers, Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, Design For Living, All Of Me, Death Takes A Holiday, The Barretts Of Wimpole Street, Anna Karenina, The Dark Angel, The Road To Glory, A Star Is Born, Nothing Sacred, The Buccaneer, The Best Years Of Our Lives, Another Part Of The Forest, It’s A Big Country, Death Of A Salesman, Executive Suite, The Desperate Hours, The Man In The Gray Flannel Suit, Inherit The Wind, The Young Doctors, The Condemned Of Altona, Seven Days In May, Hombre, The Iceman Cometh
38. Paul Muni: Scarface (1932), I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang, The Story Of Louis Pasteur, The Good Earth, The Life Of Emile Zola, Juarez, A Song To Remember
39. Fred Astaire: Top Hat, The Sky’s The Limit, Easter Parade, Royal Wedding, The Band Wagon, Funny Face, On The Beach, The Towering Inferno
40. Sidney Poitier: No Way Out, Blackboard Jungle, The Defiant Ones, A Raisin In The Sun, Lilies Of The Field, To Sir With Love, In The Heat of the Night, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
41. Edward G. Robinson: Little Caesar, Smart Money, Tiger Shark, The Little Giant, The Man With Two Faces, Barbary Coast, Kid Galahad, The Last Gangster, Confessions Of A Nazi Spy, Dr. Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet, The Sea Wolf, Larceny Inc, Scarlet Street, The Stranger, All My Sons, Key Largo, The Night Has a Thousand Eyes, Vice Squad, Black Tuesday, The Ten Commandments, Two Weeks In Another Town, The Prize, Good Neighbor Sam, The Cincinnati Kid, Mackenna’s Gold, Soylent Green
42. Kirk Douglas: Out Of The Past, I Walk Alone, A Letter To Three Wives, Champion, Young Man With A Horn, The Glass Menagerie, Ace In The Hole, The Big Sky, The Bad And The Beautiful, The Story Of Three Loves, Man Without A Star, The Indian Fighter, Lust For Life, Gunfight At The OK Corral, Paths Of Glory, The Vikings, Last Train From Gun Hill, The Devil’s Disciple, Strangers When We Meet, Spartacus, Town Without Pity, The Last Sunset, Lonely Are The Brave, Two Weeks In Another Town, For Love Or Money, Seven Days In May, The Heroes Of Telemark, In Harm’s Way, Cast A Giant Shadow, The Way West, The War Wagon, A Lovely Way To Die, The Brotherhood, The Arrangement, To Catch A Spy, A Gunfight, Posse, The Fury, The Man From Snowy River, Tough Guys
43. Lon Chaney: The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, The Phantom Of The Opera
44. Steve McQueen: The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, Love With The Proper Stranger, Baby The Rain Must Fall, Nevada Smith, The Sand Pebbles, The Thomas Crown Affair, Bullitt, Le Mans, Junior Bonner, The Getaway, Papillon, The Towering Inferno, An Enemy Of The People, Tom Horn
45. Walter Matthau: A Face In The Crowd, King Creole, Charade, Mirage, The Fortune Cookie, A Guide For The Married Man, The Odd Couple, The Secret Life Of An American Wife, Hello Dolly! Cactus Flower, A New Leaf, Plaza Suite, Kotch, Pete ‘n Tillie, Charley Varrick, The Laughing Policeman, The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three, Earthquake, The Front Page, The Sunshine Boys, The Bad News Bears, House Calls, California Suite, Little Miss Marker, Hopscotch, Buddy Buddy, JFK, Grumpy Old Men, I’m Not Rappaport
46. Errol Flynn: Captain Blood, The Adventures Of Robin Hood, Dodge City, They Died With Their Boots On, Gentleman Jin, Objective Burma!
47. Dirk Bogarde: Doctor In The House, Doctor In Distress, Despair, A Bridge Too Far, Providence, The Night Porter, Death In Venice, The Damned, The Fixer, Sebastian, Accident, Blithe Spirit, Accident, Modesty Blaise, Darling, King & Country, The Servant, Song Without End
48. Lee Marvin: The Big Heat, The Wild One, The Caine Mutiny, Bad Day At Black Rock, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Donovan’s Reef, The Killers, Cat Ballou, Ship Of Fools, The Professionals, The Dirty Dozen, Point Blank, Hell In The Pacific, Paint Your Wagon, Pocket Money, Prime Cut, The Iceman Cometh, The Klansman, Shout At The Devil, The Big Red One, Death Hunt, Gorky Park
49. Richard Harris: The Guns Of Navarone, This Sporting Life, The Heroes Of Telemark, Major Dundee, The Bible, Hawaii, Camelot, A Man Called Horse, Cromwell, Robin And Marian, The Return Of A Man Called Horse, The Cassandra Crossing, The Wild Geese, Golden Rendezvous, The Last Word, Patriot Games, Unforgiven, Cry The Beloved Country, Smilla’s Sense Of Snow, Gladiator, Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone
50. Oliver Reed: The Curse Of The Werewolf, The Scarlet Blade, The Damned, The Shuttered Room, The Jokers, I’ll Never Forget Whatsisname, Oliver! Hannibal Brooks, Women In Love, Take A Girl Like You, The Hunting Party, The Devils, The Triple Echo, Sitting Target, Days Of Fury, The Three Musketeers, And Then There Were None, The Four Musketeers, Tommy, Royal Flash, The Big Sleep, The Brood, Lion Of The Desert, Skeleton Coast, The House Of Usher, Gor, The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen, Gladiator
51. Charles Bronson: Apache, Machine-Gun Kelly, The Magnificent Seven, Kid Galahad, The Great Escape, The Sandpiper, The Dirty Dozen, Villa Rides, Once Upon A Time In The West, Rider On The Rain, Red Sun, The Valachi Papers, Chato’s Land, The Mechanic, The Stone Killer, Mr. Majestyk, Death Wish, Hard Times, Breakheart Pass, Death Wish 2, 3, 4, 5, The Indian Runner
52. John Casavetes: Affair In Havana, The Killers, The Dirty Dozen, Rosemary’s Baby, Husbands, Minnie And Moskowitz, Mikey And Nicky, Opening Night, The Fury, Whose Life Is It Anyway? Love Streans
53. Laurence Harvey: Three Men In A Boat, The Silent Enemy, Room At The Top, The Long The Short And The Tall, Expresso Bongo, The Alamo. Butterfield 8, Summer And Smoke, Walk On The Wild Side, The Manchurian Candidate, The Running Man, The Ceremony, The Outrage, Of Human Bondage, Darling, Life At The Top, The Winter’s Tale, A Dandy In Aspic, The Magic Christian, The Deep, WUSA, Night Watch

b. Living, working actors
1. Robert De Niro: Mean Streets, The Godfather II, Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, Raging Bull, The King Of Comedy, Midnight Run, Goodfellas, Awakenings, Cape Fear, Analyze This
2. Al Pacino: The Godfather, Serpico, The Godfather II, Dog Day Afternoon, …And Justice For All, Scarface, Dick Tracy, Glengarry Glen Ross, Scent Of A Woman
3. Jack Nicholson: Easy Rider, The Trip, Five Easy Pieces, Carnal Knowledge, Chinatown, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Terms of Endearment, As Good as It Gets, About Schmidt
4. Dustin Hoffman: The Graduate, Midnight Cowboy, John And Mary, Little Big Man, Straw Dogs, Papillon, Lenny, All The President’s Men, Marathon Man, Straight Time, Agatha, Kramer vs. Kramer, Tootsie, Rain Man, Dick Tracy, Hook, Outbreak, American Buffalo, Sleepers, Mad City, Wag The Dog, Sphere, The Messenger, Finding Neverland, I Heart Huckabees, Meet The Fockers
5. Gene Hackman: Bonnie And Clyde, I Never Sang For My Father, The French Connection, The Poseidon Adventure, Scarecrow, The Conversation, French Connection 2, Night Moves, Lucky Lady, Superman 1 and 2, Reds, Under Fire, Uncommon Valor, Power, Hoosiers, No Way Out, Mississippi Burning, Class Action, Unforgiven, The Firm, Wyatt Earp, The Quick And The Dead, Crimson Tide, Get Shorty, The Birdcage, Absolute Power, Enemy Of The State, The Royal Tenenbaums, Behind Enemy Lines
6. Robert Duvall: To Kill A Mockingbird, The Chase, Bullitt, True Grit, The Rain People, MASH, The Revolutionary, THX 1138, Lawman, The Godfather 1 and 2, Joe Kidd, Badge 373, The Outfit, Breakout, The Killer Elite, Network, The Eagle Has Landed, The Betsy, Apocalypse Now, The Great Santini, True Confessions, Tender Mercies, The Stone Boy, The Natural, Colors, The Handmaid’s Tale, Rambling Rose, Falling Down, The Scarlet Letter, Sling Blade, The Gingerbread Man, Deep Impact, A Civil Action, Assassination Tango, Gods And Generals
7. Clint Eastwood: A Fistful Of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, The Good The Bad And The Ugly, Play Misty For Me, Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby
8. Michael Caine: Zulu, The Ipcress File, Alfie, The Wrong Box, Funeral In Berlin, Hurry Sundown, Billion Dollar Brain, Deadfall, The Magus, The Italian Job, Battle Of Britain, Get Carter, Zee and Co, Sleuth, The Black Windmill, The Wilby Conspiracy, The Man Who Would Be King, Silver Bears, California Suite, Ashanti, Dressed To Kill, Educating Rita, The Honorary Consul, Hannah And Her Sisters, Mona Lisa, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Noises Off, Midnight In Saint Petersburg, Mandela And De Klerk, Little Voice, The Cider House Rules, Quills, Get Carter, The Quiet American, Batman Begins
9. Sean Connery: Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, The Hill, The Man Who Would Be King, The Name Of The Rose, The Untouchables, The Hunt For Red October, Robin And Marian
10. Harrison Ford: American Graffiti, Star Wars, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Blade Runner, Witness, The Fugitive, Clear And Present Danger, Air Force One, The Mosquito Coast, Working Girl, Air Force One, Six Days Seven Nights, What Lies Beneath
11. Tom Hanks: Splash, Big, Sleepless In Seattle, Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, Saving Private Ryan, You’ve Got Mail, The Green Mile, Cast Away, Road To Perdition, The Da Vinci Code
12. John Travolta: Carrie, Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Urban Cowboy, Blow Out, Staying Alive, Look Who’s Talking, Pulp Fiction, Get Shorty, Broken Arrow, Face/Off, Primary Colors, The Thin Red Line, A Civil Action, The General’s Daughter, Swordfish, Domestic Disturbance, Basic, Ladder 49, Be Cool
13. Jeff Bridges: The Last Picture Show, Fat City, Bad Company, The Last American Hero, Thunderbolt And Lightfoot, Rancho Deluxe, Stay Hungry, King Kong (1976), Winter Kills, Heaven’s Gate, Cutter’s Way, Tron, Kiss Me Goodbye, Against All Odds, Starman, Jagged Edge, 8 Million Ways To Die, The Morning After, Tucker, The Fabulous Baker Boys, The Fisher King, American Heart, The Vanishing, Fearless, The Big Lebowski, The Muse, Seabiscuit, The Door In The Floor
14. Daniel Day Lewis: Gandhi, My Beautiful Laundrette, A Room With A View, The Unbearable Lightness Of Being, My Left Foot, The Last of the Mohicans, Age of Innocence, In The Name Of The Father, The Crucible, Gangs Of New York
15. Christopher Walken: Next Stop Greenwich Village, Roseland, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, Heaven’s Gate, The Dogs Of War, Pennies From Heaven, The Dead Zone, Sarah Plain And Tall, A View To A Kill, The Milagro Beanfield War, At Close Range, Biloxi Blues, The Comfort Of Strangers, King Of New York, Batman Returns, True Romance, Pulp Fiction, Basquiat, Man On Fire, The Stepford Wives, Wedding Crashers
16. Jon Voight: Midnight Cowboy, Out Of It, Catch-22, The Revolutionary, Deliverance, The Odessa File, Coming Home, The Champ, Runaway Train, Heat, Mission Impossible, The Rainmaker, The Fixer, Enemy Of The State, Lara Croft Tomb Raider, Zoolander, Ali, Holes, The Manchurian Candidate (2004), National Treasure
17. Sean Penn: Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Bad Boys, Racing With The Moon, The Falcon And The Snowman, At Close Range, Colors, Casualties Of War, Carlito’s Way, Dead Man Walking, The Game, Hurlyburly, The Thin Red Line, Before Night Falls, I Am Sam, Mystic River, The Interpreter
18. Anthony Hopkins: The Lion In Winter, Hamlet, When Eight Bells Toll, Young Winston, Lloyd George, The Elephant Man, Magic, The Bunker, 84 Charing Cross Road, The Silence Of The Lambs, Howards End, Dracula, The Remains Of The Day, Shadowlands, Legends Of The Fall, Nixon, The Edge, Amistad, The Mask Of Zorro, Meet Joe Black, Titus, Hannibal, Red Dragon, The Human Stain, Proof, The World’s Fastest Indian
19. Denzel Washington: Cry Freedom, Glry, Malcolm X, Devil In A Blue Dress, The Hurricane, Training Day, The Manchurian Candidate
20. John Malkovich: True West, Places In The Heart, The Killing Fields, Eleni, Rocket To The Moon, The Glass Menagerie, Empire Of The Sun, Dangerous Liaisons, The Sheltering Sky, Of Mice And Men, In The Line Of Fire, Mulholland Falls, The Portrait Of A Lady, Con Air, The Man In The Iron Mask, Rounders, Being John Malkovich, The Messenger, Johnny English, The Libertine, Art School Confidential
21. Tommy Lee Jones: Eyes Of Laura Mars, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Black Moon Rising, JFK, Under Siege, Heaven And Earth, House Of Cards, The Fugitive, Natural Born Killers, Cobb, Men In Black, Space Cowboys, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
22. Russell Crowe: Romper Stomper, LA Confidential, The Insider, Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, Master And Commander, Cinderella Man
23. Johnny Depp: Edward Scissorhands, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Ed Wood, Dead Man, Donnie Brasco, Pirates Of The Caribbean, Finding Neverland
24. Nick Nolte: The Deep, Who’ll Stop The Rain, North Dallas Forty, Heart Beat, Cannery Row, 48 Hrs, Under Fire, Down And Out In Beverley Hills, Extreme Prejudice, Cape Fear, The Prince Of Tides, Lorenzo’s Oil, Jefferson In Paris, Mulholland Falls, The Thin Red Line, Breakfast Of Champions, The Golden Bowl, Hulk, Hotel Rwanda
25. Bill Murray: Meatballs, Where The Buffalo Roam, Caddyshack, Stripes, Tootsie, Ghostbusters, The Razor’s Edge, Little Shop Of Horrors, Scrooged, What About Bob? Groundhog Day, Mad Dog And Glory, Ed Wood, Rushmore, Osmosis Jones, The Royal Tenenbaums, Lost In Translation, Coffee And Cigarettes, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, Broken Flowers
26. Tom Cruise: Risky Business, Top Gun, Born On The Fourth Of July, Rain Man, Jerry Maguire, Mission: Impossible, Magnolia, Minority Report, The Last Samurai, Collateral, War Of The Worlds
27. Brad Pitt: Thelma & Louise, Legends Of The Fall, Seven, 12 Monkeys, Fight Club, Ocean’s Eleven, Troy
28. Robin Williams: Popeye, The World According To Garp, Moscow On The Hudson, Good Morning Vietnam, The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen, Dead Poets Society, Cadillac Man, Awakenings, The Fisher King, Hook, Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, The Birdcage, Flubber, Good Will Hunting, Patch Adams, Jakob The Liar, A1, One Hour Photo, Insomnia
29. Richard Gere: Looking For Mr. Goodbar, Days Of Heaven, Yanks, American Gigolo, An Officer And A Gentleman, The Honorary Consul, King David, Power, Internal Affairs, Pretty Woman, Final Analysis, Sommersby, Primal Fear, Runaway Bride, Dr. T And The Women, Unfaithful, Chicago, Shall We Dance?
30. Dennis Hopper: Giant, Cool Hand Luke, Easy Rider, True Grit, The Last Movie, Kid Blue, The American Friend, Apocalypse Now, Rumble Fish, Riders Of The Storm, River’s Edge, Blue Velvet, True Romance, Speed, Waterworld, Basquiat, Land Of The Dead
31. Richard Dreyfuss: American Graffiti, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Goodbye Girl, Whose Life Is It Anyway? Down And Out In Beverley Hills, Tin Men, Stakeout, Postcards From The Edge, Lost In Yonkers, Mr. Holland’s Opus, Silver City
32. Morgan Freeman: Brubaker, Harry And Son, Driving Miss Daisy, Glory, Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves, Unforgiven, The Shawshank Redemption, Outbreak, Se7en, Amistad, Hard Rain, Deep Impact, Nurse Betty, Along Came A Spider, The Sum Of All Fears, Dream Catcher, Bruce Almighty, Million Dollar Baby, Batman Begins
33. Peter Falk: Robin And The 7 Hoods, The Great Race, Luv, Anzio, Castle Keep, Husbands, Murder By Death, Mikey And Nicky, The Cheap Detective, The Brink’s Job, The In-Laws, All The Marbles, The Princess Bride, The Sunshine Boys, The Thing About My Folks
34. Michael Douglas: The China Syndrome, Romancing The Stone, The Jewel Of The Nile, Fatal Attraction, Wall Street, Black Rain, The War Of The Roses, Basic Instinct, Falling Down, Disclosure, The American President, The Game, Traffic, The In-Laws
35. Rutger Hauer: Soldier Of Orange, Spetters, Blade Runner, Ladyhawke, The Hitcher, The Beans of Egypt Maine, Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind, Batman Begins
36. Gene Wilder: Bonnie And Clyde, The Producers, Start The Revolution Without Me, Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory, Rhinoceros, Blazing Saddles, Young Ffrankenstein, The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother, Silver Streak, Stir Crazy, The Woman In Red
37. Tim Robbins: Howard The Duck, Bull Durham, Cadillac Man, Jacob’s Ladder, The Player, Bob Roberts, Short Cuts, The Hudsucker Proxy, The Shawshank Redemption, Arlington Road, High Fidelity, Human Nature, Mystic River, War Of The Worlds, Embedded
38. William Hurt: Altered States, Eyewitness, Body Heat, The Big Chill, Gorky Park, Kiss Of The Spider Woman, Children Of A Lesser God, Broadcats News, The Accidental Tourist, Smoke, Jane Eyre, One True Thing, Lost In Space, Sunshine, A1, A History Of Violence, Syriana
39. Jim Carrey: Earth Girls Are Easy, Ace Ventura Pet Detective, The Mask, Dumb & Dumber, Batman Forever, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, The Cable Guy, Liar Liar, The Truman Show, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, The majestic, Bruce Almighty, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Accidents, Fun With Dick And Jane
40. Willem Dafoe: Streets Of Fire, To Live And Die In LA, Platoon, The Last Temptation Of Christ, Mississippi Burning, Born On The Fourth Of July, Wild At Heart, Flight Of The Intruder, Clear And Present Danger, Tom & Viv, Basquiat, The English patient, Speed 2, American Psycho, Spiderman, The Reckoning, Once Upon A Time In Mexico, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, The Aviator, State Of The Union, Manderlay
41. Liam Neeson: Excalibur, Krull, The Mission, The Good Mother, Darkman, Husbands And Wives, Ethan Frome, Schindler’s List, Rob Roy, Michael Collins, Les Miserables, The Phantom Menace, K-19: The Widowmaker, Gangs Of New York, Love Actually, Kinsey, Kingdom Of Heaven, Batman Begins, Breakfast On Pluto
42. Harvey Keitel: Who’s That Knocking At My Door, Mean Streets, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anynmore, Taxi Driver, Mother Jugs And Speed, Welcome To LA, The Duellists, Blue Collar, Fingers, The Border, The Last Temptation Of Christ, The Two Jakes, Thelma & Louise, Bugsy, Reservoir Dogs, Sister Act, Bad Lieutenant, The Piano, Rising Sun, Pulp Fiction, Smoke, Clockers, From Dusk Till Dawn, Cop Land, Red Dragon, National Treasure, Be Cool
43. James Caan: El Dorado, The Rain People, Rabbit Run, Brian’s Song, The Godfather, Cinderella Liberty, The Gambler, Freebie And The Bean, Funny Lady, Rollerball, The Killer Elite, Comes A Horseman, Gardens Of Stone, Dick Tracy, Misery, Mickey Blue Eyes, Dogville, Elf
44. Kevin Bacon: Animal House, Diner, Footloose, Quicksilver, Planes Trains and Automobiles, She’s Having A Baby, The Big Picture, Tremors, Flatliners, Queens Logic, He Said She Said, JFK, A Few Good Men, The River Wild, Apollo 13, My Dog Skip, Hollow Man, Mystic River, In The Cut, The Woodsman, Beauty Shop
45. Nicolas Cage: Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Rumble Fish, Racing With The Moon, The Cotton Club, Birdy, Peggy Sue Got Married, Moonstruck, Wild At Heart, Honeymoon In Vegas, Leaving Las Vegas, The Rock, Con Air, Face/Off, Gone In Sixty Seconds, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Windtalkers, Adaptation, Matchstick Men, National Treasure, Lord Of War, The Weather Man
46. Antonio Banderas: Matador, Law Of Desire, Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown, Tie Me Up To Me Down!, The Mambo Kings, The House Of The Spirits, Philadelphia, Desperado, Evita, The Mask Of Zorro, Spy Kids, Femme Fatale, Frida, Once Upon A Time In Mexico
47. Will Smith: Six Degrees Of Separation, Bad Boys, Independence Day, Men In Black, I Robot
48. George Clooney: Return Of The Killer Tomatoes, From Dusk Till Dawn, Batman And Robin, The Peacemaker, Out Of Sight, The Thin Red Line, Three Kings, Fail Sage, Oh Brother Where Art Thou? The Perfect Storm, Spy Kids, Ocean’s Eleven, Solaris, Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind, Intolerable Cruelty, Ocean’s Twelve, Good Night Asnd Good Luck, Syriana
49. Matt Dillon: The Outsiders, Crash,
50. Matt Damon:
51. Ben Affleck:

c. European and other actors
1. French: Yves Montand, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Gabin, Alain Delon, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Louis Jourdan, Maurice Chevalier, Michel Simon, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Michel Piccoli, Philippe Noiret, Gerard Depardieu, Robert Hossein
2. German: Hardy Kruger, Maximilian Shell, Curt Jurgens, Oskar Werner, Horst Buchholtz, Bruno Ganz, Helmut Berger, Klaus Kinski, Klaus Brandauer, Jurgen Prochnow
3. Italian: Marcello Mastoianni, Rossano Brazzi, Giancarlo Giannini, Ugo Tognazzi, Roberto Benigni, Udo Kier
4. Asian and other: Bruce Lee, Jackie Chang, Omar Sharif, Max Von Sydow

d. European and other actresses
1. Italian: Sophia Loren, Anna Magnani, Gina Lollobrigida, Monica Vitti, Virna Lisi, Claudia Cardinale
2. French: Catherine Deneuve, Francoise Dorleac, Michelle Morgan, Simone Signoret, Jeanne Moreau, Brigittte Bardot, Anouk Aimee, Stephanie Audran, Mireille Darc, Nathalie Baye, Bulle Ogier. Isabel Huppert. Isabelle Adjani, Juliette Binoche
3. Nordic: Liv Ullman, Anita Ekberg, Ingrid Thulin, Harriet Anderson
4. German: Romy Schneider. Hanna Schygulla
5. Asian: Gong Li, Michelle Yeoh

e. Dead Actresses -- or practically retired
1. Bette Davis: Of Human Bondage, Dangerous, Jezebel, The Private Lives Of Elizabeth And Essex, Dark Victory, The Letter, The Little Foxes, Now Voyager, Mr Skeffington, All About Eve, The Star, What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?
2. Katharine Hepburn: Little Women, Morning Glory, Alice The Gonzo Gurus, Pat And Mike, Woman Of The Year, State Of The Union, Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story, Adam’s Rib, The African Queen, Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, The Lion In Winter, On Golden Pond, Rooster Cogburn, The Glass Menagerie, A Delicate Balance, Long Day’s Journey Into Night
3. Ingrid Bergman: Intermezzo, Casablanca, Gaslight, The Bells Of St. Mary’s, Notorious, Joan Of Arc, Stromboli, Voyage in Italy, Elena And Her Men, Anastasia, Murder On The Orient Express, Autumn Sonata
4. Marilyn Monroe: Don’t Bother To Knock, Niagara, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, There’s No Business Like Show Business, The Seven Year Itch, River Of No Return, Some Like It Hot, The Misfits
5. Elizabeth Taylor: National Velvet, Life With Father, Father Of The Bride, Giant, Raintree Country, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Suddenly Last Summer, Butterfield 8, Cleopatra, Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf, The Taming Of The Shrew
6. Greta Garbo: Anna Christie, Romance, Mata Hari, Grand Hotel, Anna Karenina, Camille, Ninotcha
7. Audrey Hepburn: Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Funny Face, The Nun’s Story, Breakfast At Tiffany’s, Charade, My Fair Lady, Wait Until Dark, Robin And Marian
8. Deborah Kerr: Quo Vadis, The Prisoner Of Zenda, From Here To Eternity, The End Of The Affair, The King and I, Tea And Sympathy, An Affair To Remember, Separate Tables, Veloved Infidel, The Sundowners, The Innocents, The Chalk Garden, The Night Of The Iguana, Eye Of The Devil, Prudence And The Pill
9. Judy Garland: Broadway Melody, Love Finds Andy Hardy, The Wizard Of Oz, Meet Me In St. Louis, The Harvey Girls, In The Good Old Summertime, A Star Is Born
10. Shirley MacLaine: Can-Can, The Apartment, The Children’s Hour, Two For The Seesaw, Irma La Douce, What A Way To Go! The Yellow Rolls-Royce, Gambit, Sweet Charity, Two Mules For Sister Sara, The Turning Point, Being There, Terms of Endearment, Steel Magnolias, Postcards From The Edge, Used People, Rumor Has It
11. Lana Turner: Love Finds Andy Hardy, Dr, Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, Honky Tonk, Johnny Eager, Somewhere I‘ll Find You, Weekend At The Waldorf, The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Three Musketeers, The Merry Widow, The Bad And The Beautiful, The Flame And The Flesh, Peyton Place, Another Time Another Place, Imitation Of Life, Portrait In Black, Bachelor In Paradise, Madame X
12. Doris Day: The Man Who Knew Too Much, The Pajama Game, Teacher’s Pet, Pillow Talk, That Touch Of Mink, Send Me No Flowers
13. Vivien Leigh: Dark Journey, Gone With the Wind, Waterloo Bridge, That Hamilton Woman, Caesar And Cleopatra, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Roman Spring Of Mrs. Stone, Ship Of Fools
14. Glenda Jackson: Marat/Sade, Women In Love, The Music Lovers, Mary Queen Of Scots, Sunday Bloody Sunday, The Triple Echo, A Touch Of Class, The Maids, Hedda, The Romantic Englishwoman, House Calls, Stevie, Turtle Diary, The Rainbow
15. Rita Hayworth: Only Angels Have Wings, Blood And Sand, Gilda, The Lady From Shanghai, Miss Sadie Thompson, Pal Joey
16. Julie Andrews: Mary Poppins, The Americanization of Emily, The Sound Of Music, Torn Curtain, Hawaii, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Star! Darling Lili, 10, SOB, Victor/Victoria, Trail Of The Pink Panther
17. Barbara Stanwyck: Annie Oakley, Stella Dallas, Golden Boy, The Lady Eve, Meet John Doe, Ball of Fire, Double Indemnity, Forty Guns
Judy Holliday
Loretta Young
18. Joan Crawford: Grand Hotel, The Shining Hour, The Women, Above Suspicion, Mildred Pierce, Johnny Guitar, The Best Of Everything, Sudden Fear, Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?
19. Jennifer Jones: The Song Of Bernadette. Duel In The Sun, Mthe Gonzo Gurue Bovary, Carrie, Ruby Gentry, Beat The Devil, Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing, The Man In The Gray Flannel Suit, The Barretts Of Wimpole Street, A Farewell To Arms, Tender Is The Night
20. Ava Gardner: The Showboat, The Snows Of Kilimanjaro, Mogambo, The Barefoot Comntessa, Bhowani Junction, The Sun Also Rises, The Naked Maja, On The Beach, 55 Days At Peking, Seven Days In May, The Night Of The Iguana, The Bible, Mayerling
21. Grace Kelly: High Noon, Mogambo, Dial M For Murder, Rear Window, The Country Girl. To Catch A Thief, High Society
22. Olivia De Havilland: The Adventures Of Robin Hood, Dodge City, Gone With The Wind, Raffles, Santa Fe Trail, The Died With Their Boots On, The Male Animal, The Dark Mirror, The Heiress, Light In The Piazza, Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte
23. Joan Fontaine: Gunga Din, The Women, Rebecca, Suspicion, Jane Eyre, Letter From An Unknown Woman, A Certain Smile
24. Greer Garson: Goodbye Mr. Chips, Pride And Prejudice, Mrs. Miniver, Random Harvest, Madame Curie, Mrs. Parkington, That Forsyte Woman, Her Twelve Men
25. Julie Christie
26. Sophia Loren:

26. Debbie Reynolds: Singin’ In The Rain, Susan Slept Here, The Tender Trap, Meet Me In Las Vegas, Tammy And The Bachelor, The Mating Game, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, The Singing Nun, Divorce American Style
26. Faye Dunaway: The Happening, Bonnie And Clyde, The Thomas Crown Affair, Amanti, The Arrangement, Little Big Man, Puzzle Of A Downfall Child, Oklahoma Crude, The Three Musketeers, Chinatown, The Towering Inferno, Three Days Of The Condor, Network, Voyage Of The Damned, Eyes Of Laura Mars, The Champ, Evita Peron, Mommie Dearest, Barfly, The Handmaid’s tale, The Two Jakes
27. Claudette Colbert: It Happened One Night, Cleopatra, Imitation Of Life, Under Two Flags, Drums Along The Mohawk, The Palm Beach Story
28. Joanne Woodward: The Three Faces of Eve, The Long Hot Summer, The Fugitive Kind, From The Terrace, The Stripper, A New Kind Of Love, A Fine Madness, Rachel Rachel, Winning, WUSA, They Might Be Giants, The Effect Of Gamma Rays On Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds, Summer Wishes Winter Dreams, Sybil, Harry And Son
29. Susan Hayward: Beau Geste, Bataan, My Foolish Heart, Rawhide, David And Bathsheba, With A Song In My Heart, The Snows Of Kilimanjaro, The Lusty Men, Demetrius And The Gladiators, Garden Of Evil, I’ll Cry Tomorrow, Top Secret Affair, I Want to Live! Woman Obsessed, Ada, Back Street, Where Love Has Gone, Valley Of The Dolls
30. Ellen Burstyn: The Last Picture Show, The Mking Of Marvin Gardens, The Exorcits, Harry And Tonto, Providence, Dame Time Next Year, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, How To Make An American Quilt
31. Jane Wyman: The Crowd Roars, Tugboat Annie Sails Again, Honeymoon For Three, Footlight Serenade, The Lost Weekend, One More Tomorrow, A Kiss In The Dark, Johnny Belinda, Magic Town, Stage Fright, The Glass Menagerie, Magnificent Obsession, All That Heaven Allows, Miracle In The Rain
32. Natalie Wood: Never A Dull Moment, Rebel Without a Cause, The Searchers, Marjorie Morningstar, All The Fine Young Cannibals, Splendor In The Grass, West Side Story, Gypsy, Love With The Proper Stranger, Sex And The Single Girl, The Great Race, Inside Daisy Clover, This Property Is Condemned, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, Brainstorm
33. Lauren Bacall: To Have And Have Not, Confidential Agent, The Big Sleep, Dark Passage, Key Largo, Young Man With A Horn, Written On The Wind, Harper, Applause, The Fan, Mr. North
34. Gloria Swanson: Sadie Thompson, Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife, Sunset Boulevard
35 Shirley Temple: Little Miss Marker, Wee Willie Winkie, Heidi, Fort Apache
36. Norma Shearer: The Divorcee, Private Lives, The Barretts Of Wimpole Street, Romeo And Juliet, Marie Antoinette, The Women
37. Mercedes McCambridge: All the King's Men, Johnny Guitar, Giant, A Farewell To Arms, Suddenly Last Summer
38. Jacqueline Bisset: Bullitt, Airport, The Grasshopper, The Life And Times Of Judge Roy Bean, The Spiral Staircase, Day For Night, The Deep, The Greek Tycoon, Rich And Famous
39. Lee Remick
Jean Harlow

f. Living, working actresses
1. Meryl Streep: The Deer Hunter, Kramer Vs. Kramer, The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Sophie’s Choice, Silkwood, Out Of Africa, Ironweed, Bridges Of Madison County, Adaptation, The Manchurian Candidate, A Prairie Home Companion, The Devil Wears Prada
2. Jane Fonda: Barefoot In The Park, Barbarella, The Shoot Horses Don’t They? Klute, Julia, Coming Home, The China Syndrome, On Golden Pond, The Morning After, Monster In Law
3. Barbara Streisand: Funny Girl, The Owl And The Pussycat, What’s Up Doc? The Way We Were, A Star Is Born, Yentl, The Mirror Has Two Faces
4. Diane Keaton: The Godfather, Play It Again Sam, Looking For Mr. Goodbar, Annie Hall, Interiors, Manhattan, Reds, Shoot The Moon, The Little Drummer Girl, Crimes Of The Heart, The Good Mother, Father Of The Bride, The First Wives Club, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Something’s Got To Give
5. Jodie Foster: Taxi Driver, Bugsy Malone, The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane, Carny, The Hotel New Hampshire, Five Corners, The Accused, Silence of the Lambs, Little Man Tate, Sommersby, Contact, Flightplan
6. Julia Roberts: Mystic Pizza, Steel Magnolias, Pretty Woman, Notting Hill, Erin Brokovich, Closer
7. Susan Sarandon: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Pretty Baby, Atlantic City, The Hunger, Compromising Positions, The Witches Of Eastwick, Bull Durham, January Man, A Dry White Season, White Palace, Thelma and Louise, Bob Roberts, Lorenzo’s Oil, Little Women, Dead Man Walking, Cradle Will Rock, The Banger Sisters, Moonlight Mile, Shall We Dance, Alfie, Irresistible, Elizabethtown
8. Glenn Close: The World According To Garp, The Big Chill, The Natural, Jagged Edge, Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons, Reversal Of Fortune, Hamlet, The House Of The Spirits, 101 Dalmatians, The Safety Of Objects, The Stepford Wives
9. Sigourney Weaver: Alien, The Year Of Living Dangerously, Ghostbusters, Aliens, Gorillas In The Mist, Working Girl, Alien 3 and 4, Dave, Death And The Maiden, The Ice Storm
10. Nicole Kidman: Dead Calm, To Die For, Moulin Rouge, The Others, The Hours, Dogville, The Interpreter
11. Debra Winger: Urban Cowboy, Cannery Row, An Officer And A Gentleman, Terms of Endearment, Legal Eagles, The Sheltering Sky, A Dangeous Woma, Shadowlands, Forget Paris
12. Bette Midler: The Rose, Down And Out In Beverley Hills, Ruthless People, Beaches, Scenes From A Mall, The First Wives Club, The Stepford Wives
13. Jessica Lange: King Kong, All That Jazz, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Tootsie, Frances, Country, Sweet Dreams, Crimes Of The Heart, Far North, Music Box, Cape Fear, Blue Sky, Rob Roy, Cousin Bette, Titus, Broken Flowers
14. Liza Minelli: Charlie Bubbles, The Sterile Cuckoo, Tell Me That You Love Me Julie Moon, Cabaret, Lucky Lady, New York New York, Arthur
15. Michelle Pheiffer: Scarface, Into The Night, Ladyhawke, The Witches Of Eastwick, Married To The Mob, Dangerous Liaisons, The Fabulous Baker Boys, The Russia House, The Age Of Innocence, Wolf, Dangerous Minds, Up Close & Personal, One Fine Day, What Lies Beneath, I Am Sam
16. Kathleen Turner: Body Heat, The Man With Two Brains, Romancing the Stone, Prizze’s Honor, The Jewel Of The Nile, Peggy Sue Got Married, The Accidental Tourist, The War Of The Roses, V.I. Warshawski, House Of Cards, Serial Mom, The Virgin Suicides
17. Charlotte Rampling: Georgy Girl, The Damned, Zardoz, The Night Porter, Farewell My Lovely, Stardust Memories, The Verdict, Angel Heart, The Wings Of The Dove,The Cherry Orchard, Swimming Pool
18. Annette Benning; Valmont, Postcards From The Edge, The Grifters, Regarding Henry, Bugsy, The American President, The Siege, American Beauty, Open Range, Being Julia
19. Sissy Spacek: Badlands, Carrie, Three Women, Heart Beat, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Raggedy Man, Missing, The River, Night Mother, Crimes Of The Heart, JFK, The Straight Story, In The Bedroom, The Ring Two
20. Sally Field: Smokey And The Bandit, Hooper, Norma Rae, Absence Of Malice, All The Way Home, Places In The Heart, Murphy’s Romance, Steel Magnolias, Not Without My Daughter, Soapdish, Mrs. Doubtfire
21. Goldie Hawn: Cactus Flower, There’s A Girl In My Soup, The Sugarland Express, Shampoo, Foul Play, Private Benjamin, Best Friends, Swing Shift, Bird On A Wire, Death Becomes Her, The First Wives Club, Everyone Says I Love You, The Out-of-Towners, The Banger Sisters
22. Shelley Duvall: Brewster McCloud, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Thieves Like Us, Nashville, Bernice Bobs Her Hair, 3 Women, The Shining, Popeye, Time Bandits, Roxanne, The Portrait Of A Lady
23. Kate Winslet: Heavenly Crearures, Sense And Sensibility, Jude, Hamlet, Titanic, Hideous Kinky, Holy Smoke, Quills, Enigma, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, Finding Neverland
24. Angelica Huston: The Postman Always Rings Twice, Prizzi’s Honor, Gardens Of Stone, The Dead, A Handful Of Dust, Mr. North, Crimes AndMisdemeanors, Enemies: A Love Story, The Grifters, The Addams Family, Buffalo ’66, Ever After, The Golden Bowl, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
25. Gwyneth Paltrow: Hook, Jefferson In Paris, Se7en, Emma, Sliding Doors, Great Expectations, A Perfect Murder, Shakespeare In Love, The Talented Mr. Shipley, The Royal Tenenbaums, Shallow Hal, Possession, Sylvia, Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow, Proof
26. Julianne Moore: The Fugitive, Short Cuts, Vanya On 42nd Street, Safe, Nine Months, Assassins, Surviving Picasso, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Boogie Nights, The Big Lebowski, An Ideal Husband, A Map Of The World, The End Of The Affair, Magnolia, Hannibal, Evolution, The Shipping News, Far From Heaven, The Hours, Laws Of Attraction, Freedomland
27. Holly Hunter: Raising Arizona, Broadcast News, Always, The Piano, The Firm, Crash, Timecode, O Brother Where Art Thou?, Moonlight Mile, Levity, Nine Lives
28. Cate Blanchett: Oscar And Lucinda, Elizabeth, An Ideal Husband, The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Gift, Charlotte Gray, The Shipping News, Veronica Guerin, Coffee And Cigarettes, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, The Aviator
29. Emma Thompson: Dead Again, Howard’s End, Peter’s Friends, Much Ado About Nothing, The Remains Of The Day, In The Name Of The Father, Carrington, Sense And Sensibility, Primary Colors, Love Actually, Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban, Nanny McPhee
30. Kim Basinger: Hard Country, Never Day Never Again, The Man Who Loved Women, The Natural, Fool For Love, Nine 1/2 Weeks, Blind Date, Nadine, Batman, Final Analysis, Pret-a-Porter, L.A. Confidential, I Dreamed Of Africa, 8 Mile, The Door In The Floor, Cellular
31. Sharon Stone: Irreconcilable Differences, Total Recall, Basic Instinct, Sliver, The Specialist, The Quick And The Dead, Casino, Sphere, Gloria, The Muse, Catwoman, Broken Flowers
32. Geena Davis: The Fly, Beetle Juice, Earth Girls Are Easy, The Accidental Tourist, Thelma and Louise, A League Of Their Own, Angie, Speechless, Cutthroat Island, The Long Kiss Goodbye, Stuart Little
33. Demi Moore: St. Elmo’s Fire, About Last Night …, Ghost, A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal, Disclosure, The Scarlet Letter, The Juror, G.I. Jane, Deconstructing Harry, Charlie’s Angels Full Throttle
34. Whoopi Goldberg: The Color Purple, Clara’s Heart, Homer & Eddie, Ghost, The Long Walk Home, Soapdish, The Player, Sister Act, Sarafina!, Made In America, The Little Rascals, Boys On The Side, Ghosts Of Mississippi, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Girl Interrupted
35. Kathy Bates: Straight Time, The Morning After, Dick Tracy, White Palace, Misery, At Play In The Fields Of The Lord, Fried Green Tomatoes, Used People, Dolores Claiborne, Titanic, Primary Colors, The Waterboy, About Schmidt, Rumor Has It
36. Lily Tomlin: Nashville, Nine To Five, The Incredible Shrinking Woman, All Of Me, The Search For Signs Of Intelligent Life In The Universe, Shadows And Fog, Short Cuts, The Beverley Hillbillies, Flirting With Disaster, Tea With Mussolini, I Heart Huckabee, A Prairie Home Companion
37. Carol Burnett: Pete ‘n Tillie, The Front Page, A Wedding, The Four Seasons, Annie, Noises Off
38. Diane Lane: The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, The Cotton Club, Chaplin, A Walk On The Moon, My Dog Skip, The Perfect Storm, Unfaithful
39. Frances McDormand: Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Mississippi Burning, Darkman, Miller’s Crossing, Short Cuts, Fargo, Primal Fear, Wonder Boys, Almost Famous, The Man Who Wasn’t There, Laurel Canyon, Something’s Gotta Give, North Country
40. Judy Davis: My Brilliant Career, A Passage to India, Rocket To The Moon, Georgia, Alice, Barton Fink, Naked Lunch, Husbands And Wives, Children Of The Revolution, Absolute Power, Deconstructing Harry, Celebrity
41. Mary Tyler Moore: Thoroughly Modern Millie, Six Weeks, Ordinary People, Flirting With Disaster
42. Uma Thurman: Dangerous Liaisons, Henry & June, Final Analysis, Mad Dog And Glory, Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, Pulp Fiction, The Truth About Cats & Dogs, Batman & Robin, Gattaca, Les Miserables, The Avengers, The Golden Bowl, Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2, Be Cool, Prime
43. Charlize Theron: 2 Days In The Valley, The Devil’s Advocate, Mighty Joe Young, The Cider House Rules, The Italian Job, Monster, North Country, Aeon Flux
44. Hillary Swank: Boys Don’t Cry, The Gift, Insomnia, Million Dollar Baby
45. Drew Barrymore: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Irreconcilable Differences, Far From Home, Poison Ivy, Wayne’s World 2, Boys on the Side, Batman Forever, Scream, The Wedding Singer, Ever After, Charlie’s Angles, Donnie Darko, Riding In Cars With Boys, Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind, 50 First Dates
46. Rene Zellweger: Reality Bites, Jerry Maguire, One True Thing, Nurse Betty, Me Myself & Irene, Bridget Jones’s Diary, White Oleander, Chicago, Down With Love, Cold Mountain, Cinderella Man
47. Sandra Bullock: Speed 1 and 2, The Net, A Time To Kill, Hope Floats, Practical Magic, 28 Days, Miss Congeniality 1 and 2, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Two Weeks Notice, Crash, Infamous
48. Wynona Ryder: Beetle Juice, Heathers, Edward Scissorhands, Mermaids, Night On Earth, Dracula, The Age Of Innocence, The House Of The Spirits, Reality Bites, Little Women, How To Make An American Quilt, The Crucible, Alien Resurrection, Girl Interrupted, Mr. Deeds
49. Rene Russo: Lethal Weapon 3 and 4, In The Line Of Fire, Outbreak, Get Shorty, Tin Cup, Ransom, Buddy, The Thomas Crown Affair, Yours Mine And Ours
50. Cameron Diaz: The Mask, There’s Something About Mary, Very Bad Things, Being John Malkovich, Any Given Sunday, Charlie’s Angels, Vanilla Sky, Gangs of New York, In Her Shoes
51. Angelina Jolie: Gia, Girl Interrupted, Gone in Sixty Seconds, Lar Croft: Tomb Raider, Alexander, Mr. & Mrs. Smith
52. Halle Berry: Jungle Fever, Losing Isaiah, Bulworth, X-Men, Swordfish, Monster’s Ball, Gotchika, Catwoman
53. Naomi Watts: Tank Girl, Babe: Pig In The City, Mulholland Drive, The Ring, Ned Kelly, Le Divorce, 21 Grams, I Heart Huckabees, The Ring Two, King Kong
54. Kyra Sedgwick:
55. Reese Witherspoon: Cruel Intentions, Election, Best Laid Plans, American Psycho, Legally Blonde 1 and 2, Vanity Fair, Walk The Line, Just Like Heaven


g. 100 Greatest Movie Performances chosen by Premiere Magazine

1. Peter O'Toole as T.E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
2. Marlon Brando as Terry Malloy in On the Waterfront (1954)
3. Meryl Streep as Sophie Zawistowska in Sophie’s Choice (1982)
4. Al Pacino as Sonny Wortzik in Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
5. Bette Davis as Margo Channing in All About Eve (1950)
6. James Cagney as George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
7. Dustin Hoffman as “Ratso” Rizzo in Midnight Cowboy (1969)
8. James Stewart as George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
9. Gene Wilder as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein in Young Frankenstein (1974)
10. Robert De Niro as Jake La Motta in Raging Bull (1980)
11. Daniel Day-Lewis as Christy Brown in My Left Foot (1989)
12. Jack Nicholson as “Badass” Buddusky in The Last Detail (1973)
13. Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine in The Lion In Winter (1968)
14. Robert Duvall as Mac Sledge in Tender Mercies (1983)
15. Tom Hanks as Josh Baskin in Big (1988)
16. Cary Grant as T.R. Devlin in Notorious (1946)
17. Denzel Washington as Malcolm X in Malcolm X (1992)
18. Emily Watson as Bess McNeill in Breaking The Waves (1996)
19. Paul Newman as Frank Galvin in The Verdict (1982)
20. Al Pacino as Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part II (1974)
21. Giulietta Masina as Cabiria in Nights Of Cabiria (1957)
22. Johnny Depp as Edward Scissorhands in Edward Scissorhands (1990)
23. Russell Crowe as Jeffrey Wigand in The Insider (1999)
24. Humphrey Bogart as Fred C. Dobbs in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
25. Greta Garbo as Ninotchka in Ninotchka (1939)
26. Maria Falconetti as Joan of Arc in The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
27. Marlon Brando as Paul in Last Tango in Paris (1972)
28. Rosalind Russell as Hildy Johnson in His Girl Friday (1940)
29. Peter Sellers as Chance the Gardener
Being There (1979)
30. James Stewart as John “Scottie” Ferguson
Vertigo (1958)
31. Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles
Ray (2004)
32. Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly
Breakfast at Tiffany ’s (1961)
33. Dustin Hoffman as Michael Dorsey/
Dorothy Michaels
Tootsie (1982)
34. Buster Keaton as Johnny Gray
The General (1927)
35. Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote
Capote (2005)
36. Faye Dunaway Evelyn Cross Mulwray
Chinatown (1974)
37. Gene Hackman as Harry Caul
The Conversation (1974)
38. Carole Lombard as Maria Tura
To Be or Not to Be (1942)
39. Laurence Olivier as Richard III
Richard III (1955)
40. Nicole Kidman as Suzanne Stone Maretto
To Die For (1995)
41. Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield
Pulp Fiction (1994)
42. Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle
Taxi Driver (1976)
43. James Dean as Jim Stark
Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
44. Charlie Chaplin as A Tramp
City Lights (1931)
]45. Reese Witherspoon as Tracy
Flick Election (1999)
46. Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland
Cast Away (2000)
47. Jack Nicholson as Randle Patrick McMurphy
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
48. Bill Murray as Phil Connors
Groundhog Day (1993)
49. Liv Ullmann as Elisabet Vogler
Persona (1966)
50. Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
51. Henry Fonda as Tom Joad
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
52. Emma Thompson as Miss Kenton
The Remains of the Day (1993)
53. Daniel Day-Lewis as Bill
“The Butcher” Cutting
Gangs of New York (2002)
54. Katharine Hepburn as Tracy Lord
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
55. Sidney Poitier as Virgil Tibbs
In the Heat of the Night (1967)
56. Jodie Foster as Sarah Tobias
The Accused (1988)
57. Max Von Sydow as Lasse Karlsson
Pelle the Conqueror (1987)
58. Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley
Aliens (1986)
59. Catherine Deneuve as Séverine Sérizy
Belle de Jour (1967)
60. Diane Keaton as Annie Hall
Annie Hall (1977)
61. Ralph Fiennes as Amon Goeth
Schindler’s List (1993)
62. Gary Oldman as Sid Vicious
Sid & Nancy (1986)
63. Gena Rowlands as Mabel Longhetti
A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
64. Paul Newman as Fast Eddie Felson
The Hustler (1961)
65. Jack Lemmon as Jerry/Daphne
Some Like It Hot (1959)
66. Holly Hunter as Jane Craig
Broadcast News (1987)
67. Spencer Tracy as Henry Drummond
Inherit the Wind (1960)
68. Cary Grant as Dr. David Huxley
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
69. Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
70. Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
71. Meryl Streep as Karen Silkwood
Silkwood (1983)
72. Judy Garland as Esther Blodgett a.k.a.
Vicki Lester
A Star Is Born (1954)
73. John Travolta as Tony Manero
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
74. Madeline Kahn as Lili von Shtupp
Blazing Saddles (1974)
75. Julie Christie as Diana Scott in Darling (1965)
76. Burt Lancaster as J.J. Hunsecker in Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
77. Morgan Freeman as Leo Smalls Jr. aka Fast Black in Street Smart (1987)
78. Toshiro Mifune as Sanjuro Kuwabatake in Yojimbo (1961)
79. Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
80. Jeanne Moreau as Catherine in Jules and Jim (1962)
81. Kate Winslet as Clementine Kruczynski in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
82. George C. Scott as General George S., Jr. in Patton (1970)
83. Hilary Swank as Brandon Teena in Boys Don’t Cry (1999)
84. Anjelica Huston as Lilly Dillon in The Grifters (1990)
85. Jessica Lange as Frances Farmer in Frances (1982)
86. Robert Walker as Bruno Anthony in Strangers On A Train (1951)
87. John Wayne as Ethan Edwards in The Searchers (1956)
88. Christopher Walken as Nick Chevotarevich in The Deer Hunter (1978)
89. Gong Li as Juxian in Farewell My Concubine (1993)
90. Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski in The Big Lebowski (1998)
91. Jane Fonda as Bree Daniels in Klute (1971)
92. Clint Eastwood as "Dirty" Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry (1971)
93. Joan Crawford as Mildred Pierce Beragon in Mildred Pierce (1945)
94. Peter Lorre as Hans Beckert in M (1931)
95. Angela Bassett as Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It (1993)
96. Judy Holliday as Billie Dawn in Born Yesterday (1950)
97. Ben Kingsley as Don Logan in Sexy Beast (2001)
98. Barbara Stanwyck as Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity (1944)
99. Steve Martin as Navin Johnson in The Jerk (1979)
100. Malcolm McDowell as Alex DeLarge in A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Also-rans in alphabetical order, chosen by Premiere magazine:
Julie Andrews as Maria, The Sound of Music
Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins
Fred Astaire as Tony Hunter, The Band Wagon
Javier Bardem as Ramon Sampedro, The Sea Inside
Carlo Battisti as Umberto Domenico Ferrari, Umberto D
Warren Beatty as George Roundy, Shampoo
John Belushi as John 'Bluto' Blutarsky, Animal House
Annette Bening as Myra Langtry, The Grifters
Jean-Paul Belmondo as Michel Poiccard/Laszlo Kovacs, Breathless
Ingrid Bergman as IIsa Lund, Casablanca
Ernest Borgnine as Marty Piletti, Marty
Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth I, Elizabeth
Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone, The Godfather
Yul Brynner as King Mongkut of Siam, The King and I
Michael Caine as Alfie Elkins, Alfie
Nicolas Cage as Ben Sanderson, Leaving Las Vegas
Nicolas Cage as H.I. McDunnough, Raising Arizona
Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank, The Truman Show
John Cazale as Sal, Dog Day Afternoon
John Cazale as Fredo, The Godfather Part II
Jackie Chan as Wong Fei-hung, The Legend of Drunken Master II
Montgomery Clift as George Eastman, A Place in the Sun
Montgomery Clift as Private Prewitt, From Here to Eternity
Montgomery Clift as Rudolph Petersen, Judgment at Nuremberg
Tom Courtney as Colin Smith, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
Joseph Cotten as Jedediah Leland, Citizen Kane
Joseph Cotten as Uncle Charlie, Shadow of a Doubt
Tom Cruise as Frank T.J. Mackey, Magnolia
Marcel Dalio as Robert de la Cheyniest, La Regle de Jeu
Daniel Day-Lewis as Johnny, My Beautiful Laundrette
Matt Damon as Tom Ripley, The Talented Mr. Ripley
Robert De Niro John 'Johnny Boy' Civello, Mean Streets
Gerard Depardieu as Raoul, Get Out Your Handkerchiefs
Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko, Wall Street
Richard Dreyfuss as Duddy, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Peter Finch as Howard Beale, Network
Errol Flynn as Robin Hood, The Adventures of Robin Hood
Morgan Freeman as Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding, Shawshank Redemption
Clark Gable as Rhett Butler, Gone With the Wind
Clark Gable as Peter Warne, It Happened One Night
Bruno Ganz as Damiel, Wings of Desire
Paul Giamatti as Harvey Pekar, American Splendor
John Gielgud as Carr Gomm, The Elephant Man
Lillian Gish as Letty Mason Hightower, The Wind
Alec Guinness as Col. Nicholson, The Bridge on the River Kwai
Alec Guinness as Sidney Stratton, Man in the White Suit
Gene Hackman as Det. Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle, The French Connection
Tom Hanks as Andrew Beckett, Philadelphia
Chieko Higashiyama as Tomi Hirayama, Tokyo Story
William Holden as Hal Carter, Picnic
Holly Hunter as Ada McGrath, The Piano
Isabelle Huppert as Marie, Story of Women
John Hurt as John Merrick/The Elephant Man, The Elephant Man
Jeremy Irons as Claus von Bulow, Reversal of Fortune
Glenda Jackson as Elizabeth Fielding, The Romantic Englishwoman
Emil Jannings as the hotel porter, The Last Laugh
Klaus Kinski as Don Lope de Aguirre, Aguirre, The Wrath of God
Anna Karina as Nana Kleinfrankenheim, Vivre Sa Vie
Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi, Ed Wood
Martin Landau as Judah Rosenthal, Crimes and Misdemeanors
Charles Laughton as Senator Seabright Cooley, Advise & Consent
Carole Lombard as Irene Bullock, My Man Godfrey
Anna Magnani as Mamma Roma, Mamma Roma
Marcello Mastroianni as Marcello Rubini, La Dolce Vita
Ewan McGregor as Renton, Trainspotting
Robert Mitchum as Jeff Bailey / Jeff Markham, Out of the Past
Robert Mitchum as Harry Powell, Night Of The Hunter
Eddie Murphy as Billy Ray Valentine, Trading Places
Jack Nance as Henry Spencer, Eraserhead
Jack Nicholson as Jake 'J.J.' Gittes, Chinatown
Leslie Nielsen as Dr. Rumack, Airplane!
Kim Novak as Madeleine Elster / Judy Barton, Vertigo
Warren Oates as G.T.O., Two Lane Blacktop
Joe Pesci as Tommy DeVito, Goodfellas
Sean Penn as Jeff Spicoli, Fast Times at Ridgmont High
Richard Pryor as Harry Monroe, Stir Crazy
Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs, The Natural
Lynn Redgrave as Georgy, Georgy Girl
Vanessa Redgrave as Isadora Duncan, Isadora
Vanessa Redgrave as Ruth Wilcox, Howards End
Keanu Reeves as Ted Logan, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
Mickey Rourke as Robert 'Boogie' Sheftell, Diner
Hanna Schygulla as Maria Braun, The Marriage of Maria Braun
Andy Serkis as Gollum, The Lord of the Rings
Robert Shaw as Quint, Jaws
Michel Simon as Priape Boudu, Boudu Saved From Drowning
Victor Sjostrom as Professor Isak Borg, Wild Strawberries
Maggie Smith as Jean Brodie, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Kevin Spacey as Roger 'Verbal' Kint, The Usual Suspects
Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, Rocky
Meryl Streep as Susan Orlean, Adaptation
Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos, Monster
David Thewlis as Johnny, Naked
John Travolta as Tony Manero, Saturday Night Fever
Jon Voight as Luke Martin, Coming Home
Orson Welles as Hank Quinlan, Touch of Evil
Orson Welles as Charles Foster Kane, Citizen Kane
Robin Williams as the Genie, Aladdin
Jeffrey Wright as Jean Michel Basquiat, Basquiat

Don’t ask me why Vivien Leigh isn’t on the list for Gone With The Wind.
Or Peter Sellers for doing three turns in Dr. Strangelove.
Or Marcello Mastroianni for La Dolce Vita, La Notte or 8 1/2.
Or Jeremy Irons in Dead Ringers.
Or Tom Cruise in The Rain Man.
Or many others. Search me.

h. American Film Institute's 50 Greatest Screen Legends
The American Film Institute defines an American screen legend as “an actor or a team of actors with a significant screen presence in American feature-length films whose screen debut occurred in or before 1950, or whose screen debut occurred after 1950 but whose death has marked a completed body of work.”
Men:
1. Humphrey Bogart
2. Cary Grant
3. James Stewart
4. Marlon Brando
5. Fred Astaire
6. Henry Fonda
7. Clark Gable
8. James Cagney
9. Spencer Tracy
10. Charlie Chaplin
11. Gary Cooper
12. Gregory Peck
13. John Wayne
14. Laurence Olivier
15. Gene Kelly
16. Orson Welles
17. Kirk Douglas
18. James Dean
19. Burt Lancaster
20. The Marx Brothers
21. Buster Keaton
22. Sidney Poitier
23. Robert Mitchum
24. Edward G. Robinson
25. William Holden

Women
1. Katharine Hepburn
2. Bette Davis
3. Audrey Hepburn
4. Ingrid Bergman
5. Greta Garbo
6. Marilyn Monroe
7. Elizabeth Taylor
8. Judy Garland
9. Marlene Dietrich
10. Joan Crawford
11. Barbara Stanwyck
12. Claudette Colbert
13. Grace Kelly
14. Ginger Rogers
15. Mae West
16. Vivien Leigh
17. Lillian Gish
18. Shirley Temple
19. Rita Hayworth
20. Lauren Bacall
21. Sophia Loren
22. Jean Harlow
23. Carole Lombard
24. Mary Pickford
25. Ava Gardner






4. BEST PICTURE OSCAR WINNERS

1927/28: Wings, director William Wellman (starring Clara Bow, Gary Cooper, then unknown). In this silent movie, two WW1 soldiers are in love with the same girl. Honorable mentions: Seventh Heaven, The Racket
1927/28: Sunrise, d. F.W. Murnau, (George O’Brien, Janet Gaynor, Margaret Livingston). City woman falls in love with farmer, plots murder of his wife. Honorable mentions: Chang, The Crowd
1928/29: The Broadway Melody, d. Harry Beaumont (Charles King, Anita Page, Bessie Love). Screen’s 1st musical. Two sisters come to Broadway where they meet a guy who falls in love with both of them. 1st of 8 musicals to win Best Picture. Nominees: Alibi, Hollywood Revue, In Old Arizona, The Patriot
1929/30: All Quiet on the Western Front, d. Lewis Milestone (Lew Ayers). 1st great anti-war film. Group of German friends live and die in WW1. Nominees: The Big House, Disraeli, The Divorcee, The Love Parade
1930/31: Cimarron, d. Wesley Ruggles (Richard Dix, Irene Dunn). In 1890s Oklahoma, a homesteader leaves his family for adventure, so his wife has to learn looking after herself. Nominees: East Lynne, The Front Page, Skippy, Trader Horn
1921/32: Grand Hotel, d. Edward Goulding (Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, Wallace Berry, Lionel Barrymore). Life in a hotel: penniless Baron tries to steal a woman’s pearls, two-times women, all sorts of goings-on go on. Nominees: Arrowsmith, Bad Girl, The Champ, Five Star Final, One Hour With You, Shanghai Express (should’ve won), The Smiling Lieutenant
1932/33: Cavalcade, d. Frank Lloyd (Diana Wynyard, Clive Brook). Upper-class Marryot family from 1989 through Boer War, death of Queen Victoria, sinking of the Titanic, WW1, Depression and birth of jazz to 1932. Nominees: 42nd Street, A Farewell To Arms, I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang, Lady For A Day, The Private Life Of Henry VIII, She Done Him Wrong
1934: It Happened One Night, d. Frank Capra (Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert). One of 3 films to receive the top 5 awards: picture, directing, actor, actress and writing. Runaway heiress meets reporter. Nominees: The Barretts Of Wimple Street, Cleopatra, Flirtation Walk, The Gay Divorcee, Here Comes The Navy, The House Of Rothschild, Imitation Of Life, One Night Of Love, The Thin Man, Viva Villa! The White Parade
1935: Mutiny on the Bounty, d. Frank Lloyd (Charles Laughton, Clark Gable). First Mate Fletcher Christian leads a mutiny against vicious Captain Bligh on the HMS Bounty. Nominees: Alice Adams, Broadway Melody Of 1936, Captain Blood with Errol Flynn, David Copperfield, The Informer, The Lives Of A Bengal Lancer with Errol Flynn, Midsummer’s Night Dream, Les Misérables, Naughty Marietta, Raggles Of Red Gap, Top Hat
1936: The Great Ziegfeld, d. Robert Z. Leonard (William Powell, Myrna Loy, Luise Rainer). Biopic of ups and down of Broadway impresario of Ziegfeld Follies. Nominees: Anthony Adverse, Dodsworth, Libeled Lady, Mr. Deeds Goes To Town, Romeo And Juliet, San Francisco, The Story Of Louis Pasteur, A Tale Of Two Cities, Three Smart Girls
1937: The Life of Emile Zola, d. William Dieterle (Paul Muni). Biopic about French writer Emile Zola who tries to help Dreyfus, a Jew wrongfully convicted of treason. Nominees: The Awful Truth, Captain Courageous, Dead End, The Good Earth, In Old Chicago, The Lost Horizon, One Hundred Men And A Girl, Stagedoor, A Star Is Born
1938: You Can’t Take It With You, d. Frank Capra (Jean Arthur, James Stewart, Lionel Barrymore). Mayhem ensues for romance when poor girl’s father meets rich boy’s father. Nominees: The Adventures Of Robin Hood with Errol Flynn, Alexander’s Ragtime Band, Boys Town, The Citadel, Four Daughters, Grand Illusion, Jezebel, Pygmalion, Test Pilot
1939: Gone With the Wind, d. Victor Fleming under David O. Selznick’s close supervision (Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Lesley Howard, Olivia de Havilland, Hattie McDaniel). On-off romance of Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler during the Civil War. Nominees (a great year for movies, see them all): Dark Victory, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Love Affair, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Ninotchka, Of Mice And Men, Stagecoach, The Wizard Of Oz, Wuthering Heights
1940: Rebecca, d. Alfred Hitchcock (Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine). Commoner marries aristocrat. Hitchcock’s only Oscar. Nominees: All This And Heaven Too, Foreign Corrrespondent, The Grapes Of Wrath, The Great Dictator, Kitty Foyle, The Letter, The Long Voyage Home, Our Town, The Philadelphia Story
1941 How Green Was My Valley, d. John Ford (Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O’Hara, Donald Crisp, Anna Lee, Roddy McDowell). Ups and downs of Welsh mining family at the turn of the century, told through the eyes of the youngest of six kids. Nominees (great year for movies): Blossoms In The Dust, Citizen Kane (should’ve won), Here Comes Mr. Jordan, Hold Back The Dawn, The Little Foxes, The Maltese Falcon, One Foot In Heaven, Sergeant York, Suspicion
1942: Mrs. Miniver, d. William Wyler (Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon). Mrs. Miniver tries to keep her family together during WW2. Nominees: 49th Parallel, Kings Row, The Magnificent Ambersons (should’ve won), The Pied Piper, The Pride Of The Yankees, Random Harvest, The Talk Of The Town, Wake Island, Yankee Doodle Dandy
1943: Casablanca, d. Michael Curtiz (Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt). Most popular movie ever made. Old loves Hunphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman meet again in wartime. Nominees: For Whom The Bell Tolls, Heaven Can Wait, The Human Comedy, In Which We Serve, Mthe Gonzo Gurue Curie, The More The Merrier, The Ox-Bow Incident, The Song Of Bernadette, Watch On The Rhine
1944: Going My Way, d. Leo McCarey (Bing Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald). New priest sent to parish of old Irish priest, with own ideas about how to run things. Nominees: Double Indemnity (should’ve won), Gaslight, Since You Went Away, Wilson
1945: The Lost Weekend, d. Billy Wilder (Ray Milland, Jane Wyman). Story of alcoholic and how family suffers. Milland won 1st Oscar that actors often get for playing the afflicted. Nominees: Anchors Aweigh, The Bell Of St. Mary’s, Mildred Pierce, Spellbound
1946: The Best Years of Our Lives, d. William Wyler (Myrna Loy, Frederic March, Dana Andrews, Terese Wright, Virginia Mayo, Hoagy Carmichael). Three soldiers return home after WW2 to find lives and loves very different. One role played war vet who lost hands. Nominees: Henry V, It’s A Wonderful Life, The Razor Edge, The Yearling
1947: Gentleman’s Agreement, d. Elia Kazan (Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield, Celeste Holm, June Havoc, Dean Stockwell). NY journalist pretends to be Jewish, finds out how anti-Semitism affects him and loved ones. Nominees: The Bishop’s Wife, Crossfire, Great Expectations, Miracle On 34th Street
1948: Hamlet, d. Sir Laurence Olivier (Olivier, Jean Simmons, Peter Cushing, John Gielgud). 1st non-American film to win. Nominees: Johnny Belinda, The Red Shoes, The Snake Pit, The Treasure Of Sierra Madre
1949: All the King’s Men, d. Robert Rossen (Broderick Crawford, John Ireland, Mercedes McCambridge, John Derek, Anne Seymour). Huey Long-type politician becomes governor to work for common good, gets corrupted. Nominees: Battleground, The Heiress, A Letter To Three Wives, Twelve O’clock High
1950: All About Eve, d. Joseph L. Mankiewicz (Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, Celeste Holm, Gary Merrill, Thelma Ritter). Scheming ompeti Anne Baxter displaces fading stage star Bette Davis. 14 nominations, including 5 for acting. Nominees: Born Yesterday, Father Of The Bride (since remade with Steve Martin), King Solomon’s Mines, Sunset Boulevard (would’ve won in any other year)
1951: An American in Paris, d. Vincente Minnelli (Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant, Georges Guetary). Musical of love shenanigans, great dancing. Nominees: Decision Before Dawn, A Place In The Sun, Quo Vadis, A Streetcar Named Desire (would’ve won in any other year)
1952: The Greatest Show on Earth, d. Cecil B. DeMille (Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde, Dorothy Lamour, Gloria Grahame). Behind-the-scenes circus drama. Nominees: High Noon (should’ve won), Ivanhoe, Moulin Rouge, The Quiet Man
1953: From Here to Eternity, d. Fred Zinnemann (Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, Frank Sinatra, Ernest Borgnine). On eve of Pearl Harbor, wife cheats, officer torments private, famous beach kiss. Nominees: Julius Caesar, The Robe, Roman Holiday, Shane
1954: On the Waterfront, d. Elia Kazan (Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Eva Marie Saint, Rod Steiger). Corrupt union. Brando tears up the screen as ex-boxer who says I could’ve been a contender in one of the most memorable movie scenes ever. Nominees: The Caine Mutiny, The Country Girl, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, Three Coins In The Fountain
1955: Marty, d. Delbert Mann (Ernest Borgine, Betsy Blair). Homely butcher falls in love with plain schoolteacher. Nominees: Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing, Mister Roberts, Picnic, The Rose Tattoo
1956: Around the World in 80 Days, d. Michael Anderson under close supervision of producer Michael Todd (David Niven, Cantinflas, Robert Morley, Sir John Gielgud, Shirley Maclaine). Phileas Fogg bets his club members he can go round world in 80 days. Nominees: Friendly Persuasion, Giant (should’ve won), The King And I, The Ten Commandments
1957: The Bridge on the River Kwai, d. David Lean (Sir Alec Guinness, William Holden, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa). British prisoners forced by Japanese to build bridge. Nominees: 12 Angry Men, Peyton Place, Sayonara, Witness For The Prosecution
1958: Gigi, d. Vincente Minnelli (Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier, Louis Jourdan, Hermione Gingold, Eva Gabor). Classic musical. Boulevardier Maurice Chevalier gradually realizes he’s fallen love with Leslie Caron. Nominees: Auntie Mame, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, The Defiant Ones, Separate Tables
1959: Ben-Hur, d. William Wyler, starring Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd, Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet. Blockbuster epic set in time of Jesus. Friendly Jewish prince and Roman general become enemies, square off in famous chariot race. Nominees: Anatomy Of A Murder, The Diary Of Anne Frank, The Nun’s Story, Room At The Top
1960: The Apartment, d. Billy Wilder (Jack Lemmon, Shirley Maclaine, Fred McMurray, Edie Adams). Employee lets wife-cheating bosses use his apartment for affairs. Nominees: The Alamo, Elmer Gantry, Sons And Lovers, The Sundowners
1961: West Side Story, d. Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins (Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, George Chakaris). Classic musical. Romeo and Juliet on the streets of Manhattan with rival gangs Puerto Rican Sharks and native Jets. Nominees: Fanny, The Guns Of Navarone, The Hustler, Judgment At Nuremberg
1962: Lawrence of Arabia, d. David Lean (Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif, Sir Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins, Jose Ferrer, Anthony Quayle, Claude Rains). British officer becomes Arab leader. Lean’s second Oscar after Bridge on the River Kwai. Lean is the grandmaster of epic, along with Kurosawa. Nominees: The Longest Day, Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man, Mutiny On The Bounty, To Kill A Mockingbird (would’ve won in any other year)
1963: Tom Jones, d. Tony Richardson (Albert Finney, George Devine, Hugh Griffith, Susannah York, Edith Evans, Joyce Redman, Diane Cilento, David Warner, narrated by Michael MacLiammoir). Rollicking Restoration comedy. Tom Jones is in love with Sophie, but carries on with many girls who cross his picaresque path. Nominees: America America, Cleopatra with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, most expensive film ever made, How The West Was Won, Lilies Of The Field
1964: My Fair Lady, d. George Cukor (Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway, Wilfred Hyde-White, Gladys Cooper, Jeremy Brett). Beloved musical. Phonetics professor bets friend he can pass off cockney flower-girl as Duchess. Nominees (great year for movies): Zorba The Greek, Becket, Dr. Strangelove (would’ve won in any other year), Mary Poppins
1965: The Sound of Music, d. Robert Wise (Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Peggy Wood, Eleanor Parker). Classic blockbuster musical. New governess Sister Maria introduces singing to house run like one of widower captain’s ships. Nominees (great year for movies): Darling, Doctor Zhivago (would’ve won director Lean his 3rd Oscar in any other year), Ship Of Fools, A Thousand Clowns
1966: A Man For All Seasons, d. Fred Zinneman (Paul Scofield, Wendy Hiller, Leo McKern, Robert Shaw, Orson Wells, Susannah York, Nigel Davenport, John Hurt, Vanessa Redgrave). Archbishop objects to making Henry VIII head of Church so Henry can void marriage. Great acting from all concerned. Nominees: Alfie, The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming, The Sand Pebbles, Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? (would’ve won in any other year)
1967: In the Heat of the Night, d. Norman Jewison (Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates, Lee Grant). Racist sheriff leans on black cop to solve case. Nominees (great year for movies): Bonnie and Clyde (should’ve won), Doctor Dolittle, The Graduate, Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner
1968: Oliver! d. Sir Carol Reed (Mark Lester, Ron Moody, Oliver Reed, Harry Secombe, Shani Wallis). Dickens novel turned into hit musical. Pickpockets in Victorian England. Nominees: Funny Girl, The Lion In Winter, Rachel Rachel, Romeo And Juliet
1969: Midnight Cowboy, d. John Schlesinger (Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Sylvia Miles). Cowboy Jon Voight comes to NYC to make killing as gigolo, befriends dying bum Dustin Hoffman. Only X-rated film to win. Nominees: Anne Of The Thousand Days, Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, Hello, Dolly! Z (would’ve won in any other year; one of few foreign films nominated)
1970: Patton, d. Franklin J. Schaffner (George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Michael Bates. Biopic of barn-storming general in WW2. Written by Francis Ford Coppola. Nominees: Airport, Five Easy Pieces, Love Story, M*A*S*H
1971: The French Connection, d. William Friedkin (Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Ray). Cop thriller in gritty New York. Nominees: A Clockwork Orange, Fiddler On The Roof, The Last Picture Show, Sunday Bloody Sunday
1972: The Godfather, d. Francis Ford Coppola (Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, Diane Keaton). Essential Mafia picture. The Family as a family. Coppola’s masterpiece. Nominees: Cabaret, Deliverance, The Emigrants, Sounder
1973: The Sting, d. George Roy Hill (Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw, Charles Durning, Ray Walston, Eileen Brennan). Con men pull off greatest con ever. Nominees: American Graffiti (George Lucas before Star Wars), Cries and Whispers (should’ve won; masterpiece from Ingmar Bergman), The Exorcist, A Touch of Class
1974: The Godfather Part II, d. Francis Ford Coppola (Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, Talia Shire, Morgana King, John Cazale, Mariana Hill, Lee Strasberg). Al Pacino grows ever more ruthless; intercuts with Robert De Niro as his father establishing himself as crime boss. Nominees: Chinatown (would’ve won in any other year), The Conversation, Lenny, The Towering Inferno
1975: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, d. Milos Forman (Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Danny DeVito, Brad Dourif). Patient Jack Nicholson squares off against Nurse Ratched in mental asylum. 1st film since It Happened One Night in to win top 5 awards. Nominees (great year for movies): Barry Lyndon, Dog Day Afternoon, Jaws, Nashville
1976: Rocky, d. John G. Avildsen (Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith). Unknown boxer gets shot at title. Nominees (great year): All The President’s Men, Bound For Glory, Network, Taxi Driver (should’ve won)
1977: Annie Hall, d. Woody Allen (Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts, Carol Kane, Paul Simon, Janet Margolin, Shelley Duvall, Christopher Walkin, Colleen Dewhurst). Neurotic Woody Allen woos Diane Keaton. Nominees: The Goodbye Girl, Julia, Star Wars, The Turning Point
1978: The Deer Hunter, d. Michael Cimino (Robert De Niro, John Cazale, John Savage, Meryl Streep, Christopher Walken). Pennsylvania factory workers enlist for Vietnam. Nominees: Coming Home (also about Vietnam), Heaven Can Wait, Midnight Express, An Unmarried Woman
1979: Kramer vs. Kramer, d. Robert Benton (Duston Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Justin Henry, Jane Alexander, Jobeth Williams). Wife leaves family, husband forced to become good Dad, wife returns to claim kid. Nominees: All That Jazz, Breaking Away, Norma Rae, Apocalypse Now (should’ve won)
1980: Ordinary People, d. Robert Redford (Mary Tyler Moore, Donald Sutherland, Judd Hirsh, Timothy Hutton, Elizabeth McGovern). Robert Redford starts tradition of actors turning to directing (Warren Beatty, Mel Gibson, Clint Eastwood, Kevin Costner follow). Family falls apart after son’s accidental drowning. Nominees: Coal Miner’s Daughter, Elephant Man, Tess, Raging Bull (should’ve won)
1981: Chariots of Fire, d. Hugh Hudson (Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Ian Holm, Sir John Gielgud). Two athletes in 1924 Olympics: Jew trying to escape anti-Semitism, Christian running for Jesus. Great Vangelis score introduces synthesizer to film music. Nominees: Atlantic City, On Golden Pond, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Reds (should’ve won)
1982: Gandhi, d. Sir Richard Attenborough (Ben Kingsley, Martin Sheen, Sir John Mills, Sir John Gielgud). Big epic. Pacifist Gandhi frees India from British rule. Nominees: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Missing, The Verdict, Tootsie (should’ve won)
1983: Terms of Endearment, d. James L. Brooks (Shirley Maclaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Jeff Daniels, John Lithgow). Superior tearjerker spans 30 years of a mother-daughter relationship. Both have affairs. Nominees: The Big Chill, The Dresser, The Right Stuff, Tender Mercies (should’ve won)
1984: Amadeus, d. Milos Forman (F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elzabeth Berridge, Simon Callow, Jeffrey Jones, Kenny Baker). Court composer envies talented Mozart. Nominees: The Killing Fields, Places In The Heart, A Soldier’s Story, A Passage To India
1985: Out of Africa, d. Sydney Pollack (Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Klaus Maria Brandauer). African epic based on true story of Danish writer who establishes a coffee plantation and has affair with American pilot. Nominees: The Color Purple, Kiss Of The Spider Woman, Witness, Prizzi’s Honor
1986: Platoon, d. Oliver Stone (Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Forest Whitaker, Kevin Dillon). Private pulled two ways by brutal sergeant and compassionate one. Part one of Oliver Stone’s Vietnam trio: Born on the Fourth of July and Heaven and Earth. Nominees: Children Of A Lesser God, Hannah And Her Sisters, The Mission, A Room With A View
1987: The Last Emperor, d. Bernardo Bertolucci (John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O’Toole). Life of last emperor of China, became emperor while boy. Nominees: Broadcast News, Fatal Attraction, Hope And Glory, Moonstruck
1988: Rain Man, d. Barry Levinson (Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise). Two estranged brothers, the one autistic, drive across US. Nominees: The Accidental Tourist, Dangerous Liasons, Mississippi Burning, Working Girl
1989: Driving Miss Daisy, d. Bruce Beresford (Morgan Freeman, Jessica Tandy, Dan Ackroyd, Patti LuPone). 30-year relationship of prejudiced Southern Jewish woman and black chauffeur hired by her son. Nominees: Born On The Fourth Of July, Dead Poets Society, Field Of Dreams, My Left Foot (should’ve won)
1990: Dances With Wolves, d. Kevin Costner (Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney A. Grant). Civil War vet befriends wolf, accepted into Sioux tribe. Nominees: Awakenings, Ghost, The Godfather III, Goodfellas (should’ve won)
1991: The Silence of the Lambs, d. Jonathan Demme (Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn). Cop hunts serial killer, aided by serial killer. One of 3 films to win top 5 awards. Nominees: Beauty and the Beast, Bugsy, JFK, The Prince of Tides
1992: Unforgiven, d. Clint Eastwood (Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris). Retired gunman hired by whores. Nominees: The Crying Game, A Few Good Men, Howard’s End, Scent Of A Woman
1993: Schindler’s List, d. Steven Spielberg (Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes). True story of industrialist Oskar Schindler, saved his Jewish factory workers from Auschwitz. (Spielberg starts foundation to preserve Holocaust survivor testimonies. Nominees: The Fugitive, In The Name Of The Father, The Piano (would’ve won in any other year), The Remains Of The Day
1994: Forrest Gump, d. Robert Zemeckis (Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise, Robin Wright, Sally Field, Haley Joel Osmont). IQ-challenged man changes history, has no idea of accomplishments. Nominees: Four Weddings And A Funeral, Quiz Show, The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction (should’ve won; 2nd big indie hit after sex, lies and videotape)
1995: Braveheart, d. Mel Gibson (Mel Gibson, James Robinson, Catherine McCormack, Brendan Gleeson, Patrick McGoohan, Sophie Marceau, Angus MacFadyen). Spectacular epic. Mel Gibson leads Scots to freedom against English. Nominees: Apollo 13, Babe, The Postman (Il Postino), Sense And Sensibility
1996: The English Patient, d. Anthony Mingella (Ralph Fiennes, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Colin Firth, Naveen Andrews). Epic WW2 love story. English mapmaker burned in plane crash tells story of love and betrayal to nurse. Nominees: Fargo, Jerry Maguire, Shine, Secrets And Lies (should’ve won)
1997: Titanic, d. James Cameron (Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Gloria Stuart, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Bernard Hill). Rich girl and poor boy on sinking ocean liner. Girls across the world positively peed themselves over Leonardo DiCaprio. Nominees: As Good As It Gets, The Full Monty, Good Will Hunting, L.A. Confidential
1998: Shakespeare in Love, d. John Madden (Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Judi Dench, Ben Affleck). Romantic comedy of how Romeo and Juliet got written. The little movie that beat out big Spielberg epic Saving Private Ryan. Nominees: Elizabeth, Life Is Beautiful, Saving Private Ryan, The Thin Red Line
1999: American Beauty, d. Sam Mendes (Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Mena Suvari, Peter Gallagher, Allison Janney, Chris Cooper). Mid-life crisis man falls for daughter’s friend. Nominees: The Cider House Rules, The Green Mile, The Insider, The Sixth Sense
2000: Gladiator, d. Ridley Scott (Russell Crowe, Richard Harris, Joaquin Phoenix, Oliver Reed, Sir Derek Jacobi). Big epic. Roman general busted down to gladiator plots revenge on Emperor who killed family. Nominees: Chocolat, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Erin Brockovich, Traffic (should’ve won)
2001: A Beautiful Mind, d. Ron Howard (Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Christopher Plummer). Schizophrenic Nobel Prize-winning mathematician. Nominees: Gosford Park, In The Bedroom, The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, Moulin Rouge
2002: Chicago, d. Rob Marshall (Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, Christine Baranski). Great musical. Dancer Roxie Hart on trial for murder in gangster-era Chicago. Nominees: Gangs Of New York, The Hours, The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers, The Pianist
2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, d. Peter Jackson (Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Andy Serkis, Ian McKellen). Tolkien’s quest to destroy corrupting ring of power. Nominees: Lost In Translation, Master And Commander: The Far Side Or The World, Mystic River, Seabiscuit
2004: Million Dollar Baby, d. Clint Eastwood (Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman). Old trainer takes woman boxer to top and then … Nominees: The Aviator, Finding Neverland, Ray, Sideways
2005: Crash, d. Paul Haggis (Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon, Don Cheadle). Race and rage in LA. Nominees: Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Good Night And Good Luck, Munich
5. GREAT DIRECTORS AND THEIR MASTERPIECES

This is an alphabetical list of directors with at least three artistic masterpieces. We’re talking the cream of the crop: the true, proven geniuses of the art of cinema -- the directors who’ll be studied for centuries to come, the Shakespeares and Ibsens and Tolstoys of the form.
The Gonzo Guru has left the great commercial directors off his list. Chances are you’ve probably seen the movies of these guys anyway – Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ridley Scott, Oliver Stone, Brian De Palma, Sidney Pollack, Ron Howard, Robert Zemeckis, James Cameron, Michael Mann, Michael Bay, Peter Jackson, Barry Levinson, George Roy Hill, Robert Wise, William Wyler, Michael Curtiz, Victor Fleming, Raoul Walsh, William Wellman, Fred Zinneman, Otto Preminger, Sidney Lumet (the closest on this list to a great director). They’re all masters of their craft, but I don’t see any of them being studied centuries from now.
There are 52 directors on this list of artistic geniuses. 17 are American. Eight Italian. Eight French. Three Japanese. Two Scandinavian. Two Spanish. Two Russian. Two German. And five Germans (Murnau, Lang, Lubitsch, Von Stroheim, Wilder) who went to Hollywood, which brings the American total up to 22, close to half of the directors. The art of film is definitely an American-dominated form, though not totally Hollywood. Three of the American directors (Welles, Cassavetes, Allen) are Hollywood outsiders.
Of the contemporary contenders out there, only the French seem to be knocking on the door of greatness in any great number: Gaspar Noe (I Stand Alone, Irreversible), the brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (La Promesse, Rosetta, Le Fils, L’Enfant), Bertrand Tavernier (Coup De Torchon, A Sunday In The Country, Life And Nothing But), Maurice Pialat (The Mouth Agape, Under Satan’s Sun), Claire Denis (Beau Travail, Trouble Every Day, The Intruder), Catherine Breillat (Romance, Anatomy of Hell), Bruno Dumont (The Life Of Jesus, L’Humanite, Twentynine Palms), Olivier Assayas (Irma Vep, Demonlover), and maybe Claude Sautet (Un Coeur En Hiver).
Directors who nearly made the cut include Louis Malle (Zazie Dans Le Metro, Murmur Of The Heart, Lacombe Lucien, Pretty Baby, My Dinner With Andre, Au Revoir Les Enfants, Vanya On 42nd Street), Theo Angelopoulos (The Travelling Players, Landscape In The Mist, Ulysses’ Gaze), Emir Kusturica (When Father Was Away On Business, Time Of The Gypsies, Underground, Black Cat White Cat), Jim Jarmusch (Stranger Than Paradise, Down By Law, Mystery Train, Night On Earth, Dead Man, Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai,. Broken Flowers) and Wim Wenders (The Goalie’s Anxiety At The Penalty Kick, Alice In The Cities, False Movement, Kings Of The Road, The American Friend, Paris Texas, Wings Of Desire, Until The End Of The World, Don’t Come Knocking). Maybe I’ll put them on the list next year, if they treat me to a film festival or two. Louis Malle is dead, so his wife Candice Bergen can invite me on his behalf.
Directors who are pretty sure to make the list one day, if they keep hitting their high spots, are Lars Von Trier (Europa, Breaking the Waves, Dancer In The Dark, Dogville, Manderlay, Wasington), Mike Leigh (Bleak Moments, High Hopes, Life Is Sweet, Naked, Secrets And Lies, Topsy-Turvy, Vera Drake), and Emir Kusturica.
If I were French, these guys would be on the list: Louis Malle, Jean Vigo (L’Atalante, Zero De Conduite), Marcel Carne (Children Of Paradise, Hotel Du Nord, Daybreak), Rene Clair (Under The Roofs Of Paris, A Nous La Liberte, Beauties Of The Night), Georges Franju (Le Sang Des Betes, Hotel Des Invalides, Eyes Without A Face, Judex, Thomas The Impostor), Rene Clement (Forbidden Games, Purple Noon), Agnes Varda (Le Bonheur, Far From Vietnam, Vagabond, The Gleaners And I), Claude Chabrol (The Cousins, Les Biches, The Beast Must Die, Le Boucher, Nada, The Blood Of Others, Quiet Days In Clichy), Jacques Rivette (Paris Nous Appartient, Celine And Julie Go Boating, Joan The Maid) and Abel Gance (Napoleon).
If I were German, G.W. Pabst (Pandora’s Box) would be on the list.
Other European near-misses include Lina Wertmuller (Swept Away, Seven Beauties), Francesco Rosi (The Matei Affair, Illustrious Corpses, Christ Stopped At Eboli), Marco Ferreri (Dillinger Is Dead, La Grande Bouffe, The Last Woman, Tales Of Ordinary Madness, The Flesh), Krzysztof Kieslowski (Dekalog, The Double Life Of Veronique, Three Colors: Blue, Red, White), Wojciech Has (The Saragossa Manuscript), Miklos Jancso (The Round-Up, The Red And The White, Red Psalm), Carlos Saura (Blood Wedding), Gillo Pontecorvo (Battle Of Algiers, Burn, Another World Is Possible), Andrzej Wajda (Kanal, Ashes And Diamonds, Everything For Sale, Man Of Marble, Man Of Iron, Danton, A Love In Germany), and Walerian Borowczyk (Blanche, Immoral Tales, Story Of A Sin, Lulu, Queen Of The Night).
If I were Japanese, Nagisa Oshima (In The Realm Of The Senses), Mikio Naruse (Floating Clouds, The Sound Of The Mountain), Kon Ichikawa (The Burmese Harp, An Actor’s Revenge), and Takashi Miike (Ichi The Killer, Audition) would be on the list.
If I were a Chinaman, Yimou Zhang (Raise The Red Lantern, The Story Of Qiu Ju, To Live, Not One Less, Hero, House of Flying Daggers) and Chen Kaige (Farewell My Concubine) would be on the list.
If I were a Brit, Carol Reed (Odd Man Out, The Third Man). Ken Loach (Kes), Peter Greenaway (The Draughtsman’s Contract, The Cook The Thief And The Lover) and Mike Leigh would be on the list.
If I were Iranian, Abbas Kiarostami (The Wind Will Carry Us, Taste Of Cherry) would be on the list.
If I were Australian, Peter Weir (The Last Wave, Gallipoli, The Year Of Living Dangerously, Witness, The Truman Show), Bruce Beresford (Breaker Morant, Tender Mercies) and Fred Schepisi (The Chant Of Jimmy Blacksmith, Barbarosa, Plenty) would be on the list.
But I’m an American, so I’ve got 17 Americans up there, along with the five Germans who went Hollywood. Call me a zenophobe if you want, but this is the Gonzo Guru’s well-considered view of cinema greatitude, even though I could change my mind next year.
Here they are, the true artists of cinema, in alphabetical order:

1. Woody Allen: Sleeper, Annie Hall, Interiors, Manhattan, Zelig, The Purple Rose Of Cairo, Hannah And Her Sisters, Crimes And Misdemeanors
2. Pedro Almodovar: Labyrinth Of Passion, Dark Habits, What Have I Done To Deserve This? Matador, Law Of Desire, Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, All About My Mother, Talk to Her
3. Robert Altman: MASH, McCabe And Mrs. Miller, Nashville, A Wedding, Short Cuts
4. Michelangelo Antonioni: L’Avventura, La Notte, Eclipse, The Red Desert, Blowup, Zabriskie Point, The Passenger
5. Ingmar Bergman: Smiles Of A Summer Night, The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries, The Virgin Spring, The Magician, Through A Glass Darkly, Winter Light. The Silence, Persona, Hour Of The Wolf, Shame, Cries And Whispers, Scenes From A Marriage, Fanny And Alexander
6. Bernardo Bertolucci: Before The Revolution, The Spider’s Stratagem, The Conformist, Last Tango in Paris, 1900, The Last Emperor
7. Robert Bresson: Diary Of A Country Priest, A Man Escaped, Pickpocket, Trial Of Joan Of Arc, Balthazar, Mouchette, A Gentle Creature
8. Luis Bunuel: Un Chien Andalou, L’Age D’Or, Los Olvivados, El Bruto, The Criminal Life Of Archibaldo De La Cruz, Nazarin, Viridiana, The Exterminating Angel, Diary Of A Chambermaid, Simon Of The Desert, Belle De Jour, The Milky Way, Tristana, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, That Obscure Object Of Desire
9. Frank Capra: It Happened One Night, Mr. Deeds Goes To Town, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Meet John Doe, It’s A Wonderful Life, Arsenic And Old Lace
10. John Cassavetes: Shadows, Faces, Husbands, Minnied And Moskowitz, A Woman under the Influence, The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie, Opening Night
11. Charlie Chaplin: The Tramp, The Kid, The Gold Rush, City Lights, Modern Times, The Great Dictator, Monsieur Verdoux, Limelight
12. Jean Cocteau: The Blood Of A Poet, Beauty And The Beast, Orpheus, Les Parents Terribles, The Testament Of Orpheus
13. Francis Ford Coppola: The Rain People, The Godfather 1 and 2, Apocalypse Now, The Outsiders, Tucker The Man And His Dream
14. George Cukor: Dinner At Eight, Camille, Gaslight, Born Yesterday, The Philadelphia Story, A Star Is Born, My Fair Lady
15. Vittorio De Sica: The Bicycle Thief, Miracle In Milan, Umberto D, Marriage Italian Style
16. Carl Dreyer: The Passion of Joan of Arc, Vampyr, Day Of Wrath, Ordet, Gertrud
17. Sergei Eisenstein: The Battleship Potemkin, Oktober/Ten Days That Shook The World, Alexander Nevsky, Ivan The Terrible I and II
18. Rainer Werner Fassbinder: Beware Of A Holy Whore, The Merchant Of Four Seasons, The Bitter Tears Of Petra Von Kant, Ali: Fear Eats The Soul, Effie Briest, Fox And His Friends, Chinese Roulette, In The Year Of 13 Moons, The Marriage of Maria Braun, Berlin Alexanderplatz, Lili Marleen, Lola, Veronika Voss
19. Federico Fellini: I Vitelloni, La Strada, Nights Of Cabiria, La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2, Juliet Of The Spirits, Fellini Satyricon, Fellini’s Roma, Amarcord, Casanova
20. John Ford: Stagecoach, The Grapes Of Wrath, My Darling Clementine, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, Rio Grande, The Quiet Man, The Searchers, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Cheyenne Autumn
21. Milos Forman: The Loves Of A Blonde, The Firemen’s Ball, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Amadeus
22. Jean-Luc Godard: Breathless, Une Femme Est Une Femme, My Life To Live, The Little Soldier, Les Carabiniers, Contempt, Bande A Part, Alphaville, Pierrot Le Fou, Msculin Feminin, Two Or Three Things I Know About Her, La Chinoise, Weekend, Tout Va Bien, Letter To Jane, Numero Deux, Every Man For Himself, Passion
23. D.W. Griffith: The Birth Of A Nation, Intolerance: Love’s Struggle Through The Ages, Broken Blossoms
24. Howard Hawks: Scarface, Twentieth Century, Bringing Up Baby, Only Angels Have Wings, His Girl Friday, To Have And Have Not, The Big Sleep, Red River, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Rio Bravo, El Dorado
25. Werner Herzog: Even Dwarves Started Small, Fata Morgana, Aguirre: The Wrath Of God, The Enigma Of Kaspar Hauser, Stroszek, Nosferatu, Woyzeck, Fitzcarraldo, Rescue Dawn
26. Alfred Hitchcock: The Lady Vanishes, Rebecca, Suspicion, Shadow Of A Doubt, Lifeboat, Spellbound, Notorious, Strangers On A Train, I Confess, Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Vertigo, North By Northwest, Psycho, The Birds, Marnie, Torn Curtain, Topaz, Frenzy
27. John Huston: The Maltese Falcon, The Treasure Of Sierra Madre, Key Largo, The Asphalt Jungle, The Red Badge Of Courage, African Queen, Moby Dick, A Farewell To Arms, The Misfits, The Night Of The Iguana, Fat City, The Man Who Would Be King, Wise Blood, Under The Volcano, Pirzzi’s Honor, The Dead
28. Elia Kazan: A Streetcar Named Desire, Viva Zapata!, On The Waterfront, East Of Eden, Baby Doll, A Face In The Crowd, Splendor In The Grass, America America
29. Buster Keaton: The General, Our Hospitality, Sherlock Jr,, Steamboat Bill Jr., The Navigator
30. Stanley Kubrick: The Killing, Paths Of Glory, Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket
31. Akira Kurosawa: Rashomon, Ikuri, Seven Samurai, Throne Of Blood, The Lower Depths, The Hidden Fortress, Yojimbo, High And Low, The Red Beard, Dersu Uzala, Kagemusha, Ran
32. Fritz Lang: Dr. Mabuse The Gambler, Die Nibelungen: Siegfried, Die Nibelungen: Kriemhilds Rache, Metropolis, M, The Testament Of Dr. Mabuse, Fury, The Woman In The Window, Scarlet Street, Rancho Notorious, The Blue Gardenia, The Big Heat, Beyond A Reasonable Doubt, The Thousand Eyes Of Dr. Mabuse
33. David Lean: Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, Bridge On The River Kwai, Lawrence Of Arabia, Docotr Zhivago, Ryan’s Daughter, A Passage To India
34. Sergio Leone: A Fistful Of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, The Good The Bad & The Ugly, Once Upon A Time In The West, Duck You Sucker, Once Upon A Time In America
35. Ernst Lubitsch: Madame Du Barry, Anna Boleyn, Lady Windermere’s Fan, The Love Parade, Monte Carlo, The Smiling Lieutenant, The Merry Widow, Trouble In Paradise, One Hour With You, Design For Living, Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife, Ninotchka, The Shop Around The Corner, That Uncertain Feeling, To Be Or Not To Be, Heaven Can Wait
36. Kenji Mizoguchi: Osaka Elegy, The Story Of The Late Chrysanthemums, The 47 Ronin, Diary Of Oharu, Ugetsu Monogatari, Legend Of Bailiff Sanshu, Street Of Shame
37. F.W. Murnau: Nosferatu, The Last Laugh, Faust, Sunrise, Tabu
38. Max Ophuls: Letter from an Unknown Woman, La Ronde, Le Plaisir, The Earrings Of Madame De…, Lola Montes
39. Yasujiro Ozu: Woman Of Tokyo, Late Spring/Banshun, Early Summer/Bakushu, Tokyo Story, Early Spring/Soshun, Tokyo Twilight, Floating Weeds/Ukigusa, Late Autumn/Akibiyori
40. Pier Paolo Pasolini: Accattone, The Gospel According to St. Matthew, Oedipus Rex, Theorem, Pigsty, Medea, The Decameron, The Canterbury Tales, A Thousand And One Nights, Salo
41. Satyajit Ray: Pather Panchali, Aparajito, The World of Apu, The Music Room, Distant Thunder, The Home And The World, An Enemy Of The People
42. Jean Renoir: The Little Match Girl, La Chienne, Boudu Saved From Drowning, Mthe Gonzo Gurue Bovary, A Day In The Country, The Crime Of Monsieur Lange, Grand Illusion, La Marseillaise, Rules of the Game, The Diary Of A Chambermaid, The River, The Golden Coach, French Cancan
43. Alain Resnais: Night And Fog, Hiroshima Mon Amour, Last Year At Marienbad, Muriel, La Guerre Est Finie, Stavisky, Providence, My American Uncle
44. Eric Rohmer: La Collectionneuse, My Night With Maud, Claire’s Knee, Chloe In The Afternoon, Pauline At The Beach, Summer/Le Rayon Vert, Boyfriends And Girlfriends, A Tale Of Winter
45. Roberto Rossellini: Rome Open City, Paisan, Germany Year Zero, Stromboli, Europa ’51, Voyage In Italy, Joan At The Stake, India, General della Rovere, Garibaldi, Vanina Vanini, The Rise Of Louis IV, Socrates, Blaise Pascal, The Age Of The Medici, Year One
46. Martin Scorsese: Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The King Of Comedy, Goodfellas, Casino
47. Andrei Tarkovsky: My Name Is Ivan/Ivan’s Childhood, Andrei Rublev, Solaris, The Mirror, Stalker, Nostalghia, The Sacrifice
48. Francois Truffaut: The 400 Blows, Shoot The Piano Player, Jules Et Jim, The Soft Skin, Fahrenhiet 451, The Wild Child, Two English Girls, Day For Night, The Last Metro
49. Luchino Visconti: Ossessione, Terra Treme, Senso, White Nights, Rocco And His Brothers, The Leopard, The Damned, Death In Venice
50. Erich Von Stroheim: Foolish Wives, Greed, The Merry Widow, The Wedding March, The Great Gabbo
51. Orson Welles: Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons, Journey Into Fear, The Stranger, The Lady From Shanghai, Macbeth, The Tragedy Of Othello, Mr. Arkadin, Touch Of Evil, The Trial, Chimes at Midnight
52. Billy Wilder: Double Indemnity, The Lost Weekend, A Foreign Affair, Sunset Blvd, Ace In The Hole, Sabrina, Witness For The Prosecution, Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Irma La Douce, The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes


Ingmar Bergman: An Obituary
AFTER A FULL ARTISTIC LIFE, INGMAR BERGMAN LETS DEATH CHECKMATE HIM
By The Gonzo Guru

Bergman is one of the Gonzo Guru’s all-time heroes, along with Nelson Mandela, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, J.M. Coetzee, Anselm Kiefer, Bernardo Bertolucci, and not many others. I spent a whole two days reading countless obituaries after Ingmar Bergman died this year, and writing my own tribute to him. Here it is.

1. ALL-TIME GREATEST FILMMAKER

People say Bergman’s films were bleak. What they should really be saying is that all other films are sentimental.

One might go further: Bergman was an artist; all other filmmakers are boulevardiers.

Let’s not pull our punches here: in writing we have Shakespeare, in music we have Beethoven, in painting we have Picasso, and in film we have Bergman. Unlike any other filmmaker, he belongs in the pantheon of humankind’s greatest artists.

I count myself lucky: Bergman made his films in my lifetime. I could live my life waiting for the next Bergman film, like I spent my teens and twenties waiting for the next Beatles album. I am happy to have been alive when these two giant entities were doing their work, experiencing the same good fortune of those lucky Londoners who went to see Shakespeare when he was doing his work, those Germans who heard Beethoven and Mozart at the time they were creating their music, and those Parisians who went to Picasso’s shows while he was painting away in their hometown.

I have Woody Allen on my side: "There's no question in my mind that Bergman is the greatest of all filmmakers. No one else even comes close. His accomplishment is that immense. He is the only movie director to ever probe the human psyche on such a profound level. He's the first director to dramatize metaphysical issues. His body of work compares to Proust's cycle of novels or even the plays of Shakespeare."

Our greatest artists are known for the breadth and volume of their work, for their incredible work ethic. This is true of Shakespeare, Beethoven, Picasso and Bergman: they churned them out like regular sausage-makers. Bergman made at least three to four times as many movies as a typical director of today, over fifty in all (only the really old film guys got to be this prolific: Ford made 144 movies, Mizoguchi 90, Kurosawa wrote 69, Ozu made 54, Howard Hawks 47).

Our greatest artists are also known for the transforming nature of their achievements. Picasso, for example, upended the way we look at things, banging forth from realism to cubism to abstraction. This Bergman did, too, incorporating all of film made before him in his work, and leaving his mark on all others who followed.

2. A PECULIAR PERSONAL VISION

Bergman’s achievement was something extraordinary and rather peculiar, in that his art was totally personal. He carried the highly metaphysical and the deeply psychological into moviedom, but it was all about the personal self – his own personal self. No other filmmaker brought such commitment to his own personal vision to his art. That’s all he did – commit his own dreams, fears, hurts and loves to his films. There is no other filmmaker who gets more personal, who was such a public dispenser of private angst. His films are one long, lasting, and painful confession, sometimes veiled, sometimes open, always brutally honest. Nobody delved deeper into the contradictions of his own human heart. Not for him the world out there – it was all about himself. Him and God. Him and death. Him and women. Him and his horror of himself. His personal vision was exclusively inward into his own ego, which made his the single and singular vision that penetrated the human psyche deeper than any other filmmaker. His was the art of personal intensity and obsession. He was the poet of personal extremes.

Touched by the Vietnam War, he gave us “Shame,” which is a grim meditation about how he himself would’ve handled a war that came to his island of Faro, and how it would’ve degraded him personally, and exposed his own defectiveness. This war film is not about war. It’s about projecting Ingmar Bergman into a war.

"The people in my films are exactly like myself -- creatures of instinct, of rather poor intellectual capacity, who at best only think while they're talking," Bergman once said. "Mostly they're body, with a little hollow for the soul."

His life was a great mess until his last marriage (from 1971 till her death in 1995 to Ingrid von Rosen, who became his secretary and manager). This mess, this utter “fiasco” as he called it, was the material for his films. "I had been married three times when I was 30," he said. "I wanted to become a good director because as a human being I was a failure. In the studio and the theater I could live happily. I still feel that way." He had five marriages and innumerable affairs, moving from woman to woman like a randy tomcat. He had nine children in and out of wedlock, none of whom he was a father to. In the documentary “Bergman’s Island,” he admits ruefully about his non-parenting: "I had a bad conscience until I discovered that having a bad conscience about something so gravely serious as leaving your children is an affectation, a way of achieving a little suffering that can't for a moment be equal to the suffering you've caused. I haven't put an ounce of effort into my families. I never have."

The Christian Science Monitor film critic Peter Rainer put the point of Bergman’s personal filmmaking extremely well in an obituary in the LA Times: “The movies of Ingmar Bergman constitute a spiritual autobiography unlike any other in the history of film. He worked out of his deepest passions and, for many of us, this made the experience of watching his films seem almost surgically invasive. He pulled us into his secret torments. Looking at ‘The Seventh Seal’ or ‘Persona’ or ‘Cries and Whispers,’ it's easy to imagine that Bergman, who died Monday, was the most private of film artists, and yet, no matter how far removed the circumstances of his life may have been from ours, he made his anguish our own. Another way to put this is that Bergman -- despite the high-toned metaphysics that overlays many, though not all, of his greatest films -- was a showman first and a Deep Thinker second. His philosophical odysseys might have been epoxied to matters of Life and Death, of God and Man, but this most sophisticated of filmmakers had an inherently childlike core. He wanted to startle us as he himself had been startled. He wanted us to feel his terrors in our bones. A case could be made that Bergman was, in the most voluminous sense, the greatest of all horror movie directors.”

Bergman’s life side-stepped family and children into art and an extraordinary work ethic. He lived the life of the true artist: transmuting the entirety of his life into his art. Not other lives: he made art of his own life only. (Or of the art of other artists, in his other life of theater director: "The theater is like a loyal wife," he said in 1950. "Film is the great adventure, the costly and demanding mistress -- you worship both, each in its own way.")

3. BERGMAN’S LIFE IN BRIEF

Ernst Ingmar Bergman was born July 14, 1918, in Uppsala, Sweden. He grew up in Stockholm, where his father, a Lutheran minister, eventually became chaplain to the Swedish royals. His father was a harsh punisher, and his mother blew hot and cold, an unreliable source of comfort. He later speculated that she wanted to leave her husband but hung in there for the children.

"That strict middle-class home gave me a wall to pound on, something to sharpen myself against," Bergman said, giving his family some back-handed credit. "At the same time they taught me a number of values -- efficiency, punctuality, a sense of financial responsibility -- which may be 'bourgeois' but are nevertheless important to the artist."

He was grateful for his parents having "created a world for me to revolt against."

His revolt started with an escape into self. He saw his first play — a Swedish fairy tale — at the age of 12. He built his own puppet theatre under a table, complete with a revolving stage and moving scenery, where he entertained his younger sister. He put on little works of the famous playwright Strindberg, whose dramas of torment struck a chord.

He recalled his seeing films for the first time as “an entry into heaven.” His grandmother took him to matinées at the local moviehouse. One of his first ambitions was to become a cinema projectionist. One Christmas, he traded 100 precious tin soldiers for a primitive movie projector, a "magic lantern," that a wealthy aunt had given to his brother Dag instead of to him. He got lengths of film from a local photography shop, and spliced together his own short dramas from this ‘found’ material.

His eccentric Uncle Carl was a failed inventor (hiding his patent applications in his underwear, and because he often wet himself, wrapping them in oilskin). He showed young Ingmar how to strip emulsion from film with hot soda water, and then paint scenes right on the strip. None of these bits of early films exist anymore, but in his movie “Prison” of 1949 Bergman refashioned one of them for a scene in which he had young lovers watch an antique biograph.

He went to the University of Stockholm in 1937. He worked in many student productions. He studied art and literature, doing a thesis on August Strindberg, the Swedish dramatist who was an overwhelming influence. And he wrote: plays, novels, short stories -- none published.

He took a job as an apprentice-director at a Stockholm theater and in 1941 joined the Swedish film industry as a script doctor. Three years later his first script, "Torment," written with the film’s director Alf Sjoberg, became a hit in Sweden. Accordingly, he got his first directing assignment on "Crisis". There followed a run of journeyman stuff. In 1949, he produced his first characteristic excellent work: "The Devil's Wanton," about a prostitute's suicide, in which his metaphysical, psychological and moral interests came to the fore. Three films about women -- "Three Strange Loves," "Summer with Monika," "Sawdust and Tinsel" –- cemented his reputation in Sweden in the 50s. Then “Smiles of a Summer Night” won critical acclaim at Cannes and made real money in Europe, and Bergman was free to make anything he wanted. He rose to the challenge with two masterpieces. "The Seventh Seal," and "Wild Strawberries” made Bergman an immediate international arthouse staple, and he entered a golden period in the 60s and 70s, that included the Oscar-winning “The Virgin Spring” and his Absence-of-God trilogy "Through A Glass Darkly," “Winter Light,” and "The Silence.”

In 1976, his golden age came to a bizarre stop. Bergman was arrested during a rehearsal of his artistic forebear Strindberg’s “The Dance of Death” at the Royal Dramatic Theater, bundled off in handcuffs, and charged with income-tax fraud. He went into a long pout and exiled himself from Sweden for eight years. Eventually the Swedish government dropped the charges and apologized profusely, hoping to lure him back. He had some sour revenge: hundreds of people lost their jobs because he wasn’t around anymore, and the Swedish film industry lost millions in potential income.

Abroad, he tried various things. He visited Hollywood and other filmmaking centers, he made his first film in English, the flop “The Serpent's Egg." He made a movie with his namesake (no relation) Ingrid Bergman, the very good "Autumn Sonata.” He directed plays, basing himself in Munich. He finally returned to Sweden when he was 60, more or less washed-up.

In 1983, he made a comeback film that became his greatest international success – a rather gentler-than-usual-for-Bergman autobiographical family movie, "Fanny and Alexander." It got six Oscar nominations (two for best director and original screenwriter) and won four Oscars – the biggest Oscar haul by a foreign film ever.

"Making 'Fanny and Alexander' was such joy that I thought that feeling will never come back,'' he told NY Times critic Michiko Kakutani when she visited him at his island home on Faro (her piece about this visit, “"Ingmar Bergman: Summing up a life in film", was published in the NY Times on June 8, 1983, the link: www.nytimes.com/1983/06/06/magazine/26kaku.html.) ''I will try to explain: When I was at university many years ago, we were all in love with this extremely beautiful girl. She said no to all of us, and we didn't understand. She had had a love affair with a prince from Egypt and, for her, everything after this love affair had to be a failure. So she rejected all our proposals. I would like to say the same thing. The time with 'Fanny and Alexander' was so wonderful that I decided it was time to stop. I have had my prince of Egypt. To make another picture and have it feel gray and heavy and difficult with lots of problems - that would be very sad. And I have seen many of my colleagues get older and older and more and more dusty until suddenly they are thrown out, and they cannot get money for their next picture and must go around with their hats in their hands. That is something I do not want - better to stop now when everything is perfect.''

This melancholy Swede whose life ended with a great triumph, was probably a low-grade clinical depressive for long periods of his life, and perhaps worked as hard as he did to keep depression at bay.

"I was very cruel to actors and to other people," he said when he was in his 60s. "I was a very, very unpleasant young man. If I met the young Ingmar today, I think I would say, 'You are very talented and I will see if I can help you, but I don't think I want anything else to do with you.' I don't say I'm pleasant now, but I think I changed slowly in my 50s. At least I hope I've changed" (quote from the Kakutani piece).

Liv Ullmann, who lived with him for five years and had a child by him, tells this story: ‘We always had breakfast together, And, as we ate, Ingmar would relate all the nightmares he had experienced during the previous night. And I listened in horror. Because I knew that I would be acting them out as he filmed, later that day.’

The world knows Ingmar Bergman for his films, but in his native Sweden he was an almost overbearing cultural figure. Besides his filmmaking, he was the country's top theater director, he wrote and directed radio plays, he did a lot of work for television, he made soap commercials, he wrote novels and two memoirs. Half the country watched his film of the Mozart opera “The Magic Flute’ on TV. His TV series “Scenes from a Marriage” embroiled the whole nation in a continuing debate on marriage. When he died, Sweden stopped. TV was interrupted to show his work, flags were hung half-mast, and the whole country mourned the passing of the world’s most famous Swede.

4. A MASTER CRAFTSMAN

Bergman made his films beautifully. He called them "handmade." His budgets were all under well under half a million dollars. Technically, as a craftsman, he has no peer. The camera simply exists where he put it. It moves like the gaze of an ur-observer. It frames like a Matisse or a Hopper. It sees the light like Rembrandt. He never saw a reason to hurry the viewer along, like Hollywood story-telling does, scared by its own vacuity. In fact, he was more interested in nailing the viewer from image to beautiful image. What he achieved in his cinematography and montage, in the pacing and flow of his images, in his magisterial control, is beyond compare. Nobody touches him. Technically, put next to Bergman, a much-touted technophile like Steven Spielberg is a loud, crass, obvious and unsubtle boor.

A set routine and a set crew brought Bergman to his technical mastery. He worked like Fassbinder, flitting between stage and screen with the same repertory company. "We've already discussed the new film the year before," Sven Nykvist, his second great cinematographer after Gunnar Fischer (“The Seventh Seal”), told critic Roger Ebert in 1975. "Then Ingmar goes to his island and writes the screenplay. The next year, we shoot -- usually about the 15th of April. Usually we are the same 18 people working with him, year after year, one film a year." Among the 18, there was the important job of the "hostess," she who served coffee and pastries and made the set a haven of domesticity. "How large a crew do you use?" David Lean asked Bergman one year at Cannes. "I always work with 18 friends," Bergman replied "That's funny," said Lean. "I work with 150 enemies."

Haskell Wexler, the great cinematographer, wrote: "I was good friends with Sven Nykvist, who told me stories about Bergman. They sat in a big old church from very early in the morning until as black as the night gets. They noted where the light moved through the stained glass windows. Bergman planned where he would stage the scenes for a picture they were about to do. This had the practical advantage of minimizing light and generator costs. Sven said sitting alone with Ingmar in the church had a profound effect on him. I asked him if it made him more religious. He said he didn't think so but it did give him some kind of spiritual connection to Ingmar, which helped him deal with the times Bergman became very mean."

Bergman said rather humbly of his own process: “I want to be one of the artists of the cathedral that rises on the plain. I want to occupy myself by carving out of stone the head of a dragon, an angel or a demon, or perhaps a saint; it doesn’t matter; I will find the same joy in any case. Whether I am a believer or an unbeliever, Christian or pagan, I work with all the world to build a cathedral because I am artist and artisan, and because I have learned to draw faces, limbs, and bodies out of stone. I will never worry about the judgment of posterity or of my contemporaries; my name is carved nowhere and will disappear with me. But a little part of myself will survive in the anonymous and triumphant totality. A dragon or a demon, or perhaps a saint, it doesn’t matter!”

In fact, he made three films about the artist and his persecution by society: The Magician, Sawdust and Tinsel, Hour of the Wolf. He had two traumatic brushes with society: his tax arrest was one. The other one sprang from a stay in Germany in 1934 at the age of 16, when he lived as an exchange student with a clergyman's family. He attended a Nazi rally in Weimar. He listened to the clergyman toss off sermons based on ''Mein Kampf.'' ''We were absolute virgins politically and we found it marvelous,'' he recalled. ''We were infected.'' He returned to Sweden a ''little pro-German fanatic.'' Years later, he was overcome with shame. ''I understood I had made a great mistake, and since then political thinking has scared me to death.'' For many years, he never read political books or editorials. He didn’t vote. (Kakutani)

5. HIS WORK WITH ACTORS AND ACTRESSES

The actress Sheila Reid worked with him: “He gave me very helpful notes that said things like, ‘She is a candle that never goes out’ and ‘She has a screen inside her up to her neck.’ I was extremely fortunate to have worked with Ingmar in both theatre and cinema.”

His actors and actresses were eternally grateful to him – he put their greatest performances on screen for all to see. Typically, he gave them little room for maneuver: he always told them exactly what he wanted and acted it out for them. They had to learn to shine and glow within absolutely exact and precise instructions. In that way, he was like Hitchcock: actors were cattle to him. He knew what he wanted from them and he got it. No director worked with more dictatorial freedom. After the international success of “Smiles of a Summer Night,” he had carte blanche from the Swedish film industry.

6. EXTRAORDINARY RANGE

Despite his films being so personal, Bergman displayed an extraordinary range. When one looks at his greatest films – Persona, Cries and Whispers, The Silence, Shame, The Seventh Seal, The Virgin Spring, Wild Strawberries, Scenes from a Marriage, Smiles of a Summer Night – the nine outright pinnacles of masterpieces in his enduring canon (at least twice as many masterpieces than from any other filmmaker), what does one see? A dizzying range. The following brief descriptions will give the reader some idea. They're ranked in my personal order of greatness.

1. “Persona”: an actress struck mute and her talky nurse. This film is Begrman's harshest blow struck deepest into the human soul. Into its alienation and cruelty. Also, into the depths of the making of art, specifically the art of film. Bergman’s “experimental” film.

2. “Cries and Whispers”: sisters and servant gathered around a dying woman. The excruciating pain and emotional isolation of life. First film in color, and the color is mostly red. Bergman’s great “family” film (way more devastating than his other "family" film, Fanny and Alexander).

3. “The Silence”: two women and a boy, disoriented in a hotel in a country whose language they don’t speak. Bergman’s “Huis Clos” and “Germany Year Zero.”

4. “Shame”: a man and a woman on an island where war arrives. Bergman’s “Rome Open City.”

5. “The Seventh Seal”: a knight in the plague-ridden Middle Ages striking a bargain with death. Bergman’s “Faust.” It was his medieval dance-of-death take on living in the spiritual crisis of the nuclear age, awaiting our apocalypse.

6. “The Virgin Spring”: a father avenging the rape of his daughter in a medieval setting. The closest to a plot-driven Hollywood movie Bergman ever came, and it wasn’t close at all.

7. “Wild Strawberries”: a successful man looking back on an emotional stunted life. Bergman’s “Citizen Kane.”

8. “Scenes from a Marriage”: Bergman’s own marriages, all-in-one. There will never be a better film on marriage.

9. “Smiles of a Summer Night”: a partying night of changing loves among couples. Bergman’s “Rules of the Game.”

Looking at this list, it is amazing to see how often he worked in allegorical conceits, the way J.M. Coetzee and Beckett and Kafka write. (Also, symbols: all those ticking clocks, windows, doors.) His people are himself, and he casts himself in allegory and conceits. The conceit of death as a white-faced monk playing chess with a knight. The spooky interaction between a woman struck mute and one sparked into talking talking talking. The startling Dali-like dream life of a professor on the brink of death. Etcetera.

7. BERGMAN’S PERSONALITY

The master of angst was always a suffering, sensitive creature. He was constantly scared of death. He thought about it all the time. But one day, coming out of a death-like anesthesia during a hospital visit, he found himself suddenly unafraid of death. The question of God vanished, too, after which his movies exhibited a sort of nervous humanism: maybe in human love there lay salvation.

He fed off his own anguish and that of others. ''If I would tell him I have a cancer and was going to die, he would be extremely sorry, but also extremely curious,'' said Harry Schein, a former director of the Swedish Film Institute. ''He's interested in the unhappiness of his friends. He dwells on it - he can get material. We often have long phone calls, and if he asks, 'How are you?' and I say, 'Fine,' he would be extremely disappointed. A human being in pain - he can learn much more'' (quote from the Kakutani piece).

He had a direct line to his childhood self. ''I have maintained open channels with my childhood. I think it may be that way with many artists. Sometimes in the night, when I am on the limit between sleeping and being awake, I can just go through a door into my childhood and everything is as it was - with lights, smells, sounds and people. ... I remember the silent street where my grandmother lived, the sudden aggressivity of the grown-up world, the terror of the unknown and the fear from the tension between my father and mother.”

''I think I have just one obsession -- to touch other human beings. That desire for contact, I think, was the reason why I came to this profession, because as a child I was very shy and very lonely and very afraid of other people. Of course, it was not only this very beautiful reason, but it was also a longing for power, for manipulating other people. I think that's a disease every director has - a kind of professional illness'' (quotes via Kakutani).

Unhappy with his own father, who beat him and locked him a closet for hours at a time, scaring him with the threat that mice would nibble his toes, Bergman played the father to everyone else, discovering early on that he had the power to make people put themselves out for him. His colleagues aver that his manipulation of people reached far outside the studio. ''With his friends, with his actors, he plays the authority figure,'' said Jorn Donner, his producer on ''Fanny and Alexander.'' ''In a sense, he has become the father he hated. He can become very jealous, say, if one of the actors in his film works in the theater in the evening. And he tries to influence their professional life. He says, 'You should do that, you should not do this.' In Sweden, he has enormous power - he has made careers and indirectly probably destroyed them - and so people tend to listen'' (quote via Kakutani).

Mind you, he could be very helpful. Here’s director Thomas Vinterberg (Festen) on some fatherly advice from Ingmar: “He asked me if I'd decided what to do after my film, and when I said no, he said, ‘Well you're fucked,’ and I said, ‘Why?’ and he said, ‘One thing that can happen is that you fail, and it won't be good for your self-confidence. It's much worse if you have success - you're absolutely paralysed by it. So you always have to decide your next movie before the opening of the present one.’ And he was so right. You don't turn into a career pilot, trying to navigate by success or failure, instead of deciding from your heart.”

Bergman has said that his films grew ''like a snowball'' from some insignificant fleck of an event, often triggering a memory. Filmmaking was therapy. ''I have been working all the time,'' he said, ''and it's like a flood going through the landscape of your soul. It's good because it takes away a lot. It's cleansing. If I hadn't been at work all the time, I would have been a lunatic.''

''When Ingmar was younger, there was a bitterness to his films,'' said Harry Schein. ''With 'Fanny and Alexander,' there's a greater sense of harmony. I think Ingmar has it personally as well. In many ways, I feel he still lives a very difficult life - he talks of Angst, of that anxiety where you wake up in the middle of the night - but superficially he seems more harmonic. On the surface, he is nice and charming and almost civilized'' (quotes via Kakutani).

The 50s Bergman, bent on establishing himself, was the archetypal angry young man, a temperamental, bohemian poseur. He split home, after coming to blows with his father. He read Sartre and Camus. He signed his letters with a scribble of a little devil. He even wore a beret and a scruffy beard. He tore telephones from the wall. He threw adolescent fits of temper. Once he chucked a chair right through the glass of a control booth. ''I was a package of emotions on two legs -- my life was completely chaotic.'' Since those halcyon days, said producer Jorn Donner, Bergman tried hard to change. ''Ingmar has been trying to fight the bohemianism in himself by leading a well-ordered life. When you think you are a bohemian or a lazy person, you have to fight that and impose a discipline - it's a little puritanical. He is very much the bourgeois today - he likes to see Ingrid and himself as the proprietors of a small French restaurant - you can't get more bourgeois than that'' (quotes via Kakutani).

His wife Ingrid - a steady, kindly woman who looked exactly like his mother -- helped him get together with his brood of eight children from various marriages and liaisons. Later in life, his grownup children and four grandchildren gathered at Faro every July for his birthday.

On Faro, in his last years, Bergman rose every morning at 8 and wrote from 9 till noon. A lunch of berries and sour milk, and then back to work for two more hours. At 3, a nap. Before dinner, a walk. After dinner, TV – he liked ''Dallas'' - or a movie from his 16-mm collection.

Like the shrink Jenny in ''Face to Face'' who has a nervous breakdown, Bergman cultivated neatness and efficiency to contain his anxieties and fears. His surface calm was like Sweden's; underneath, he claimed, he was still ''extremely neurotic.'' ''Ingmar, at the slightest provocation, will produce a nervous breakdown,'' said his agent, Paul Kohner. ''He has a delicate disposition'' (quote via Kakutani).

8. AN EYE FOR WOMEN

Bergman was a man, but it is interesting that his three greatest films – Persona, Cries and Whispers, The Silence – feature women. Before he exploded on the international scene, he established his reputation in Sweden in the early '50s with three films -- Three Strange Loves, Summer with Monika, Sawdust and Tinsel -- that internalized the psychology of women and what he labeled "their special inner world." He had a dour view of his own gender, i.e. of himself. His male characters are always selfish, intolerant haters, self-indulgent and helplessly standing by, while his women are admirable, strong, empathetic, patient and intuitively wise. He was sometimes described as a prescient, vanguard feminist.

''I was in love with my mother,'' he says. ''I knew what she liked and disliked and I used to try to find ways to win her love.” He believes that ''women are more intuitive than men - they have their emotional life more intact'' (quote via Kakutani).

He certainly had an eye for women, featuring an extraordinary range of beautiful actresses in his movies. He was an inveterate ladies man and skirt chaser. He got all the best and brightest babes. He used the same actresses over and over, on stage and in film.

9. THE HUMAN FACE, THE BOURGEOIS SOUL

Bergman's landscape was the human face. And he got hold of some amazing faces. The supremely spiritual face of Max Von Sydow (The Seventh Seal). The sexually ravenous face of Gunnel Lindblom (The Silence). The unflappable, unfailingly polite face of Gunnar Bjornstrand. The suffering face of Harriet Anderson (Cries and Whispers). The kind face of Kari Sylwan (Cries and Whispers). The sensuous, troubled face of Bibi Anderson (Persona). The intelligent, caring face of Liv Ullmann (The Shame). The everyday face of Erland Josephson, an ardent excusemaker of a man (Scenes from a Marriage). His films expose the human face, blister and blast it, celebrate its suffering, burn it into our own faces.

He gave our inner life an outer form in his glowing, glowering full-frontal closeups. In filming the human face, he gave form to the human soul.

In fact, Bergman’s art makes it possible to speak of the human soul. But what kind of soul is that? It is the suffering soul. But not the soul under the duress of material want. If his art can be said to be about anything bigger than himself (and it can and it can’t), it would have to be about what he was – a bourgeois European. One could say his art was about the soul of the bourgeois. He asks us to think about how the fat, contented bourgeois soul – the soul from which, ostensibly, all worldly suffering has been removed by a fair and just society such as Sweden’s – still suffers. He convinces us that the bourgeois soul is still capable of human suffering -- that the bourgeois soil is perhaps, because of its contented lifestyle, doomed to suffer.

I’d like to get out of the way for the last thought, and quote someone who posted on a NY Times comments section when Bergman died:

July 30th,
2007
1:39 pm
There is a totality of scope in Bergman’s films that mystically inhabits every moment of time and every seemingly unimportant article, along the lines of what the poet William Blake expressed:
“To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand,
And Eternity in an hour.”
Perhaps above all his films call for a life of inner courage, both in spite of and because of the human tenderness, frailty and resilience which his films exalt.
— Posted by Eric Spaeth


10. HOW TO SEE HIS FILMS AGAIN:

Individual DVDs of most of his films are available in the Criterion Collection.
Then there are these boxed sets:
1. For the total devotee, his first apprenticeship films are on the Criterion Collection’s “Early Bergman,” “Torment” (1944), “Crisis” (1946), “Port of Call” (1948), “Thirst” (1949) and “To Joy” (1950).
2. In the Criterion Collection, there’s a boxed set of his 1960s Absence-of-God trilogy, The Silence, Through a Glass Darkly, and Winter Light. It also includes is a fourth film, “Ingmar Bergman Makes a Movie,” a five-part comprehensive documentary on the making of Winter Light, one of Bergman's favorite films. The documentary is directed by filmmaker Vilgot Sjoman (I Am Curious--Yellow), and was, in Sjoman's words, "the first and only time that Bergman let someone document his filmmaking from the first idea to the first showings."
3. “Scenes From a Marriage” (1973). The film was released theatrically in the United States in a 167-minute version. Criterion released the full 299-minute television series as a DVD in 2004.
4. “Fanny and Alexander” (1983). Both the 188-minute feature and the 312-minute original are now part of the Criterion catalog.
5. His final made-for-TV movie, “Saraband,” a look-back at the long-divorced characters in “Scenes from a Marriage, is on DVD from Sony Pictures.
6. There’s an Ingmar Bergman collection by MGM: six DVDs of Persona, Shame, The Hour of the Wolf, The Passion of Anna, and the big-budget mess The Serpent’s Egg, with a 2002 interview with Bergman.

11. ALL HIS MOVIES:

1. Apprentice Work:
Crisis (1946) (Kris)
It Rains on Our Love (1946) (Det regnar på vår kärlek)
A Ship to India (1947) (Skepp till Indialand)
Music in Darkness (1948) (Musik i mörker)
Port of Call (1948) (Hamnstad)
Prison (1949) (Fängelse)
Thirst /Three Strange Loves (1949) (Törst)
This Can't Happen Here (1950) (Sånt händer inte här)
To Joy (1950) (Till glädje)
Summer Interlude (1951) (Sommarlek)
Secrets of Women (1952) (Kvinnors väntan)

2. Maturity:
Sawdust and Tinsel (1953) (Gycklarnas afton)
Summer with Monika (1953) (Sommaren med Monika)
A Lesson in Love (1954) (En lektion i kärlek)
Dreams (1955) (Kvinnodröm) aka Journey Into Autumn

3. International Breakthrough:
Smiles of a Summer Night (1955) (Sommarnattens leende)
The Seventh Seal (1957) (Det sjunde inseglet)
Wild Strawberries (1957) (Smultronstället)

4. Period Movies:
The Magician /The Face (1958) (Ansiktet)
Brink of Life (1958) (Nära livet)
The Devil's Eye (1960) (Djävulens öga)
The Virgin Spring (1960) (Jungfrukällan) (won Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film)

5. Absence-of-God trilogy:
Through a Glass Darkly (1961) (Såsom i en spegel) (won Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film)
Winter Light (1962) (Nattvardsgästerna)
The Silence (1963) (Tystnaden)

6. Greatness:
All These Women (1964) (För att inte tala om alla dessa kvinnor)
Persona (1966)
Hour of the Wolf (1967) (Vargtimmen)
Shame (1968) (Skammen)
The Rite (1968) (Riten) (TV)
The Passion of Anna (1969) (En passion)
The Touch (1971) (Beröringen)
Cries and Whispers (1973) (Viskningar och rop) (won Academy Award for Best Cinematography)
Scenes from a Marriage (1973) (Scener ur ett äktenskap)
The Magic Flute (1975) (Trollflöjten), first shown on Swedish television, followed by a cinematic release
Face to Face (1976) (Ansikte mot ansikte)

7. After tax arrest:
The Serpent's Egg (1977) (Das Schlangenei)
Autumn Sonata (1978) (Höstsonaten)
From the Life of the Marionettes (1980) (Aus dem Leben der Marionetten)

8. Last Period:
Fanny and Alexander (1982) (Fanny och Alexander) (won 4 Academy Awards)
Karin's Face (1984) (Karins ansikte) (TV)
After the Rehearsal (1984) (Efter repetitionen)
In The Presence of a Clown (1997) (Larmar och gör sig till) (TV)
Saraband (2003) (TV)

9. Last work written for others:
The Best Intentions (1992) (Den goda viljan) (directed by Bille August)
Sunday’s Children Söndagsbarn (1992) (directed by son Daniel Bergman)
Faithless (2000) (Trolösa) (directed by Liv Ullmann)

6. GREAT TRILOGIES

Some of the greatest cinema is found in movie trilogies. The Gonzo Guru thinks a movie is a shorter form than a novel: more of a short story or novella. But a film trilogy has the capaciousness of a novel: the time for true breadth and depth, as it spreads itself to six hours.

1. Francis Ford Coppola: The Godfather I, 2, 3 starring Al Pacino
2. Sergio Leone: The Dollar Trilogy starring Clint Eastwood as The Man With No Name: A Fistful of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, The Good The Bad And The Ugly
3. Sergio Leone: The Once Upon A Time Trilogy: Once Upon A Time In The West, Once Upon A Time The Revolution aka Duck You Sucker, Once Upon A Time In America
4. Ingmar Bergman: The Faith or God’s Silence Trilogy: Through a Glass Darkly, Winter Light, The Silence
5. Ingmar Bergman: Max Von Sydow Period Dramas: The Seventh Seal, The Virgin Spring, The Magician
6. Ingmar Bergman: Ethical relationship of the artist to society: Persona, Hour of the Wolf, The Shame
7. Marcel Pagnol: Marseilles Trilogy with Raimu: Marius, Fanny, Cesar
8. Pier Paolo Pasolini: Ribald Tales: The Decameron, Canterbury Tales, Arabian Nights
9. Pier Paolo Pasolini: Greek Tragedies: Oedipus Rex, Medea, Notes Towards An African Orestes
10. Pier Paolo Pasolini: Modern Italy Trilogy: Accattone, Theorem, Pigpen
11. Satyajit Ray: Apu Trilogy: Pather Panchali, Aparajito, Apur Sansar: World of Apu
12. John Ford: Cavalry Trilogy: Fort Apache, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Rio Grande
13. Michelangelo Antonioni: Alienation Trilogy: L'Avventura, La Notte, L'Eclisse
14. California Trilogy: Double Indemnity, Mildred Pierce, The Postman Always Rings Twice
15. Fritz Lang: Dr. Mabuse Trilogy: Dr. Mabuse The Gambler, Testament of Dr. Mabuse, Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse
16. Hiroshi Inagaki: Samurai Trilogy with Toshiro Mifune: Miyamoto Musashi, Duel at Ichijoji Temple, Duel on Ganryu Island
17. Federico Fellini: Loneliness Trilogy: La Strada, Il Bidone, Nights of Cabiria
18. Yasujiro Ozu: Noriko Trilogy: Late Spring, Early Summer, Tokyo Story
19. Krzysztof Kieslowski: Colors Trilogy: Blue, White, Red
20. Lindsay Anderson: Mick Travis Trilogy starring Malcolm McDowell: If..., O Lucky Man! Britannia Hospital
21. Peter Jackson: Lord of the Rings Trilogy: Fellowship of the Ring; Two Towers; Return of the King
22. Jean Cocteau: Orphic Trilogy: Blood of a Poet; Orpheus; Testament of Orpheus
23. Terry Gilliam: Trilogy of the Imagination: Time Bandits, Brazil, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (the ages of man: youth, adulthood, old age)
24. Matthew Barney: The Cremaster Cycle
25. Park Chan-wook: Vengeance Trilogy: Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
26. Baz Luhrmann: The Red Curtain trilogy: Strictly Ballroom, Romeo and Juliet, Moulin Rouge!
27. Lars von Trier: Europa Trilogy: Forbrydelsens element (The Element of Crime), Epidemic, Zentropa
28. Lars von Trier: Golden Heart Trilogy: Breaking the Waves, Idioterne aka The Idiots, Dancer in the Dark (Bjork)
29. Lars Von Trier: USA - Land of Opportunities Trilogy: Dogville, Manderlay, Washington
30. Godfrey Reggio: The Qatsi Trilogy: Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi, Naqoyqatsi
31. Marco Tullio Giordana: The Best Of Youth (6-hour TV series cut into two sequential 3-hour movies)
Long Movies
Bela Tarr: Santantango aka Satan’s Tango
Claude Lanzmann: Shoah
Erich Von Stroheim: Greed
Ulrike Ottinger: Taiga

The Gonzo Guru once saw a movie about the last day in a Japanese man’s life, which seemed to last the length of a day, but I haven’t been able to track it down. Anybody know if such a film exists?

7. TOP 100 BEST MOVIE LISTS

i. AFI’s 100 Greatest American Movies of All Time
The American Film Institute presided over a definitive selection of the 100 greatest American movies, chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of film community leaders.

1. Citizen Kane, Orson Welles, co-writer Herman J. Mankiewcz
2. Casablanca, Michael Curtiz, screenplay by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch
3. The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola
4. Gone with the Wind, Victor Fleming, producer David O. Selznick
5. Lawrence of Arabia, David Lean, screenplay Robert Bolt
6. The Wizard of Oz, Victor Fleming
7. The Graduate, Mike Nichols
8. On the Waterfront, Eliza Kazan
9. Schindler’s List, Steven Spielberg
10. Singin’ In The Rain, Gene Kelly
11. It’s A Wonderful Life, Frank Capra
12. Sunset Boulevard, Billy Wilder
13.The Bridge on the River Kwai, David Lean)
14. Some Like It Hot, Billy Wilder
15. Star Wars, George Lucas
16. All About Eve, Joseph L. Mankiewitz
17. The African Queen, John Huston
18. Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock
19. Chinatown, Roman Polanski
20. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Milos Forman
21. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Ford
22. 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick
23. The Maltese Falcon, John Huston
24. Raging Bull, Martin Scorcese, screenplay Paul Shrader, Mardik Martin
25. E.T. The Extra-terrestrial, Steven Spielberg, screenplay Melissa Mathison
26. Dr. Strangelove, Stanley Kubrick, co-writers Terry Southern, Peter George
27. Bonnie And Clyde, Arthur Penn, screenplay David Newman, Robert Benton
28. Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola
29. Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Frank Capra
30. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre, John Huston
31. Annie Hall, Woody Allen)
32. The Godfather Part II, Francis Ford Coppola
33. High Noon, Fred Zinnemann, screenplay Carl Foreman
34. To Kill A Mockingbird, Robert Mulligan, screenplay Horton Foote
35. It Happened One Night, Frank Capra
36. Midnight Cowboy, John Schlesinger, screenplay Waldo Salt
37. The Best Years of Our Lives, William Wyler
38. Double Indemnity, Billy Wilder
39. Doctor Zhivago, David Lean
40. North By Northwest, Alfred Hitchcock, screenplay Ernest Lehman
41. West Side Story, Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise
42. Rear Window, Alfred Hitchcock, screenplay John Michael Hayes
43. King Kong, Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
44. The Birth Of A Nation, D.W. Griffith
45. A Streetcar Named Desire, Elia Kazan
46. A Clockwork Orange, Stanley Kubrick
47. Taxi Driver, Martin Scorcese, screenplay Paul Shrader
48. Jaws, Steven Spielberg
49. Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, Disney animation
50. Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, George Roy Hill, screenplay William Goldman
51. The Philadelphia Story, George Cukor
52. From Here to Eternity, Fred Zinnemann
53. Amadeus, Milos Forman, screenplay Peter Shaffer
54. All Quiet on the Western Front, Lewis Milestone, screenplay Maxwell Anderson
55. The Sound of Music, Robert Wise, screenplay Ernest Lehman
56. MASH, Robert Altman, screenplay Ring Lardner Jr
57. The Third Man, Carol Reed, screenplay Graham Greene
58. Fantasia, Disney animation
59. Rebel without a Cause, Nicholas Ray
60. Raiders of the Lost Ark, Steven Spielberg, screenplay Lawrence Kasdan
61. Vertigo, Alfred Hitchcock
62. Tootsie, Sydney Pollack, screenplay Larry Gelbart, Barry Levinson, Elaine May, Don McGuire, Murray Schisgal
63. Stagecoach, John Ford
64. Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Steven Spielberg
65. The Silence of the Lambs, Jonathan Demme, screenplay Ted Tally
66. Network, Sidney Lumet, screenplay Paddy Chayefsky
67. The Manchurian Candidate, John Frankenheimer, screenplay George Axelrod
68. An American in Paris, Vicente Minelli, screenplay Alan Jay Lerner
69. Shane, George Stevens, screenplay A.B. Guthrie Jr.
70. The French Connection, William Friedkin, screenplay Ernest Tidyman
71. Forrest Gump, Robert Zemeckis, screenplay Eric Roth
72. Ben-Hur, William Wyler, screenplay Karl Tunberg
73. Wuthering Heights, William Wyler, screenplay Charles MacArthur, Ben Hecht
74. The Gold Rush, Charlie Chaplin
75. Dances with Wolves, Kevin Costner, screenplay Michael Blake
76. City Lights, Charlie Chaplin
77. American Graffiti, George Lucas, co-writers Gloria Katz, William Huyck
78. Rocky, John G. Avilsen, screenplay Sylvester Stallone
79. The Deer Hunter, Michael Cimino, co-writer Deric Washburn
80. The Wild Bunch, Sam Peckinpah, co-writer Walon Green
81. Modern Times, Charlie Chaplin
82. Giant, George Stevens, screenplay Fred Guiol, Ivan Moffat
83. Platoon, Oliver Stone
84. Fargo, Joel Cohen, co-writer Ethan Coen
85. Duck Soup, Leo McCarey, screenplay Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby
86. Mutiny on the Bounty, Frank Lloyd, screenplay Talbot Jennings, Jules Furthman, Carey Wilson
87. Frankenstein, James Whale, screenplay Peggy Webling, John L. Balderston
88. Easy Rider, Dennis Hopper, co-writers Peter Fonda, Terry Southern
89. Patton, Franklin J. Schaffner, screenplay Francis Ford Coppola, Edmund H. North
90. The Jazz Singer, Alan Crosland, screenplay Samuel Raphaelson, Alfred A. Cohn
91. My Fair Lady, George Cukor, screenplay Alan Jay Lerner
92. A Place In The Sun, George Stevens, screenplay Michael Wilson, Harry Brown
93. The Apartment, Billy Wilder, co-writer I.A.L. Diamond
94. Goodfellas, Martin Scorcese, co-writer Nicholas Pileggi
95. Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino
96. The Searchers, John Ford, screenplay Frank S. Nugent
97. Bringing Up Baby, Howard Hawks, screenplay Dudley Nichols, Hagar Wilde
98. Unforgiven, Clint Eastwood, screenplay David Webb Peoples
99. Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, Stanley Kramer, screenplay William Rose
100. Yankee Doodle Dandy, Michael Curtiz, screenplay Robert Buckner

ii. BFI’s Top 100 British Films of the 20th Century
Early in 1999, the British Film Institute produced a selection booklet and sent copies to 1,000 people embracing all strands of the film, cinema and television industries throughout the UK – producers, directors, writers, actors, technicians, academics, exhibitors, distributors, executives and critics. Participants were asked to consider (and vote for up to 100) ‘culturally British’ feature films, released in cinemas during the 20th century, which they felt had made a strong and lasting impression. Altogether, more than 25,700 votes were cast, covering 820 different films.

1. The Third Man, Carol Reed
2. Brief Encounter, David Lean
3. Lawrence of Arabia, David Lean
4. The 39 Steps, Alfred Hitchcock
5. Great Expectations, David Lean
6. Kind Hearts and Coronets, Robert Hamer
7. Kes, Ken Loach
8. Don’t Look Now, Nicolas Roeg
9. The Red Shoes, Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger
10. Trainspotting, Danny Boyle
11. The Bridge on the River Kwai, David Lean
12. If… Lindsay Anderson
13. The Ladykillers, Alexander Mackendrick
14. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Karel Reisz
15. Brighton Rock, John Boulting
16. Get Carter, Mike Hodges
17. The Lavender Hill Mob, Charles Crichton
18. Henry V, Laurence Olivier
19. Chariots of Fire, Hugh Hudson
20. A Matter of Life and Death, Emeric Pressburger & Michael Powell
21. The Long Good Friday, John Mackenzie
22. The Servant, Joseph Losey
23. Four Weddings and a Funeral, Mike Newell
24. Whisky Galore! Alexander Mackendrick
25. The Full Monty, Peter Cattaneo
26. The Crying Game, Neil Jordan
27. Doctor Zhivago, David Lean
28. Monty Python’s Life of Brian, Terry Jones
29. Withnail and I, Bruce Robinson
30. Gregory’s Girl, Bill Forsyth
31. Zulu, Cy Endfield
32. Room at the Top, Jack Clayton
33. Alfie, Lewis Gilbert
34. Gandhi, Richard Attenborough
35. The Lady Vanishes, Alfred Hitchcock
36. The Italian Job, Peter Collinson
37. Local Hero, Bill Forsyth
38. The Commitments, Alan Parker
39. A Fish Called Wanda, Charles Crichton & John Cleese
40. Secrets & Lies, Mike Leigh
41. Dr. No, Terence Young
42. The Madness of King George, Nicholas Hytner
43. A Man for All Seasons, Fred Zinnemann
44. Black Narcissus, Emeric Pressburger & Michael Powell
45. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, Emeric Pressburger & Michael Powell
46. Oliver Twist, David Lean
47. I’m All Right Jack, John Boulting
48. Performance, Nicolas Roeg & Donald Cammell
49. Shakespeare in Love, John Madden
50. My Beautiful Laundrette, Stephen Frears
51. Tom Jones, Tony Richardson
52. This Sporting Life, Lindsay Anderson
53. My Left Foot, Jim Sheridan
54. Brazil, Terry Gilliam
55. The English Patient, Anthony Minghella
56. A Taste of Honey, Tony Richardson
57. The Go-Between, Joseph Losey
58. The Man in the White Suit, Alexander Mackendrick
59. The Ipcress File, Sidney J. Furie
60. Blow-Up, Michelangelo Antonioni
61. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Tony Richardson
62. Sense And Sensibility, Ang Lee
63. Passport to Pimlico, Henry Cornelius
64. The Remains of the Day, James Ivory
65. Sunday Bloody Sunday, John Schlesinger
66. The Railway Children, Lionel Jeffries
67. Mona Lisa, Neil Jordan
68. The Dam Busters, Michael Anderson
69. Hamlet, Laurence Olivier
70. Goldfinger, Guy Hamilton
71. Elizabeth, Shekhar Kapur
72. Goodbye Mr. Chips, Sam Wood
73. A Room with a View, James Ivory
74. The Day of the Jackal, Fred Zinnemann
75. The Cruel Sea, Charles Frend
76. Billy Liar, John Schlesinger
77. Oliver! Carol Reed
78. Peeping Tom, Michael Powell
79. Far from the Madding Crowd, John Schlesinger
80. The Draughtsman’s Contract, Peter Greenaway
81. A Clockwork Orange, Stanley Kubrick
82. Distant Voices Still Lives, Terence Davies
83. Darling, John Schlesinger
84. Educating Rita, Lewis Gilbert
85. Brassed Off, Mark Herman
86. Genevieve, Henry Cornelius
87. Women in Love, Ken Russell
88. A Hard Day’s Night, Richard Lester
89. Fires Were Started, Humphrey Jennings
90. Hope and Glory, John Boorman
91. My Name Is Joe, Ken Loach
92. In Which We Serve, Noel Coward & David Lean
93. Caravaggio, Derek Jarman
94. The Belles of St. Trinian’s, Frank Launder
95. Life Is Sweet, Mike Leigh
96. The Wicker Man, Robin Hardy
97. Nil By Mouth, Gary Oldman
98. Small Faces, Gillies MacKinnon
99. Carry On up the Khyber, Gerald Thomas
100. The Killing Fields, Roland Joffé

The Gonzo Guru’s additions:
The Cook The Thief And The Lover (Peter Greenaway), Naked (Mike Leigh)


iii. Time Magazine’s All Time 100 Best Films in alphabetical order
Chosen by critics Richard Corliss and Richard Schickel; 36 foreign films on the list. If you consider yourself a film connoisseur, this list is for you. In alphabetical order:

1. Aguirre The Wrath of God, Werner Herzog
2. The Apu Trilogy, Satyajit Ray
3. The Awful Truth,
4. Baby Face,
5. Bande A Part, Jean-Luc Godard.
6. Barry Lyndon, Stanley Kubrick
7. Berlin Alexanderplatz, Rainer Werner Fassbinder
8. Blade Runner, Ridley Scott
9. Bonnie And Clyde, Arthur Penn
10. Brazil, Terry Gilliam
11. Bride of Frankenstein, James Whale
12. Camille.
13. Casablanca, Michael Curtiz
14. Charade.
15. Children Of Paradise.
16. Chinatown, Roman Polanski
17. Chungking Express.
18. Citizen Kane, Orson Welles
19. City Lights, Charlie Chaplin
20. City of God.
21. Closely Watched Trains.
22. The Crime of Monsieur Lange, Jean Renoir
23. The Crowd.
24. Day For Night, Francois Truffaut
25. The Decalogue.
26. Detour.
27. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, Luis Bunuel
28. Dodsworth.
29. Double Indemnity, Billy Wilder
30. Dr. Strangelove, Stanley Kubrick
31. Drunken Master II.
32. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Steven Spielberg
33. 8 1/2, Federico Fellini
34. The 400 Blows, Francois Truffaut
35. Farewell My Concubine.
36. Finding Nemo.
37. The Fly, David Cronenberg
38. The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola
39. The Godfather II
40. The Good The Bad And The Ugly, Srrgio Leone
41. Goodfellas, Martin Scorcese
42. A Hard Day’s Night.
43. His Girl Friday.
44. Ikiru.
45. In A Lonely Place.
46. Invasion Of The Body Snatchers.
47. It’s A Gift.
48. It’s A Wonderful Life, Frank Capra
49. Kandahar.
50. Kind Hearts and Coronets.
51. King Kong.
52. The Lady Eve.
53. The Last Command.
54. Lawrence of Arabia, David Lean
55. Leolo.
56. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Peter Jackson
57. The Man With a Camera.
58. The Manchurian Candidate, John Frankenheimer
59. Meet Me in St. Louis.
60. Metropolis, Fritz Lang
61. Miller’s Crossing.
62. Mon oncle d’Amerique.
63. Mouchette, Robert Bresson
64. Nayakan.
65. Ninotchka.
66. Notorious, Alfred Hitchcock
67. Olympia.
68. On the Waterfront, Elia Kazan
69. Once Upon a Time in the West, Sergio Leone
70. Out of the Past.
71. Persona, Ingmar Bergman
72. Pinocchio.
73. Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock
74. Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino
75. The Purple Rose of Cairo, Woody Allen
76. Pyaasa.
77. Raging Bull, Martin Scorcese
78. Schindler’s List, Steven Spielberg
79. The Searchers, John Ford
80. Sherlock, Jr.
81. The Shop Around The Corner.
82. Singin’ In The Rain, Gene Kelly
83. The Singing Detective.
84. Smiles of a Summer Night, Ingmar Bergman
85. Some Like It Hot, Billy Wilder
86. Star Wars, George Lucas
87. A Streetcar Named Desire, Elia Kazan
88. Sunrise.
89. Sweet Smell Of Success.
90. Swing Time.
91. Talk to Her.
92. Taxi Driver.
93. Tokyo Story, Yasujiro Ozu
94. A Touch of Zen.
95. Ugetsu.
96. Ulysses’ Gaze.
97. Umberto D.
98. Unforgiven, Clint Eastwood
99. White Heat, Raoul Walsh
100. Wings Of Desire, Wim Wenders
101. Yojimbo, Akira Kurosawa

iv. The Village Voice 100 Best Films of the 20th Century.
In 2000, the Village Voice held its 1st Annual Film Critics’ Poll. More than fifty distinguished critics (Molly Haskell, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Andrew Sarris, etc) voted, and ranked their top ten best films of the century. There are 50 foreign films on the list. If you consider yourself a movie snob, this list is for you.

1. Citizen Kane, Orson Welles
2. The Rules of the Game, Jean Renoir
3. Vertigo, Alfred Hitchcock
4. The Searchers, John Ford
5. The Man With a Movie Camera.
6. Sunrise, F.W. Murnau
7. L’atalante, Jean Vigo
8. The Passion of Joan of Arc, Carl Dreyer
9. Au Hasard Balthazar, Robert Bresson
10. Rashomon, Akira Kurosawa
11. 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick
12. The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola
13. Pather Panchali, Satyajit Ray
14. The Birth Of A Nation, D.W. Griffith
15. The Wizard Of Oz, Victor Fleming
16. It’s A Wonderful Life, Frank Capra
17. Ordet, Carl Dreyer
18. Intolerance.
19. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles.
20. Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock
21. Chinatown, Roman Polanski
22 M, Fritz Lang
23. The Seven Samurai, Akira Kurosawa
24. The Earrings of Madame de … Max Ophuls
25. The Magnificent Ambersons, Orson Welles
26. A Man Escaped, Robert Bresson
27. Broken Blossoms.
28. Greed.
29. Ugetsu.
30. The Third Man, Carol Reed
31. The Godfather Part II, Francis Ford Coppola)
32. The General, Buster Keaton
33. The Seventh Seal, Ingmar Bergman
34. Taxi Driver, Martin Scorcese
35. The Night Of The Hunter, Charles Laughton
36. Tokyo Story, Yasujiro Ozu
37. The Bicycle Thief.
38. City Lights.
39. King Kong.
40. Metropolis, Fritz Lang
41. My Life to Live/Vivre Sa Vie, Jean-Luc Godard)
42. Sherlock, Jr.
43. Aguirre, The Wrath of God, Werner Herzog
44. Duck Soup.
45. Sunset Boulevard, Billy Wilder
46. Barry Lyndon, Stanley Kubrick
47. The 400 Blows, Francois Truffaut
48. Steamboat Bill, Jr.
49. Contempt, Jean-Luc Godard
50, The Gold Rush.
51. North By Northwest, Alfred Hitchcock
52. Hold Me While I’m Naked.
53. The Rise of Louis XIV, Roberto Rosellini
54. The Apu Trilogy, Satyajit Ray
55. Touch Of Evil, Orson Welles
56. A Woman Under the Influence, John Cassavetes
57. The Lady Eve.
58. The Conformist, Bernardo Bertolucci
59. The Palm Beach Story.
60. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, John Ford
61. Pickpocket, Robert Bresson
62. An Actor’s Revenge.
63. Berlin Alexanderplatz, Rainer Werner Fassbinder
64. Close-Up.
65. The Gospel According to St. Matthew, Pier Paolo Pasolini
66. La Jetee, Chris Marker
67. Modern Times, Charlie Chaplin
68. October.
69. Los Olvidados. Luis Bunuel
70. Paisan, Roberto Rossellini
71. Performance, Nicholas Roeg, Donald Cammell
72. Shoah, Claude Lanzmann
73. Singin’ In The Rain, Gene Kelly
74. Two or Three Things I Know About Her, Jean-Luc Godard
75. Umberto D.
76. Les Vampires.
77. All About Eve.
78. All That Heaven Allows, Douglas Sirk
79. Battleship Potemkin.
80. Notorious, Alfred Hitchcock
81. Pierrot le Fou, Jean-Luc Godard
82. Fox and His Friends, Rainer Werner Fassbinder
83. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Tobe Hooper
84. A Trip to the Moon, George Melies
85. Wavelength, Michael Snow
86. Ashes and Diamonds.
87. Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, Russ Meyer
88. The Golden Coach, Jean Renoir
89. Salo, Pier Paolo Pasolini
90. Celine and Julie Go Boating.
91. Masculine-Feminine, Jean-Luc Godard
92. Nosferatu.
93. Star Wars, George Lucas
94. Blade Runner, Ridley Scott
95. Bride of Frankenstein, James Whale
96. Jules and Jim, Francois Truffaut
97. Landscape in the Mist.
98. Mean Streets, Martin Scorcese
99. Shadow of a Doubt, Alfred Hitchcock
100. Suspiria.

v. The Sight and Sound Top Ten Poll, 2002
Since 1952, the British film magazine Sight & Sound has polled the world’s leading film critics every 10 years for the best films of all time. In 1992 they added a poll of directors for their personal choices. In 2002, the magazine published its largest poll: contributions from 145 film critics, writers and academics, and 108 film directors. There are 36 foreign movies out of 60 chosen. If you consider yourself one of the international movie cognoscenti, this list is for you.

1. Citizen Kane, Orson Welles
2. Vertigo, Alfred Hitchcock
3. The Rules of the Game, Jean Renoir
4. The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola
5. Tokyo Story, Yasujiro Ozu
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick
7. Battleship Potemkin.
7. Sunrise.
9. 8 1/2, Federico Fellini
10. Singin’ In The Rain, Gene Kelly
11. The Seven Samurai, Akira Kurosawa
11. The Searchers, John Ford
13. Rashomon, Akira Kurosawa
14. The Passion of Joan of Arc, Carl Dreyer
15. Touch Of Evil, Orson Welles
15. The General, Buster Keaton
15. L’atalante, Jean Vigo
15. Breathless, Jean-Luc Godard
19. Au Hasard Balthazar, Robert Bresson
19. Jules and Jim, Francois Truffaut
19. L’avventura, Michelangelo Antonioni
22. La Meprise, Alan Bridges
22. Pather Panchali, Satyajit Ray
24. The Story of the Late Chrysanthemums.
24. M, Fritz Lang
24. La Dolce Vita, Federico Fellini
27. Wild Strawberries, Ingmar Bergman
27. Ugetsu.
27. Some Like It Hot, Billy Wilder
27. Metropolis, Frtiz Lang
27. The Man With a Movie Camera.
27. Ivan the Terrible.
27. Children Of Paradise.
27. Barry Lyndon, Stanley Kubrick
35. The Third Man, Carol Reed
35. Taxi Driver, Martin Scorcese
35. The Seventh Seal, Ingmar Bergman
35. Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock
35. Modern Times, Charlie Chaplin
35. The Magnificent Ambersons, Orson Welles
35. Grand Illusion, Jean Renoir
35. Fanny and Alexander, Ingmar Bergman
35. The 400 Blows, Francois Truffaut
35. Andrei Rublev.
45. Ordet, Carl Dreyer
45. Pierrot le Fou, Jean-Luc Godard
45. Rio Bravo.
45. Sansho Dayu.
45. Shoah, Claude Lanzmann
45. The Travelling Players.
45. Mirror.
45. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, John Ford
45. Letter From An Unknown Woman, Marcel Ophuls
45. Lawrence of Arabia, David Lean
45. Intolerance.
45. Greed.
45. City Lights.
45. Blade Runner, Ridley Scott
45. The Bicycle Thief.
45. Two or Three Things I Know About Her, Jean-Luc Godard







vi. Writers Guild of America 101 Greatest Screenplays
On this list, three writers stand out for having four films each on the list: Billy Wilder, Woody Allen and Francis Ford Coppola. Three writers have three films on the list: William Goldman, John Huston and Charlie Kaufman. There are 45 original scripts and 56 adaptations. 60 dramas, 26 comedies, 15 comedy/dramas.

1. Casablanca, screenplay by Julius J. & Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch, based on play "Everybody Comes to Rick's" by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison
2. The Godfather, screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, based on novel by Mario Puzo
3. Chinatown, written by Robert Towne
4. Citizen Kane, written by Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles
5. All About Eve, screenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz . Based on "The Wisdom of Eve," a short story and radio play by Mary Orr
6. Annie Hall, written by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman
7. Sunset Bldvd, written by Charles Brackett & Billy Wilder and D.M. Marshman Jr.
8. Network, written by Paddy Chayefsky
9. Some Like It Hot, screenplay by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond . Based on "Fanfare of Love," a German film written by Robert Thoeren and M. Logan
10. The Godfather II, screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo. Based on Mario Puzo's novel "The Godfather"
11. Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, written by William Goldman
12. Dr. Strangelove, screenplay by Stanley Kubrick and Peter George and Terry Southern. Based on novel "Red Alert" by Peter George
13. The Graduate, screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry. Based on the novel by Charles Webb
14. Lawrence Of Arabia, screenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. Based on the life and writings of Col. T.E. Lawrence
15. The Apartment, written by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond
16. Pulp Fiction, written by Quentin Tarantino. Stories by Quentin Tarantino & Roger Avary
17. Tootsie, screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal. Story by Don McGuire and Larry Gelbart
18. On The Waterfront, screen story and screenplay by Budd Schulberg. Based on "Crime on the Waterfront" articles by Malcolm Johnson
19. To Kill A Mockingbird, screenplay by Horton Foote. Based on the novel by Harper Lee.
20. It’s A Wonderful Life, screenplay by Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett & Frank Capra. Based on short story "The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern. Contributions to screenplay Michael Wilson and Jo Swerling
21. North By Northwest, written by Ernest Lehman
22. The Shawshank Redemption, screenplay by Frank Darabont. Based on the short story "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" by Stephen King
23. Gone With The Wind, screenplay by Sidney Howard. Based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell
24. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, screenplay by Charlie Kaufman. Story by Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry & Pierre Bismuth.
25. The Wizard Of Oz, screenplay by Noel Langley and Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf. Adaptation by Noel Langley. Based on the novel by L. Frank Baum
26. Double Indemnity, screenplay by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler. Based on the novel by James M. Cain
27. Groundhog Day, screenplay by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis. Story by Danny Rubin.
28. Shakespeare In Love, written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard
29. Sullivan’s Travels, written by Preston Sturges
30. Unforgiven, written by David Webb Peoples
31. His Girl Friday, screenplay by Charles Lederer. Based on the play "The Front Page" by Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur
32. Fargo, written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
33. The Third Man, screenplay by Graham Greene. Story by Graham Greene. Based on the short story by Graham Greene.
34. The Sweet Smell Of Success, screenplay by Clifford Odets and Ernest Lehman. From a novelette by Ernest Lehman
35. The Usual Suspects, written by Christopher McQuarrie
36. Midnight Cowboy, screenplay by Waldo Salt. Based on the novel by James Leo Herlihy
37. The Philadelphia Story, screenplay by Donald Ogden Stewart. Based on the play by Philip Barry
38. American Beauty, written by Alan Ball
39. The Sting, written by David S. Ward
40. When Harry Met Sally, written by Nora Ephron
41. Goodfellas, screenplay by Nicholas Pileggi & Martin Scorsese. Based on book "Wise Guy" by Nicholas Pileggi.
42. Raiders Of The Lost Ark, screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan. Story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman
43. Taxi Driver, written by Paul Schrader
44. The Best Years Of Our Lives, screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood. Based on novel "Glory For Me" by MacKinlay Kantor
45. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, screenplay by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman. Based on the novel by Ken Kesey
46. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre, screenplay by John Huston. Based on the novel by B. Traven
47. The Maltese Falcon, screenplay by John Huston. Based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett
48. The Bridge On The River Kwai, screenplay by Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson. Based on the novel by Pierre Boulle
49. Schindler’s List, screenplay by Steven Zaillian. Based on the novel by Thomas Keneally
50. The Sixth Sense, written by M. Night Shyamalan
51. Broadcast News, written by James L. Brooks
52. The Lady Eve, screenplay by Preston Sturges. Story by Monckton Hoffe
53. All The President’s Men, screenplay by William Goldman. Based on the book by Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward
54. Manhattan, written by Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman
55. Apocalypse Now, written by John Milius and Francis Ford Coppola. Narration by Michael Herr
56. Back To The Future, written by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale
57. Crimes And Misdemeanors, written by Woody Allen
58. Olrdinary People, screenplay by Alvin Sargent. Based on the novel by Judith Guest
59. It Happened One Night, screenplay by Robert Riskin. Based on the story "Night Bus" by Samuel Hopkins Adams
60. L.A. Confidential, screenplay by Brian Helgeland & Curtis Hanson. Based on the novel by James Ellroy
61. The Silence Of The Lambs, screenplay by Ted Tally. Based on the novel by Thomas Harris
62. Moonstruck, written by John Patrick Shanley
63. Jaws, screenplay by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb. Based on the novel by Peter Benchley
64. Terms Of Endearment, screenplay by James L. Brooks. Based on the novel by Larry McMurtry
65. Singin’ in The Rain, screen story and screenplay by Betty Comden & Adolph Green. Based on the song by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown
66. Jerry Maguire, written by Cameron Crowe
67 E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, written by Melissa Mathison
68. Star Wars, written by George Lucas
69. Dog Day Afternoon, screenplay by Frank Pierson. Based on a magazine article by P.F. Kluge and Thomas Moore
70. The African Queen, screenplay by James Agee and John Huston. Based on the novel by C.S. Forester
71. The Lion In Winter, screenplay by James Goldman. Based on the play by James Goldman
72. Thelma & Louise, written by Callie Khouri
73. Amadeus, screenplay by Peter Shaffer. Based on his play.
74. Being John Malkovich, written by Charlie Kaufman
75. High Noon, screenplay by Carl Foreman. Based on short story "The Tin Star" by John W. Cunningham
76. Raging Bull, screenplay by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin. Based on the book by Jake La Motta with Joseph Carter and Peter Savage
77. Adaptation, screenplay by Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman. Based on the book "The Orchid Thief" by Susan Orlean
78. Rocky, written by Sylvester Stallone
79. The Producers, written by Mel Brooks
80. Witness, screenplay by Earl W. Wallace & William Kelley. Story by William Kelley and Pamela Wallace & Earl W. Wallace
81. Being There, screenplay by Jerzy Kosinski. Inspired by the novel by Jerzy Kosinski
82. Cool Hand Luke, screenplay by Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson. Based on the novel by Donn Pearce.
83. Rear Window, screenplay by John Michael Hayes. Based on the short story by Cornell Woolrich
84. The Princess Bride, screenplay by William Goldman. Based on his novel.
85. La Grande Illusion, written by Jean Renoir and Charles Spaak
86. Harold & Maude, written by Colin Higgins
87. 8 1/2, screenplay by Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano, Brunello Rondi. Story by Fellini, Flaiano.
88. Field Of Dreams, screenplay by Phil Alden Robinson. Based on the book by W.P. Kinsella
89. Forrest Gump, screenplay by Eric Roth. Based on the novel by Winston Groom
90. Sideways, screenplay by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor. Based on the novel by Rex Pickett
91. The Verdict, screenplay by David Mamet. Based on the novel by Barry Reed
92. Psycho, screenplay by Joseph Stefano. Based on the novel by Robert Bloch
93. Do The Right Thing, written by Spike Lee
94. Patton, screen story and screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H. North. Based on "A Soldier's Story" by Omar H. Bradley and "Patton: Ordeal and Triumph" by Ladislas Farago
95. Hannah And Her Sisters, written by Woody Allen
96. The Hustler, screenplay by Sidney Carroll & Robert Rossen. Based on the novel by Walter Tevis
97. The Searchers, screenplay by Frank S. Nugent. Based on the novel by Alan Le May
98. The Grapes Of Wrath, screenplay by Nunnally Johnson. Based on the novel by John Steinbeck
99. The Wild Bunch, screenplay by Walon Green and Sam Peckinpah. Story by Walon Green and Roy Sickner
100. Memento, screenplay by Christopher Nolan, based on the short story "Memento Mori" by Jonathan Nolan
101. Notorious, written by Ben Hecht

Great Screenwriters

A case might be made that the true cinema auteurs are screenwriters, not directors, since movies spring full-blown from the script more than anything else. But the argument soon falls apart: besides writer-directors, who REALLY are the great auteurs, there are very few screenwriters who’ve produced a body of work deserving of auteur status – i.e. revealing an enduring artistic sensibility that continues from movie to movie and earmarks them with the same stamp. The only screenwriters who spring to mind as film auteurs are a precious few: Robert Bolt, the great writer of epics for David Lean; the contemporary comic genius Charlie Kaufman (is he ever going to direct?); Horton Foote; Paddy Chayevsky; Harold Pinter; Jean-Claude Carriere; and maybe Paul Schrader and David Mamet.

Writer-directors
Joel and Ethan Coen
Billy Wilder (writing partners I.A.L. Diamond
Francis Ford Coppola
Stanley Kubrick
Joseph L. Mankiewitz
John Huston

Writers:
Jean-Claude Carriere
Charles Spaak
Jacques Prevert
Charlie Kaufman
Nunnally Johnson
Herman J. Mankiewicz
Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein,
Howard Koch
Paul Shrader
Buck Henry
Robert Towne
Mardik Martin (Scorcese)
Melissa Mathison
Terry Southern
David Newman & Robert Benton
Sydney Buchmann Mr Smith Goes to Washington, Cleopatra
Carl Foreman (High Noon
Waldo Salt
Ernest Lehman
John Michael Hayes
William Goldman
Daniel Taradash
Graham Greene
Dudley Nichols
Steve Zaillian
Ted Tally
Paddy Chayevsky
George Axelrod
Eric Roth
Alan Jay Lerner
Karl Tunberg
Charles MacArthur
Ben Hecht
Joe Eszterhas
Gloria Katz
Sylvester Stallone
Deric Washburn
Fred Guiol
Ivan Moffat
Talbot Jennings
Terry Southern
Michael Wilson
Frank S. Nugent
David Webb Peoples
William Rose
William Faulkner
Calder Willingham
Fredric Raphael
Dennis Potter (mostly TV)
Paul Haggis

Playwrights who write screenplays:
Harold Pinter
Tom Stoppard
David Mamet
Maxwell Anderson
Horton Foote
Robert Bolt

Here is an interesting piece about being a Hollywood screenwriter by Hollywood screenwriter Wesley Strick. His credits include "Cape Fear" (1991) and "Return to Paradise" (1998). His first novel, "Out There in the Dark," was published in 2006 by St. Martin's Press.

A writer unblocked: screenplays brought bigger paychecks, but the life of a novelist has its own rewards -- by Wesley Strick.

BACK IN THE LATE '90S, the Writers Guild decided that screenwriters were "America's Storytellers." The sobriquet was printed on T-shirts, coffee mugs, souvenir notepads. As a public relations campaign, it landed with a hollow thud. As a mood-elevating mantra, it was less effective than a dose of St. John's wort.

You know it's hard out here for a pimp. It's even harder, let me tell you, for a whore.

A few years ago, I called the guy at my agent's office who handles book projects to say I was taking a break from writing movies to try my hand at a novel. "When you're done, I'll send it to New York," he replied, "but probably under a false name. Publishers don't think highly of screenwriters."

As for what Hollywood thinks of novelists, it's simple: Books are things to be adapted. You've seen the Oscar category: best adapted screenplay. And "adapt" means (look it up) to change or modify — words to give a prose writer pause unless, of course, that prose writer wants to change or modify his bank account balance. Having signed both book contracts and movie contracts, I can confirm there are more zeros in the latter.

A few more differences:

YOU WRITE A BOOK knowing it's the thing itself — not a prelude to the thing. Scripts, on the other hand, are annoyingly referred to as "blueprints" for the movie. Actors mangle and paraphrase our dialogue. Directors rewrite us on the set — and, later, in the editing suite. Disappointing test screenings result in panicky reshoots.

Whether in success or failure, a film's authorship remains obscure. Never mind the oblivious public — even most movie critics can remember just one screenwriter at a time. In the dark ages (read: late '80s) it was Joe Eszterhas. Later (cue sun breaking through clouds) it was Charlie Kaufman. Right now it's Paul Haggis.

Quick — who wrote "Citizen Kane"?

WHEN YOU PEN a studio script, the goal is perpetual forward motion, at a clip; movie audiences are presumed to have the attention spans of hummingbirds. So when I'm cooking on a screenplay, I'll wake in the middle of the night and think, "Wait, I don't even need Scene 96. I can cut from the chopper touching down in the jungle to the president chewing out his national security advisor." Whereas, on my novel, I'd wake in the middle of the night and think, "I want to delve deeper into the prewar L.A. jazz scene, the weirdness and perversity of white cops mixing with black musicians." And next morning, I'd sit down and riff on that for three pages. Not that novel writing is a license to digress and waste trees. But to be freed from the tyranny of page count? What bliss.

LATE IN THE PROCESS, my editor sent me an e-mail listing 10 final areas of concern. Then he added: "This is not an all-or-nothing editorial letter. It's your book, and these are just suggestions." In two decades as a Hollywood writer, I've never had a producer or studio executive tell me, "It's your movie," or even, "It's your screenplay." Umpteen months later, I still haven't gotten around to deleting my editor's e-mail.

WITH A NOVEL, reviews start trickling in before your publishing date, taper off, then end a few weeks later. If you're lucky, you wind up with a handful. But when your film opens, every newspaper in the country gets its licks in simultaneously. If the critics don't hate your film, it's like being licked to death by cats; if they do hate your film, it's like being mugged by soccer hooligans. Further proof that movies remain (despite industry fears) a national pastime while hardcover fiction is a niche product, the home latte machine of mass culture.

Of course, most movie reviews center on the director and star, whereas a book review focuses entirely on the author. Book critics aren't likely to blame the publisher the way film critics (often rightly) fault a meddling studio; nor do fiction reviews question (or applaud) an editor's contribution. The good and bad news: A book is considered to be purely the work of its author. If a critic is lukewarm about my novel, I can insist (and I have!) that said critic didn't understand my novel. But I can't confide to my friends that some uncredited hack writer screwed up my work.

So: If you subscribe to the auteur theory, buy a book.

AS MY NOVEL has circulated around town, reactions range from "Gee, that's great" puzzlement to faux admiration ("Wow, you're a real writer now") to the suspicion that I must now be a leper in Hollywood — why else spend a year on work that pays the equivalent of what I've commanded in a half-day's worth of script doctoring?

It isn't phrased quite that way, of course. The comment usually goes something like, "Cool, I guess you got sick and tired of the whole movie thing, huh?" This always makes my palms sweat, especially if I'm out and haven't checked my phone messages or e-mail lately. Like every Hollywood drudge, I know that one day the President of Show Business (picture the love child of Jack Valenti and the Grim Reaper) will tell me it's over, it's been a good run but now I've got 24 hours to leave L.A. County.

LASTLY, the big question I'm asked is whether "it's a movie"?

Here one must be careful lest, after all that soul-cleansing work, one starts to feel like a whore again. One has to stay clearheaded and steadfast, and remind oneself that the reason one took the time and trouble to write the novel in the first place is that it wasn't a movie.

But now that the book's been out awhile, I find myself thinking, Go ahead, Hollywood: Change it, modify it. Don't be shy. Fire me, hire Steve Zaillian to adapt. Just send one of those checks with lots of zeros. And make it payable to my real name.



8. The Gonzo Guru’s Personal Favorites

The Gonzo Guru leans on a lot of expert opinion to draw up his lists, but you may want to know where his own preferences lie. We have to go back to his early moviegoing to see how the Gonz got to love the movies, and how his peculiar tastes were formed.
When he was a teenager, his local moviehouse in South Africa showed British movies like the naughty series of Carry On comedies, and the heavy movies of Ingmar Bergman and other Europeans. So that’s what the Gonz has gone for since: movies that are either very heavy or ridiculously funny.
In the early 70s, the Gonz left South Africa to go to film school in London, where he got heavily into movie-going – so heavily, he once saw 10 movies in a single day. This was before you could rent movies. He saw his first movie at 10 a.m., and one every two hours throughout the day, rushing from moviehouse to moviehouse via the subway, finally hitting a triple-bill of Frankenstein horror movies at midnight. This may be the individual movie-going record in all of pre-rental human history.
Anyway, here are the Gonz’s favorite movies from a half-century of passionate movie-going. It ranges from the heaviness of Bergman’s Persona, my favorite movie of all time, to the ridiculousness of Wayne’s World and This Is Spinal Tap.

a. Favorite American movies

1. Chimes At Midnight (Orson Welles)
2. A Woman Under The Influence (John Cassavetes)
3. All About Eve (Joseph L. Mankiewitz)
4. Singing In The Rain (Gene Kelly)
5. Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder)
6. Scarface (Brian De Palma)
7. Casablanca (Michael Curtiz)
8. A Streetcar Named Desire (Elia Kazan)
9. This Is Spinal Tap (Rob Reiner)
10. Boogie Nights (Paul Thomas Anderson)
11. Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock)
12. A Delicate Balance (Tony Richardson)
13. Monsieur Verdoux (Charlie Chaplin)
14. Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper)
15. Letter from an Unknown Woman (Max Ophuls)
16. Raging Bull (Martin Scorcese)
17. The Godfather I & II (Francis Ford Coppola)
19. Andy Warhol’s Flesh (Paul Morrissey)
20. The Wild Bunch (Sam Peckinpah)
21. Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (Russ Meyer)
22. Wayne’s World (Penelope Spheeris)
23. Point Blank (John Boorman)
24. Eraserhead (David Lynch)
25. Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick)
26. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Harold Prince and Terry Hughes), film of theatrical performance with Angela Lansbury and George Hearns.
27. Cambodia film by monologuist

b. These foreign directors warrant more than one film each

1. Sergio Leone: A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good The Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West
2. Bernardo Bertolucci: 1900, Last Tango in Paris, The Conformist
3. Luis Bunuel: L’Age D’Or, Discreet Charm of Bourgeoisie, Diary of a Chambermaid
4. Francois Truffaut: Wild Child, Two English Girls, Jules et Jim, Shoot The Piano Player
5. Carl Dreyer: Passion of Joan of Arc, Gertrud
6. Jean Renoir: Rules of the Game, Grand Illusion
7. Luchino Visconti: The Damned, Rocco and his Brothers
8. Alain Resnais: Providence, Hiroshima Mon Amour
9. Pier Paolo Pasolini: Salo, Oedipus Rex
10. Gaspar Noe: I Stand Alone, Irreversible
11. Ingmar Bergman: Persona, Cries and Whispers, The Silence, Shame, Virgin Spring, The Seventh Seal, Scenes From A Marriage, Smiles of a Summer Night

Ingmar Bergman is far and away the favorite director of the Gonz. Yes, under the populist hide of the Gonzo Guru beats the elitist heart of a high-art-lovin’ innellectuelle. But nobody probes the human heart deeper than the melancholy Swede. Nobody. NOBODY. Read the Gonz’s appreciation and watch the nine masterpieces (about three times as many masterpieces than any other great director) he mentions. If you haven’t seen them, you haven’t experiencd the best that movies can do. If you don’t want to, go drown yourself in another Steven Seagal movie.

c. Other favorite foreign movies

1. 8 1/2 (Federico Fellini)
2. The Marriage of Maria Braun (Rainer Werner Fassbinder)
3. Wings of Desire (Wim Wenders)
4. Tokyo Story (Yasujiro Ozu)
5. Diary of a Country Priest (Robert Bresson)
6. Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa)
7. La Jetee (Chris Marker)
8. La Maman et La Putain aka The Mother and the Whore (Jean Eustache)
9. Shoah (Claude Lanzmann)
10. Andrei Rublev (Andrei Tarkovsky)
11. Weekend (Jean-Luc Godard)
12. Cyrano de Bergerac (Jean-Paul Rappeneau)
13. Le Grand Bouffe (Marco Ferreri)
14. El Topo (Alejandro Jodorowski)
15. In The Realm of the Senses (Nagisa Oshima)
16. Germany Year Zero (Roberto Rossellini)

9. BEST FOREIGN MOVIES
Here’s the Gonzo Guru’s Masterlist of Fine Foreign Movies, arranged by country and in alphabetical order -- France, Italy, Germany, Scandinavia, Spain, Latin America, Russia, Eastern Europe, Switzerland, Greece & Turkey, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Korea & Vietnam & Philippines, India, Africa, Middle East, Belgium & Holland)

1. France
The nice thing about French movies is that they provide a refreshing alternative to traditional, clunky Hollywood fare. From old masters like Renoir, Cocteau and Bunuel, through New Wave firebrands like Truffaut, Godard and Rohmer (still going strong), to contemporary directors like Noe, you get a whiff of that je ne sais quois – sophistication, insouciance, worldliness – that’s quintessentially French. Also, the conversations in French movies are generally more interesting than Hollywood movie talk. France protects its movie industry with generous funding, and in France there is only one cut – the director’s cut. It is actually illegal for a French producer to interfere with the director’s cut. Could be one reason French movies are more sophistiocated than Hollywood fare – the producer don’t get a chance to dumb movies down, or cut out the idiosyuncracies of a weird director.

A Nos Amours, Maurice Pialat. Sandrine Bonnaire is a promiscuous, messed-up teen in a messed-up family.
A Nous la Liberte, Rene Claire. Bum becomes millionaire in satirical farce.
An Affair Of Love, Frederic Fonteyne. Natalie Baye has an affair with a younger man.
L’Age d’Or, Luis Bunuel (cowriter Salvador Dali). Surrealist masterpiece: subverts everything and screws with your imagination big-time.
Alias Betty, Claude Miller. Death of woman’s son leads her mother to kidnap a child to take his place. Deep thriller.
Alice And Martin, Andre Techine. Wild affair between Juliet Binoche and unstable Alexis Loret.
All the Mornings of the World, Alain Corneau. Brilliant study of relationship between student composer Guillame Depardieu and teacher in 17th century.
Alphaville, Jean-Luc Godard. Private eye Lemmy Caution in highbrow sci-fi.
Amelie, Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Waitress Audrey Tautou helps others find love in idealized Paris; her own romantic adventure is a big challenge.
And God Created Woman, Roger Vadim. The film that launched Brigitte Bardot as an international sexpot.
Autumn Tale, Eric Rohmer. Two suitors vie for Beatrice Romand’s affections.
L’Atalante, Jean Vigo. Newlyweds on Paris river barge, magical love story.
L’Argent, Robert Bresson. Innocent man framed.
Au Revoir les Enfants, Louis Malle. Jewish boy hides from Nazis in Catholic boarding school.
**********Baise-Moi, Two women on sex and crime spree.
Band Of Outsiders, Jean-Luc Godard. Anna Karina in gangster musical.
Barbarella, Roger Cadim. Jane Fonda in sci-fi sex romp.
The Battle of Austerlitz, Abel Gance. 3-hour epic of Napoleon’s big battle, with Orson Welles, Jack Palance, Claudia Cardinale, Jean-Louis Trintignant.
The Bear, Jean-Jasques Annaud. Cub and bear hunted by humans.
Le Beau Marriage, Eric Rohmer. Student tries to get the ideal man.
Beau Travail, Claire Denis. Cinematic poem about Foreign Legion; sergeant is obsessively jealous of popular recruit.
Beauty And The Beast, Jean Cocteau. Beast Jean Marais imprisons beauty Josette Day in enchanted castle. Beats Disnery version hands down.
Bed and Board, Francois Truffaut. Married Jean-Pierre Leaud starts affair.
Belle de Jour, Luis Bunuel. Housewife Catherine Deneuve finds day job as prostitute and release in humiliation.
La Belle Noiseuse, Jacques Rivette. Inspired by new model, artist Michel Piccoli starts painting again.
La Bete Humaine, Jean Renoir. Thriller with Jean Gabin.
Betty Blue, Jean-Jacques Beineix. Love story from director of Diva.
Black Orpheus, Marcel Camus. Orpheus myth set in pulsing Rio carnival.
Bob le Flambeur, Jean-Pierre Melville. Gambler Roger Duchesne plots to rob the casino at Deauville.
Blood of a Poet, Jean Cocteau. Avant-garde journey into poetic imagination.
Le Boucher (The Butcher), Claude Chabrol. Serial killer Jean Yanne butchers animals and women, yet transformed by repressed teacher Stephane Audran.
Boudu Saved From Drowning, Jean Renoir. Bourgeois family takes up bum Michel Simon as charity case.
Boyfriends And Girlfriends, Eric Rohmer. Bedroom comedy.
Breathless (A Bout de Souffle), Jean-Luc Godard. Small-time hood Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg in amoral noir that influenced everything from A Hard Day’s Night to Bonnie and Clyde to Pulp Fiction.
The Bride Wore Black, Francois Truffaut. Jeanne Moreau is out for revenge.
La Cage Aux Folles, Edouard Molinaro. Hilarious drag farce: gay couple Ugo Tognazzi and Michel Serrault pose as husband and wife to fool prospective daughter-in-law’s strait-laced parents.
Camille Claudel, Bruno Nuytten. Sculptress Isabelle Adjani’s tempestuous relationship with sculptor Rodin (Gerard Depardieu).
Celine and Julie Go Boating, Jacques Rivette. Juliet Berto and Dominique Labourier as madcap Alices in Wonderland.
Cesar, Marcel Pagnol. Raimu in 3rd part of Pagnol’s Marseilles trilogy. Beloved characters in beloved village.
Cesar et Rosalie, Claude Sautet. Romantic comedy with Yves Montand and Romy Schneider.
Le Chat, Pierre Granier Deferre. Long-married couple Simone Signoret and Jean Gabin hate each other.
La Chienne, Jean Renoir. Timid clerk Michel Simon takes up with prostitute.
Children of Paradise, Marcel Carne. Greatest love story ever told. Mime Jean-Louis Barrault loves promiscuous Arletty in 19th-century theater group.
Chocolat, Claire Denis. French woman returns to Cameroon where she was daughter of colonial governor and befriended black houseboy.
Les Choses De La Vie, Claude Sautet. Michel Piccolo and wife Lea Massari and mistress Romy Schneider in romantic tragicomedy.
The City Of Lost Children, Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro. Circus strongman Ron Perlman searches for abducted ward in fairytale world.
Claire‘s Knee, Eric Rohmer. Jean-Claude Brialy obsesses over his fiancee’s teen sister in a sophisticated comedy of sexual temptation.
Classe tous risques (The Big Risk), Claude Sautet. Gangster movie with Lino Ventura and Jean-Paul Belmondo.
The Clockmaker, Bertrand Tavernier. Philippe Noiret’s son is arrested and his life is dramatically changed.
Club Extinction, Claude Chabrol. Alan Bates is into death, Jennifer Beales is his helpmate in sci-fi thriller set in weird Germany.
Un Coeur en Hiver (A Heart in Winter), Claude Sautet. Drama of musicians with Daniel Auteuil and Emmanuelle Beart.
La Collectionneuse, Eric Rohmer. Artworld figures and nymphette.
Confidentially Yours, Francois Truffaut. Fanny Ardant on mission to clear boss Jean-Loius Trintagnant’s name in sprightly comedy.
Contempt, Jean-Luc Godard. Screenwriter Michel Piccoli’s marriage to Brigitte Bardot falls apart as trash US producer Jack Palanace fascinates her while Fritz Lang is filming The Odyssey.
Le Corbeau, Henri-Georges Ckouzot. Poison letters poison French town.
Coup de Torchon, Bertrand Tavernier. Black comedy: In African village, authority figure Philippe Noiret goes on shooting spree.
Cousin, Cousine, Jean Charles Tacchella. In a big French family, in-law cousins are attrracted to each other.
The Crime Of Monsieur Lange, Jean Renoir (writer Jacques Prevert). Black comedy: exploited workers take over publishing company.
Cyrano De Bergerac, Jean-Paul Rappeneau. Gerard Depardieu as the man with the big nose in this magnificent film version of the great French play.
Danton, Adrzej Wajda. Gerard Depardieu leads the French Revolution.
A Day In The Country, Jean Renoir. Mother and daughter are seduced.
Day For Night, Francois Truffaut. Warm look at the ups and down on a film set, with Truffaut himself as the patient director.
Les Diabolique, Henri-Georges Clouzot. Simone Signoret in perverse, pitiless shock drama of murder.
The Devil, Probably, Robert Bresson. Suicidal Antoine Monnier and the two women who try to save him.
Diary of a Chambermaid, Luis Bunuel. Jeanne Moreau works for a decadent upper-class family in 1939. Brilliant.
Diary of a Country Priest, Robert Bresson. Young priest suffers and sickens when his parishioners don’t trust his piety.
Delicatessen, Jean-Pierre Jounet & Narc Caro. Brilliantly inventive comedy about cannibalism.
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, Luis Bunuel. Smug Parisians Fernando Rey, Delphine Seyrig, Stephane Audran, Bulle Ogier, Jean-Pierre Cassel and Michel Piccoli try to have dinner, but are interrupted by terrorist attacks, army invasions, sexual liaisons, dream sequences, etc. Hilarious.
Diva, Jean-Jacques Beineix. Enchanting comic thriller about a messenger, an opera star, punks and cops.
The Double Life of Veronique, Krzysztof Kieslowski. Irene Jacob plays two women who live separate but parellel lives.
The Dreamlife of Angels, Erick Zonca. Elodie Bouchez and Natasha Regnier become close friends, but then one falls for an insensitive guy.
Dry Cleaning, Anne Fontaine. Strait-laced couple attracted to drag queen.
The Earrings of Madame de … Max Ophuls. In 19th century France, the comic intrigue of wife Danielle Darrieux, husband Charles Boyer and lover Vittoria de Sica turns to high romance and tragedy.
East/West, Regis Wargnier. Epic about the return of a Russian expat family to Russia in 1946 and their encounters with the bizarreness of Stalinism.
8 Women, Francois Ozon. A bevy of French female stars (Catherine Deneuve, Issabelle Huppert, Emmanuelle Beart, Fanny Ardant, etc) in a barbed murder mystery.
The Elegant Criminal, Francis Girod. Story of real-life 19th century popular mass murderer.
The Elusive Corporal, Jean Renoir. Jean-Pierre Cassel tries to escape from WW2 prison camp in gentle comedy.
Elena and her Men, Jean Renoir. Ingrid Bergman has to choose between two lovers in 1880s Paris.
Les Enfants Terribles, Jean-Pierre Melville (writer Jean Cocteau). Brother and sister in love. Stunning.
L’Enfer, Claude Chabriol (writer Henri-Georges Clouzot). Jeakous husband descends into crazy extremes.
Entre Nous, Diane Kurys. Housewife Issabelle Huppert is jolted out of numb existence by bohemian Miou-Miou.
L’Etat Sauvage, Francis Girod. Political thriller: French couple in African ex-colony, wife has affair with Minister.
The Eternal Return, Jean Delannoy (writer Jean Cocteau). Jean Marais arranges marriage for uncle with beautiful Madeleine Sologne, then falls in love with her.
Eyes Without a Face, Georges Franju. Classic horror: plastic surgeon tires to restore daughter’s mutilated face by taking the faces of kidnapped women.
Fahrenheit 451, Francois Truffaut. Oskar Werner and Julie Christie in a book-burning sci-fi future.
Fanny, Marc Allegret (writer Marcel Pagno). Part two of Pagnol’s Marseilles trilogy. Raimu helps Fanny, deserted by his son.
Fantastic Planet, Rene Laloux. Highly inventive animated sci-fi about people as tiny pets.
Farinelli, Gerard Corbiau. Real-life castrato singer Farinelli and Handel.
La Femme Nikita, Luc Besson. Glossy all-action thriller about heroin punk Anne Parillaud transformed into sleek assassin.
Field Of Honor, Jean-Pierre Denis. Rich man pays farmer’s boy to take his son’s palce in army and face war.
The Fire Within (Le Feu Follet), Louis Malle). Ex-bon vivant Maurice Ronet looks for reasons to live.
First Name: Carmen (1983), Jean-Luc Godard. Godard in weirder than usual mode. The lusty Gypsy Carmen is a bank-robber, revolutionary and filmmaker.
Forbidden Games, Rene Clement. In occupied Paris, an orphan girl and a peasant boy enact rituals of cruelty. Brilliant.
The 400 Blows, Francois Truffaut. Young boy Jean-Pierre Leaud’s coming-of-age in an indifferent world. Brilliant first feature from Truffaut.
Frantic, Louis Malle. Thriller about Jeanne Moreau and Maurice Ronet trapped in crimes they didn’t commit.
French Can-Can, Jean Renoir. Jean Gabin launches Moulin Rouge.
A Gentle Woman (Une Femme Douce), Robert Bresson. Husband recounts story of orphan wife Dominique Sanda up to her suicide at start of film.
Germinal, Claude Berri. Gerard Depardieu and Miou-Miou as couple.in coal miners revolt in 19th century France.
Gervaise, Rene Clement. Hard life of Maria Schell as laundry woman in 19th century Paris.
Get Out Your Handkerchiefs, Bertrand Blier. Doting husband Patrick Dewaere tries ménage-a-trois with Gerard Depardieu to perk wife Carole Laure up, but nothing works till a 13-year-old boy appears on scene.
*******The Gleaners and I, Agnes Varda.
The Golden Coach, Jean Renoir. Anna Magnani in troupe of traveling players, loved by many.
Going Places, Bertrand Blier. Gerald Depardieu and Patrick Dewaere on crime spree, till they’re brought up short by beautiful ex-convict Miou-Miou.
*****A Good Marriage, Eric Rohmer. (Beatrice Romand, Andre Dussollier)
Le Grand Chemin, Jean-Loup Hubert. Parisian boy in the country with bickering couple and precocious tomboy.
Grand Illusion, Jean Renoir. Jean Gabin and Pierre Fresnay in POW camp run by German aristocrat Erich von Stroheim. Greatest anti-war movie ever.
Le Grande Bouffe, Marco Ferreri. Bored professionals Marcello Mastroianni, Ugo Tognazzi, Miucxhel Piccoli and Philippe Noiret decide to eat themselesv to death. Amazing.
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, Laetitia Colombani. Art student Audrey Tautou falls in love with married doctor Samuel Le Bihan whose life falls apart.
Harvest, Marcel Pagnol. Hunter Fernandel and cabaret singer Orane Demazis struggle on farm in mountain village.
Hate (La Haine), Mathieu Kassovitz. A night of violence on Paris streets for three youngsters – black, Arab, Jew – after a big riot.
Head Against The Wall (La Tete Contre Les Murs), George Franju. Pierre Mocky escapes from asylum to find his girlfriend.
Herdsmen of the Sun, Werner Herzog. Documentary about Saharan tribe where young men in extravagant makeup compete in a beauty pageant judged by the women.
Hiroshima Mon Amour, Alain Resnais (writer Margueite Duras). Japanese man and French woman have affair and recall Hiroshima and Nazis.
The Holes (Les Gaspards), Pierre Tchernia. Mole people living in caves and tunnels under Paris streets defend their underground way of life against the Minister of Public Works.
Horse Of Pride, Claude Chabrol. Four seasons of life in a poor Breton village.
Irreversible
The Horseman On The Roof (Le Hussard Sur Le Toit), Jean-Pierre Rappeneau. Epic journey of Olivier Martinez and Julite Binoche through France during cholera epidemic of 1832.
Humanite, Bruno Dumont. Police inspector investigates murder; shows his isolation in slow unfolding of vignettes.
Idi Amin Dada, Barbet Shroeder. Documentary about Idi Akmin, the Ugandan dictator, shot whilke he was still in power – a smiling face of evil.
If She Says Yes, I Won’t Say No, Claude Vital & Marcel Julina. A ménage a quatre -- one women and three men.
Indochine, Regis Wargnier. In war-torn Indochina, Catherine Deneuve and her adopted Indochinese daughter fall in love with the same man. Grand epic.
Irma Vep, Oliver Assayas. Maggie Cheung plays herself in satirical movie about making a remake of the old silent French serial Les Vampires.
********Irreversible, Noe.
Is Paris Burning? Rene Clement. Jean-Paul Belmondo, Kirk Douglas, Simone Signoret, Orson Welles, Yves Montand in liberation of Paris.
The Italian Straw Hat, Rene Clair. Silent farce about a groom frantically searching for a hat.
Ivan and Abraham, Yolande Zauberman. Jewish and Christian boys run away from their 1930s Polish shtetl when forbidden to see each other.
J’Accuse, Abel Gance. Anti-war epic from the director who made Napoleon.
Jacquat, Agnes Varda. The story of director Jacques Demy.
Jean De Florette, Claude Berri. Yves Montand schemes to cheat neighbor Gerard Depardieu out of his property.
Jour de Fete, Jacques Tati. Farce -- bumbling mailman tries to modernize.
Le Jour Se Leve, Marcel Carne. Murderer Jean Gabin holes up in room with gun, fed up with terrible world.
The Judge and the Assassin, Bertrand Tavernier. Judge Philippe Noiret tries to prove that crazy killer is sane and therefore guilty.
Jules et Jim, Fancois Truffaut. Jeanne Moreau leads best friends Oskar Werner and Henri Serre a merry dance in romantic masterpiece. Stunning.
Le Jupon Rouge, Henevieve Lefebvre. The changing relationship of three very different women.
King Of Hearts, Philippe de Broca. Alan Bates is a soldier sent to a French village inhabited by lunatics. Warm and funny.
Koko: A Talking Gorilla, Barbet Schroeder. Documentary about simian taught to communicate in sign language.
The Lacemaker, Claude Goretta. Young Isabelle Huppert and Yves Beneyton fall in love on vacation; back in Paris differences emerge.
Lacombe Lucien, Louis Malle. Young boy in war-torn Paris.
The Last Metro, Francois Truffaut. Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu as members of acting troupe in occupied Paris.
Last Year at Marienbad, Alain Resnais (writer Alain Robbe-Grillet). Enigmatic movie of memory: Giorgio Albertazzi can’t remember where or whether he and Delphine Seyrig had an affair. Quintessential art movie.
Law Breakers (Le Assassins de L’Ordre), Marcel Carne. Judge Jacqueas Brel investigates death of suspect at hands of police.
La Lectrice (The Reader), Michel Deville. Miou-Miou reads her husband the story of a woman who reads stories for people who can’t read. Bizarre fun.
Leon: The Professional, Luc Besson. 12-year-old Natalie Portman asks hitman Jean Reno to avenge the murder of her folks in action thriller.
Leon Morin, Preist, Jean-Pierre Melville. Priest Jean-Paul Belmondo converst Communist Emmanuelle Riva to Catholicism.
Les Miserables, Claude Lelouch. In occupied France, Jean-Paul Belmondo helps Jewish family flee to Switzerland; they read him Victor Hugo’s novel which springs to life, drawing many parallels.
Letters From My Windmill, Marcel Pagnol. Three tales from a French master.
Life And Nothing But, Bertrand Tavernier. Two women ask army officer Philippe Noiret to help them find their missing husbands after WW1.
Life Is A Long Quiet River, Eteinne Chatillez. When it’s discovered that a bourgeois family’s son was switched with a vulgar, poor family’s daughter when they were babies, a farce ensues.
The Life Of Jesus, Bruno Dumont. Alienated French and Arab youths.
The Little Theater of Jean Renoir, Jean Renoir. Three tales from the French master.
Lola, Jacques Demy. Anouk Aimee and three men in fairy-tale romance in gritty seaport.
Lola Montes, Max Ophuls. Now an act in a Viennese circus, the 19th-century adventuress and courtesan Lola Montes (Martine Carol) reenacts her exploits.
LouLou, Maurice Pialat. Housewife Isabelle Huppert is seduced by wild man Gerard Depardieu into sexual excess.
142. Love in the Afternoon, Eric Rohmer
Love On The Run, Francois Truffaut. Final instalment of Doinel series with Jean-Pierre Leaud, now mature.
Love Without Pity, Eric Rachout. Carefree seducer meets his match and is eaten up by jealousy.
The Lover, Jean-Jacques Annaud. Marguetite Duras’ story about her seduction as a French schoolgirl by a rich Chinese man in Vietnam.
The Lovers, Louis Malle. Bored housewife Jeanne Moreau meets young student.
Lucie Aubrac, Claude Berri. True story of French woman who plans escape of her Resistance husband from Nazi imprisonment.
Lumiere, Jeanne Moreau. The lives of four variously aged women in Paris, directed by the fanous star.
Madame Butterfly, Frederic Mitterand. Film version of Puccini’s opera of young Japanese girl and shallow Lt. Pinkerton.
Madame Rosa, Moshe Mizrahi. Holocaust victim and ex-prostitute Simone Signoret looks after Arab boy.
Mademoiselle, Tony Richardson (writer Jean Genet). Scheming Jeanne Moreau poisons animals in town and innocent Ettore Manni is suspected.
A Man and a Woman, Claude Lelouch. Anouk Aimee and jean-Louis Trintignant, both widowed, in a highly romantic love story. Great theme song.
A Man Escaped, Robert Bresson. Resistance fighter in prison cell plots escape.
The Man From Nowhere (L’Homme de Nulle Part), Pierre Chenal. Man thought of as dead begins new life, but new identity brings new challenges.
The Man In The Silk Hat, Maud Linder. Famous French comic Max Linder is remembered by his daughter.
The Man Who Loved Women, Francois Truffaut. Portrait of a womanizer.
Manon Of The Spring, Claude Berri. Emmanuelle Beart is out to get back the farm her father was cheated out of by neighbor Yves Montand.
Marius, Alexander Korda, Part 1 of Marcel Pagnol’s Marseilles Trilogy. Raimu’s son leaves Fanny who finds herself pregnant. Great characters.
Marquis, Henru Xhonneux. Marquis de Sade in the Bastille but done in animal costumes. The Marquis is a dog. Includes his penis as a character. Quite unbelievable.
A Married Woman (Une Femme Mariee), Jean-Luc Godard. One of Godard’s film that are more essay than film.
La Marsellaise, Jean Renoir. Epic of the French Revolution.
La Maternelle, Jean Renoit-Levy & Maria Epstein. An ex-society woman takes in a child abandoned by single mom.
Masculin Feminin, Jean-Luc Godard. The youthful mating game in Paris with Jean-Pierre Leaud and Brigittte Bardot.
A Matter Of Taste, Bernard Rapp. Rich man appoints younger man as his food taster, and they become enmeshed in power games.
Mauvaise Graine, Alexander Eaway & Billy Wilder. Wilder made this movie before he went to Hollywood. In 30s Paris, a young man gets mixed up car thieves.
Max Mon Amour, Nagisa Oshima. Diplomat wife Charlotte Rampling has affair with chimpanzee.
Mayerling, Anatole Litvak. Charles Boyer is the Crown Prince who falls for Danielle Darrieux.
Menage, Bertrand Blier. Gerard Depardieu invites husband Michel Blanc and wife Miou-Miou on burglary spree, and falls in love with husband.
Merci Pour Le Chocolat, Claude Chabrol. Murder in the family.
Microcosmos, Claude Nuridsany & Marie Perennou. Stunning documentary about insect life.
The Milky Way, Luis Bunuel. Two tramps meet Virgin Mary, Jesus and Marquis De Sade in send-up of Christian dogma.
Le Million, Rene Clair. Musical comedy: young lovers in search of winning lottery ticket lost in pawned pants.
Mina Tannenbaum, Martine Dugowson. Two women, art, feminism, family.
Mr. Hulot’s Holiday, Jacques Tati. Farcical vacation.
Mr. Klein, Joseph Losey. Anti-Semite Alain Delon mistaken for Jew.
*****Moderato Cantabile,
Mon Oncle, Jacques Tati. Slapstick with Mr. Hulot contending with gadgets in house.
Mon Oncle D’Amerique, Alain Resnais. Gerard Depardieu in metaphysical comedy of human existence.
Mondo, Tony Gatlif. Gypsy boy in Nice.
Monsieur Hire, Patrice Leconte. Thriller about voyeur suspected of murder.
Monsieur Vincent, Leon Carre. Pierre Fresnay portrays St. Vincent de Paul, a man who devoted his life to the poor.
The Mother and the Whore, Jean Eustache. Jean-Pierre Leaud and his relationship with mother figure Bernadette Lafont and whore figure Francoise Lebrun. Epic exploration of man and woman.
Mouchette, Robert Bresson. Stark, classic tale of peasant girl as victim.
Muriel, Alain Resnais. Delphine Seyrig takes up with lover of 20 years ago to rejuvenate her current situation.
Murmur of the Heart, Louis Malle. Sunny comedy about 14-year-old’s coming-of-age with sexy mom Lea Massari.
My Father’s Glory, Yves Robert. Writer Marcel Pagnol’s boyhood at 11 in rural France.
My Favorite Season (Ma Saison Preferee), Andre Techine. Sister surgeon Catherine Deneuve and incest-minded brother lawyer Damile Auteuil care for sick mom.
My Life And Times With Antonin Artaud, Gerard Mordillat. Young poet Jacques Prevert meets playwright Artaud.
My Life to Live (Vivre sa vie), Jean-Luc Godard. Shop assistant Anna Karina tries prostitution.
My Night At Maud’s, Eric Rohmer. Catholic Jean-Louis Trintignant invited by sexy Francoise Fabian to spend night.
My Other Husband, Georges Lautner. Miou-Miou has husband in Paris, lover and in country, and kids in both places.
The Mystery of Alexina, Rene Feret. Teacher falls in love with girl, discovers she’s a man.
The Mystery of Picasso, Henri-Georges Clouzot. Picasso paints 15 pictures in bvravura display. The screen becomes the canvas on which Picasso works. Amazing.
The Name Of The Rose, Jean-Jacques Annaud. Monk Sean Connery investigates murders in medieval monastery.
Napoleon, Abel Gance. Grand, epic life, amazing film-making. Includes Antonin Artaud as Marat.
Nelly and Monsieur Arnaud, Claude Sautet. Emmanuelle Beart helps judge Michel Serrault write his memoirs, tensions follow.
Night And Day, Chantal Akerman. Woman and two men in post-feminist comedy.
Night and Fog, Alain Resnais. Rumination about Auschwitz. Stunning.
Notebook on Cities and Clothes, Wim Wenders. Documentary about fashion designer Yanamoto.
La Nuit de de Varennes, Ettore Scola. It’s the French Revolution, and Marcello Mastroianni (Casanova), Harvey Keitel (Thomas Paine), Hannah Schygulla and Jean-Louis Barrault are there.
The Nun (La Religieuse), Jacquette Rivette. Nun Anna Karina refuses to take her vows and is victimzed.
The Old Gun, Robert Enrico. Germans take over Philippe Noiret’s estate in WW2, and he’s out for revenge.
One Sings, The Other Doesn’t, Agnes Varda. Two women in Paris in 60s and 70s – feminine, feminist saga.
Orpheus, Jean Cocteau. Jean Marais in Orpheus update. Stunning masterpiece.
A Pain In The A-, Edouard Molinaro. The singer’songwriter Jacques Brel stars in comedy about hitman and suicidal salesman.
Panique (Panic), Julien Duvivier. Man framed in Paris slums after WW2.
Pardon Mon Affaire, Yves Robert. Sexual adventures or four friends in Paris.
Les Parents Terribles, Jean Cocteau. Father and son Jean Marais in love with Josette Day; Cocteau’s film of his great play.
Paris Belongs To Us, Jacques Rivette. Amatuers produce Shakespeare’s Pericles and much goes haywire.
Partisans of Vilna, Josh Waltezky. Powerful documentary of Jewish Resistance against Nazis in Vilna ghetto.
The Passion of Joan of Arc, Carl Dreyer. Maria Falconetti in greatest silent film ever, based on original transcripts of Joan’s trial.
Pauline At The Beach, Eric Rohmer. Witty sex comedy – precocious girl, beautiful cousin, and men.
Pepe Le Moko, Julien Duvivier. Gangster Jean Gabin in Casbah.
Peppermint Soda, Diane Kurys. Two teenage girls in 60s Paris.
Le Petit Amour, Agnes Varada. 40-year-old woman starts affair with 15-year-old.
Phantom of Liberty, Luis Bunuel. Irreverent comedy tweaks class, and love.
Phedre, Pierre Jourdan. Racine’s tragedy of Phedre’s love for her stepson.
The Pianist, Roman Polanski. Adrien Brody as Jewish pianist who survives Nazis.
Pickpocket, Robert Bresson. Masterful portrait of a petty criminal.
Pierrot le Fou, Jean-Luc Godard. Jean-Paul Belmondo and Anna Karina on the run.
Le Plaisir, Max Ophuls. Three De Maupassant stoiries about pleasure.
Playtime, Jacques Tati. Slapstick Mr. Hulot in a modern Paris.
Police, Maurice Pialat. Rough cop Gerard Depardieu vs. African drug gang.
Ponette, Jacques Dillon. 4-year-old girl deals with mother’s death.
Practice Makes Perfect (Le Caualeur), Philippe de Broca. Comedy about womanizing pianist.
Princess Tam Tam, Edmond Greville. French novelist enchanted by Josephine Baker, who conquers Paris.
Prix de Beaute, Augusto Genina (co-writer Rene Clair). In her last film, Louise Brooks enters beauty contest. Edith Piaf does the singing voice.
Providence, Alain Resnais. John Gielgud in portrait of novelist. Brilliant.
A Pure Formality, Guiseppe Tornatore. Suspect Gerard Depardieu vs. police inspector Roman Polanski.
Purple Noon, Rene Clement. Brilliant thriller in which Alain Delon takes over Maurice Ronet’s life.
Queen Margot, Patrice Chereau. Epic drama of St. Batholomew’s Day massacre.of Protestants by Catholics and a scheming queen Isabelle Adjani.
Quest For Fire, Jean-Jacques Annaud. Prehistoric man in epic quest. Convincing and amazing.
Ramparts of Clay, Jean-Louis Bertucelli. Young woman vs. oppressive customs in Tunisian village.
Raoni: The Fight for the Amazon, Jean-Pierre Dutilleux. Struggle of rainforest tribe against destructive land grabs of Brazilian government.
Read My Lips, Jacques Audiard. Lonely employee Emmanuelle Devos hires thief Vincent Cassel in compelling thriller.
Red, Krzysztof Kieslowski. Last part of Color Trilogy. Ex-judge Jean-Louis Trintignant and model Irene Jacob.
The Red Balloon, Albert Lamorisse. Balloon follows French boy around Paris: enchanting, classic short for kids and grownups.
Red Kiss, Vera Belmont. Teenage girl enamored of Comunist politics is introduced to world of fashion by shallow photographer.
The Respectful Prostitute, Chazrles Brabant & Marcel Pagliero. Based on play by Jean-Paul Sartre. In Deep South, the law tries to get white woman to recant testimony that Senator’s son murdered black man.
The Return of Martin Guerre, Daniel Vigne. Missing man returns to wife and village, identity gets doubted.
Ridicule, Patrice Leconte. Country boy becomes court favorite through witty repartee.
Rififi, Jules Dassin. Heist film par excellence. Heist itself takes place in 25 supertense minutes of absolute silence.
The Rise To Power Of Louis XIV, Robertto Rossellini. Amazing made-for-TV historical drama.
Roads to the South, Joseph Losey. Screenwriter Yves Montand returns to Spain to fight fascism.
Romance, Catherine Breillat. In explicit sexual exploration, Caroline Trouselard attempts sex without love.
La Ronde, Max Ophuls. Ten linked tales of changing partners in love.
Rosetta, Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne. Young teen tries to keep herself and her prostitute mother from desitution.
Round Midnight, Bertrand Tervnier. American sax player in Paris.
Rules of the Game, Jean Renoir. Satire of goings-on of aristocrats, servants and lovers in one crazy country chateau weekend party on eve of WW2. Always voted among top five movies of all time.
La Rue Sans Nom (1933), Chenal.
Sacco and Vanzetti, Giuliano Montaldo. 1920 trial of Italian anarchists in US.
Le Samourai, Jean-Pierre Melville. French gangster classic about hitman Alain Delon, the cops, and two women.
Savage Nights (Les Nuite Fauves), Cyril Collard. Director stars in AIDS drama roughly based on own life; he died not long after.
197. Repulsion, Roman Polanski. Cerebral horror: beautiful manicurist Catherine Deneuve goes crazy in her apartment.
A Sense Of Loss, Marcel Ophuls. Documentary about Northern Ireland tragedy madew in 1978.
The Shameless Old Lady, Rene Allio. A 70-year-old woman kicks up her heels and grabs life by the throat.
The Sheep Has Five Legs, Henri Verneull. Fernandel plays a father and his five quintuplet sons in this great comedy.
Shoot The Piano Player, Francois Truffaut. Charles Aznavour in a mob comedy. One of Truffaut’s very best.
A Simple Story, Claude Sautet. Designer Romy Schneider in a mid-life crisis.
Sitcom, Francois Ozon. Satirte about bourgeois family that falls apart when Dad brings home a pet rat.
The Sky Above, The Mud Below, Pierre-Dominique Gaisseau. Documentary about dangerous trek of anthropologists through New Guinea into brutal past of humankind. Headhunters, wild beasts, death.
Small Change, Francois Truffaut. The lives of school children.
Sorceress, Suzanne Schiffman. In 13th century, a monk hunting heretics tangles with a forest woman who administers herbs to villagers.
The Sorrow And The Pity, Marcel Ophuls. The documentary masterpiece about occupied France and its collaboration with Hitler’s extermination of the Jews.
State Of Siege, Constantin Costa-Gravas. Yves Montand in drama about US deadly meddling in Latin America.
Stavisky, Alain Resnais. Jean-Paul Belmondo as a conman whose swindle reaches into high-up government officials in pre-war France.
Stolen Kisses, Francois Truffaut. Jean-Pierre Leaud and romance in part three of the Antoine Doinel series.
The Story of Adele H, Francois Truffaut. Isabelle Adjani is Victor Hugo’s doctor obsessed with bastard in the French military.
Story of Women, Claude Chabrol. Isabelle Huppert is an abortionist arrested in Vichy France.
Stowaway in the Sky, Albert Lamorisse. Fable for children and adults narrated by Jack Lemmon: France seen from a hot-air balloon with comic relief.
Subway, Luc Besson. Christopher Lambert, Isabelle Adjani, misfits, a car chase, and the Paris underground.
Summer, Eric Rohmer. Marfie Riviere is lonely even on vacation.
A Sunday In The Country, Bertrand Tavernier. Painter is visited by his children; big themes.
Sundays and Cybele, Serge Bourguignon. Hardy Kruger as an old man who befriends an orphan girl.
Swann in Love, Volker Schlondorf. Jeremy Irons as the cultured Swann who falls for a courtesan.
The Swashbuckler, Jean-Paul Rappeneau. Jean-Paul Belmondo gets mixed up in the America Revolution.
Sweet Movie, Dusan Makavejev. Miss World fights off lust from various comers in an outrageous comedy.
Swimming Pool, Francois Ozon. Repressed Charlotte Rampling learns about sexual licence from young and luscious Ludivine Sagnier.
A Tale Of Springtime, Eric Rohmer. Daughter schemes to steer father into romance with her friend.
A Tale Of Winter, Eric Rohmer. Summer romance over, will they meet again?
The Tall Blond Man With One Black Shoe, Yves Robert. Hilarious French farce about spies.
The Testament Of Orpheus, Jean Cocteau. Cocteau stars in meditation on the artist and his art. With Jean Marais, Pablo Picasso, Yul Brynner, Charles Aznavour.
That Obscure Object Of Desire, Luis Bunuel. Fernando Rey falls for younger woman in surreal comedy.
Therese, Alain Cavalier. The life of a teenage girl who became a saint.
Therese and Isabelle, Radley Metzger. Two girls have affair in Catholic girls school.
Thieves (Les Voleurs), Andre Techine. Mystery with professor Catherine Deneuve, cop Daniel Auteuil and student Laurence Cote.
This Man Must Die, Claude Chabrol. Man after hit-and-run-killer of his son.
This Sweet Sickness, Clade Miller. Gerard Depardieu totally obsessd with former lover even though Miou-Miou loves him.
Those Who Love Me Can Take The Train, Patrice Chereau. The deceased has willed his mourners to take a train with his coffin, and all sort of things happen on board.
317th Platoon, Pierre Schoendoerffer. War tragedy in 1954 Southeast Asia.
Three Men And A Cradle, Coline Serreau. Womanizing bachelors find baby at door.
Time Out, Laurent Cantet. Man loses job but can’t tell family, hangs out in office lobbies.
Toni, Jean Renoir. Four Italian immigrant miners in Marseilles.
Too Beautifukl For You, Bertrand Blier. Gerard Dep[ardieu has everything, including stunning wife, but falls for frumpish secretary.
Topaze, Louis Gasnier. Swindled tries to swindle the swindler in film of Marcel Pagnol play.
Traffic, Jacques Tati. Mrf. Hulot tries to take car by from France to Holland for auto show.
Two English Girls, Francois Truffaut. Jean-Pierre Leaud romances two women in one of Truffaut’s best.
The Two Of Us, Claude Berri. Anti-semitic Michel Sdimon befriends Jewish boy in WW2.
The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg, Jacques Demi. First love between young Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castlenuovo with all dialogue sung.
Under The Roofs Of Paris, Rene Clair. 1920s Pris street life love triangle.
Under The Sand, Francois Ozon. Charlotte Rampling dislocated after husband’s disappearance.
Under The Sun Of Satan, Maurice Pialat. Priest Gerard Depardieu invigorated by pregnant teen’s murder of her lover.
Va Savoir, Jacques Rivette. Six characters breezily in search of love.
Vagabond, Agnes Varda. Powerful film about dead teen and her final days.
The Valley (Obscured By Clouds), Barbet Shroder. Bored wife Bulle Ogier ventures into New Guinea and meets tribesman, has epiphany.
Van Gogh, Maurice Pialat. Van Gogh as less tortured than conscience-stricken.
The Vertical Ray Of The Sun, Tran Anh Sung. Three sisters in Hanoi.
La Vie Continue, Moshe Mixrahi. Annie GirardotHusband dies, life starts again.
Vincent, Francois, Paul And The Others, Claude Sautet. Male mid-liofe crisis over weekend in country.
Les Violons Du Bal, Michel Drach. Director tries to raise money for film that we’re watching about Jewish child in Nazi France.
Les Visiteur Du Soir, Marcel Carne. Written by Jacques Prevert. The devil sends two people to corrupt young lovers in 15th century.
Volpone, Maurice Tiourneur. 16th century fakes dying to see how his friends vie over his inheritance, based on Ben Jonson play.
Voyage Surprise, Pietter Prevert. Written by brother Jacques Prevert. Magical mystery bus tour.
The Wages Of Fear, Henri-Georges Clouzot. Classic thriller of Yves Montand driving easily explosive load over bumpy mountain road.
The Wanderer (Le Gran Meaulnes), Jean-Gabriel Albiococco. Young boy meets mysterious beauty, who vanishes.
Wedding in Blood, Claude Chabrol. Husband and wife Michel Piccoli and Stephanie Audran plot to murder each other.
Weekend, Jean-Luc Goard. Worst road trip ever. All-ouit classic attack on bourgeoisie.
The Welldigger’s Daughter, Marcel Pagnol. Peasant Raimu’s daughter pregnant by man who’s off to war.
What Time Is It There? Tsai Ming-Liang. Deadpan comedic alienation about watch seller and woman who buys watch from him.
When The Cat’s Away, Cedric Klapisch. Woman loses cat, and hunt is on.
White, Krzystzof Kieslowski. Second of Colors trilogy. Polish hairdresser finds love in Paris, and then loses it.
Widow Coudorc, Pierre Granier-Deferre. Lonely Simone Signorte falls in love with escaped convict.
The Widow of Saint-Pierre, Patrice Leconte. While island waits for guillotine to arrive, cpiatal punishment is debated, and condemned man integrates into community.
Wild Reeds, Andre Techine. Gay first love against bacdrop of French/Algerian conflict.
Window Shopping, Chantal Akerman. Musical set in Paris shopping mall. Delphine Seyrig besiegd by suitors.
Winged Migration, Jacques Perrin. Brilliant documentary about birds – you literally fly with them.
Wolf At The Door, Henning Carlsen. Donald Sutherland as Paul Gaug\uin, back in Paris from Tahiti.
A Woman At Her Window, Pierre Granier-Deferre. Ambassador’s wife Romy Schneider in 1936 Greece protects activist.
A Woman Is A Woman, Jean-Luc Godard. Striptease artist Anna Karina in zany musical.
Z, Constantin Costa-Gravas. Yves Montain in political thriller about repressive Greek government.
Zazie Dans Le Metro, Louis Malle. Wild, frenetic comedy with potty-mouthed teen heroine.
Zero For Conduct (Zero de Conduite), Jean Vigo. Classic film about schoolboy revolt.
Zig Zag Story, Patrick Schulmann. Sex comedy, lots of nudity.


198. Rififi, Jules Dassin*
201. La Roue, Abel Gance. Silent classic: over-the-top love story about a locomotive driver
202. The Rules of the Game, Jean Renoir. Satire about aristocrats, servants and lovers’ shenanigans in one crazy country chateau weekend party on eve of WW2. Always on list of top 10 films of all time.
205.
218. Shoah, Claude Lanzmann. Ultimate documentary about Nazi death camps.
Shoot the Piano Player (1960), France
231. Sunday In The Country, Bertrand Tavernier*
232. Sundays And Cybele – (1962, France) (Hardy Kruger, Patricia Gozzi)
234. A Tale Of Winter, Eric Rohmer*
235. Three Colors Trilogy, Krzysztof Kieslowski. Explorations of liberty, equality and fraternity in three films named for colors of French flag, Blue (with Juliette Binoche), White and Red.
241. Two English Girls, Francois Truffaut. Kiki Markham and Stacey Tendeter get involved with Frenchman Jean-Pierre Leaud.
245. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Jacques Demy. The young Catherine Deneuve in an enchanting story of lovers split up by Algerian war who meet again. Dialogue is sung to Michel Legrand music.
247. Vagabond, Agnes Varda. Sandrine Bonnaire drops out of Parisian society and roams French countryside as free vagabond waif.
249. Vénus beauté (institut), Tonie Marshall. The ladies of Venus Beauty Institute Nathalie Baye, Bulle Ogier and Audrey Tautou search for love and happiness.
252. The Wages of Fear, Henri-Georges Clouzot. Yves Montand and Charles Vanel agree to drive two trucks filled with nitroglycerine that could explode at the slightest bump for 300 miles over treacherous roads to get out of hellhole. Nail-biting thriller.
254. Weekend, Jean-Luc Godard. Life is one long traffic jam in a modern society where cynicism and cannibalism reigh supreme. Totally mordant.
255. The Wild Child, Jacques Truffaut. Wolf child is humanized by dedicated French scientist.
261. With a Friend Like Harry, Dominik Moll. A long-forgotten high school acquaintance worms his way into lives of old classmate and his wife, dire chills and spills to follow.
267. Zazie dans le Metro, Louis Malle. Trash-talking teenage girl in Paris.
268. Zero de Conduit, Jean Vigo. Four kids rebel against boarding school’s oppressive rules and provoke a revolution.

2. Italy
Italian movies often exhibit many degrees of over-the-top exuberance and extravagance. The word operatic springs to mind. Italian movies can range from lustiness (Fellini) to anomie (Antonioni), and have spawned the world’s sexiest actresses (Sophia Loren, Anna Magnani, Gina Lollobrigida, Monica Vitti). The Gonzo Guru’s favorite Italian director is Pasolini.

Accattone! Pier Paolo Pasolini. Thief, beggar and pimp ‘The Scrounger’ Franco Citti loves Stella, tries to reform her, fails.
Allegro Non Troppo, Bruno Bozzetto. Disney’s Fantasia, Italian-style.
Allonsanfan, Paolo & Vittorio Taviani. Marcello Mastroianni has to choose between revolution and bourgeoisie.
Amarcord, Federico Fellini. Small Italian town-life, based on Fellini’s own childhood. Warm and wonderful.
Arabian Nights, Pier Paolo Pasolini. Sex from the 9th century to the Renaissance. Bawdy and funny. One of Pasolini’s Trilogy of Life; the others are The Decameron and The Canterbury Tales.
L’Avventura, Michelangelo Antonion. Classic study of ennui and existential despair among Italian upper-middle class. With the beautiful Moinica Vitti.
Le Bal, Ettore Scola. 50 years of 20th century history set in a Paris dance hall. All music, no dialogue.
Before The Revolution, Bertnardo Betrolucci. Young man flirtation with aunt and Communism.
Bellisimo, Gianfranco Mingozzi. Documentary of Italian film, 1940s to 80s.
The Berlin Affair, Liliana Cavani. Japanese woman in 1938 seduces and screws up three lives.
Besieged, Bernardo Bertolucci. The director’s brand of eroticism and politics played out between African housekeeper Thandi Newton and composer David Thewlis.
The Bicycle Thief, Vittorio de Sica. Neorealist classic. A stolen bicycle destroys a man’s livelihood, and he searches for it with his son.
Il Bidone (The Swindlers), Federico Fellini. Three con men impersonate priests. Together with La Strada and Nights of Cabiria, this film is a trilogy of Fellini about people on the margins living the tough life of the road.
Big Deal On Madonna Street, Mario Monticelli. Totally hilarious comedy about thieves bungling a robbery. With Mastroianni, Gassman, Cardinale.
The Bird With The Crystal Plumage, Dario Argento. The horror meister’s first movie about a killer.
Black Sunday, Mario Bava. The horror meister’s best film. Witch Barbara Steele wakes up from the dead to avenge herself on offspring of her executioners.
Blood Feud, Lina Wertmuller. Sex comedy: widow Sophia Loren is hit on by lawyer Macello Mastroianni and gangster Giancarlo Gianni.
Blow-Up, Michelangelo Antonioni. Fashion photographer David Hemmings in 60s Swinging London, on trail of possible murder. Erotic, haunting, mysterious classic.
Bread And Tulips, Silvio Soldini. Middle-aged wife Licia Maglietta, left behind by husband on vacation, hitches a ride and ends up in Venice, where she changes her life.
Bread And Chocolate, Franco Brusati. Hilarious adventures of Italian immgrant Nino Manfredi in Switzerland.
Burn (Queimada), Gillo Pontecorvo. British officer Marlon Brando on both sides of a 1800s slave rebellion in on Portuguese Caribbean island colony.
Cabiria, Giovanni Pastrone. Silnet 19145 epic of young womna’s adventures during the war opf Casrthage and Rome. Hannibal crosses Alps, etc. Template that D.W. Griffith and Cecil B. DeMille followed.
Café Express, Nanni Loy. Comdey of Nino Manfredi vs. the cops.
The Canterbury Tales, Pier Paolo Pasolini. Six tales from Chaucer’s bawdy classic.
Carmen, Frabcesco Rosi. Bizet’s classic opera of a gypsy woman brought to the screen.
Caro Diario, Nanni Moretti. Three funny stories based on director’s life.
Cemetery Man, Michele Soavi. Director mentored by Dario Argento delivers Rupert Everett as grave man who has to keep killing the dead so they stay dead.
The Children Are Watching Us (Il Bambini Ci Guradano), Vittorio De Sica. 4-year-old suffers break-up of parenrs and a suicide with a tough look at Italy under Mussolini. Emotionally devastating.
Christ Stopped At Eboli, Francesco Rosi. Gian Maria Volonte is exiled to poor Sicilian village by Mussolini, where he learns true values. A classic.
Ciao Professore! Lina Wertmuller. Teacher faces tough kids in winning comedy.
Cinema Paradiso, Giuseppe Tornatore. Touching portrait of friendship between movie projectionist curmudgeon Philippe Noiret and young boy. Big hit in US.
City Of Women, Federico Fellini. Womanizer Marcello Mastroianni at a feminist gathering.
The Conformist, Bernardo Bertolucci. Jean-Louis Trintignant as fascist hitman with hidden trauma. Gloriously filmed, One of the great classics.
Conversation Piece, Luchino Visconti. Old prof Burt Lancaster’s life is turned upside down by crazy family who become his neighbors.
Corrupt, Roberto Faenza. Johnnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols freaks out cop Harvey Keitel in weird police procedural.
The Damned, Luchino Visconti. German family of industrialists goes to decadent pieces in Nazi Germany. With Dirk Bogarde, Ingrid Thulin, Helmut Berger and Charlotte Rampling. A soap-operatic classic.
Danger Diabolik, Mario Bava. Comic-book romp with John Philip Law as superhero criminal.
Dark Eyes, Nikita Mikhalkov. Marcello Mastroianni recounts his life of love with a beautiful Russian.
Death In Venice, Luchino Visconti. Composer Dirk Bogarde lusts after beautiful boy in film of Thomas Mann novella.
The Decameron, Pier Paolo Pasolini. Sex and more sex in 14th century Italy.
Deep Red, Dario Argento. David Hemmings witnesses murder, ties to solve case in horror-thriller.
Demons, Lamberto Bava. Horror film about audience watching slasher movie that spills out into real world.
Devil In The Flesh, Marco Bellochio. Love triangle of terrorist, girlfriend, and teenage boy. Erotic shocker.
Diary of Forbidden Dreams, Roman Polanski. Every man, including Marcello Mastroianni, leches after Sydne Rome in weird househodld onj Italian Riviera.
Divorce Italian Style, Pietro Germi. Marcello Mastroianni plans to kill his wife after planting another man in her bed, so he can marry his teen cousin.
La Dolce Vita, Federico Fellini. Decadent Romans with star-making performance by Marcello Mastroianni and iconic bosom by Anita Ekberg.
Don Giovanni, Jospeh Losey. Masterful interpretation of Mozart opera.
Down and Dirty, Ettore Scola. Nino Manfredi in black comedy about family of adultering, murdering and incestuous low-lifes.
The Easy Life (Il Sorpasso), Dino Risi. Playboy Vittorio Gassman shows sober Jean-Louis Trintignant how to live it up.
The Eclipse (L’Eclisse), Michelangelo Antonioni. Third film in trilogy with L’Avventura and La Notte. Existential alienation with Monica Vitti and Alain Delon.
8 1/2, Federico Fellini. Filmmaker Marcello Mastroianni, in a creative trough, has bizarre fantasies. Classic Fellini.
1860, Alessandro Biasetti. A peasant in the Sicilian revolt against Prince of Naples – precursor of neo-realism.
Everybody’s Fine, Giuseppe Tornatore. Marcello Mastroianni visits his grown children only to discover they’re not as successful as they profess.
The Eyes, The Mouth, Marco Bellochio. Brother’s suicide roils family.
The Family, Ettore Scola. 80 years of family life in elegant Rome apartment, Vittorio Gassmna as patriarch.
Fear (La Paura), Roberto Rosellini. Unfaithul wife Ingrid Bergman is blackmailed by lover’s ex. Somber tragedy.
Fellini Satyricon, Federico Fellini. Ancient Rome is filled with decadent hermaphrodites and nymphomaniacs in a wild fantasy.
Fellini’s Roma, Federico Fellini. A picture of Rome from 30s to 70s.
Fiorile, Paolo & Vittorio Taviani. 300 years of a curse in a family’s life.
A Fistful Of Dollars, Sergio Leone. Clint Easstwood as the Man with no Name in ghe first of his cowboiy movies with Leone. Ennio Morricone score.
Flight Of The Innocent, Carlo Carlei. 10-year-old boy watches his whole family wiped out by rival gang. Masterful blend of intense action, amazing violence, and art-film cinematography.
For A Few Dollars More, Sergio Leone. Clint Eastwood is joined by Lee Van Cleef in this second Leone cowboy movie. Ennio Morricone score.
Forever Mary, Marco Risi. Teacher gains respect of juvenile delinquents.
Francesco, Liliana Cavani. Rich Mickey Rourke gives up everything, becomes monk, starts Francescan order.
The Garden Of The Finzi-Continis, Vittorio De Sica. Jewish family in fascist Italy.
General Della Rovere, Roberto Rossellini. Nazis persuade bastard Vittoria De Sica to impersonate Resistance leader, but plan goes awry.
Germany Year Zero, Roberto Rossellini. Young boy wanders through Berlin in ruins after WW2.
The Gold of Naples, Vittorio De Sica. Four tales of Naples with Sophia Loren, Silvana Mangano and Tot.
The Golden Coach, Jean Renoir. Actress Anna Magnani in 19th century Latin American commedia del-l’arte (in English).
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, Sergio Leone. Good Clint Eastwood in the final film of the Man With No Name trilogy with bad Lee Van Cleef and ugly Eli Wallach. Classic Western.
The Gospel According to St. Matthew, Pier Paolo Pasolini. The last days of Jesus as a revolutionary in documentary black and white. Best film of Christ.
Le Grande Bouffe, Marco Ferreri. Bored professionals Marcello Mastroianni, Ugo Tognazzi, Michel Picooli, and Philippe Noiret decide to eat themselves to death, and do just that. Unbelievable and powerful.
Le Grande Bourgeoise, Mauro Bolognini. Catherine Deneuve marries Fernando Rey but her brother Giancarlo Giannini hates him. Roman upper class in 1900s.
Il Grido (The Outcry), Michelangelo Antonioni. Rejected by his lover Alida Valli, Steve Cochrane goes wanders the countryside with his little daughter.
The Hawks And The Sparrows, Pier Paolo Pasolini. Italy’s Toto travels wityh dumb son and talking crow thought Italy.
Hercules, Pietro Francisci. Steve Reeves is Hercules in the first of the 60s gladiatyor movies.
The Icicle Thief, Maurizio Nichetti. Comedy about blonde who falls out of her commercial into lives of neorealist characters.
The Immortal Bachelor, Marcello Fondato. Giancarlo Giannini and Mocia Vitti in sex farce.
In The Name Of The Pope King, L:uigi Magni. In 1867, Magistrate Nino Manfredi finds out his son may be a terrorist.
The Innocent, Luchino Visconti. Giancarlo Gianni disdains wife Laura Antonelli to chase after mistress Jennifer O’Neill. Wife fights back.
Intervista, Federico Fellini. Fellini celebrates film-making as Marcello Mastroianni makes a fil and is covered by Japanese making a documentary.
It Happened In The Park, Gianni Franciolini. A day of romantic stories in a park.
Johnny Stechino, Roberto Benigni. Bus driver mistaken for Mafia boss in congenial farce. Incredibly popular in Italy.
A Joke Of Destiny, Lina Wertmuller. Cabinet minister trapped in computer-controlled car – sendup of politicians.
Juliet Of The Spirits, Federico Fellini. Middle-aged Guilietta Masina faces past and present in hallucinatory visions.
Kaos, Paolo & Viottorio Taviani. Peasants in 1900s Sicly, based on Pirandelllo stories.
Lamerica, Gianni Amelio. Two Italians start a fake company in nightmarish Albania.
The Last Emperor, Brnardo Bertolucci. China’s last emperor. Great historical saga.
The Last Kiss, Gabriele Muccino. Young couple, woman pregnant, in middle of fast-paced changes in relationships between generations of friends and relatives. Very engrossing.
Last Tango In Paris, Bernardo Bertolucci. Marlon Brando as aging fuckup gets involved in sex-only relationship with young Maria Schneider. Searing classic.
Laugh For Joy, Mario Monicelli. Movie extra Anna Maganani in love triangle with Ben Gazzra and a conman.
Life Is Beautiful, Roberto Benigni. Father keeps up son’s spirit in dath camp by convincing him they’re in a game in which the prize is a tank.
Love And Anarchy, Lina Wettmuller. Giancarlo Gianni lives in brothel where he waits to assassinate Mussolini. Powerful.
Love Meetings, Pier aolo P{asolini. Director Pasolini interviews the likes of Albero Maravia in his coumentary on sex in Italy.
Ludwig, Luchino Visconti. Helmut Berger as the Mad King of Bavaria, ransacking the treasury to build beautiful castles.
Malena, Giuseppi Tornatore. Mocia Belluci, husband away at war, is object of lust in Sicilian village. Young boy is only one who sympathizes with lonely woman.
Il Mare (The Sea), Giuseppi Patroni Griffi). Love triangle between two men and a woman in Capri.
Mamma Roma, Pier Paolo Pasoline. Anna Magnani as vital woman trying to transcend her prostitute past.
Miracle In Milan, Vittorio De Sico. Squatter city in war-ransacked Milan eyed by developers.
Mondo Cane. It’s a dog’s world indeed, here in Africa. Startling documentary.
The Monster (Il Mostro), Roberto Benigni. Shoplifter Benigni is mistakes for sex killer.
Night Of The Shooting Stars, Paolo & Vittorio Taviani. End of war in small Italian town.
The Night Porter, Liliana Cavani. Charlotte Rampling meets her Nazi torturer and lover of 20 years ago, and re-enacts the past.
Nights Of Cabiria, Federico Fellini. Prostitute Giuletta Masina seacrhes for love in the men she meets.
1900, Bernardo Bertolucci. Aristocrat Robert De Niro and peasant Gerard Depardieu born in 1900, live through Fascism. Great and grand epic, one of the best.
Nostalghia, Andrei Tarkovsky. Russian poet confronts his past in Italian village. Amazing.
Notes For An African Orestes, Pier Paolo Pasolini. Pasolini scours Africa for locations for a film of Aeshylus’s The Orestia and talks about his project. Must-see for Pasolini fans.
La Notte, Michelangelo Antonioni. Jeanne Moreau and Marcello Mastroianni in unsatisfying marriage. Classic exploration of alienation.
La Nuit De Varennes, Ettore Scola. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette flee Paris. With Marcello Mastroianni, Hanna Schygulla, Jean-Lopuis Barrault, Harvey Keitel.
Oedipus Rex, Pier Paolo Pasolini. The ageless drama with a beautiful Silvana Mangano as the mother Oedipus marries.
Once Upon A Time In The West, Sergio Leone. The greatest Western ever made. With Charlkes Broson, Henry Fonda as the villain, Claudfia Cardianle, Jason Robards, Score by Ennio Morricone.
Open Doors, Gianni Amelio. Man kills boss, successorm and rapes and kill wife. Shows no remorse, says nothing. Judge tries to find out why.
Orchestra Rehearsal, Federico Fellini. Orchestra falls apart as musicians and conductor butt heads.
Ossessione, Luchino Visconti. An adaptation of James M. Cain’s The Postman Always Rings Twice. Visconti’s first movie.
Otello, Franco Zeffirelli. Opera starring Placido Domingo.
Padre Padrone, Paolo & Vittorio Taviani. Peasant becomes scholar, overcoming obstacle of tyrant Dad.
Paisan, Roberto Rossellini. Italians and Americans in liberation of Italy in neorealist classic.
Partner, Bernardo Bertolucci. Art teacher driven crazy by revolutionary alter ego, inspired by 1968 student protests.
The Passenger, Michelangelo Antonioni. Jack Nichiolson assumes identity of dead man and keeps his appointments.
Passion D’Amore, Ettore Scola. Officer has affair with beautiful woman, falls for homely one.
Porcile (Pigsty), Pier Paolo Pasolini. Two stories comment on each other: medieval soldier Pierre Clementi descends into cannibalism, and ex-Nazi industrialist’s son Jean-Pierre Leaud descends into sexual affection with pigs.
Portrait Of A Woman, Nude (Nudo Di Donna), Nino Manfredi. Comedy of jealous husband Manfredi, who thinks his wife was nude photographer’s model.
The Postman (Il Postino), Michael Radford. Philippe Noiret is poet Pablo Neruda in political exile on island in Mediterranean. The local postman, in love with a barmaid, befriends him, and is taught by poet how to woo her. Very affecting.
A Pure Formality, Giuseppe Tornatore. Gerard Depardieu is the suspect; Roman Planski the cop; Ennio Morricone wrote the score.
Red Desert, Michelangelo Antonioni. Richard Harris and Monica Vitti have alienated affair in landscape of industrial waste.
Rocco and His Brothers, Luchino Visconti. Epic saga of peasant mom and five sons who move to big city. Brothers Alain Delon and Renato Salvatori are in love with prostitute Annie Girardot.
The Roof, Vittorio De Sica. Young couple struggle in post-war Rome.
Sacco And Vanzetti, Giuliano Montaldo. The 1920 trial of the Italian anarchists – injustice in America.
St. Michael Had A Rooster, Paolo & Vittorio Taviani. Black comedy of a one-man revolution that goes nowhere.
Salo: 120 Days Of Sodom, Pier Paolo Pasolini. Terrible, terrifying vision of humanity at its worse: Italian aristocrats play sadistic games of torture and death in castle with peasant teens in WW2.
Santa Sangre, Alejandro Jodorowsky. Boy and dismembered mom kill any woman who wants to know him better. Amazing visual spectacle from the director of El Topo.
La Scortaa, Ricky Toganzzi. Judge investigates Mafia in Sicily, befriends his four bodyguards.
Seduced And Abandoned, Pietro Germi. Farce and tragedy when Stefania Sandrelli is destroyed by her sister’s lover.
The Seduction Of Mimi, Lina Wertmuller. Witty political satire of Sicilian laborer Giancarlo Gianni who falls for Trotskyite Mariangelo Melato.
Senso, Luchino Viosconti. Aristocrat Alida Valli gives up married security for coward and soldier Farley Granger in 1860s. Famous film.
Seven Beauties, Lina Wertmuller. Giancarlo Gianni survives WW2 and a Nazi death camp. Stunning.
The Sheltering Sky, Bernado Bertolucci. Two men a a woman travel through Morocco, wife is becomes captive of desert Arab.
Shoeshine, Vittorio De Sica. Neorealist masterpiece. Two shoeshine boys in post-war reform school.
La Signora Di Tutti, Max Ophuls. Aging filmstar Isa Miranda attempts suicide, relives decadent life on operating table. Powerful.
A Special Day, Ettore Scola. Homosexual Marcello Mastroianni and put-upon housewife Sophia Loren on the day Hitler meets Mussolini.
The Spider’s Stratagem, Bernardo Bertolucci. Political thriller about young man’s search for truth about father killed by anti-fascists.
The Station, Sergio Rubini. Young station attendant and woman waiting for morning train get involved.
The Story Of Boys And Girls. Two families – city and rural folk -- meet in extensive feast celebrating nuptials.
La Strada, Federico Fellini. Circus strongman Anthony Quinn and Guiletta Masina in Fellini classic.
Stromboli, Roberto Rossellini. Ingrid Bergman marries dour fisherman and is stuck on bleak island.
Summer Night, Lina Wertmuller. Rich bitch Mariangelo Melato kidnaps terrorist, and battle of sexes ensue.
Suspiria. Dario Argento. Classic horror set in a snobbish privat school.
Swept Away, Lina Wertmuller. Marxist sailor Giancarlo Gianni and heiress Maraingelo Melato stuck on islandwith only each other to fight and screw.
Tales Of Ordinary Madness, Marco Ferreri. Ben Gazzara as drunken author Charles Bukowski.
The Taming Of The Shrew, Franco Zeferelli. Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in excellent version of Shakespeare comedy.
The Tenth Victim, Elio Petre. Marcello Mastroianni and Ursula Andress in sci-fi thriller where men and women stalk each other in fatal game.
Teorema (Theorem), Pier Paolo Pasolini. Terence Stamp seduces entire bourgeois family – mom, dad, son, daughter.
Teresa Venerdi, Vittorio De Sica. De Sica is a doctor in orphanage, Anna Magnani works there, too.
La Terra Trema, Luchino Visconti. Classic neorealist story of fisherman family and their revolt in southern Italy.
This Man Must Die, Claude Chabrol. Father pursues hit-and-run driver who killed his son.
Three Brothrs, Francesco Rossi. Three dissimilar brothers meet at mother’s funeral in this political study.
Till Marriage Do Us Part, Luigi Comencini. Laura Antonelli in sexual romp.
‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore. Guuiseppi Patrone Griffi. Brother and siter love each other. Good sex scenes.
La Traviata, Franco Zefferelli. Placido Domingo and Treesa Strauss in Verdi’s famous opera.
The Tree Of Wooden Clogs, Ermanno Olmi. Peasant life in turn-of-the-century Lombardy.
Two Women, Vittorio De Sica. Sophia Loren and daughter, raped in WW2. Loren won Oscar fgor her performance.
Umberto D, Vittorio De Sica. Lonely old man’s struggle to survive in post-war Italy. A masterpiece.
Vanina Vanini, Roberto Rossellini. It’s 1824, and a revoluioanry soldier is sent to Rome to kill a traitor. He meets beautiful daughter of a nobleman.
Voyage In Italy, Robeeto Rossellini. Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders travel in Italy as their marriage falls apart.
I Vitelloni (The Wastrels), Federico Fellini. Bunch of restless young layabout lads in small Italian town.
We The Living, Goffredo Alessandrini. Love vs. the state in the Russian Revolution.
White Nights, Luchino Visconti. Marcello Mastroianni and Maria Schell meet and love, but her lover is coming.
The White Sheik, Federico Fellini. Couple on honeymoon in Rome -- wife falls for actor in cheap movie, husband looks for her all over.
Yesterday Today And Tomorrow, Vittorio De Sica. Marcello Mastroianni and Sphia Loren in sex satire.



11. Amercord – (1974, Italy, Frederico Fellini) (Puppela Maggio)
19. L’Avventura, Michelangelo Antonioni. Vacant Monica Vitti searches for vanished friend on island, takes up with friend’s lover in a drama of non-communication.
26. The Bicycle Thief, Vittorio De Sica. Neo-realist masterpiece: poor man finds work pasting up signs, for which he needs his bicycle, but his bicycle is stolen.
27. Big Deal on Madonna Street, Mario Monicelli. In hilarious comedy, amateur crooks Vittorio Gassman, Marcello Mastroianni, Renato Salvatori, and Rossana Rory try robbery.
38. Bread And Chocolate – (1974, Italy, Franco Brusati) (Nino Manfredi)
44. Canterbury Tales – (1971, Italy, Pier Paolo Pasolini) (Josephine Chaplin)
51. Cinema Paradiso, Giuseppe Tornatore. Sicilian village projectionist Philippe Noiret opens up new worlds for curious boy.
63. Condemned of Altona, Vittorio de Sica
64. The Conformist, Bernardo Bertolucci. Fascist Jean-Louis Trintignant conforms to brutality to cover shame of homosexuality.
72. The Decameron, Pier Paolo Pasolini. Part one of Pasolini’s trilogy of life (with The Canterbury Tales and Arabian Nights) is based on ribald tales of Boccaccio.
79. Divorce Italian Style
81. La Dolce Vita, Federico Fellini. Glamor, moral rot and cynicism in Rome with Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg.
87. L’Eclisse, Michelangelo Antonioni, Part 3 of Antonioni’s trilogy of modern anomie, with Monica Vitti and broker Alain Delon.
88. 8 1/2, Federico Fellini. Movie director Marcello Mastroianni is trapped by fears, insecurities, and past loves with Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimee, Sandra Milo, and Barbara Steele.
89. Europa ‘51 (1952), Roberto Rossellini. Society wife Ingrid Bergman’s child dies, and she begins to work among the poor, becoming a saint and outcast.
103. The Garden Of Finzi-Continis – (1971, Italy, Vittorio De Sica) (Dominique Sanda)
108. The Gospel According to St. Matthew, Pier Paolo Pasolini. Documentary-style life of Jesus features an irritable Savior.
109. Le Grand Bouffe
117. Illustrious Corpses
122. Johnny Stecchino – (1993, Italy, Roberto Benigni) (Roberto Benigni)
124. Juliet Of The Spirits, Federico Fellini
127. Kapo – (1960, Italy, Gillo Pontecorvo) (Susan Strasberg)
134. Lamerica, Gianni Amelio. Italian yuppie stranded in desolate and scary Albania.
138. The Leopard, Luchino Visconti. Old prince Burt Lancaster accepts loss of power as Italy unifies and Alain Delon marries sexy parvenu Claudia Cardinale.
139. Life Is Beautiful – (1998, Italy, Roberto Benigni) (Roberto Benigni)
150. Mediterraneo – (1991, Italy, Gabriele Salvatores) (Claudio Bigagli)
154. Miracle in Milan, Vittorio De Sica. Inventive comedy condemns inequities of millions of Europeans displaced by WW2.
160. The Monster – (1996, Italy, Roberto Benigni) (Roberto Benigni)
173. The Night of the Shooting Stars, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani. Woman recalls beloved and magical night when Italian peasants in last days of WW2 escape ravaged village in the night in search for American liberators.
174. Nights of Cabiria, Federico Fellini, Part 3 of Fellini’s trilogy of solitude (after La Strada and Il Bidone). Poor prostitute Giulietta Masina betrayed by her faith in human nature.
175. 1900, Bernardo Bertolucci. Epic film of Italy from 1900 to post-WW2 communism tracks lives of friends and rivals Robert De Niro and Gerard Depardieu with Dominique Sanda and Donald Sutherland.
178. La Notte, Michelangelo Antonioni. Husband and wife Marcello Mastroianni and Jeanne Moreau as alienated partners.
The Passenger, Michelangelo Antonioni. Jack Nicholson as man who steps into dead man’s shoes.
190. Il Postino (The Postman) – (1995, Italy) (Philippe Noiret)
196. The Red Desert, Michelangelo Antonioni. Monica Vitti breaks down.
199.
Rome Open City, Roberto Rossellini. Anna Magnani in unjderground in Nazi-occupied Rome.
200. Fellini’s Roma, Federico Fellini
204. Salo, Pier Paolo Pasolini. Italian aristocrats play sadistic games of torture and death in castle with peasants during WW2.
208. Fellini Satyricon – (1969, Italy, Frederico Fellini) (Martin Porter)
211. Senso, Luchino Visconti. Fatal love of Farley Granger and Alida Valli among 19th century Italian aristocrats.
212. Seven Beauties, Lina Wertmuller. Man survives death camp horrors against all odds.
225. The Spider’s Stratagem, by Bernardo Bertolucci. Hero investigates 30-year-old slaying of his anti-fascist father, with fading Alida Valli.
228. La Strada – (1954, Italy, Frederico Fellini) (Anthony Quinn)
233. Swept Away, Lina Wertmüller. A rich, spoilt, beautiful, capitalist Milanese charters a yacht, and is marooned on island in Mediterranean with a swarthy Sicilian Communist deckhand.
244. Umberto D, Vittorio De Sica. A retired civil servant with a meager pension sacrifices a part of his income for his dog, and is evicted by his landlady.
Wild Flower (Fiorile), Paolo Taviani/Vittorio Taviani. The Benedetti family preserves their ways, including a generations-old curse.

3. Germany
Dark, darker, darkest – perhaps it’s no surprise that, given Germany’s history, its movies tend to be deep and dark and formidable. Among German directors, Fassbinder remains the protean master. What a worker -- he made 18 movies in 5 years. It’s said that he died of overwork, but cocaine played a major role, too.

Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), Werner Herzog. Conquistador madman Klaus Kinski searches for mythical City of Gold in Amazon.
Aimee & Jaguar, Max Farberbock. Lesbian love in wartime Germany, and one of them is Jewish.
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, Rainer W. Fassbinder. Love affair between old German floor washer and Arab mechanic half her age. Touching comedy of racism.
Alice In The Cities, Wim Wenders. German journalist in US with 9-year old girl left by her mom.
The American Friend, Wim Wenders. Man convinced he’s dying needs money to leave wife and child, agrees to assassinate Mafia man.
The American Soldier, Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Cops hire killer to bump off annoying crooks in gangster hmage to noir.
Anita: Dances Of Vice, Rosa Von Praunheim. Old woman recalls her life as scandalous naked dancer in Weimar Germany.
Bagdad Café, Percy Adlon. Bavarian tourist Marianne Sagebrecht rejuvenates café in Mojave Desert. Infinjitely charming comedy with heart.
Beethoven’s Nephew, Paul Morrissey. Possessive Beethoven crazy for nephew.
Berlin Alexanderplatz, Rainer Werner Fassbinder. 15 1/2 hour epic of dimwitted ex-prisoner csuight in underworld in post-WW1 Germany, as Nazism begins and flowers. Stunning masterpiece.
Beware Of A Holy Whore, Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Film crew in Spanish hotel, bickering, game-playing, screwing around.
The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Three lesbians: decadent, corrupt, funny and bitter.
Blind Spot: Hitler’s Secretary, Andre Heller & Othmar Schmiderer. Hitler’s secretary recalls her life with him: she found him charming. Fascinating document.
The Blue Angel, Josef von Sternberg. Pompous prof Emil Jannings is seduced and humiliated by cabaret singer Marlene Dietrich. A classic.
The Blue Hour, Marcel Gisler. Male hustler and punk salesgirl.
The Boat Is Full, Markus Imhoof. Jewish refugees try to find asylum in Swtizerland. Devastating.
Das Boot, Wolfgang Peterson. Jurgen Procnow captains a German submarine in this brilliant anti-war film.
The Bridge, Bernhard Wicki. Seven young boys recruited for Germany’s last stand defend a bridge against grownup American soldiers. Tragic anti-war film.
Brother Of Sleep (1996), Joseph Vilsmaier. Alpine village, church organist in love with half-sister, friend loves her too. Brooding tragedy.
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, Robert Wiene. German expressionist horror classic silent that with massive influence on future cinematography. Amazing look.
The Castle, Rudoilf Noelte. The Kafka novel with Maximilian Schell.
The Cat And The Canary, Paul Leni. Classic horror silent. To get inheritance, woman must soend night in eerie castle.
Celeste, Percy Adlon. Proust’s maid becomes his surrogate mom.
Chinese Roulette, Rainer Werner Fassbinder. A truth game has consequences between parents and daughter.
Christiane F, Uli Edel. German girl in drug-addicted prostitution. Strong stuff.
Club Extinction, Claude Chartbol. Sci-fi about Germany in grip of many suicides. Alan Bates is the bnad guy.
Colonel Redl, Istrvan Szabo. Klaus Maria Brandhauer rises in army in pre-WW1 Austria, hiding his homosexuality.
Coming Out, Heiner Carow. East-German schoolteacher discovers his homosexuality.
Coup De Grace, Volker Schlondorff. Middle-aged woman on Baltic estate has affair with Russian soldier.
David, Petr Lilienthal. Jewish eenage boy in 1930s Germany, as Nazism destroys his family.
Deathwatch, Bertrand Tavernier. Sci-fi chiller - Maria Schneider is a dying woman observed by a mass audience via video camera implanted in eyes of TV reporter Harvey Keitel.
Diary Of A Loist Girl, G.W. Pabst. Louise Brooks is a woman ruined who ends up in brothel in this silent classic.
Dr. Mabuse, Fritz Lang. Evil genius, heroes and innocents, cops and crooks, rival gangs, mind readers, mesmerists, spies, femmes fatales, car chases – a silent action movie.
Dog Days (2001), Ulrich Seid. Black comedy of Austrians on the skids, who include a widower who puts his housemaid in his dead wife’s dresses to cheer himself up.
Dragon Chow, Jan Schutte. Two Pakistaini guest workers in Hamburg try to make it in the restaurant business.
East Side Story, Dana Ranga. Documentary about Communist musicals. Utterly fascinating.
Effi Briest, Rainer Werne Fassbiunder. Hanna Schygulla’s husband discovers evidence of long-ago affair. Very good Fassbinder.
Europa, Europa, Agnieszka Holland. Jewish teenager passes himself off as German, ends up in Hitler Youth. Brilliant.
Every Man For Himself And God Against All (The Mystery Of Kaspar Hauser), Werner Herzog. Young man imprisoned in cellar for entire childhood emerges into real life. Based on a true story. Amazing.
Faust, F.W, Murnau. Emil Jannings as the devil in this classic silent of amazing imagery.
Fitzcarraldo, Werner Herzog. Crazy Klaus Kinski wants to build an opera house in the Peur4ivian jungle.
Forget Mozart, Slavo Luter. Armin Mueller-Stahl imnvestigates the death of Mozart. Rival Salieri and the Freemasons are part of the mix.
Fox And His Friends, Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Gay guy wins lottery, fleeced by boyfriend. Tragic.
From The Life Of Marionettes, Ingmar Bergman. Psycho businessman wants to kill wife, ends up in sex clubs.
Funny Games (1997), Michael Haneke. Shocking, cynical thriller about bourgeois couple terrorized by two psychos in vacation home. Amazing.
Germany Year Zero, Roberto Rossellini. A twelve-year-old boy scavenges in the ruins of war-devastated Berlin. A masterpiece.
The Goalie’s Anxiety At The Penalty Kick, Wim Wenders. Goalie commits murder, waits to be arrested, experiences ennui.
Gods Of The Plague, Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Skanked-out Munich gangsters in noir homage.
The Golem, Carl Boese & Paul Wegener. Silent classic – rabbi calls up monster to defend Jews in Hapsburg, but Golem goes crazy.
Hanusen, Istvan Szabo. Klaus Maria Brandauer can tell future, foresees Nazism and persecution of Jews, what to do?
I Am My Own Woman, Rosa Von Praunheim. Man becomes woman, lives her life through WW2 in East Berlin more or less axactly as she pleases.
I Don’t Jusr Want You To Love Me, Hans Gunther Pflaum. Documentary on film-maker Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
In A Year Of 134 Moons, Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Desperate sex change.
The Inheritors (1999), Stefan Ruzowitzsky. Peasants inherit estate of master, yet told to kill each other for it.
The Joyless Street, G.W.Pabst. Silent classic with Greta Garbo about grim life in post WW1 Vienna.
Kameradshaft (Comradeship), G.W. Pabst. French trapped in mine, Germans help.
Kamikaze ’89, Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
Kings Of The Road, Wim Wenders. A projector repairman and his buddy drive through German wasteland from moviehouse to moviehouse.
Knife In The Head, Reinhard Huff. Thriller with Bruno Ganz, memory shot because of being shot in the head, tries to find out what happened, and is used by cops and radicals with their different agendas.
Last Exit To Brooklyn, Uli Edel. Jennifer Jason Leigh as prostitute Tralala in film of Hubert Selby’s brutal novel. Strong stuff.
The Last Five Days, Percy Adlon. Gripping, austere film of capture of student and her brother who were executed for distributing anti-Nazi propaganda.
The Last Laugh, F.W. Murnau. Silenr classic with Emil Jannings as luxury hotel doorman demoted to the washroom.
The Lives Of Others, East German Stasi spy begins to side with those he spies on. Brilliant Oscar-winner.
The Lost Honor Of Katharine Blum, Margaretha Von Trotta & Volker Schlondorff. Expose of tabloid journalists ruining woman who spent nifght with terrorist.
Lisbon Story, Wim Wenders. Sound man arrives to help make film in Lisbon, finds only film without sound on editing table, starts reconrding sound for this film and meeting new people.
A Love In Germany, Andrzej Wajda. Shopkeeper Hanna Shygulla falls in love with enemy Polish POW in WW2.
M, Fritz Lang. Peter Lorre as a self-loathing, compulsive child slayer, the screen’s first serial killer.
Max, Menno Meyjes. The young Hitler is torn between art and politics. John Cusack is his art dealer.
Madchen In Uniform, Leontine Sagan. Lesbians in oppressive Prussian boarding school.
Marlene, Maximilian Schell. Schell interviews an old Marlene Dietrich about her life, but is not allowed to show her in her dotage. Fascinating.
The Marriage of Maria Braun, Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Hanna Schygulla screws her way up the social ladder in post-war Germany. Absolute masterpiece.
Me Without You, Sandra Goldbacher. Friendship between two women over three distinct eras.
Men Kampf, Tore Sjoberg. Good documentary about Hitler, using newsreel and footage shot by Nazis.
Men, Doris Dorrie. Great comedy about guy who loses wife to bohemian type, and becomes roommate of this rival without his wife knowing.
Mephisto, Istvan Szabo. Klaus Maria Brandauer compromises himself to become a famous actor in Nazi Germany. Brilliant.
The Merchant of Four Seasons, Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Born loser loses everything in this black comedy.
Metropolis, Fritz Lang. Futuristic dystopia ripped apart by class warfare. Masterpiece of German Expressionism. Images of sci-fi future has dominated all subsequent sci-fi films.
Mostly Martha, Sandra Nettelbeck. A female chef at a gourmet restaurant is a an exacting perfectionist, has to look after 8-year-old niece, becomes more human.
Mother Kunstlers Goes To Heaven, Rainer Wserner Fassbinder. Brigitte Mira’s husband kills co-worker, media exploit on her.
Murderers Are Among Us, Wolfgang Stoudte. Neorealism filmed in rubble of post-war Berlin. Disillusioned surgeon means to avenge himself on vile former officer, but redemption happens.
The Nasty Girl, Michael Verhoeven. To write essay about her town during the 3rd Reich, young girl uncovers fascist past of inhabitants, upsetting them mightily. Great comedy.
Neurosia: Who Shot Rosa Von Praunheim? (Neurosia: Fifty Years Of Perversity), Rosa Von Praunheim. Director is shot in moviehouse, shallow TV journalist investigates her life.
Die Nibelungen, Fritz Lang. The German legend about Siegfried and the Dragon in a classic silent.
Nico Icon, Susanne Ofteringer. Documentary of life of model Nico, who became vocalist with Velvet Undergound and habitué of Andy Warhol’s Factory.
Nosferatu, F.W. Murnau. Max Shreck is still the creepiest Count Dracula vampire ever in this silent classic.
Nosferatu The Vampiure, Werner Herzig. Klaus Kinski is Dracula in Herzog’s interesting update of the vampire myth.
November Moon, Alexandra Von Grfote. A Jewish lesbian flees the Nazis to Paris, only to have them invade the city and threatenm her again.
Nowhere in Africa, Caroline Link. Interesting subject: German Jews run a farm in Kenya under Britsh colonial rule while WW2 rages at home.
Olympia 1 and 2, Leni Riefenstahl. 1936 Berlin Olympic Games as Nazi propaganda in incredible photography. Athletes never looked more godlike. Classic documentary.
Pandora’s Box, G. W. Pabst. Louise Brooks as femme fatale Lulu. Classic silent. Odd how utterly modern Louise Brooks looks and behaves.
The Pedestrian, Maximilian Schell. Industrialist Maximilian Schell accused of slaughtering Greek villagers in WW2 years ago. Fine drama.
The Piano Teacher (2001), Michael Haneke. Sexually screwed-up Isabelle Huppert is a piano teacher who gets involved with a cocky student. From Nobel Prize-winner Elfriede Jelinek’s novel. Mssterpiece.
The Princess And The Warrior, Tom Tykwer. Woman’s quest for tragic warrior who saved her life. Excellently otherworldly.
The Promise, Margarethe Von Trotta. Lovers separated by the Berlin Wall.
Querelle, Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Brad davis as gay/straight man who kills those who want him. With Jeanne Moreau and Franco Nero.
Requiem For Dominic, Robert Dornheim. Strong docudrama about activist falsely accused of murder while revolution in Romania is overthrowing Ceaucescu.
Rosa Luxemburg, Margarethe Von Trotta. Barbara Suskowa as the great socialist leader in Germany before, during and after WW1.
The Roise Garden, Fons Rdemakers. Lawyer Liv Ullmann discovers old man attacked by her client Maximilian Schell was Nazi death camp commandant.
Run Lola Run, Tom Tykwer. Red-haired Lola has twenty minutes to get $100,000 to her boyfriend before the mob kills him, played out three different ways.
Salon Kitty, Tinto Brass. SS Officer Helmut Berger goes all-out to slime fellow-officers and their wives in this bizarre sex epic.
Satan’s Brew, Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Black comedy in which poet Kurt Raab thinks he’s 19th century poet Stefan George; a gaggle of prostiututes are part of the brew.
The Scorpion Woman (1989), Susanne Zanke. Woman judge takes up with young guy 20 years her junior, then gets case of older woman who killed her your lover.
Scream of Stone, Werner Herzog. Donald Sutherland produces TV show of two mountain climbers tackling a peak in Argentina.
The Second Awakening nOf Kristina Klages, Margatrethe Von Trotta. Day care worker Tina Engel robs bank to help the center survive.
Seduction: The Cruel Woman, Monika Treut & Elfie Mikesch. Dominatrix in sextravaganza with Helmut Newton-like photography.
Signs Of Life, Werner Herzog. Existential anguish as wounded German soldier recuperates on Greek island.
Sisters, or The Balance Of Happiness, Margarethe Von Trotta. Successful sister supports flighty sister, who has breakdown. Feminist masterpiece.
Singing The Blues In Red, Ken Loach. A political songwriter, thrown out of East Germany, finds no solace in the West.
Spiders, Fritz Lang. Silent adventure film of search for Inca treasure
Spies, Fritz Lang. Silent spy thriller.
The State Of Things, Wim Wenders. Theme of Erupean art film vs. Hollywood as film crew, stuck in Portugal, has run out of film .
The Stationmaster’s Wife (Bolwiessar), Rainer Wernber Fassbinder. Wife cheats on stationmaster in Nazi Germany.
Stalingrad, Joseph Vilsmaier. German soldiers in WW2 Stalingrad, where Germany got beaten back.
Street Kind, Petr Kern. 14-year-old boy sells his body to pederasts, then married man falls in love with him.
Stroszek, Werner Herzog. A German prostitute, mental patient and old eccentric from Berlin try out the American dream in Wisconsin – with funny results.
Sweet Movioe, Dusan Makavejev. Sexualo liberation is the star of this outrageous comedy.
Sugarbaby (Zuckerbaby), Percy Adlon. Marianne Sagebrecht goes after thye mnan she wants with unrelenting gusto in this winning comedy.
Taxi Zum Klo, Frank Rippoh. Happy gay movie about a promiscuous homnosexual .
Tenderness Of The Wolves, Uli Lommel. Black comedy about vampire who seduces young boys, then sucks their blood and sells their body parts to butchers.
38: Vienna Before The Fall (1989), Wolfgang Gluck. Jewish playwright and Aryan actress are lovers in Vienna in the months before Nazi invasion, and are clueless about impending doom.
The Threepenny Opera, G.W. Pabst. The Weill/Brecht opera with Lotte Lenya as Jenny.
The Tin Drum, Volker Schlondorff. Three-year-old Oskar decides not to grow in parable of post-war Germany, adapted from classic novel by Gunther Grass.
Tokyo-Ga, Wim Wenders. Directgor Wim Wenders shot this interesting ducmentary of him going to look for the Japan of austere director Ozu and finding a frenetic bizarre place instead.
Triumph of The Will, Leni Riefenstahl. Great propaganda documentary about the Nazi Party Congress of 1934 in Nuremberg. Stunning.
The Unapproachable, Krystof Zanussi. Thriller as young man tries to exploit reclusive ex-filmstar Leslie Caron.
Utz, George Sluizer. Wealthy collector’s life, ansd the man who wants to inherit his porcelain collection.
Vampyr, Carl Dreyer. Psychologicla horror hriller from a cinematic master, made in 1931.
Variety, E.A. Dupont. Silent classic with Emil Jannings as old circus acrobat who falls for young dancer, and then there’s a murder.
Veronika Voss, Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Faded filmstar fades into addiction and dependency, reflecting Germany.
The Virgin Machine, Monika Treut. Feminist film about German woman discovering her sexuality in Sdan Francisco. With sexpert Suzie Bright.
A Virus Knows No Morals, Rosa Von Praunheim. Black comedy about the scourge of AIDS, weird characters abounding.
Voyager, Voker Schlondorff. Engineer Sam Shepard falls for Julie Delpy, half his age. Their affair covers six continents, until his past catches up with him.
The Wannsee Conference, Heinz Schirk. Nazi leaders meet to plan final solution. Based on the actual notes of the secretary there,
Westfront 1918, G.W. Pabst. Four Germna soliders in the trenches of WW1. Made in 1930, Pabst’s first sound film.
Wester: East Of The Wall, Wieland Speck. Gay couple sperated by Berlin Wall.
Where The Green Ants Dream, Werner Herzog. Corporation attempts to mine uranium from Australian Aborigine’s holy lands.
The White Rose, Michael Verhoeven. Thriller about the anti-Nazi student underground organization.
Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Thriller about bourgeos guy who ends up killing everyone.
Wings of Desire, Wim Wenders. Angel Bruno Ganz falls in love with trapeze artist on earth in wall-divided Berlin with Peter Falk as an angel, too. A masterpiece.
A Woman In Flames, Robert Van Akceren. Housewife studies to become prostitute.
Woman In The Moon, Fritz Lang, Silent movie about people who go to moon in search of gold.
The Wonderful, Horrioble Klife Of Leni Roefenstahl, Ray Muller. The great Nzi filmmaker’s life. Interviewed at 90, shge maintains she knew nothing of politics, and wasn;’t close with Hitler and Goebbels.
Woyzeck, Werne Herzog. Klaus Kinski as the soldier driven crazy by his wife and society from the famous play by Georg Buchner. .
Wrong Movement, Win Wenders. Journey through Germany with writer, singer, mute, juggler and actress.
Young Torless, Volker Schlondorff. German boys school in which boy is tortured by classmate; fear abounds, like under the Nazis.

4. Scandinavia (Sweden. Denmark, Norway, Finland)
Sweden has produced the world’s greatest filmmaker, Ingmar Bergman. His films are not only deeper than most; he also happens to have made more movies than most other movie-makers.

After The Rehearsal, Ingmar Bergman. Theater directoir Erland Josephson forced by two actresses, Ingrid Thulin and Lena Olin, to re-examine his life.
Ariel, Aki Kaurismaki. Black comedy of man in Cadillac who goes on journey and gets involved in crime, marriage and various goings-on.
Autumn Somnata, Ingmar Bergman. Pianmist Ingrid Bergman visits daughter Liv Ullmann, and they go at each other.
Babette’s Feast, Gabriel Axel. Stephanie Audran cooks up the most sensuous meal imaginable for her repressed, puritanical employers.
The Best Intentions, Bille August. Ongmar Bergman wrote this script about his parents.
Brink Of Life, Imngmar Bergman. Three women –Ingrid Thulin, Bibi Anderson, Eva Dahlbeck – in maternity ward, waiting to give birth.
The Celebration, Thomas Vinterberg. Well-to-do family gathers for weekend reunion, unravels as dark secret of abusive father is revealed. Masterpiece.
Cries and Whispers, Ingmar Bergman. Four women in country house where one sister is dying. Deep and scalding.
Cross My Heart And Hope To Die, Marius Holst. Coming-of-age film in which young boy takes up with mysterious stranger, and strange things happen.
The Count of Old Town, Edvin Adolphson & Sigurd Wallen. Ingrid Bergman’s first film, as a hotel maid iwho gets involved with a thief.
Cries and Whispers, Ingmar Bergman. Sisters Liv Ullmann, Ingrid Thjulin nurse dying Harriet Andseerson in this probe into the psyche of a tragic family. Absolute masterpiece, among vbest ten movies ever m,ade. Be prepared to suffer along with the characters.
The Devil’s Eye, Ingmar Bergman. Comedy about devil sending Don Juan top seduce a bride-to-be in a bet with God.
Then Devil’s Wanton, Ingmar Berg,man. Girl tries love with traumattised man.
Dreams, Ingmar Bergman. Harriet Anderson and Eva Sdahlbeck are two women on a modeling assigment who have affairs.
Dancer In The Dark, Lars Von Trier. Bork as put-upon mother trying to raise money to save son from blindness, descending into tragedy as she imagines herself doing musical numbers. Bizarre and pretty amazing.
Edward Munch, Petyer Watkins. Life and times, in semi-documentary style, of the man who painted “The Screeam.”
The Element Of Crime, Lars Von Trier. Cop thriller about detective who tracks down murdedre and mutialator of young girls by restaging cimres, all set in postnuclear Europe of constant rain.
Elvira Madigan, Bo Widerberg. Yopung officer and xcircus dancer in love, and the conxsequences. Stuningly photographed.
Emma’s Shadow, Soeren Kragh-Jacobsen. Rich little girl fakes jkindapping andf hides out with poor older man. Two loners find love.
Faithless, Liv Ullmann. Ingmartr Bergman’s leading lady directs a script by him, about a woman whose affair breaks her family apart.
Fanny And Al;excander, Ingmar Bergman. Childhood, family, life, death, art, love, ghost – a year in the full life of a Swedish family. For Bergman, a very wam film.
The Flight Of The Eagel, Jan Troell. Max Vion Sydow leads dangerous balloon flight to North Pole.
From The Life Of Marionettes, Ingmar Bergman. Businessman wants to kill unfaithful wife, descends into sex club life.
Getrud, Carl Dreyer. Woman makes no compromises in love, ends up heroically alone. Masterpiece.
Good Evening Mr Wallenberg, Kjell Grede. Strory of the Sewedish diplomat who saved thousands of Jews in Nazi Germany.
Hour Of The Wolf, Ingmar Bergman. Painter Max Von Sydow and wife Liv Ullmann on island where he goes mad. Gothic masterpiece.
House Of Angels, Colin Nutley. Comic roimp of cabaret artist returns to village to cllect ingheritance of an estate with her leather-clad gay friend.
The House Of The Spirits, Bille August. Isabekl Allende’s novel qwith Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Glenn Close, Wynon Ruiider and Antonia Banderas.
Hunger, Henning Carlsen. Starving artists in Copenhagen at turn of century, based on Knuit Hmasun novella.
Insomnia, Erik Skjoldbjerg. Film noir abiout detective who investigates murder in Arctic, where the sun doesn’t set, and goes crazy.
I, A Woman, Mac Ahlberg. Country girl leaves religious family and fucks her brains out in city.
I Am Curious (Yellow), Vilgot Sjoman. Sedish yhouth have sex.
Intermezzo, Gustav Molander. The film that got Ingrid Bergman noticed and brtough to Hollywood. Pianist Bergman is falls in love with fanous married pianist and runs off with him.
Insomnia, Erik Skjoldbjaerg. Detective Stellan Skarsgard accidentally kills his own partner and tries to cover it up while investigating a crime.
Jerusalem, Bille August. Lovers in turn-of-the-century Seidsh village at crossroads – he wants to manage farm, she wants to go to Jerusalem.
The Juniper Tree – (1987, Iceland) (Bjork)
Lakki: The Boy Who Grew Wings, Svend Wam. Boy actually grows wings as he struiggles with parental divorce.
Leningrad Cowqboys Go America, Aki Kaurismaki. Comedy about Finnish musicians seeking their fortune on the road in America.
A Lesson In Love, Ogmar Brgman. Comedy in which psyhiatrist fakllks for patient, his wife leaves him for old lover.
The Magic Flite, Ingmar Bergman. Meticulkous recreation of Mozart ooprra dfort screen. Brilliuant.
Mein Kampf, Tore Sjoberg. Documentary about Hitler and Nazis from newsreels and Nazi footage. Powerful,
The Kingdom, Lars Von Trier. Crazy goings-on in creepy hospital, a cross between Twin Peaks, ER, and Stephen King.
Ladies On The Rocks, Christian Brand Thomsen. Two women dump their men and take a comedy routine on the road.
Memories Of A Marriage, Kaspar Rostrup. A love affir that endures no matter what.
Miss Julie, Alf Sloberg. Noble woman lets herself be seduced by her butler after engagement is broken. Tragedy follows. Metiiculous production of Sttrindberg’s famous play.
The Magician., Ingmar Bergman. Max Von Sydow in gothic horror.
Monika, Ingmar Bergman. Two yoiung lovers have idyllic summer, then responsibilities set in as girl falls pregnant.
Montenegro.,, Dusan Makavejev. Black comedy with Susan Anspach as frustrated wife who gets involved with characters in a Yugoslavian bar.
The Mozart Brothers, Suzanne Osten. Crazy comedy of avant-garde theater director who tries to put on crazy production of Mozart opera,
My Life As A Dog, Lasse Hallstrom. 12-year-old boy’s life. Totally charming comedy.
Night Is My Future, Ingmar Bergman. Bl,indeed pianist falls in l,ove with maid whgo nurses him.
Ordet, Carl Dreyer. Young couple fall in love, but their families hold opposing religious beliefs.
The Outlaw Amnd His Wife, Victor Sjostrom. Classic silent about man and wife on run from cops, facing harsh realities of nature.
The Ox, Sven Kywist. Ingmar Bergman’s cinematographer’s film of 1060s famine in Sweden, where Max Von Sydow gets into trouble for killing an ox to eat.
Pathfinder, Nils Gaup. Boy’s family is massacred,m he flees, and then decides to fight back, helped by an older powerful presence.
The Passion Of Anna, Ingmar Bergman. Liv llmann, Max Von Sydow, Erland Jospehson and Bibi Anderson on island, caught in one of Bergman’s explorations of human psyche.
The Passion of Joan of Arc, Carl Theodor Dreyer. Maria Falconetti on trial in greatest movie ever. Antonin Artaud as sympathetic priest.
Pelle The Conqueror, Bille August. Farmer Max Von Sydow and son emigrate from Sweden to Denmark. Powerful.
Persona, Ingmar Bergman. Actress Liv Ullmann stops speaking, talkative nurse Bibi Anderson takes care of her. Deep exploration of the human heart. Total masterpiece.
Sawdust And Tinsel, Ingmar Bergman. Life in the circus, with love flowing between owner, wife, misytress, and her lover.
Scenes From A Marriage, Ingmar Bergman. Liv Ullman and Erland Jospehson are observed in and out of marriage. Total masterpiece.
Secrets Zof Women., Ingmar Bergm,an. Comedy about qwomen and their extramarital affirars.
The Seventh Seal, Ingmar Bergman. Knight Max Von Sydow stalked by death in plague-ridden Sweeden. Total masterpiece.
Shame, Ingmar Bergman. Max Von Sydow and Liv Ullmann are caught in war on island. Savager. Total masterpiece.
The Silence, Ingmar Bergman. Sisters Ingrid Thnulin and Gunnel Lindstrtom fight in hotel room in foreign country -- one is ill, the other one, horny. Total masterpiece.
The Silent Touch, Krysztof Zanussi. Composer Max Von Sydow is broken out of his silence of 40 years by the touch of music student Sarah Miles.
Twist And Shout, Bille August. Coming-of-age comedy about four teens. Not like your typical American BS about being a teenager.
Smiles Of A Summer Night, Ingmar Bergman. Comedy of mismatched lovers in charming night of schemes. Delightfgul masterpiece.
Songs From The Second Floor, XXXXXX. Bizarre images aplenty in this comedy of modernity.
Sunday’s Children, Daniel Bergman. Ingmar Bergman’s son films a script by is Dad about younger Ingmar’s relationshio with his Dad.
Through A Glass Darkly, Inngmar Begrman. Harriet Anderson has visions of God as giant spider in family vacation on Swedish island. The first in Bergman’s “absence of God” trilogy.
To Joy, Ingmar Bergman. Violinisty comes to terms with wife’s death.
Torment, Alf Sjoberg. Ingmar Bergman’s first screenplay. Student, teacher, and a woman.
Vampyr, Carl Dreyer. Deep vampire nightmare.
The Virgon Spring, Ingmar Bergman. Medieval knight Max Von Sydow’s daughter is raped. Totasl masterpiece.
Wild Strawberries, Ingmar Bergman. Victor Sjostrom as old Stockholm professor confront his past and his failings. Near masterpiece.
Winter Light, Ingmar Begrman. Second in Bergman’s “absence of God’ trilogy. Pastor Max Von Sydow loses his faith and his congregation.
Wolf At The Door, Henning Carlsen. Donald Sutherlandf is painter Pasul Gauguin., shuttling between Tahiti and Paris.
A World Of Strangers, Henning Carlsen. Englishman transplanted to Johannesburgh encounters apartheid.
You Are Not Alone, Ernst Johansen & Lasse Nielsen. Two young boys in Copenhagen boarding school, headmaster frown on their friendship.
Zombie And The Ghost Train, Mika Kaurismiki. Slacker bassist tries to join biggest band in Helsinki, buit is mostly drunk.

5. Spain
It’s pretty bizarre that Spain, the land of machismo and bullfights, has given us director Pedro Almodovar, the gay prince of the utterly outrageous, The arts suffered under Franco, and so did film.

All About My Mother, Pedro Almodóvar. Cecilia Roth’s son dies, and she goes looking for the father, who’s become a transvestite prostitute.
El Amor Bruju, Carlos Saura. Widow Laura del Sol is tortured by hsuband’s ghost, as Antonio Gades tries to win her favors, in this film version of Gades’ flamenco ballet.
Amor De Hombre, Yolanda Garcia Serrno & Juan Luis Iborra. Friendshio between woman and gay man is threatened by his new affair.
Ay, Carmela, Carlos Saura. The Spanish Civil War through the eyes of Republican entertainers who who provide shows for the troops, with the Almodovar star Carmen Maura.
Belle Epoque, Fernando Trueba. Solider ducks out of 1931 Spanish Civil War, and ends in house where he’s seduced by four sisters in turn.
Blood Wedding, Carlos Saura. Director Saura made three flamenco ballet movies with choreographer Antonio Gades (Carmen, El Amor Brujo & Blood Wedding), and this one, based on a Lorca play, is the best.
Calle 54, Fernando Trueba. Documentary performances by masters of salsa.
Cannibal Man (Le Semana Del Asesino), Eloy De La Iglesia. Nice slaughterhouse worker goes on murder spree in violent, interesting horror exercise.
Caresses, Ventura Pons. Barcelona people tarpped and liberated via sex.
Celestial Clockwork, Fina Torres. South American female exiles live it up in Paris.
Un Chien Andalou, Luis Bunuel & Salvador Dali. The surrealist masterpiece with the famous shot of the eyeball being sliced open.
El Cochecito, Marco Ferreri. Dad wants wheelchaier from son even though he doesn’t need one so he can get on with his handicappyed friends. Black comedy.
Colegas, Eloy de la Iglesia. Two friends, one makes the other sister’s pregnant, shit hits fan.
Costa Brava, Marta Balletbo-Coll. Off-beat lesbian romantic comedy.
Cria! Carlos Saura. Geraldine Chaplin and young Anna Torrent play the same woman, at different ages; bad childhood, innocence lost.
Chronica Del Alba, Antonio J. Betancor. Young man al college in 1919, torn between love and revolution.
Dagon, Stuart Gordon. Scary adaptation of creepy H.P. Lovecraft story “The Shadow over Innsmouth.”
Day Of The Beast, Alex de la Iglesia. Outrageous fun as Father Angel tries to stop Satan from taking over earth.
Demons In The Garden, Manuel Gutierrez Aragon. Spoilt boy after Spanish Civiol War; mom, aunt and grandma compete to raise him.
The Devil’s Backbone, Guillermo del Toro. 10-year-old boy is sent to orphanmage during Spanish Civil War. De Toro’s 2006 movie “Pan’s Labyrinth” is also about a child during this war.
El Diputado, Eloy De La Iglesia. Political thriller about married pol in post-Franco Spain who falls in love with gay teen hustler.
The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca, Maros Zurinaga. Andy Garcia as poet Lorca in story of journalist investigating Lorca’s death.
Don Juan My Love, Antonio Mercero. Don Juan comes back from dead to do a good deed to escape purgatory, and all sorts of hilarious goings-on ensue.
Dulces Navajas, Eloy De La Iglesia. Teen gang leadr battles cops and other gangs in search of love.
Extramuros (Beyond The Walls), Miguel Picazo. The Plague reigns outside rhe convent walls, where two lesbian nuns topple the tyrannical prioress, then the Inquisition comes calling.
The Fable Of The Beautiful Pigeon-Fancier, Roy Guerra. From a story of Gabriel Garcia Marques: older man falls for beautiful young woman, life totally upheaved.
The Flower Of My Secret, Pedro Almodovar. Romance novelist’s marriage breaks up, everything falls apart, she becomes critic assigned to trash her novel, etc.
The Garden of Delights, Carlos Saura. Black comedy: rich man has amnesia, inheritance-greedy relatives try to restore his memory by enacting shocking scenes from his childhood.
Half Of Heaven, Gutierrez Aragon. In Franco’s Spain, a young widow and her daughter head for city to make it there.
Hidden Pleasures, Eloy De La Iglesia. Closeted gay bank official falls in love with straight guy.
High Heels, Perdo Almovodar. Mom and daughter discover they’ve been sleeping with same fellow.
The Holy Inoocents, Marto Camus. Peasant couple sruggle in their service to aristocrats in feudal village in modern Spain.
How To Be A Woman And Not Die In The Attempt, Ana Belen. Carmen Maura struggles with bad husband, bad boss, bad kids.
The Hunt, Carlos Saura. Three vets of Spanish Civil War and young man go hunting, and it turns into a bloody mess as their various obsessions take over.
I’m The One You’re Looking For, Jaime Chavari. Thriller about raped model who becomes obsessed with her rapist.
In A Glass Cage, Agustin Villaronga. Extreme horror as nurse tales revenge on Nazi doctor trapped in iron lung.
Intacto, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. All about luck, many layers, many imaginitive spirals.
Jamon Jamon, Bigas Luna. Mom tries to break up son’s affair with lower-class Penelope Cruz. Plays like a Greek tragedy on acid.
Kika, Pedro Almodovar. Woman is raped and rape is filmed, and TV show hostess wants to show tape on TV. Outrageous characters and events in typical Almodovar stew.
Labyrinth of Passion, Pedro Allmodovar. Son of Middle east despot Antonio Banderas falls for nympho, many bizarre plot twists stand in their way.
Law Of Desire, Pedro Almodovar. Antonio Banderas and Carmen Maura in crazy comedy about gay moviemaker and his sister who changed her sex to please her lover, who happens to be their Dad. You get the idea.
Live Flesh, Pedro Almodovar. A farcical revenge thriller.
Lovers, Vicente Aranda. Rivalling Almodovar for sex and melodrama, this film delivers passion with full-on Latin zest.
Lovers of the Arctic Circle,
Mama Turns 100, Carlos Saura. Mama’s children are set upon making this their mom’s last borthday, but she has other plans. Clever black comedy.
Matador, Perdo Almodovar. A foray into sex and death via sexually charged murders by Spain’s own John Waters, or should we say Warhol?
The Nest, Jaime de Arminan. The frienship between a 60-year-old widower and 12-year-old girl. Moving tragedy.
Nico and Dani, Cesc Gay. Gay teen coming of age. Pretty damn good.
Open Your Eyes, Alejandro Amenabar. Stylish thriller with Penelope Cru as femme fatale.
The Others, Alejandro Amenabar. Nicole Kidman stars in this ghost story with a sting in the tail.
Padre Nuestro, Francisco Rabal. Cardinal with only a yer to live retrurn to village to make amends for his youthful transgressions, and unleashes comedy that exposes Spanish sex/church contradictions.
Pepi, Luci, Bom y atras Chicas del Monton, Pedro Almodovar. His first film. Gross, camp, farcical, crazy, with Carmen Maura.
El Sacerdote, Eloy de la Iglesia. Priest in Franco’s Spain torn between vow of celibacy and raging lust.
Skyline, Fernando Colomo. Spanish photographer’s humorous troubles start when he immigrates to Manhattan.
Spirit of the Beehive, Victor Erice. Kids obsessed with Frankenstein and a soldier on the lam in Franco’s Spain. Up there with great, thoughtful kid movies like Forbidden Games, To Kill a Mockingbird and The Night of the Hunter.
The Stilts, Carlos Saura. Triangle of professor, neighbor and her husband for whose theater company the professor writes a play.
Talk To Her, Pedro Almodovar. Two women in a coma, two men in love with them. And guess what that can lead to, with Amodovar at the helm.
Tango, Carlos Saura. There’s a story here, but mostly amazing incendiary dance sequiences.
That Obscure Object of Desire, Luis Buñuel. Same character played by three actresses drives Fernando Rey to distraction.
Thesis, Alejandro Amenabar. Snuff film sends student on investigation as part of her thesis. Very successful Spanish hit.
Tie Me Up! Tioe Me Down! Perdo Almodovar. Mental patient Antonio Naderas kidnaps porn star.
El Topo, Alejandro Jodorowsky. Extremely bloody, surrealist, arty Western.
Tristana, Luis Bunuel. Black comedy about Catherine Denueve avenging herself on the old roué Fernado Rey who seduced her.
Un Chien Andalou, Luis Bunuel & Salvador Dali. The unbelievable surrealisty masterpiece, alond with Age D’Or.
Under The Earth, Beda Docampo Feijoo. Jewish family survives in post-war Poland.
Valentina, Antonio J. Betancor. Anthony Quinn is father of a boy who’s madly in love. Very moving.
Viridiana, Luis Bunuel. Innocent young girl loses her innocence at rich uncle’s estate. Spain threw the anti-clerical Bunuel out of the country after this.
What Have I Done To Deserve This? Pedro Almodovar. Carmen Maura is this frenzied tale of crazy goings-on.
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Pedro Almodovar. The huge international hit by Almodovar, a comedy like no other.

6. Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Cuba, Peru, Venezuela, Columbia, Chile, Guatemala, Dominican Republic)
Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Cuba are the main Latin American movie countries. Three Mexican directors have achieved international fame in the 21st century: Little preamble – mention 3 megasuccessful Mexican directors? The year after NAFTA, Mexican movie production went from 130 movies to 7. Director Tomas Gutierrze Alea.is practically the entire Cuban movie industry all by himself. Forf a while, the great Bunuel was a Mexican film-maker.

Amor Bandido, Bruno Barreto. Teenage girl becomes topless dancer and prostitute in Rio de Janeiro, meets teenage killer, they fall in love, but are doomed.
Amores Perros, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Three separate stories involving dogs connect through a car crash in Mexico City.
Antonio Des Morter, Glauber Rocha. Pesatn uprising against landowners – perennial Latin American problem.
Behind The Sun, Walter Salles. Feud over land between neighboring families, where brothers of one family are obliged to kill brothers of other family who kill them.
Bitter Sugar, Leon Ichaso. What kind of a future do young Cubans face? Naïve Rene Lavan thinks Castro will take care of him. His brother injects himself with AIDS as a revoltuonary act. His girlfriend makes contact with foreigners to get to Miami. Is politics the way out? Powerful stuff.
Black God and White Devil, Glauber Rocha. Man kills boss, goes on lam, becomes hero of peasants as he propagates murder to gain peasant ownership of land. Characteristic Rocha mix of realism, myth and historical reference.
El Bruto, Luis Bunuel. Wife falls for brute hired by husband to evict tenants. Madness follows.
Black Orpheus, Marcel Camus. The breathless rollercoaster of dance and music set in Rio Carnival, retelling the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. A masterpiece. Brilliant score by Antonio Carlos Jobim.
La Boca Del Lobo, Francisco J. Lombardi. Peruvian Civil War drama. Army patrol is sent to small village. A new commander finds whole village guilty of treason. One soldier can’t go along with the ensuing calamity.
Bossa Nova, Bruno Barreto. Winning romantic comedy in Rio de Janeiro with Amy Irving pursued by two men.
Buena Vista Social Club, Wim Wenders. The amazing music documentary with Ry Cooder that uncovered Havana musicians in their 70s and 80s whose artistry and enthusiasm haven’t waned in 50 years.
Butterflies On The Scaffold (Mariposas En El Andamio), Luis Bernaza & Margaret Gilpin. Drag queens getting by in a small town. Amazing documentary.
Bye Bye Brazil, Carlos Diegues. Performing troupe travel across changing Brazil.
Camila, Maria Luisa Bomberg. Poliician’s daughter and celibate priest fall in love in 1840s Argentina, flee to have sex, and are hunted by the church, the government and her family. Based on famous scandal.
Carla’s Song, Ken Loach. Glasgow bus driver Robert Carlyle and Nicaraguan Oyanka Cabezas return from Scotland to Nicaragua to exorcise terrible memories of her past. Powerful stuff.
Central Station, Walter Salles. Famous Brazilian actress Fernanda Montenegro gives incredible performance in touching drama as she accompanies young boy who’s mother just died in search of his lost father. Some kind of masterpiece.
Cabeza de Vaca, Nicholas Echevarria. Spanish ship wrecks on Florida coast in 1528, sole survivor joins tribe, then new conquistadors come to conquer tribe. Big amazing epic.
Celestial Clockwork, Fina Torres. Ariadne Gil leaves her groom at the altar in Caracas and takes off for Paris, where she joins other Latina exiles in an crazy apartment. Excellent comedy about living free.
Chronically Unfeasible, Sergio Bianchi. Political comedy of race and class set in Sao Paulo.
City of God, Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund. Three decades of gangster youth in Rio. Nine-year-olds with guns. A masterpiece.
Cronos, Guillermo del Toro. A box turns you into a vampire. Two men vie over its ownership. Weird and nice.
La Ciudad Y Los Perros (The City And The Diogs), Frnacisco J. Lombardi. From Mario Vargas Llosa’s novel. Cadet confront four vicious cadets who dominate their military academy. Powerful stuff.
The Crime of Padre Amaro, Carlos Carrera. Young priest corrupted.
The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz, Luis Bunuel. Man is continually frustrated as he attempts to indulge himself in kinky sex and murder. Sendup of Latin bourgeoisie.
Danzon, Maria Novaro. Telephone operator blossoms as she hunts for missing dance partner among prostitutes and other denizens of the night.
Death Of A Bureaucrat, Tomas Gutierrez Alea. Hilariously crazy comedy. To get her pension, our hero’s mom needs her husband’s union card buried with him, and our hero has to go through the most bizarre red tape to get his dad exhumed and reburied.
Details Of A Duel, Sergio Cabera. A teacher and a butcher find themselves egged on to a big duel they don’t want by the clergy, the military and town leaders. Irreverent comedy exposes Latin machismo.
The Dolphin, Walter Lima Jr. Girl seduced by dolphin, bears his son, curse of no fish follows.
Dona Flor And Her Two Husbands, Bruno Barreto. Sonia Braga stars as sexy wife who gets first husband back from dead when second husband can’t satisfy her.
Dona Herlinda And Her Son, Jaime Humberto Hermosillo. Mom invites son’s gay lover to come and stay with them. Gay comedy.
El, Luis Bunuel. Bunuel at his anti-clerical best in this black comedy about insane jealousy.
Enamorada, Emilio Fernandez. A socially concerned general is deeply in love with a woman who despises his peasant origins. Will love overcome class? A masterpiece.
Erendira, Ray Guerra. From a story by Gbariel Garcia Marues. Crazy grandma Irene Papas turns granddaughter into a prostitute. Black comedy.
The Exterminating Angel, Luis Bunuel. Dinner guests can’t leave party, where Bunuel nails their decadence and corruption to their foreheads.
The Fable Of The Beautiful Pigeon-Fancier, Roy Guerra. From a story of Gabriel Garcia Marques: older man falls for beautiful young woman, life totally upheaved.
Four Days In September, Bruno Barreto. Mightily suspenseful political thriller. Revolutionaries led by woman kidnap US ambassador Alan Arkin to get comrades released from jail. Some kind of masterpiece. If you like Costa-Gravas, this is your cup of inflammatory tea.
Funny Dirty Little War, Hector Olivera. A bureaucraticv struggle explodes into civil war in a 1950s Argentine village. At last the town becomes efficient – at torture and murder. Great anti-war satire.
Gabriela, Bruno Barreto. Sonia Braga as wife of Marcello Mastroianni, whose sexiness drives whole town crazy. Based on Jorge Amado story.
The Great Madcap, Luis Bunuel. High-living man has heart attack, and then realizes all his hangers-on, including his wife, need to learn that money is not water, and needs to be earned. Bunuel in great satiric form.
The Green Wall, Armando Robles Godoy. Family leaves Lima to survive in the Peruvian jungle. Powerful stuff.
Guantanomera!Juan Carlos Tabio & Tomas Gutierrez Alea. Picaresque comedy of three people and corpse traveling through Cuba.
Happily Ever After, Bruno Barreto. Sex drama. Woman encounters lover in a dream, then in real life. Kind of surreal, and funny, too.
Hour Of The Star, Suzanna Amaral. Study of poor, uneducated girl from provinces who attains dignity.
How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman, Nelson Pereira dos Santos. Farce about Frenchman about to be eaten by Indian tribe. He willingly plays his role in the elaborate ritual leading to his being gobbled – even gets a wife to instruct him.
I Am Cuba, Mikhail K. Kalatozov. Four stories about pre-Castro Cuba, showcasing the extravagant elite and the suffering underclass. A classic.
I Don’t Want To Talk About It, Maria Luisa Bomberg. Marcello Mastroianni falls in love with midget, whose mom tries to keep her daughter ignorant of her stature. Charming fantasy.
I, The Worst Of All, Maria Luisa Bomberg. Based on Octavio Paz novel. 17th century Mexican nun Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz’s poetry makes her famous, which creates trouble for the sealed-off convent she lives in, while the Spanish Inquisition is going on. She has a relationship with the beautiful wife of the viceroy (Domique Sandra).
Illusions Travel By Streetcar, Luis Buneul. Fired workers take trolley on on last drunken ride through Mexico City.
El Immigrante Latino, Gustavo Nieto Froa. Colombian classical musician comes to New York to find success but encounters one disaster after another. Nice comedy.
Kiss Of The Spiderwoman, Hector Babenco. William Hurt got an Oscar for the role of a gay guy in jail with radical Raul Julia, with Sonia Braga as Julia’s lover and Hurt’s fantasy dream star.
The Last Supper, Tomas Gutierrze Alea. Turn-of-the-century slave-owner tries rto redeem himself by having his slavces re-enact the Last Supper. Bunuel-like savage irony.
Letters From The Park, Tomas Gutierrez Alea. From a Gabriel Marquiez story. In turn-of-the-century Cuba, Two youngsters enlist an older guy to write each other love letters who fal;ls in love with young woman. A Cuban Cyrano De Bergerac. Delightful.
Life Is To Whistle, Fernandop Perez. The story of three Havana orphans: a mkusican moruning his mom, a woman who faints at the word “sex”; and a sex-obsessed dancer who swears celibacy if only God if God will give her the lead in a basllet.
Like Water For Chocolate, Alfonso Arau. Magic realism as woman who has to give up her love to care for her mom places all her love into cooking meals that transform everyone who eats them. Worldwide arthouse hit.
Los Olvivados, Luis Bunuel. Youngsters adrift in a world of poverty and crime. Powerful stuff.
Lucia Lucia, Antonio Serrano. Wife looks for husband kidnapped by violent Marxists. Good stuff.
Macario, Roberto Gavaldon. Based on a story by B. Traven, a fairy tale about poor woodcutter who makes bargain with death and becomes rich.
Man Facing Southeast, Elisio Subicia. Man arrives at Buenos Aires mental institution, claims he is from another planet. His shrink becomes convinced his story might be true, especially because he induces a great calm in other inmates. Grownup sci-fi fable about psychiatry and the conflict between the idividualand society.
Memories of Underdevelopment, Tomas Gutierrex Alea. Set during the Cuban Missile Crisis, a bourgeois man in Havana decides not to flee to Miami like the rest of his family, but to face up to the Castro revolution. A masterpiece.
Mexican Bus Ride, Luis Bunuel. Innocent young man’s travails on journey by Buneul in characteristic irreverent mode.
Miracle in Rome, Lisandro Duque Naranjo. From Gabriel Marcia Marquez story. After beiung buried for 12 years,girl’s body is discovered intact, as if she’s been asleep. Father travels to Rome to have her declared a saint, and encounters church bureaucracy.
Nazarin, Luis Bunuel. Priest wishing to live a pure life is frustrated by society that could care less. One of Bunuel’s best.
Nine Queens, Fabian Bielinsky. Experienced con man shows newbie the ropes. Will the con men be conned? Entertaining.
The Official Story, Luis Puenzo. Devastating drama about woman finding out what happened to the “disappeared” during Argentine military dictatorship. 1985 Oscar for best foreign movie.
Opera Da Malandra, Ray Guerra. Extravagant tango musical retelling of “Three Penny Opera.” One big number takes place in a men’s room.
Oriana, Fina Torres. Youing woman travels through jungle to hacienda she inherited from aunt, goes through her aunt;s old things, discovers family secret. Haunting and romantic.
Pixote, Hector Babenco. 10-year-old gangster in lawless Sao Paulo. Deeply affecting masterpiece.
A Place In The World, Adolfo Aristarain. Rural village transformed by industry told as coming-of-age story of teenage boy. Powerful and moving.
The Plague, Luis Puenzo. The Albert Camus novel about a plague devastating a ciuty, with William Hurt, Robert Duvall and Raul Julia.
Portrait Of Teresea, Pastor Vega. Post-revolution Cuban housewiufe works in factory by day, attends political meetings by night, has to deal with Latin macho husband in country that says women are liberated.
Quilombo, Carlos Diegues. In 17th century Brazil, runaway slaves establish fabulous communities in jungle. Battles, legends, scenery.
Raoni: The Fight For The Amazon, Jean-Pierre Dutilleux. Stirring documentary of rainforest tribe battling decimation of their habitat by greedy Brazilian government.
La Rosa Blanca, Robeeto Gavaldon. Based on a B. Traven story. Oil company vs. hacienda owner over oil on his land. Love for land vs. greed for oil.
Sante Sangre, Alejandro Jodowosky. The director of El Topo in another bizarre outing, this time a killing spree of armless mother and son against any woman who dares to get close to him. Visuals that’ll haunt your dreams.
A Shadow You Soon Will Be, Hector Olivera. Based on Osvaldo Soriano novel. Journey of computer progammer through Argentine after restoration of democracy. Existential.
The Sllence Of Neto, Luis Argueta. In 1954 the US installs a pupper rwegime in Guatemala and Neto comes of age. Lots of magical realism.
Simon of the Desert, Luis Bunuel. A Catholic saint lives on top of lone tower to live like a proper Christian. But the devil comes tempting him. Recommended for lapsed Catholics.
Strawberry & Chocolate, Juan Carlos Tabio & Tomas Gutierrez Alea. In 1979 Havana, a straight guy who swallows the Castro Revolution wholesale is seduced by a gay guy who has an irreverent view of life.
Subway To The Stars, Carlos Doegues. Orpheus legend retold: saxophone player searches for missing girlfriend in Rio de janeiro’s underworld.
Susana, Luis Bunuel. Total sexbomb escapes from jail, moves in with unsuspecting family, drives men all over the neighborhood crazy with insane lust. Fun.
Sugar Cane Alley, Euzhan Palcy. Young Jose escapes poverty through efforts of never-say-die grandma. Very moving arthouse hit.
Terra Em Transe, Glauber Rocha. Poet journalist gets political in this famous example of Cinema Nuovo movement.
Tieta Of Agreste, Carklos Diegues. From Jorge Amado novel: comedy of Sonia Braga leaving town in shame and returning as rich benefactor who gives people what they want which doesn’t necessarily make them happy.
The Tango Lesson, Sally Potter. Director Potter meets tango master, trades him a film role for tango lessons. Weirdly fascinating.
Time For Revenge, Adolfo Aristarain. Man fakes industrial accident to expose unsafe working conditions, but fake accident causes a real death. He’s up against the corrupt company in this tense thriller.
Times to Come, Gustavo Mosquera. Surreal politicasl anger as demonstrator is shot by cop, falls into coma with his brain stil working, and cop is stalked by someone wanting to get even with him.
El Topo, Alejandro Jodorowsky. The most bizarre Western ever made. Blood by the bucket, allegories in every gunshot, images you won’t forget. A cross between Sergio Leone, Fellini and Salvador Dali. See it once sober, then watch it stoned.
Up To A Certain Point, Tomas Gutierrez Alea. Screenwriter tgries to write feminist film for his actress wife in macho country.
The Uprising, Peter Lilienthal. Young man from the dictator Somza’s National Guard joins the Sandinista rebels. Shot only months after the Sandinaista Revolution in a dopcumentary style.
Veronico Cruz, Miguel Pereira. Argentine military junta invades serene world of highlands pueblo, and upheaves boy’s life and everyone else’s in a stupid power struggle.
A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings, Fernando Birri. Old Cuban couple find old guy with wings, put him in chbicken coop where he becomes local attraction. Comical magic realism.
Where The River Runs Black, Christopher Cain. Amazon boy raised by dolphins gets chance to avenge his mother’s murder.
Wuthering Heights,Luis Bunuel. Yes, Bunuel made his own Mexican version of the classic love story.
Xica, Carlos Diegues. Historical comedy about sexy black slave who captivates rich man and drives town crazy with her flamboyant ways.
Y Tu Mama Tambien, Alfonso Cuaron. Two horny teenage boys Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna take beautiful twentysomething wife Maribel Verdu of Luna’s cousin on road trip through today’s Mexico. Uninhibited fun. Good stuff.

7. Russia
Perhaps the most typical Russian genre is the horrors of war seen through the eyes of a boy. You’ll find at least ten films like this here. If you want to make sure your kid doesn’t go fight in another dumb US war, have him watch a few of these. For some reason, Russia also makes the best movies of Shakespeare plays. Check out the Russian Hamlet and King Lear, which must have gotten the entire Russian Army free for its cast of extras. Epics are a definitive Russian specialty. Then there are the two Russian greats, Eisenstein, who practically invented montage, and Tarkovsky, the masterful visionary. The Russians also produce sturdy film versions of their classic novels.

Adam’s Rib, Vyacheslav Krishtofovich. A grandmother, mother and two daughters share apartment as Russia takes to capitalism. Good stuff.
Aelita: Queen of Mars, Yakov Protazanov. Epic Russian silent sci-fi movie from 1924 about three Russians who get involved in a Martian workers uprising where one of them falls for the Queen. Did Fritz Lang steal the whole idea of Metropolis from this?
Alexander Nevsky, Sergei Eisenstein. Prince Nevsky defends Russia against Teutonic Knights in 1242, with a great battle on the ice of a lake.
Andrei Rublev, Andrei Tarkovsky. Epic saga of icon painter in medieval Russia. Genghis Khan ransacks a city, wanderings, and spiritual revelation. Overwhelming -- one of the twenty best movies ever made.
Ashik Kerib, Sergei Paradjanov. Poor mintrel travels through a rural fantasia to earn the money to marry his beloved. Extravagant imagery. Good stuff.
Autumn Marathon, Georgy Panelia. Leningrad prof in mid-life crisis re wife, mistress, students, colleagues, etc.
Ballad of a Soldier, Grigori Chukhrai. Soldier gets leave from front, goes to see mom again, meets girl on train. Very affecting. Brilliant date movie.
Battleship Potemkin, Sergei Eisenstein. Silent masterpiece: mutiny of Potemkin crew during the insurrection of 1905. Odessa steps sequence is editing tour de force of all time.
The Burglar, Valery Ogorodnikov. Soviet rocker Konstantin Kinchev (who actually is one) steals synthesizer to help his group make it big, complications ensure in post-Soviet Russia.
Burnt by the Sun, Nikita Mikhalkov. Oscar winner. On one summer holiday, a family is visited by wife’s ex-lover who is a Stalin emissary, and fan gets hit by shit.
The Cameraman’s Revenge and Other Fantastic Tales, Ladislav Starewitz. Animation from 1912, and a big influence on all surrealist animators from Tim Burton to the Quay brothers. Weird family fun.
The Cigarette Girl Of Mosselprom, Yuri Zhelyabuzhsky. Exuberant silent satire of street vending girl who is cast as romantic lead in movie.
Close To Eden, Nikita Mikhalkov. Comedy of rural Mongoilian family who take in Russian truck driver and get bitten by a modernization bug, so Dad goes to big city for TV, condoms and other industrial commodities that’ll ruin their simple lives.
The Color Of Pomegranates, Sergei Paradjanov. Armenian poet Sayat Nova’s life story told as spiritual quest in symbolic imagery. Beautiful.
Come and See, Elem Klimov. Raw teenager undergoes a hell of WW2 atrocities in swamps and forests on Russian border, becoming a middle-aged wreck as he tries to survive the carnage of SS reprisals against partisans. Masterpiece.
Commissar, Alexander Askoldov. In the 1920 Russian Civil War, a Red Army Colonel gets pregnant, moves in with poor Jewish family to bear child, has to get over her typically Russian anti-semitism.
The Cranes Are Flying, Mikhail K. Kalatozov. WW2 story of lovers separated by war.
Crime And Punishment, Lev Kulidzhanov. By far the best film version of Dostoyevsky great novel, which is why it takes over 3 hours to tell the whole story.
Earth, Alexander Dovzhenko. The soil, the land, the sun -- and the struggle of peasant farmers against nature and rich landowners in the Ukraine. Silent masterpice.
East/West (Es/Quest, Regis Wargnier. The director of Indochine tells the epic story of a Russian doctor living in France who returns to Russia when Stalin invites all WW2 expats to return, and then comes up against Stalinist madness.
The End Of St. Petersburg, Vsevolod Pudovkin. Silent movie of worker forced off farm to become victim of capitalist factory and war.
The Extraordinary Sadventures Of Mr. West In The Land Of The Bolsheviks, Lev Kuleshov. Silent slapstick of naïve American lost in bizarre adventures in land of freaky Russkis.
Fall Of The Romanov Dynasty, Ether Shub. Silent documentary uses newsreel footage 1912 -- 1917 and home movies of Czar Nicholas to tell story of Russian Revolution.
Forgotten Tune For A Flute, Eldar Ryazanov. Post-glasnost satire of married government functionary who has affair with nurse who eggs him on to play the flute again.
Freedom Is Paradise, Sergei Bodrov. 13-year old boy goes on challenging journey to faraway Lenigrad to find his father in prison.
Freeze, Die, Come To Life, Vitaly Kanevski. Young boy holds his own against Stalinist craziness in Siberian village. Brutal, funny, tender.
The Girl With The Hatbox, Boris Barnet. Comedy of factory girl who wins lottery and has to deal with her own joys and the greed of others.
Hamlet,
Happiness, Alexander Medcedkin. All-out farcical satire on greed. Poor farmer finds purse full of money, but instead of happiness is plunged into one weird disaster after another.
I Am Cuba, Mikhail K. Kalatozov. Four stories about pre-Castro Cuba, showcasing the extravagant elite and the suffering underclass. A classic.
Ivan The Terrible, Parft 1 and 2, Sergei Eiswenstein. The 16th century story of Russia’s first Czar: his coronation, defeat, comeback and revenge. A classic.
Jazzman, Karen Shakhnazarov. Endearing satire of Russian musician in 1920s who starts jazz band and fights for recognition for this “bourgeois” form of music.
Kindergarten, Yevgeny Yevtushenkol. The famous Russian poet makes an autobiographical movie about a boy in WW2 Russia who is sent from Moscow to the safety of a Siberain village but gets caught up in the war en route. With Klaus Maria Brandauer in the movie, of all people.
King Lear,
The Lady With The Dog, Josef Heifitz. Chekov story about married banker and married woman who meet on vacation and carry on their affair secretly in Moscow. Gets the bittersweet Chekovian flavor dead right.
The Legend Of The Suram Fortress, Sergei Paradjanov. Another weird outing by the Georgian director who specializes in visually dazzling folkloristic anthems about Georgia -- this time about a fortress that collapses, and a soothsayer who says the town has to bury the son of the guy who jilted her in its walls to keep it from falling down again.
Lessons At The End Of Spring, Oleg Kavan. In Krushchev Soviet, a 13-year-old boy lands in a prison for grownups, and never gives up in this horribly brutal setting.
Little Vera, Vasily Pichul. Teen’s boyfriend moves in with her family. Film shows rigors of working class life in 80s Russia, with Western decadence breaking down Russian families.
Luna Park, Pavel Lounguine. Neo-Nazi thug finds out his father is Jewish, goes looking for him, not knowing whether he’ll kill his Dad or accept him. Shows a savage Russia in grip of destructive xenophobia abd anti-Semitism, and riven by out-of-control violence.
Main With A Movie Camera, Dziga Vetov. Classic silent of a day in the life of Moscow with many cinematic pyrotechnics.
The Mirror, Andrei Tarkovsky. A young boy’s wartime exile and a mother’s political terror in an autobiographical masterpiece.
Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears, Vladimir Menshov. Oscar-winning comedy of three provincial girls who move to Moscow looking for work and marriage, preferably with some rich fellow.
Mother, Vsevolod Padovkin. Silent movie about a family’s struggles in Czarist Russia during the hapless workers’ revolt of 1905.
My Name Is Ivan, Andrei Tarkovsky. Tarkovsky’s first movie: 12-year-old boy becomes scout for army in WW2.
Oblomov, Nikita Mikhalkov. Film of Goncharov’s classic satirical novel about a slothful aristocrat who is too lazy to get out of bed.
October (Ten Days That Shook The World), Sergei Eisenstien. Silent classic about Russian Revolution based on US reporter John Reeds’s account.
Orphans, Nikolai Gubenko. Tender story of young boy at boarding school.
The Overcoat, Aleksei Batalov. Gogol’s story of poor clerk’s travails to get a new coat and what happens after he gets it.
Nostalghia (1983), Russia
Prisoner Of The Mountains, Sergei Bodrov. Antiwar firm about two Russian soldiers who are captured by a Caucasian Muslim patriarch who wants to trade them for his son locked in a Russian prison, but the townspeople want them executed.
Private Life, Yuli Raizman. Fired factory manager doesn’t know what to do with himself, then rediscovers marriage, family and friends.
Que Viva Mexcio, Sergei Eisenstein. Abandoned by Eisenstein when money ran out from producer Upton Sinclair and rushes didn’t arrive from Mexico, his film about the beauty and agony of Mexico was edited by his editor 40 years later. All about the Indians of Mexico, the Spanish conquest, subjugation by Catholicism, etc.
Rasputin, Elem Klimov. The definitive melodrama about the religious fanatic who mesmerized the royal family, a string of women and an entire country, drank like a fish, and came to a bloody end.
The Red And The White, Miklos Jansco. Antiwar drama of Red Army vs. the Whites by a monastery where nurses try to minister to all parties.
Red Pomegranate, Sergei Paradjanov. Portrait of 17th century Armenian poet Arutuin Sayadian, homage to Armenian people.
Repentance, Tengiz Abuladze. Brutal satire about Stalinist era. Old woman keeps digging up body of beloved mayor, who turns out to have been a total bully.
Russian Ark, Alexander Sokurov. Present-day Russian and 19th century French diplomat walk through the Hermitage Museum, debating art, philosophy and Russian history and character. Quite amazing.
The Sacrifice, Andrei Tarkovsky. Family gather’s to celebrate Dad’s 70th birthday when news of impending nuclear attack shatters serenity.
Scarecrow, Roland Bykov. 12-year-old girl becomes target of other schoolgirls. Brutal, like a “Lord Of The Flies” for girls.
Shadows Of Forgotten Ancestors, Sergei Paradjanov. 19th century Ukrainian fable of young man in loveless marriage still pining for dead lover. Tripped out with extravagant effects, camera movements, and musical scenes.
The Shooting Party, Emil Loteaunu. From Chekov’s story. Love among the pre-Czarist Russian nobility. Magistrate falls for gamekeeper’s daughter, fan is hit by excrement.
Siberiade, Andrei Konchalovsky. Epic saga of three generations of two families – one poor, one middleclass -- in Siberia from 1900 to the 60s. Violent upheaval and hitting of fan by great varieties of shit as peasants are booted into the 20th century. Goes by like a blaze, even though it’s over 3 hours long.
Sideburns, Yuri Mamin. Crazy political satire as two men arrive in some Russian nowhere city and go on a reactionary rampage, singling out the children of Perestoika as their victims, only to find themselves in competition with even greater reactionaries.
A Slave Of Love, Nikita Mikhalkov. White Russian film crew try to shoot melodrama while Russian Revolution is happening.
Solaris, Andrei Tarkovsky. From Stanislaw Lem’s sci-fi novel. On space station circling a mysteriously intelligent planet, old lovers come back from dead to haunt cosmonauts.
Stalker, Andrei Tarkovsky. Sci-fi film about myserious zone where there’s a room that will fulfil one’s desires.
Strike. Sergei Eisenstein. The master’s first film. Workers suffer in Moscow factory, go on strike, starve, are infiltrated and massacred.
A Summer Tp Remember, G. Danelia & I. Tlankin. 6-year-old boy’s relationship with mom and stepfather.
Taxi Blues, Pavel Lounguine. Bleakly funny view of post-Commuism Russia following the hard times of a taxi driver and a saxophone player in Moscow.
The Thief, Pavel Chukhrai. Woman in Stalinist Russia falls in love with a soldier on a train journey and her 6-year-old sonm is happy to have a father. Then lover is revealed as thief, and fan is hit by varieties of excrement. Great stuff.
An Unfinished Piece For The Player Piano. A Russian “Rules Of The Game’ via a Chekov play. Entiled gentry at summer dacha go crazy in a melancholy way.
War And Peace, Sergei Bondarchuk. Definitive and Oscar-winning version of Tolstoy’s novel in 7 hours of the most expensive Russian movie ever made, using 120,000 soldiers for the battle scenes alone. Spectacular.
Window To Paris, Yuri Mamin. Comedy of poor St. Petersburg flatmates who find a closet door that opens straight on to opulent Paris, and they go cracy for Western abundance.

8. Eastern Europe (Poland, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Serbia, Romania, Georgia, Armenia)
Poland, the biggest country in Eastern Europe, has produced most of the great films to come from this corner of the world. Polish directors Andzej Wajda, Agnieszka Holland, Krzytzof Kieslowski, and Roman Polanski have also worked outside their homeland; of these ex-pats Milos Forman has had the most disnguished American career (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Amadeus). A sex scandal put paid to the American career of Roman Polanski (Rosemary’s Baby, Chinatown) but he continues to make films in Europe (The Pianist). Important East European directors include Milos Forman, Has, Jiri Menzel, Miklos Jansco, Emir Kusturica (this controversial Serbian, still in mid-career, may turn out to be the most talented of them all), Istvan Szabo (Mephisto), Dusan Makavejev (xxxxx). Films from Eastern Europe are often distinctly idiosyncratic. The Czech Jan Svankmajer (Alice, Faust) is a case in point, as is Dusan Makavejev.

Adoption, Maria Meszaros. Friendshiop of two women: one helps the other to have a child.
Alice, Jan Svankmajer. Alice in Wonderland in live-action and animation that recalls the surrealist Dali and Bunuel of L’Age D’Or. Alice is lost in a cruel and erotic world. Not for children. Brilliant.
Angry Harvest, Agnieszka Holland. A sexually inhibited farmer takes in a woman who jumped off the train to Auschwitz. Helpless, she becomes object of his lust.
The Annunciation, Andras Jeles. Satan takes Adam and Eve through a history of the world to show them the tragedies that followed after she ate the apple. Nobody in the movie is older than twelve, including Satan. Unusual and good stuff.
Another Way, Karoly Makki. Married Livia falls for Eva in lesbian love story between two reporters set after the 1956 Hungarian Uprising crushed by Russia.
Ashes and Diamonds, Andrzej Wajda. Polish resistance fighter refuses to let war end. Starring Polish James Dean Cybulski. A masterpiece.
Back To Ararat, Pea Holmquist. Documentary of the Armenian genocide by the Turks, an actrocity Turkey won’t admit to this day.
Balkan Express, Branko Baletic. Traveling musician scam artists find themselves under Nazi occupation.
Black Cat White Cat, Emir Kusturica. Pathetic scam artist surviving in former Yuguslavia among bizarre people and events.
The Boxer And Death, Peter Solan. Prisoner gets special treatment in death camp to amuse commandant with his boxing. Harrowing.
Cabaret Balkan, Goran Paskaljevic. Five darkly comedic tales of postwar Balkan life, where everything is falling to pieces. Brilliant.
Calendar, Atom Egoyan. Sexual obsession as wife dumps photographer for another guy.
Cat’s Play, Karoly Makki. Two separated sisters write each other letters. One of them falls in love with old flame, makes foolf of herself, other sister tries to help. Highly original good stuff.
Closely Observed Trains, Jiri Menzel. Oscar-winner. Young man in first job in small-town railroad station tries to get sexually initiated and unwittingly becomes tragic hero. Set in Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia.
Colonel Rel, Istvan Szabo. Epic of rise of Klaus Maria Brandauer in army in days before WW1.
Danton, Andrzej Wajda. French Revolution with Gerad Depardieu as the burly people’s champion Danton vs the bloodless prig Robespiere.
The Decalogue, Krzysztof Kieslowski. A 10-hour film of ten contemporary moral dilemmas based on the Ten Commandments.
The Deluge, Jerzy Hoffman. 17th century blood-drenched saga of Polish-Swedish war with plenty of ribald sexcapades for the dashing hero.
Divided We Fall, Jan Brebejk. Maried couple in Nazi-occupied Czech village. They shelter a village Jew who’s been sent to camps and escaped. Good stuff.
Do You Remember Dolly Bell, Emir Kusturica. 16-year-old buy pals up with prostitute in Sarajevo in the 60s.
The Double Life of Veronique, Krzysztof Kieslowski. Two lives in mysterious essay on self.
The Elememtary School, Jan Sverak. End of WW2 in a small Czach village, with school kids and a teacher who recalls war exploits. Heart-warming.
Europa Europa, Agnieszka Holland. German-Jewish teenager survives WW2 by living as Nazi in seven harrowing years through three countries.
Father, Istvan Szabo. Son loolks for why his father died in WW2.
Faust, Jkan Svankmajer. Bizarre, surreal and dark version of Faust told in mix of live-action, animation and puppets. Brilliant. Also, check out Jan Svankmajer: Alchemist Of The Surreal about this amazing director.
The Firemen’s Ball, Milos Forman. Freewheeling black comedy about Stalinism as town celebrates retirement of fire chief and stages a bizarre beauty pageant.
A Generation, Andrez Wajda. Underground youth resistance in Nazi-occupied Poland. First in Wajda’s war trilogy (A Generation, Ashes and Dimands, Kanal).
Hanussen, Istvan Szabo. Klaus Maria Brandauer can tell the future and foresees persecutuion of Jews.
Hey Babu Riba, Jovan Acin. Coming of age in 1950s Yugoslavia, four guys fall in love with one girl, who falls in love with Communist careerist.
A Hungarian Fairy Tale, Gyula Gazdag. Young boy’s mom dies, his search for father takes him on journey through Hungary. Good stuff.
Innocence Unprotected, Dusan Makavejev. Comedy in which stars of silly old Yugoslavian movie reminisce mixed with war footage in a stew only Makavejev could come upw ith.
Interrogation, Richard Bugakski. Cabaret singer tortured for five years by secret police in Communist Poland.
Kanal, Andrzej Wajda. Polish patriots flee Nazis through sewer system of devastated Warsaw.
Kolya, Jan Sverak. Oscar-winner. In Soviet-occupied Prague, a cellist is stuck with the 5-year-old son of a Ruusian he married for money who leaves town.
Korczak, Andrzej Wajda. The true story of a Jewish doctor who selflessly protected 200 doomed orphans in Warzaw ghetto, refusing to abandon them.
Knife in the Water, Roman Polanski. Three people on yacht. Young man tests couple’s marriage.
Larks On A String, Jiri Menzel. Tender satire featuring prisoners of Russian invasion in Prague Sping.
The Last Butterfly, Karel Kachyna. Poariian mime artist Tom Courtenay is forced to perform for Jews at Terezin, a Nazi propaganda showcase where Jews are treated well. He finds out it’s a halfway station to the death camps. He tries to tell Red Cross what’s going on through mime.
The Last Klezmer, Yale Strom. Documentary of Klezmer musician Leopold Kozlowski who returns to Poland after 50 years to teach klezmer to opera students.
Love, Karoly Makki. Husband is in prison, wife tells his mom he’s gone to US, fakes letters from him which tells how he becomes famous movie director, which keeps Mom going. Good stuff.
Love Affair: Or, The Case Of The Missing Switchboard Operator, Dusan Makavejev. Switcvhboard operator and rat-exterminator in love, then she is seduced by richer guy. Totally bizarre and fun.
Love Film, Istvan Szabo. Man takes train journey to see childhood sweetheart and relives past of WW2, Russian crushing of Budapest Spring. Key Hungarian post-war movie.
Loves of a Blonde, Milos Forman. Comedy of factory girl who spends night with touring piano player, and then appears at his parents’ house.
Man Is Not A Bird, Dusan Makavejev. Bizarre satire oif engineer who falls in love with his landlord’s daughter who is a bit much for him.
Man Of Iron, Andrzej Wajda. Solidarity strike told in fictional story and documentary, with Lech Walesa in both forms.
Man Of Marble, Andrzej Wajda. A bricklayer becomes a worker-hero in ommunist Poland, and is then hounded to death.
Max, Menno Meyjes. John Cusack is Hitler’s art tutor, while Hitler’s army boss thinks he should go intopolitics instead.
Mephisto Brandauer as actor who compromises with Nazi for success. A masterpiece.
The Midas Touch, Geza Beremenyi. A wily merchant tries to make out as 1956 putdown of Budapest Spring looms.
My 20th Century, Ildiko Enyedi. Separated twin sisters meet when one has become a rich courtesan and the other a violent anarchist, both carrying on with the same guy. Set in turn-of-the-century Hungary and Europe.
No Man’s Land, Danis Tanovic. Three Bosnian and Serb soldiers are trapped in trench between enemy lines, one of them booby-trapped on landmine.
Nobody’s Daughter, Laszlo Ranody. Orphan girl is shuttled from one cruel situatin to another.
The Passenger – (1963, Poland, Andrzej Munk) (Aleksandra Slaska, Anne Ciepielewska)
The Pianist, Roman Polanski. Jewish concert pianist survives the Holocaust in Poland.
Pretty Village, Pretty Flame, Srdjan Dsragojevic. Antiwar film of two childhood friends -- Serbian and Muslim – who find themselves on opposite sides in the 1992 war.
The Red And The White, Miklos Jansco. Antiwar drama of Red Army vs. the Whites by a monastery where nurses try to minister to all parties. All in mesmerizing long tracking shots.
The Revolt Of Job, Imre Gyongyossy. Old Jewish couplke lose all seven kids under Nazi occupation of Hungary, adopt Gentile kid and pass their heritage on to him.
The Round Up, Miklos Jansco. Austrian officials round up Hungarian peasants and torture them to crush rebellion. A masterpiece.
The Saragossa Manuscript, Wojciech J. Has. Don Juan character Zbigniew Cybulski must pass numerous tests to prove courage to become member of powerful Mauretanian family.
The Shop on Main Street, Jan Kadar/Elmar Klos. Oscar-winner. Elderly Jewish shop owner and a passive carpenter whom the Nazis appoint as her Aryan controller.
Siberian Lady Macbeth, Andrzej Wajda. Melodrama about woman who murders for love.
The Silent Touch, Krzysztof Zanussi. Composer Max Von Zydow is silent for 40 years, then a woman’s touch changes everything. Good stuff.
Stand-Off, Gyula Gazda. Thriller about two Hungarian youths who hold student girls hostage in their dormitory for a million bucks and freedom in the West.
Story of Sin, Walerian Borowczyk. Innocent young girl degraded by life. Strong stuff.
Time Of The Gypsies, Emir Kusturica. Innocent young Gypsy becomes thieving bastard. Vivid images, crazy humor.
Time Stands Still, Peter Gothar. Four friends come of age in post-war Hungary. Good stuff.
25 Fireman’s Street, Istvan Szabo. Postwar Hungary. Group of people in about-to-be demolished house recall times of tragedy and joy.
Under The Earth, Bedfa Docampo. Jewish family survives aftermath of Hjolocaust by living undergound for two years.
Vukovar, Boris Draskovic. Serbian guy and Croatian girl in 1993 Yugoslavian conflict – antiwar Romeo and Juliet.
Underground, Emir Kusturica. Two friends in epic saga of Yugoslavia as people live underground for years, tricked into believing that war still rages above them. A masterpiece.
Ward 6, Lucian Pintilie. From Chekov story. Doctor runs mental ward, falls in love with inmate, as Russian Empire rots around them.
When Father Was Away On Business, Emir Kusturica. Life in 1950s Communist Yugoslavia through eyes of boy whose Dad is jailed. With Kusturica’s typical exuberance and humor. A masterpiece.
Who’s Singing Over There, Slobodan Sijan. Antiwar satire of provincials on bus to Belgrade as Nazis are about to invade.
Without Anesthesia, Andrzej Wajda. Reporter’s marriage and life fall apart in Communist Poland.
The Wintess, Peter Basco. Satire of loyal Coomuynist promoted to bureaucratic jobs beyond him.
WR: Mysteries Of The Organism, Dusan Makavejev. Wilhelm Reich’s tgheories of sexual liberation applied to sociealism in the usual Makavejev madcap style and mix of genres.
A Year Of The Quiet Sun, Krzysztof Zanussi. US investigator of war crimes falls in love with Polish widow. Good stuff.
Yiddle With A Fiddle, Joseph Green. Best Yiddish film ever made. Comedy of shetl girl who disguises herself as boy to join traveling musicians. Jewish life in Poland before the war destroyed everything.
An Unforgettable Summer, Lucian Pintille. Kristin Scott Thomas as wife of officer stationed in dangerous part of Romania where Turks, Macedonians and Bulgarians vie for control.
The Wounds (Rane), Srdjan Dragojevic. 1990s Serbia. Two criminals become fanmous on TV and start committing crimes for the show’s host.
W.R. – Mysteries of the Organism, Dusan Makavejev. Anarchic love story.



9. Greece, Turkey, Macedonia
You’d expect Greek filmmakers to make films of Greek tragedies, and one of them, Cacoyannis, has. Perhaps the best modern Greek filmmaker is Theo Angelopoulos, a director with a very singular vision.

Angel, Yorgos Katakouzinos. Abusive homosexual relationship.
Antigone, George Tzavellas. Irene Papas is the dauighter of Oedipus in the Sophocles tragedy. Good stuff.
Attila 74: The Rape Of Cyprus, Michael Cacoyannis. The dfirector of Zorba The Greek makes a personal documentary about the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Powerful.
Before The Rain, Milchio Manchevki. Three linked stories about a monk and an Albanian refugee, an English woman choosing between her husband and a Maceddonian photographer, and the photographer coming home after 16 years.
A Dream Of Passion, Jules Dassin. Updated Medea. Melina Mercouri acts in Medea and becomes obsessed with jailed Ellen Burstyn who killed her three kids because her husband was unfaithful.
The Horse, Ali Ozgenturk. Poverty-stricken father struggles to make enough money to send son to school. Turkish government jailed director because of film.
Iphigenia, Michael Cacoyannis. Agamemnon has to sacrifice his daughter in Euripides tragedy. With Irene Papas.
Landscape in the Mist, Theo Angelopoulos. Two children wander across the Greek industrial wastelands in search of lost father. Masterpiece.
Never On Sunday, Jules Dassin. Happy hooker Melina Mercouri and US tourist who wants to refine her. Big hit.
The Traveling Players, Theo Angelopoulos. Theatrical troupe in Greece. Good stuff.
The Trojan Women, Michael Cacoyannis. The Euripides tragedy with Katherine Hepburn, Irene Papas, Genevieve Bujold, Vanessa Redgrave.
Ulysses’ Gaze, Theo Angelopoulos. Exiled filmmaker Harvey Keitel rfeturns to Greece, goes on odyssey into brutal heart of Balkan conflict.
The Wall, Yilmaz Guney. Revolt in children’s prison in 1976 Ankara. Brutal and brilliant.
Yol, Yilmaz Guney & Serif Goven. Five prisoners get temporary furlough to visit families. Harrowing masterpiece.
Young Aphrodites, Nikos Koundrouros. Two peasant adolesents in love. Haunting.
Z, Constantin Costa-Gavras. Oscar-winner. Yves Montand, Irene Papas and Jean-Louis Trintignant in fascist Greece. Great political thriller.
Zorba The Greek, Michael Cacoyannis. Winning hit version of Kazantzakis novel. Funster Anthony Quin n shows repressed Brit Alan Bates how to enjoy life.


10. Japan
Some of Japan’s great filmmakers have made more than 80 movies. Compare that with the output of American directors, who rarely get to do more than ten or twenty. Old masters include Kurosawa, Ichikawa, Ozu, Narcuse and Mizoguchi. Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be any new masters. These days the Japanese film industry appears to be reduced to making good horror movies (fodder for Hollywood remakes) and excellent animation.

An Actor’s Revenge, Kon Ichikawa. Kabuki female impersonator discovers who made his parents commit suicide. He plots a revenge strategy which makes the three guilty men commit suicide themselves. A masterpiece.
After Life, Kore-eda Hirokazu. Dead people get three days to pick their most valuable memory which will be the only thing they remember for eternity. Profound.
Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo. Sci-fi animation with biker gangs, mutants, courrpt rulers, amazing visuals. Magnificent stuff. See it stoned.
Akira Kurosoawa’s Dreams. In eight sections, the great director depicts his childhood scares, concern for environment, art, peace, etc. A must for fans.
Antarctica, Koreyoshi Kurahara. Based on a true story. Survival in terrible climate. Tense.
Audition, Takashi Miike. Widower auditions young women for dating, although he says it’s for a movie role. When he settles on a nice young lady, he has no idea what he’s in for. A quiet art-house movie suddenly turns into one of the best horror movies ever. Will freak you out. Brilliant. Right up there with Psycho.
An Autumn Afternoon, Yasujiro Ozu. Widower araanges marriage for only daughter, even though it’ll leave him lonely Ozu’s last film.
The Bad Sleep Well, Akira Kurosawa. Based on an Ed McBain story. Toshiro Mifune plots revenge against people in big coporation whom he believes was responsible for his Dad’s death.
The Ballad of Narayama, Shobei Imamura. 19th century life in a village high in the mountains of Japan. Harsh, cruel, beautiful. Masterpiece.
Battle Angel, Hiroshi Fukutomi. Female bounty hunter cyborg in Scrap Iron City. Anime must-see.
Black Lizard, Kinji Fukasaku. Bizarre camp. Jewel thief is played by famous Japanese female impersonator.
Black Magic M-66, Masamune Shirow. Video journalist gets mixed up in hunt for rogue androids. Great anime sci-fi.
Black Rain, Shobei Imamura. One family lives through Hiroshima atom bombing and tries to rebuild. Masterpiecebased on famous novel.
Boiling Point, Takeshi Kitano. Crime thriller – Kitano plays his amoral criminal helping a young man against a crime lord.
Branded to Kill, Seijun Suzuki. Original vision of Japan’ underworld. The mob’s No. 3 Killer loses his grip on career, women and reality and is stalked by the No. 1 Killer.
The Burmese Harp, Kon Ichikawa. Japanese soldier disguised as Buddhist monk travels through WW2 killing fields, burying the dead. Masterpiece.
Chaos, Hideo Nakuta. Unusual crime thriller of kidapper and victim and many plot twists indeed.
Cruel Story Of Youth, Nagisa Oshima. Doomed young lovers in post-WW2 Japan. Masterpiece.
Cyber Ninja, Keita Amemiya. Sci-fi meets martial arts in story of kkindappend warrior princess and her rescuer Cyber Ninja. Original special- effects epic.
Dangaio, Toishihiro Hirano. Three teen girls and a boy are changed into androids and battle galactic tyrants.
Derzu Uzala, Akira Kurosawa. Russian explorer befriends man of the north. Stunning visuals. Masterpiece.
Dodes’ka-den, Akira Kurosawa. Life in a Tokyo slum.
Double Suicide, Masahiro Shinoda. Bourgeois merchant risls everything in pursuit of a prostiute.
Drifting Weeds, Yasujiro Ozu. Jealousies in a traveling troop of actors.
Drunken Angel, Akira Kurosawa. Doctor tries to rehabilitate a young gangster.
Early Summer, Ysujiro Ozu. A young woman is toren between familial obligations, marrying a man she doesn’t love, and her own sense of independence.
The Eel, Shohei Imamura. Ex-con Koji Yakusho, paroled after eight years in prison for killing adulterous wife, meets a new woman.
Eijanaika, Shohei Imamura. Man returns to 19th century Tokyo after five years. His wife has run off with a gangster. Samurais, corruption, blood and sex.
Enjo, Kon Ichikawa. Based on the Mishima novel. Monk loves temple, amidst scandal and rivalry.
Equinox Flower, Yasujiro Ozu. Father and daiughter clash in postwar Japan.
Face Of Another, Hiroshi Teshigahara. From the guys who made Women Of The Dunes. Story of alienation: man’s face is disfigured, he gets good-looking mask, seduces wife in it.
The Family Game, Yoshimitsu Morita. Excellent satire of middleclass Japan. Wacku tutor upends life of a family.
Fires On The Plain, Kon Ichikiawa. WW2 Japan, horrific story of survival.
Fireworks, Takeshi Kitano. Characteristic deadpan violence and humor. Embittered cop plans robbery to get painting supplies for crippled partner, and secure a final journey for terminally ill wife and self.
The 47 Ronin, Parts 1 & 2., Kenji Mizoguchi. The leaderless samurai avenge their master’s death. From a famous Japanese true story.
The Funeral, Juzo Itami. Black comedy about well-off couple who organize traditional Buddhist funeral. From the director of Tampopo.
Gate Of Hell, Teinosuke Kinugasa. 12th century samurai comes to town, falls in love with married woman. Oscar-winner.
Ghost in the Shell, Mamora Oshii. Great mix of traditional and computer animation in sci-fiu story of female cyborg cop after criminal life form.
Godzilla, King Of The Monsters, Inoshiro Honda & Terry Morse. The original. In the US version, Raymond Burr is cut into as a reporter.
Golden Demon, Koji Shina. Rejected by a woman, a man devotes himself to getting rich. Scathing picture of the bad influence of wealth.
Gonzo The Spearman, Masahiro Shinoda. Samurtai dumpswoman to marry dauighter of clan leader, and the woman’s brother vows revenge.
111. Grave Of The Fireflies, Isao Takahata*
Harakiri, Masaki Kobayashi. Boy warrior becomes a samurai. Some kind of masterpiece.
The Hidden Fortress, Akira Kurosawa. The film from which Star Wars took its plot. With Toshiro Mifune in fine form.
High and Low, Akira Kurosawa) (Toshiro Mifune)
Himatsuri, Mitsuo, Yangimachi. Spiritual journey of lumberjack.
Hiroshima, Koreyoshi Kurahara & Roger Spottiswoode. The turn of events leading up to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Mixes re-enacted drama and actual newsreel, shows POVs of President Truman and his Japanese counterpart.
The Host, Monster fmovie mixes horror, drama and slapstick.
The Human Condition, Part 1 to 3, Masaki Kobayashi. One man tries to hang on to his humanity through preparation for WW2 and its aftermath, as he ends up in Russian POW camp.
Ichi the Killer aka Koroshiya 1, Takashi Miike. Sadomachistic gang leader.
The Idiot, Akira Kurosawa. The Dostovesky story in postwar Japan.
Ikiru, Akira Kurosawa. Dying bureaucrat tries to give his life meaning by building a public park. Masterpiece.
In The Realm Of Passion, Nagisa Oshima. Woman and lover killher husband, he comes back as ghost to huant them.
In The Realm Of The Senses, Nagisa Oshima. The greatest amour fou story ever. Geisha and her lover drive each other to extremes of pleasure and damage. Some kind of masterpiece.
Insect Woman, Shohei Imamura. Exploitation of a woman over 45 years from sexual abuse to prostitute. Grim.
Irezumi, Yokhi Takabayashi. Yoing woman undergoes long tottoo at urging of her lover. Erotic and amazing.
The Island, Kaneto Shindo. Peasant family struggles to survive on a remote island. Amazing.
Kagemusha; The Shadow Warrior, Akira Kurosawa. Big epic saga. Grand battle scenes.
Kwaidan, Masaki Kobayashi. Four scary yet delicate tales of the supernatural.
Late Chrysanthemums, Mikio Naruse. Three retired geishas struggle to make a living and keep their dignity.
Late Spring, Yasujiro Ozu. Father being cared for bydaughter cons her into marrying so she can have her owbn life. Masterpiece.
Life of Oharu, Kenji Mizoguch. Woman suffers in 17th century Japan. Masterpiece.
Lone Wolf And Cub (also known as Baby Cart series), mostly Kenji Misumi. Amazing series about a disgraced samurai who has become “a demon on the road to hell,” who roams Japan with his infant son in a weaponized baby cart, and rights many wrongs with lots of bloodletting. Mesmerizing. If you see one, you have to see all six of them.
Love And Faith, Kei Kumai. In 16th century Japan, a woman falls in love with a lord of the Christian faith, which brings on the enmity of a warlord.
The Lower Depths, Akira Kurosawa. Life among the poorest of the poor.
MacArthur’s Children, Masahiro Shinoda. Life in a Japanese fishing village after WW2 under American rule.
The Makioka Sisters, Kon Ichikawa. From the famous Tanizaki novel. Four sisters in pre-war westernizing Japan. Two tradition-bound married sisters try to get sister three married, while sister four takes to freedoms of modern life.
Merry Christmans, Mr. Lawrence, Nagisa Oshima. David Bowie in a Japanese POW camp.
Minbo (Or The Gentle Art Of Japanese Extortion), Juzo Itami. One young woman had the balls to stand up to thugs who victimize a hotel and its workers. A comedy.
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, Paul Schrader. The famous writer examined via episodes from his novels, and his ritual suicide.
The Mistress, Shiro Toyoda. Woman discovers her husband has another wife.
Mothra, Inoshiro Honda. A giant moth is the monster this time, saving two kidnapped princesses, and wasting a city in the process.
My Neighbor Totoro, Hayao Miyazaki. Excellent animation: two city girls in the country and the totoros, creatures only children can see.
The Mystery Of Ramp, Kazuyoshi Pkuyama. A writer’s story is imitated by real life in this fascination investigation of the reality and fiction.
No Regrets For Our Youth, Akira Kurosawa. In 1930s Japan, a young bourgeois woman hooks up with a leftwing student.
Nobody, Shundo Ohkawa. Three Japanese yuppies are persdecuted by mysterious men whom the insulted. Violent.
Odd Obsession. Kon Ichikawa. Ex-beauty wueen and older husband, who does all sorts of things to keep his libido aloft.
Okoge, Takehiro Nakajima. Gay comedy about two guys who are helped by young man to find a safe place to make love.
Onibaba, Kaneto Shindo. Elderly woman and her son’s wife makje a living by finding wounded soldiers and stripping them of their armor whichn they trade for food. Things get hairy when a friend arrives with news that her son is dead, and starts an affair with the daughter-in-law. Freaky.
Osaka Elegy, Kenji Mizoguchi. A woman sacrifices herself for her family. Tragic.
The Phoenix, Kon Ichikawa. Fantasy about a queen in search of the blood of the phoenix, which will make her live forever. Mixes live-action and animation.
The Pornographers, Shehei Imamura. Black comedy about struggling porno-makers.
Princess Mononoke, Hayao Miyazaki. Animation epic about struggle between the fortest and industry. Brilliant.
Princess Yang Kwei Fei, Kenji Mizoguchi. Set in 8th century China. Emperor falls for beautiful Cinderella figure.
Ran, Akira Kurosawa. Epic, epic, epic. Japanese King Lear, with the disloyal daughters changed to sons. Masterpiece.
Rashomon, Akira Kurosawa. When this film won at Cannes, the West suddenly discovered the Japanese had been making brilliant movies for a long time. Five witnesses tell different versions of the same rape and murder. Masterpiece.
Record Od A Tenement Gentleman, Yasujiro Ozu. Young boy abandoned by parents, finally taken in by a widow, in aftermath of WW2.
Red Beard, Akira Kurosawa. Maturing of doctor under mentorship of Tshiro Mifune.
Rhapsody in August, Akira Kurosawa. Grandchildren want grandma to tell them what it was like surviving Nagasaki forty years ago. Moving.
Rkiksha-Man, Hiroshi Inagaki. Cart-puller Toshiro Mifune’s hopeless love for beautiful woman,
Rikyu, Hiroshi Teshigahara. From the director of Woman of the Dunes. In 16th century Japan, a peasant rises to warlord status, and tries to learn higher arts.
Ringu 1 and 2, Hideo Nakata. Watch this video tape, then get a phone call, then you only have one week to live. One of the most effective new Japanese horror films. Plenty scary.
Samurai 1, 2 and 3, Hiroshi Inagaki. Samurai Toshiro Mifune’s training, duels, and battle with marauders. Satisfying stuff.
Sandakan No. 8, Kei Kumai. Woman reporter and old lady who tells her life story as prostitute in Borneo.
Sanjuro, Akira Kurosawa. Samurai Toshiro Mifune heads up rebels in the follow-up to Yojimbo.
Sanshiro Sugata, Akira Kurosawa. His first film. Young man seeks master in art of judo to be his teacher.
Sansho The Bailiff, Kenji Mizoguchi. A good, kinmd governor is overthrown and exiled, his wife and children sent into slavery. One son escapes and vows to take his father’s place.
The Seven Samurai, Akira Kurosawa. One of the greatest epics ever. Seven samurai defend village farmers against bandits. Remade as The Magnificent Seven, but don’t miss the original. Masterpiece.
Shall We Dance, Masayuki Sua. Office worker takes class in ballroom dancing, keeping it secret from wife and co-workers. Charming.
The Silk Road, Junya Sato. Warrior rescues princess, then both are pursued by murderous prince. Excellent adventure.
Snow Country, Shiro Toyoda. Based on the Kawabata novel. An artist leaves Tokyo to live in country, falls in love with a village woman, but their different backgrounds and the locals are in the way.
Spirited Away, Hayao Miyazaki. Brilliant animation tells a Japanese Alice In Wonderland kind of story. Really bizarre and mindbending.
The Story Of The Last Chrysanthemum, Kenji Mizaguchi. Kabuki actor in 1880s in Tokyo strikes out on his own with his faithful wife, who sacrifices herself for his career. Sad.
Stray Dog, Akira Kurosawa. Rookie cop Toshiro Mifune loses his gun and tries to get it back before a killer gets hold of it.
Street Of Shame, Kenji Mizofguchi. Life in a 1950s Tokyo brothel. Mizoguchi’s last movie.
Summer Vacation 1999, Shusuke Kaneko. Four boys at boarding school one summer and their loss of innocence. Interestingly, the boys are acted by girls.
Sword Of Doom, Kihachi Okamoto. The samurai as nihilist.
Sword Of Fury 1 and 2, Tai Kato. The life of 17th century Japan’s most famous swordsman.
Tampopo, Juzo Itami. A satire on food, sex and the Western, as a widow and a truck driver search for the perfect noodle. A comedy of pure bliss, and .utterly original.
A Taxing Woman, Juzo Itami. Com,edy of tax female tax inspector and tax avoider in cat and mouse game.
Tetsuo: The Iron Man, XXXXXX. Utterly original film of man becoming machine. Totally surreal. Masterpiece.
Throne Of Blood, Akira Kurosawa. Toshiro Mifune is Macbeth. Enough said.
Tokyo Decadence, Ryu Mrakami. Japanese call girl and drugs, beatings and powerful businessmen.
Tokyo Drifter, Seijun Suzuki. Gangster movie full of crazy style. His bosses just won’t allow our hero to go straight.
Tokyo Olympiad, Kon Ichikawa. The 1964 Olympics. Brilliant images. A feast for athletics fans.
Tokyo Story, Yasujiro Ozo. Old and new Japan: an elderly couple visits Tokyo, and their children aren’t all that thrilled to see them. Masterpiece.
Tora! Toira! Tora! Kinji Fukasuku, Richard Fleischer, Toshio Masuda. The events leading up to Pearl Harbor.
Twenty-Four Eyes, Keisuke Knishita. 1920s Japan. New teacher arrives on remote island, her modernity shocks everyone. But then the impemnding war casts a cloud on the students and their teacher. Excellent.
Ugetsu, Kenji Mizoguchi. Two peasants leave their village – the one seeks his fortune in the city, the other wants to be a samurai.
Vengeance Is Mine, Shohei Imamura. Killer on the lam in a gripping thriller.
Violence At Noon, Nagisa Oshima. Wife and rape victim protect murderer from police.
Woman In Ther Dunes, Hiroshi Teshigahara. Based on the Kobo Abe story. Man ytrapped wityh woman in sand pit. Mesmerizingly unusual masterpiece.
Yojimbo, Akira Kurosawa. Samurai Toshiro Mifune wanders into town torn between two families. Masterpiece. Reamde by Sergio Leone as A Fistful Of Dollars with Clint Eastwood in the Mifune role. Don’t miss the original.
Zatoichi (The Blind Swordsman). At last count, there were around 15 movies in the series, and they’re all good. Perhaps the first two, The Tale of Zatoichi and The Tale Of Zatoichi Continues are the best, but they’re all good.


192. Ran, Akira Kurosawa. Grand battle epic based on King Lear and some Macbeth.
193. Rashomon, Akira Kurosawa. Four people in feudal Japan tell different versions of same event: the rape of a nobleman’s bride by an outlaw and the nobleman’s death. Introduced Japanese film to the west.
Sanjuro (1962), Japan
206. Sansho Dayu, Kenji Mizoguchi. In 11th-century Japan, an exiled governor’s wife is sold into prostitution, his son and daughter into slavery.
213. The Seven Samurai, Akira Kurosawa. Epic spectacle: medieval Japanese village peasants hire seven samurai (Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Yoshio Inaba) to defend them against bandits.
216. Shall We Dance? Masayuki Suo. Workaholic, married accountant Koji Yakusyo becomes obsessed with sad, beautiful dance instructor Tamiyo Kusakari, but is assigned plump middle-aged instructor who warns him against her.
224. Sound of a Mountain, Narcuse. Suffering daughter and father-in-law are drawn to each other in poignant family drama.
236. Throne of Blood, Akira Kurosawa. Toshiro Mifune as medieval Japanese Macbeth.
239. Tokyo Story, Yasujiro Ozu. Elderly couple travel to Tokyo to visit their two married children, only to find there’s no room for them in their self-involved children’s busy lives. Devastating.
243. Ugetsu, Kenji Mizoguchi. Ghost story of two peasants Machiko Kyo and Masayuki Mori, who abandon their families to seek their fortune and find a baleful fate.
260. Woman In The Dunes, Hiroshi Teshigahara. Man is trapped in hole in dunes with woman.
265. Yojimbo – (1961, Japan, Akira Kurosawa) (Toshiro Mifune)

11. China
The most extraordinary career in the Chinese New Wave is that of Zhang Yimou, who went from restrained, minimalist arthouse hits like Raise The Red Lantern to martial art epics like Hero and House Of The Flying Daggers to the high camp of Curse of the Golden Flower(s). God knows what he’ll do next.

The Blue Kite, Tian Zhuangzhuang. Boy and family go through horrors of the Cultural Revolution.
China, My Sorrow, Dai Sijie. Life in a Maoist re-education camp.
Combination Plstter, Tony Chan. Chinese restaurant workers in US, new arrival tries to get Green Card.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Ang Lee. Veteran warriors Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh try to recover a magical sword from a mysterious newcomer, while battling an old foe.
The Day The Sun Turned Cold, Yim Ho. Chinese worker goes home to confront mom about Dad’s murder many years ago.
Dr. Bethune, Phillip Borsos. Donald Sutherland as crusading doctor who in 1938, at Mao’s invitation, becomes the chief medic to 100,000 troops in Yunan.
Double Happiness, Mina Shun. Chinese immigrant family in Vancouver. Daughter starts romance with white man, parents try to set her up with nice Chinese guy, who is actually gay.
Eat Drink Man Woman (1994), Ang Lee. In this Taiwan comedy, a widower and his three daughters cook and romance up a storm.
Ermo, Zhou Xiaowen. A Chinese village woman starts a noodle empire. Satire on cosumerism of new China.
Farewell My Concubine, Chen Kaige. Epic drama of five decades of Chinese history told through the relationship of two stars of the Peking Opera – one gayu, one straight. Masterpiece.
Girl from Hunan, U Lan & Xie Fei. Young woman struggles against sexist oppression in Chinese village at turn of century.
The Go-Masters, Zhuangzhuang Tian.
A Great Wall, Peter Wang. Comedy about Chinbese-American family’s visit to their Chinese hometown.
Hero, Zhang Yimou. Nameless warrior Jet Li tells emperor story of how he killed three assassins Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung and Donnie Yen. Amazing martial art scenes.
Horse Thief, Tian Zhuangzhuang. A horse thief is banished from his village along with his family into a tough life. Beautiful.
Ju Dou, Zhang Yimou. Set in 1920s. Beautiful third wife Gong Li falls for brutal husband’s nephew, much shit ensues.
The King Of Masks, Wu Tianming. Master mask-maker and performer buys young boy to pass on his craft, then discovers boy is a girl.
Moving the Mountain, Michael Apted. Strong documentary about Chinese student leaders and events leading up to Tiananmen Square massacre.
Not One Less, Zhang Yimou. One of the students of a 13-year-old teacher in a remote village takes off for the big city, and she follows to get him back.
Outcasts (1986), Yu Kan Ping. Kicked out of school and home for having sex with another boy, guy finds happiness in gay Taiwan life.
Quitting, Zhang Yang. Actor’s struggle with drug addiction.
Raise The Red Lantern, Zhang Yimou. Rebellious Gong Li becomes fourth wife to rich man. Masterpiece.
Red Cherry, Ye Ying. Two Communisty Chinese orphans in Moscow during WW2.
Red Sorghum, Zhang Yimou. Epic peasant folk tale set in 1920s as Gong Li falls in love with servant and Japan invades.
The Reincarfnation Of Golden Lotus, Clara Law. Reincarnated woman taken to Hong Kong by rich man, new life follows pattern of oppressed pre-incarnation life in Imperial China.
The Road Home, Zhang Yimou. Son journeys home, recalls travails of parents’ life. Moving.
Shadow Magic, Ann Hu. China’s first moviehouse, and a young phtographer bewitched by the new technology.
Shower, Zhang Yang. Career-minded son of bathhouse owner thinks the business is outdated, but comes to appreciate it.
The Story Of Qiu Ju, Zhang Yimou. Poor peasant woman Gong Li persists in seeking justice for husband beaten by a party boss.
To Live, Zhang Yimou. Family and mom Gong Li suffer through 20th century Chinese history. Powerful melodrama.
Together, Chen Kaige. Moving drama of talented violinist and his father who leave town to go to Beijing.
Vive L’Amour (1996), Tsai Ming-Liang. Couple meet for anonymous sex in vacant Taiwan apartment. They don’t know a suicidal young man lives there. Filmed with minimal dialogue. Mesmerizing.
The Wedding Banquet (1993), Ang Lee. Gay son has to scramble when traditional Chinese parents arrive in New York. Excellent comedy.
What Time Is It There? (2001), Tsai Ming-Liang. Deadpan Buster Keaton humor and Antonioni-like long takes in movie about loss and loneliness. Guy sells watch to woman leaving for Paris, sets all the watches in Taipei to Paris time to keep a connection going with her, while she’s alone and lost.
Windhorse, Paul Wagner. After witnessing the killing of their grandfather by invading Chinese, three grandchildren go three different ways: one wants to become Chinese popstar, one takes dangerous path to become Buddhist nun, a third goes under. Powerful stuff.
Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl, Joan Chen. 15-year-old girl lost in bureaucracy of Cultural Revolution.
Yellow Earth, Chen Kiage. Solider is sent ot country to collect folk songs for the Revolution, meets daughter of sheep shepherds.
Yi Yi (A One And Two) (2000), Edward Yang. Man meets old love 30 years later, now his is family is threatened, while his job is rickety and his mother-in-law is in a coma. Mesmerizing drama.

12. Hong Kong, Singapore
The word that best describes the Hong Kong action genre: kinetic. You’re either into “heroic bloodshed” or not. The most kinetic director, John Woo, is now a massively successful Hollywood moviemaker (Face-Off, Mission Impossible 2), but he seems to have lost his edge -- or maybe it’s just not the same without Asian superstar Chow Yun-Fat (The Killer, Hard-Boiled).

Ashes Of Time, Wong Kar-Wai. Samurai warrior about to go after horse thieves gets caught up in romance.
A Better Tomorrow, John Woo. The first of the truly spectacular Hong Kong action epics. Two brothers: one a cop, the other a criminal. Chow Yun-Fat stars, and became a megastar with this.
The Bride With White Hair, Ronny Yu. Young warrior and witch want to run away together, but plenty bloodsoaked action gets in the way.
Bugis Street, Yonfan. Country girl comes to Singapore and works in hotel full of trannie prostitutes.
Bullet In The Head, John Woo. Three criminal buddies in 1967 Hong Kong, with the Vietnam War and all sorts of bloody goings-on.
A Chinese Ghost Story, Siu-Tung Ching. Scholar falls in love with ghost, and has to fight demons from hell to keep her.
Chungking Express, Wong Kar-Wai. Two cops dumped by their girlfriends. Brilliant.
Crime Story, Kirk Wong. Jackie Chan in serious role as cop on kidnap case, with partner in on the crime.
Dragon Fist, Lo Wei. Jackie Chan’s master is killed, and he’s out for revenge.
Drunken Master II, Liu Chia Liang. Jackie Chan’s best comedy actioner. The drunker he gets, the better he fights.
Duel To The Death, Ching Siu-Tung. Two Chinese and Japanese swordsmen join forces against their foes.
The East Is Red, Ching Siu-Tung. Lesbian superhero battles numerous foes to win back the woman she loves.
Election & Triad Election, Johnny To. A two-film crime saga about the rivalry between two bad guys for the job of triad gang chief. Has been called the Hong Kong homage to The Godfather.
Evil Cat, Dennis Yu. Chow Yun-Fat in fantasy action horror.
Fallen Angels, Wong Kar-Wai. Two stories interweave – a thief and a young hitman who wants a different career.
Five Fingers Of Death, Cheng Chung Ho. Classic kung fu flick.
Full Contact, Ringo Lam. Chow Yun-Fat is double-crossed by crime partner and takes revenge.
Half A Loaf Of Kung Fu, Chen Chi-Hwa. Jackie Chan plays an out-of-work idiot in Imperial China looking for work and a kung fun master.
Happy Together, Wong Kar-Wai. Not a kun fu movie, but a movie about two a doomed gay affair.
Hard Boiled, John Woo. Cop Chow Yun-Fat vs. gun smugglers. Unbelievable action. Absolute classic of the genre.
Heart Of Dragon, Sammo Hung. Not the usual Jackie Chan vehicle. There’s his relationship with his retarded brother but yes, he fights, too.
The Heroic Trio, Ching Siu-Tung & Joh nny Tu. Wonder Woman (Anita Mui), Invisible Girl (Michelle Yeoh) and Thief Catcher (Maggie Cheung) vs. a demon. Sounds camp, doesn’t it? And it sure is. Great fun.
I Wanna Be Your Man, Chung Chi Shing. Lesbian cop Maggie Cheung in love triangle with her girlfriend and cop who works for her.
In The Mood For Love, Wong Kar-Wai. Beautiful Maggie Cheung and handsome Tony Leung are stuck in loveless marriages and attracted to each other but fear shaming their families.
Internal Affairs,
Jackie Chan’s First Srike, Stanley Tong. Hong Kong cop Chan travels everywhere to thwart arms dealers in league with Russian Mafia.
Just Like Weather, Allen Fung. Couple come to New York for second honeymoon to save marriage.
The Killer, John Woo. Killer Chow Yun-Fat ,racked by guilt, having blinded girl in gun fight, teams up with cop in spectacular action. Absolute classic of the genre.
Last Hurrah for Chivalry, John Woo. Two swoprdsmen against evil kung fu master.
Millionaire’s Express, Sammo Hung. Crazy action comedy as several gangs try to rob train.
Miracles, Jackie Chan. Solid Chan action all the way.
New Fists Of Fury, Lo Wei. Jackie Chan in time of WW2 avenges death of his fiancee’s master.
Once A Thief, John Woo. Action comdedy with Chow Yun-Fat as one of three art thieves.
Operation Condor 1 and 2, Jackie Chan. Chan as an Indiana Jones-type in amazing action.
Organized Crime and Triad Bureau, Kirk Wong. Cop chases down gangleader in crime thriller.
Peking Opera Blues, Tsui Hark. Fast-paced adventure satire of three women in 1913 plot against a general.
Police Story, Jackie Chan. Another stunt-filled Chan comedy actioner.
Project A, Jackie Chan. Jackie Chan delivers the goods in a pirate actioner.
Rouge, Stanley Kwanm. Opium-riddled story of courtesan who comes back from the dead to find the lover who didn’t join her in death after her suicide.
Royal Warriors, David Chung & Yuen Kwai. Cop Michelle Yeoh vs. four bad killers.
Supercop, Stanley Tong. Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh and Maggie Cheung in action comedy in which Hong Kong cop Chan goes China to spring bad guy from jail and follow him back to Hong Kong to take the mob apart from inside.
The Untold Story, Herman Yau. Cops after serial killer who serves up ground-up victims in his restaurant.
Wheels On Meals, Sammo Hung. Jackie Chan is a fast-food operator in Barcelona, and goes into action when bad guys come after a woman he loves.
Wicked City, Mak Tai Kit. Real-live action based on sci-fi anime.
Zu: Warriors From The Magic Mountain, Tsui Hark. The adventures of a soldier in a fantasy world. Amazing visuals.

13. Korea, Vietnam, Philippines
---------The big gun of Korean movies is Im Kwon Taek, who after he made 60 movies, shot to prominence because he made Shiri, a blockbuster moneymaker (so far he’s made a 100 movies, and he’s still going strong – Hollywood careers never get that imprerssive). Korea is one of only three counrtries whose citizens watch more domestically-made movies than Hollywood movies (the others being India and Hong Kong, of course; in India and Hong Kong it’s because they know how to churn them out (Bollywood is the film capital of the world, making 600 -- three times as many movies as Hollywood -- every year, and Hong Kong is the action movie capital fo the world). The Korean movie industry is protected by a quota, which mandates that moviehouses show Korean movies 40% of the time, i.e. 146 days a year.

Another Public Enemey, 2005, Woo-Suk Kang. Prosecutor goes after corrupt officlal.
Chunhyang-jon, 1955, Lee Kyu-Hwan.
Chunhyang, Im Kwon Taek. Romance of historical figure Chunhyang, a courtesan’s daughter, and the son of a governor. Great period drama.
Cyclo, Tran Anh Hung. In Ho Chi Minh City, a poor guy gets involved with a gangster with whom his prostitutre sister fall s in love. Absorbing.
Fight For Us (1989), Lino Brocka. Militant priest freed from jail after fall of Marcos in the Philipppines goes up against a gang of government-backed vigilantes.
Hanbando, 2006, Woo-Suk Kang. Korean unification upset by Japanese invasion. There’s never been much love lost Korea and Japan. The Koreans quite rightly regard the Japanese as a speciies of Nazis.
Hi, Dharma, 2001, Cheol-kwan Park, Another comedy gangster movie, which has become a Korean staple. This one also flirts with Buddhism.
The Host, 2006. Funny horror movioe with a great monster. Highest grossing Korean movie ever.
The Housemaid, 1960, Ki-young Kim.. Composer has ffair with maid who is so jeaklopus of wife, she wants them to commit suice together. Weird shit.
The Isle, Kim Ki-Duk. Suicidal guy and depressed gal on houseboat in distressing sexual addiction.
Joint Security Area, 2000, Chan-wook Park, Two North Korean soldiers are murdered in the DMZ, and neutral Swedish/Swiss investigators uncover a tragic story.
Kick The Moon, 2001, Sang-Jin Kim. School friends obsessed by gangters, with a friendship between a tteacher and a gangster thrown in.
The King and the Crown, 2005, Jun-Ik Lee. Two clowns arwe threatened with exectution for a play in which they satirize the king, but are given a chance to live if they can make the king laugh.
Lies, Jang Sun Woo. Explicit S & M sex drama between older man and 18-year-old virgin. So many positions, it could be an instruction video.
Macho Dancer (1988) Lino Brocka. Country boy lost in queer world of Manila after his American lover splits.
Mandala, 1981, Im Kwon-Taek.. The making of a Korean Buddha.
Marrying the Mafia 1 and 2, 2002, Heung-sun Jeong. Guys marry into the Mafia, with comic results.
Memories of Murder, 2003, Joon-ho Bong. Two stupid country cops try to find a serial killer via brutal methods of torture, and a city detective comes with more civilized methods.
Musa, Sung-su Kim. Mongols, Chinese, Koreans in 14th century war action epic.
My Little Bride, 2001, Ye-gyun Yun. Anoher gangnster comedy. Stupid young gangster is sent back to school by his bosses, where he discovers life is more corrupt and vicioous than gang life.
My Sassy Girlfriend, 2001, Jae-young Kwak. Guy puts up with assertive girlfriend. Based on a real-life blog that became a best-selling book.
My Tutor Friend, 2003, Jyeong-hyeong Kim. Romantic comedy about rich college guy whose family hires him a poor girl tutor his own age.
My Wife Is A Gangster, 2001, Jin-gyu Cho. Funny movie about gangster leader and her nebbish husband.
Oasis, 2002. Young woman with cerebral palsy falls in l,ove with simple-minded guy just out of prison for killing her dad in a hit-and-run.
Obaltan (Aimless Bullet) 1960, Hyun Mok Yoo. Korean neo-realism about poverty and hopelessness.
Oldboy, 2003, Chan-wook Park. Man imprisoned for many years by unknown person is released and tries to find out who held him captive. Utterly bizxarre and mesmerizing. The second in Park’s Vengeance trilogy. Think Bunuel from his surreal Chien Andalou days making John Woo movies.
Pulgasari, 1985, Chong Gon Jo & Sang-ok Shin. South Korean director Sang-ok Shin wss kidnapped by fan Jong-il Kim, the North Korean dictatgor, to msake this movie. It’s about an iron-eating monster who helps peasants aganst an evil warlord.
Samaritan Girl, 2001, Ki-duk Kim. Film about teenage prostuitute whose best friend and manager relives sleeping with all her customers to find understand her friend who has died in her line of work.
Sex is Zero, 2002, Je-gyun Yun.. Comedy about frat boys, marries smut and sincerity.
The Scent of Green Papaya, Tran Anh Hung. Young Vietnamese woman becomes servant to Saigon family in turmoil.
Shiri, 1999, Je-gyu Kang. Action thriller: Two cops after female assassin/terrorist as North Korea hatches an explosives plot to unify the two Koreas. Big moneymaker in Korea.
Silmido, 2003, Woo-Suk Kang. War movie that shows the government treating its soldiers like shit. Kind of like a Vietnam war movie.
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, 2003, Chan-wook Park. Woman jailed for 13 years for murder of young buy goes after real killer. Part of Park’s Vengeance trilogy.
Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, 2002, Chan-wook Park. Deaf Ryu and his girlffiend hatch a scheme to kidnap his boss’s daughter to get money for his sister’s kidney transplamt oiperation, but things go spectacularly awry. First movie in Park’s impressive, utterly dark and surreal Vengeance trilogy.
Taegukgi (Brotherhood of War), 2004, Je-gyu Kang. Two brothers on opposite sides in the war between North and Soutkh Korea, Wrenching.
Tell Me Something, Chang Youn-Hyun. Murder thriller: bags of body parts are found, and the dead have all known the same woman.
Three Seasons, Tony Bui. Ex-GI Harvey Keitel is in Saigon to find daughter, and gets involved with a cyclo driver, a prostitute and a girl who sells flowers.
200 Pounds Beauty, 2006, Yong-hwa Kim. Pop singer gets plastic surgery.
Typhoon, 2005, Kyung-Taek Kwak. Big action movie about pirate who attacks North and South Korea.
Untold Scandal, 2003. Je-yong Lee. Les Liaisons Dangereuses in an 18th century Korean setting of the Chosen dynasty. And it works.
The Vertical Ray Of The Sun, Tran Anh Hung. Three sisters in Hanoi. Mesmerizing cinematography.
The War of the Flower (Tajja) 2006, Dong-hun Choi.. Movie about a gambler based on a comic. Very zippy.
The Way Home, 2002, Jeong-Hyang Lee. Big city 7-year-old goes and stays with his peasant grandmother. Very moving.
Welcome to Dongmakgo, 2005. Kwang-Hyun Park. The Korean War seen through the eyes of village people. So good, you want to see American soldiers killed.
MODERN WAR EPIC

14. India
The great Satyajit Ray is India’s master filmmaker, one of the world’s best. Don’t miss the Apu Trilogy, surely the most magical film trilogy ever. Merchant/Ivory, makers of intelligent costume dramas from famous novels, started their collaboration in India, and maybe made better movies then. Many Indian films reveal the oppression of Indian women. Bollywood turns out more movies than Hollywood (600 a year to Hollywood’s 200), but their song-and-dance spectaculars have not conquered the West, and are rarely subtitled, so The Gonz includes a very few examples from the biggest film genre in the world. Sorry, Indians.

Apu Trilogy (Pather Panchali, Aparajito, The World Of Apu), Satyajit Ray. Bengali village boy from birth through manhood. Total masterpiece.
Bandit Queen, Shekhar Kapur. Young Phoolan is raped and kidnapped by bandits, and eventually becomes a bandit herself with her olwn gang. Damning depiction of India’s horrific sexism and caste system.
Bombay Talkie, Jesm Ivory. American novelost comes to India, has affair with Indian actor.
Devi, Satyajit Ray. Rich man claims his beautiful daughter is reincarnation of a goddess.
Distant Thunder, Satyajit Ray. Famine strikes a Bengal village.
Fire, Deepa Mehta. Two couples, and the women fancy each other.
God Is My Witness, Mukul S. Annad. OK, here is a Bollywood movie, but a superior one. Nobles ansd woman warriors, and a good story, too.
The Home And The World, Satyajit Ray. Progressive landowner tries to give his wife education and freedom, but then she is attracted to a revolutionary. Measured masterpiece.
Hullabaloo Over Georgie And Bonnie’s Pictures, James Ivory. Royalty in India – Georgie loves his collection, sister Bonnie wants him to sell them, art dealers converge.
Lagaan: Once Upon A Time In India, Ashutosh Gowariker. British governor demands double taxation (lagaan) from peasant villagers, but will suspend tax for three years if villagers can beat his cricket team. Great Bollywood saga of four hours. Amazing cricket game.
Mere Jeevan Saathi (My Life Partner), Ravee Nagaich. Businessman goes upo and down. Good Bollywood comedy romance.
Mission: Kashmir, Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Cop adopt survving boy of terrorists he wiped out, then boy discovers what happened. Another Bollywood extravaganza.
Monsoon Wedding. Mira Nair. A New Delhi wedding takes four days, and all sorts of things happen. Very good women’s picture.
The Music Room, Satyajit Ray. Rich man loses himself to music. Masterpiece.
The River, Jean Renoir. British family in Bengal. Renoir’s assistant director was Satyajit Ray.
Salaam Bombay! Mira Nair. A 10-year-old boy gets thrown out of his house in Bonbay, and joins other street urchins, prostitutes and drug dealers. Amazing.
Shakespeare Wallah, James Ivory. India struggles to be free of British domination, and in an English acting troupe a youing girl falls for an Indian,.
Spices, Ketan Mehta. Young woman rejects advances of tax collector, and her villagers stand by her.
The Stranger, Satyajit Ray. Family is suspicious of uncle coming to visit, and has a few lessons to learn from him. Ray’s last movie.

15. Africa (South Africa, Nigeria, Algeria, Morocco, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe)
Ousmane Sembene is the father of African cinema. He has made 13 films – from the recent Moolaade, a film dead set against the custom of female genital mutilation, Camp de Thiaroye, about the mistreatment of Africans who fought for the French in WW2, to Xala and Emitai. The other well-known African filmmaker is Souleymane Cisse from Mali. Nigeria has its own Nollywood, releasing 1200 features, mostly on video, a year: urban action and sentimental comedies. The other big film country in Africa is South Africa, although that’s not saying much. But South Africa does sponsor an African Film Festival every year. One filmmaker to watch is Idrissa Quedraogo from Burkino-Fasa, who makes films with French backing. If you want to learn about African film, watch African films – there’s more to them than the neo-colonialist fantasies of The Constant Gardener, Blood Diamonds or The Last King of Scotland, which typically show the morality/amorality of white people being tested in African situations.

Animals Are Beautiful People Too, Jamie Uys. Disney-like documentary about wild animals that’s better than Disney. Good for the kids.
Baara (The Work), Souleymane Cisse. Company manager begins to see how his company mistreats its workers, which conflicts with his own interests. Greed, corruption, murder.
Bamako, Abderrahmana Sssiako. A mock trial is held in a small Mali village; the absentee criminals are the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and corrupt African leaders, all accused of ecomic genocide.
Black and White in Color, Jean-Jacques Annaud. Oscar winner about French and German clash in West Africa in WW1.
Boesman and Lena, John Berry. Danny Glover and Angela Bassett as a mixed-race couple who lose their home and take to the road in apartheid South Africa. Adapatation of an Athol Fugard play.
Cinq jours d’une vie (Five Days in a Life), Souleymane Cisse. Short movie about the travails of an unemployed youing man from Mali.
City Lovers/Countgry Lovers, Barney Simon & Manie Van Rensburg. Two Nadine Gordimer stories of illegal interracial love affairs under apartheid.
Culinary Embassies (Ambassades nourriciers), Safi Faye. Documentary about Chinese, Indian, Hungarian and other ethnic restaurants in Paris.
Dark City, Chris Curling. Seven innocent people are arrested in a protest march and put on trial in apartheid South Africa. Examines the struggle between blacks in their struggle for freedom.
Den Muso (The Girl), Souleymane Cisse. Young mute Muslim girl is raped, becomes pregnant, rejected by family.
L’Empire sonhrai (The Sonhrai Empire, Ousmana Sembene. The father of African cinema’s first film.
Faces Of Women, Desire Ecare. Two stories of women conquering in a sexist society. The French New Wave comes to Africa in an exuberant, lively, sexy brew, with lots of great music and dance.
Fad Jal, Safi Faye. Documnetary about life-cycle rituals of life and death in Senegalese village.
Finye (The Wind), Souleymane Cisse. Two students, two fathers (traditional chief, military governor) and a mass protest. Tradition vs. modernity.
The Gods Must Be Crazy 1 & 2, Jamie Uys. The huge international hit by South Africa’s foremost director about how a Coke bottle flung from a plane changes the life of the Bushmen who discover it. Charming and hilarious.
Goob Na Nu (The Harvest Is In), Safi Faye. Documentary about agricultural life in a Senegalese village.
Kaddu Beykat (The Voice of the Peasant), Safi Faye. Documentary about a village in Senegal, framed by a love story.
Man Sa Yay (I Your Mother), Safi Faye. African student adjusts to life at West Berlin university.
Mossane, Safi Faye. Beautiful girl, betrothed at birth, falls in love with a student her own age.
One And So Many Others (Selbe et tant d’autres), Safi Faye. Daily life of Senegalese village woman whose husband is gone, working in town.
A Place Of Weeping, Darrell Roodt. Story of heroic woman under apartheid. Very moving. Probably the best film to come out of South Africa.
Sarafina, Darrelle Roodt. Mbogeni Ngema’s musical about Soweto school kids in revolt against apartheid. Stars Whoopi Goldberg.
Souls Under The Sun (Les ames au soleil), Safi Faye. Dcoumentary about tough lives of women and children in rural Senegal.
Tilai (The Law), Idrissa Ouedraogo. Man returns to African village to find that his father has married his fiancée. Oedipal struggle in excotic setting. Good stuff.
Waati (The Time), Souleymane Cisse. Story of a black South African girl who kills apartheid white man bcause he kills her family, flees to Abidjan, studies the Tuareg tribe in the Sahara, and returns to post-apartheid South Africa. Highly ambitious and impressive.
Yaaba, Idrissa Ouedraogo. Young boy and girl befriend an old woman who lives outside the African village, shunned as a witch. Good stuff.
Yeelen (The Light or Brightness), Souleymane Cisse. A warrior battles an evil sorcerer who is also his father. Regarded as Cisse’s masterpiece.

16. Middle East (Iran, Israel, Egypt, Afghanisatn, Palestine)
-Over the last two decades Iran has sprung to the fore as the major producer of excellent movies in the Middle East, a shining light in an otherwise pretty dim darkness of known art from the Arab world, mired as they are in pre-enlightenment religious fundamentalism and primitive sexism. Iran director Abbas Kiarostami has been the big collector of film destival prizes and critical acclaim, but the whole Iran film industry is thriving, even if the troglodyte ruling mullahs keep many of Iran’s best films from being widely seen in Iran itself.

Actor (1993), Mohsen Makhmalbaf.
The Apple (1998), Samira Makhmalbaf.
At Five in the Afternoon (2003), Samira Makhmalbaf.
Baduk (1992), Majid Majidi.
Baran (2001), Majid Majidi.
Bashu, the Little Stranger (1986), Bahram Bayzai.
The Bicyclist (1987), Mohsen Makhmalbaf.
Blackboards (1999), Samira Makhmalbaf.
Boycott (1985), Mohsen Makhmalbaf.
The Bread and Alley (1970), Abbas Kiarostami.
Breaktime (1972), Abbas Kiarostami.
Children of Heaven (1997), Majid Majidi. Young boy loses sister’s only pair of shoes; they hatch plan to share his shoes and keep his negligence secret from parents.
The Chorus (1982), Abbas Kiarostami.
The Circle (2000), Jafar Panahi. Iranian women cope with political and sexual repression.
Close-up (1990), Abbas Kiarostami. Documentary.
The Color of Paradise, Majid Majidi. Blind boy is forced to leave school for blind and becomes apprentice to carpenter.
Colors (1976), Abbas Kiarostami.
Crimson Gold (2003), Jafar Panahi.
Dame Sobh (Day Break) (2005) Hamid Rahmanian.
Davandeh (1985), Amir Naderi.
The Day I Became a Woman (2000), Marzieh Meshkini.
Duel (2004), Ahmad Reza Darvish.
Dental Hygiene (1980), Abbas Kiarostami.
Ekhrajiha (2007) Masoud Dehnamaki.
The Experience (1973), Abbas Kiarostami.
Fellow Citizen (1983), Abbas Kiarostami.
A Few Days Later (2006), Niki Karimi.
First Case, Second Case (1979), Abbas Kiarostami.
First Graders (1984), Abbas Kiarostami.
Gaav (1969), Dariush Mehrjui.
Gabbeh (19967), Mohsen Makhmalbaf.
Ganj-e Qarun (1965), Siyamak Yasemi.
Gozaresh (1977), Abbas Kiarostami.
Hamoun (1990), Dariush Mehrjui.
Hajji Washington (1982), Ali Hatami.
Hello Cinema (1993), Mohsen Makhmalbaf.
Homework (1989), Abbas Kiarostami.
The House is Black (1962), Foroogh Farrokhzad.
How to Make Use of Lesire Time: Painting (1977), Abbas Kiarostami.
Kamalolmolk (1984), Ali Hatami.
Kandahar (2001), Mohsen Makhmalbaf. Journey of woman through war-torn Afghanistan to find her sister and dissuade her from suicide.
Kelid (1987), Ebrahim Forouzesh.
Leila (1996), Dariush Mehrjui.
Leyli va Majnun (1938), Abdolhossein Sepanta.
Like, and Nothing More … (1991), Abbas Kiarostami.
Lor Girl (1932), Ardeshir Irani.
Marmoulak (2004), Kamal Tabrizi.
Marooned in Iraq (2002), Bahman Ghobadi. Excellent movie and fun, about Iranian musician father and two sons traveling through post-Gulf War Iraq looking for ex-wife. A wedding scene consisting of a song sung by the three main characters, a man buried up to his neck, and the father of the bride threatening the groom, jas to be seen to be believed.
The Marriage of the Blessed (1989), Mohsen Makhmalbaf.
Mehman-e Maman (2004), Dariush Mehrjui.
Nargess (1992), Rakhsan Bani-Etemad.
Naser-ed-din Shah (1992), Mohsen Makhmalbaf.
Offside (2006), Jafar Panahi.
One Night (2005), Niki Karimi.
Orderly or Disorderly (1981), Abbas Kiarostami.
Osama, Siddiq Barmak. 12-year-old girl disguises herself as boy to support family under sexist Taliban. Heart-wrenching film about sexism in Afghanistan.
Pari (1995), Dariush Mehrjui.
Pedar (1997), Majid Majidi.
Qeysar (1969), Masoud Kimiai.
Raye Makhfi (2001), Babak Payami.
Requiem of Snow (2005), Jamil Rostami.
Sasa (1993), Dariush Mehrjui.
The Silence (1997), Mohsen Makhmalbaf.
Smell of Camphor, Scent of Jasmine (2000), Bahman Farmanara.
So Can I (1975), Abbas Kiarostami.
Solution (1978), Abbas Kiarostami.
Taste of Cherry (1997), Abbas Kiarsotami. Man drives to place where he wants to commit suicide, trying to find someone on the way who’ll dump twenty spadefuls of soil on his grave after he’s killed himself.
Ten (2002), Abbas Kiarostami. A woman cab driver in Iran whp’s breaking up her family talks to her obstinate son and ten different passengers, giving a portrait of the changing role of women in Iran. All done from two fixed camera positions. Amazing.
Through the Olive Trees (1994), Abbas Kiarsotami.
Tickets (2005), Abbas Kiarostami, Ken Loach, Ermanno Olmi. Three directors film three stories on the same train to Rome.
A Time of Drunken Horses (2000), Bahman Ghobadi.
Time of Love (1990), Mohsen Makhmalbaf.
Toothache (1983), Abbas Kiarostami.
To Have or Not to Have (2003), Niki Karimi.
The Traveler (1974), Abbas Kiarostami.
Tribute to the Teachers (1977), Abbas Kiarostami.
Turtles Can Fly (2004), Bahman Ghobadi.
20 Fingers (2003), Mania Akbari.
Two Women (1999), Tahmineh Milani.
A Wedding Suite (1976), Abbas Kiarostami.
Where is the Friend’s Home (1987), Abbas Kiarostami.
White Balloon (1995), Jafar Panahi.
The Willow Tree (2005), Majid Majidi.
The Wind Will Carry Us (1999), Abbas Kiarostami.

17. Switzerland
The only reason Switzerland is in our guide is because of Alain Tanner, a very interesting director who is none too happy with the stifling bourgeoisie of his country.

Alpine Fire (1985), Fredi M. Murer. Incest in the remote Alps.
The Boat Is Full (1981), Markus Imhoof. Jewish refugees try to seek a safe haven in Switzerland. Heart-rending.
Dangerous Moves (1983), Richard Dembo. Oscar-winning intelligent drama set in Geneva during a chess match, starring Liv Ulmann, Leslie Caron and Michel Piccoli.
Ernesto Che Guevara: The Bolivian Diary (1997), Richard Lindo. Documentary based on Che’s journals, with footage from Castro’s Cuba and Bolivian survivors of the failed revolution.
In The White City (1983), Alain Tanner. Swiss engineer Bruno Ganz on journey of self-discovery in Lisbon.
Jonah Who Will Be 25 In The Year 2000 (1976), Alain Tanner. A way more intelligent and fun The Big Chill and Return of the Secaucus Seven, as a motley crew of hippie-like post-May ’68 revolutionaries come to terms with real life in the 70s.
Journey of Hope (1990), Xavier Koller. Kurds on their way to Swtizerland. Oscar-winner.
La Salamandre, Alain Tanner. Free-living chick in Switzerland.
Tosca’s Kiss (1985), Danile Schmid. Documentary about old opera stars still carrying on for the camera in a retirement home founded by Verdi.

18. Belgium, Netherlands
Belgium has two masterful directors: the feminist Chantal Akerman and the Dardenne brothers (look up all their movies). The Netherlands has given us feminist Marleen Gorris and the Hollywood sensationalist Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct).

Akermania Vol 1 (1968-84), Chantal Akerman. Three shorts, including one about two girls from Brussels running away to Paris and a woman in an apartment with too much energy for the day.
Amsterdamned (1988), Dick Maas. Excellent action movie about hunting down a serial killer who uses Amsterdam’s canals to stalk his victims.
Antonia’s Line (1995), Marleen Gorris. Oscar-winning drama of four generation of strong women who defy misogyny to farm and raise their families. Magnificent.
The Assault (1986), Fons Rademakers. Oscar-winning drama of boy’s war trauma and its effect on his life. From the novel by Harry Mulisch.
Brussels-Transit (1980), Samy Szlingerbaum. Jewish family treks to Brussels from Poland to stay alive in war-devastated Europe.
Character (1997), Mike Van Diem. Oscar-winning drama of son and abusive father in 1920s Rotterdam.
Daughters Of Darkness (1971), Harry Kumel. At a fancy hotel, Countess vampire Delphine Seyrig trolls for virgin blood to bathe in.
Le Depart (1966), Jerzy Skolimowski. Jean-Pierre Leaud looks for a Porche to enter a race and gets diutracted by love.
Dust (1985), Marion Hansel. From the J.M. Coetzee novel. On South African farm, lonely, sexually frustrated Jane Birkin lashes out at her harsh father.
Egg (1988), Danniel Danniel. Lonely baker places personals ad and woman set on him appears. The whole town gets involved.
The Eighties (1983), Chantal Akerman. A fun musical exuberance set in a shopping mall.
Everybody’s Famous! (2000), Dominique Deruddere. Stage father pushes talentless daughter, then kidnaps popstar.
Farinelli (1994), Gerard Corbiau. Melodrama of brilliant castrato singer’s rise to fame and hate/love relationship with less talented composer brother.
Flesh and Blood (1985), Paul Verhoeven. Rutger Hauer and mercenary warrior in feudal Europe of kings at war.
A Flight of Ranbirdfs (1981), Ate De Jong. Scientist dreams he has to lose viriginity on pain of death. The same actor plays his other side who saves him,
For A Lost Soldier (1992), Roland Kerbosch. Love affair between 13-year-old boy and older man. Tender and heartfelt despite transgressive angle.
The 4th Man (1983), Paul Verhoeven. Thriller about novelist who gets entangled with femme fatale and her lover.
je tu il elle (1974), Chantal Akerman. Akerman’s first feature, with her in sexual encounters with truck driver and another woman.
Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975), Chantal Akerman. Delphine Seyrig in three days of apartment-bound dreary ritualistic cooking, cleaning, taking care of son, and brief interlude of sex as a prostitute. Feminist masterpiece.
Keetje Tippel (1975), Paul Verhoeven. In 1880s Amsterdam, Rutger Hauer and a carefree woman forced to become a prostitute by poor family.
Left Luggage (1998), Jeroen Krabbe. Girl with obsessive Jewish father (Maximilian Shell) gets involved with Hasidic family as their nanny and comes to terms with her Jewish identity.
Ma Vie En Rose (1998), Alain Berliner. Boy wants to be a little girl, and sticks to his desire despite family and neighborhood. Charming and inspirational.
Man Bites Dog (1992), Andre Bonzel, Benot Poelvoorde, Remy Belvaux. Camera crew follows cheerfully amoral serial killer.
Mascara (1987), Patrick Conrad. Thriller about cop who lusts after sister, ready to commit insane violence.
The Music Teacher (1989), Gerard Corbiau. In turn-of-the-century France, a famous opera singer retires and coaches two young singers for competition run by his enemy.
Mysteries (1978), Paul de Lussanet. From Knut Hamsun’s novel.. Rutger Hauer appears out of nowhere in town on Isle of Man, upsets everyone and falls for Sylvia Kriustel and Rita Tushingham.
News From Home (1976), Chantal Akerman. Homage to alienated New York. Not an easy piece.
Night And Day (1991), Chantal Akerman. Comedy about young woman who loves two taxi-drivers.
On Top Of The Whale (1982) Raul Ruiz. Bizarre tale of millionaire with last members of lost Indian tribe in remote country house who invites anthropologist to come and study them. He tries to figure out their one-word language, pronounced in many different ways.
Out Of Order (1985), Carl Schenkel. Office building has lift that kills people.
The Pointsman (1987), Jos Stelling. Frenchwoman alights at Scottish Highlands station in the middle of nowhere and bonds with recluse who operates the station.
La Promesse (1996), Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne. Teenager helps father smuggle in aliens, tthen father exploits them. After boy promises to look after wife of alien who dies, boy is torn between his promise and his dad. Quietly devastating.
Prospero’s Books (1991), Peter Greenaway. Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” refracted through Greenaway’s fractured sensibility. Cutting edge moviemaking.
A Question Of Silence (1983), Marleen Gorris. Amazing feminist movie about three middle-aged women who kill a shopkeeper in his store – tthey never met before and they didn’t know him either. Why did they do it?
Les Rendezvous D’Anna (1978), Chantal Akerman. Woman film director on film promotion trip in Europe, meets many new people, experiences stupefying alienation.
Soldier Of Orange (1979) Paul Verhoeven. Rutger Hauer as a Dutch war resister. Excellent adventure story.
Spetters (1981), Paul Verhoieven. Rutger Hauer and mates want to become motorbike racers – disaffected youth in the Netherlands.
Suite 16 (1994), Dominique Deruddere. Wild sexual shenanigans as rich paraplegic hires young conman stud to screw women in his apartment while he watches.
Toto The Hero (1991), Jaco Van Dormael. Comedy about boy who daydreams about secret agents, and thinks he was switched at bith with rich boy next door, who becomes his nemesis for life.
Toute En Nuit (1982), Chantal Akerman. In one night, several couples meet, mate and split in this stark avant-garde movie.
The Triplets of Belleville (2003), Sylvain Chomet. Some kind of animation mansterpiece: orphan and grandma on surreal trip. Lovely music, story, characters.
Turkish Delight (1974), Paul Verhoeven. Youthful Rutger Hauer on a screwing-women jag in jazz-infused anti-establishment sexplicit movie.
The Vanishing (`1988), George Sluizer. Man stops at gas station on vacation in south of France; his girlfriend goes to restaurant and vanishes. He can’t get the police to investigate, so starts sleuthing himself, with terrifying consequences.
Window Shopping (1986), Chantal Akerman. Frothy musical about hair salon manager besieged by various suitors.
Zentropa (1991), Lars Von Trier. The outrageous Dane helms a nightmare tale about a naïve American caught in the machinations of German industrial dynasties who backed the Nazis, and are now being helped back to post-war prominence by America. Full of director’s trickery.


Iceland







10. SOME MOVIE TERMS, MOVEMENTS, THEORIES

i. Auteur Theory

This is the theory that a film embodies the personal vision of the director, therefore the primary "author" (auteur) – despite the fact that film is the most collaborative art of all.
Francois Truffaut launched “auterism” in 1954 in the magazine Cahiers du Cinema in his essay Une certaine tendance du cinéma français ("a certain tendency in the French cinema"). Auteurism studies the characteristics of a director's work that make him an auteur. Truffaut was indebted to André Bazin, who promoted the idea that films should reflect a director's vision, and championed directors like Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock and Jean Renoir, then a radical notion. Truffaut also used Alexandre Astruc's idea of the caméra-stylo or "camera-pen" -- directors wielding the camera like writers use the pens.
The auteur theory was used by nouvelle vague directors/critics -- Truffaut, Godard, Chabrol, Rohmer -- to promote their own intensely personal, idiosyncratic films.
Andrew Sarris introduced the concept to America in Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962. Pauline Kael and Sarris feuded in The New Yorker and various film magazines over auteurism. Kael argued that Orson Wells’s Citizen Kane would’ve suffered without the distinctive input of co-writer Herman J. Mankiewicz and cinematographer Gregg Toland.

ii. Art Film

This is a film genre with a loose narrative, often experimental, presented as a serious artistic work (includes foreign-language films, independent and non-mainstream films). The producers of art films seek a niche audience, and present their work at art houses and film festivals in large urban areas.
In the classical Hollywood form, which we call commercial film-making, narrative dictates film style. Characters act as causal agents for the narrative. Familiar images, verbal expressions, archetypal characters, and symbols convey the story in a clear, easy shorthand.
Art film rejects this as unrealistic. It attempts to portray real life situations and characters where things happen that do not always have a clear meaning or purpose, but instead are vague and even mysterious, and might meander. Art films do not clearly explain how plot elements, characters, or events fit together. Any causal gaps that appear in the narrative of an art film are often permanent. The mesmerizing, virtually plotless Last Year In Marienbad is the archetypal art film. Typical art filmmakers are Michelangelo Antonioni, Alain Resnais, Matthew Barney, Maya Deren, Peter Greenaway, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Wong Kar-wai, David Lynch, and Dusan Makavejev.

iii. German Expressionism

Influenced by Dada, the first German Expressionist films -- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919), The Golem (1915), and Nosferatu (1922) -- were very symbolic and surreal. They used non-realistic and geometrically absurd sets, along with designs painted on walls and floors to represent lights, shadows, and objects. The plots dealt with madness, betrayal, and "intellectual" topics, unlike standard action-adventure and romantic films. They were called kammerspielfilm. Later films include Metropolis (1927) and M (1931), directed by Fritz Lang.
Its themes were integrated into later films of the 1920s and 1930s. This dark, moody school of filmmaking was brought to America when German filmmakers fled Nazi Germany for Hollywood. German emigres like cinematographer Karl Freund (Dracula, 1931) set the style of Universal monster movies, providing an enduring mood for horror. Directors like Fritz Lang and Michael Curtiz introduced Expressionism to 1940s crime dramas, creating film noir.

iv. Film Noir

This is a style and mood of 1940s crime films that portrayed its principal characters in a nihilistic and existentialist world. Themes of murder, betrayal and double-dealing femme fatales pervade. Film noir was derived from Depression-era hard-boiled crime fiction, shot in black and white, with a high-contrast style, pools of light in darkness -- its roots in German Expressionism.
Directors include John Huston, Howard Hawks, Fritz Lang, Billy Wilder and Orson Welles. Tim Burton's 1992 Batman Returns was a modern attempt at expressionist noir, as was Sin City (2005).
Classic Noir: The Maltese Falcon (1941), Murder, My Sweet (1944), Laura (1944), Double Indemnity (1944, The Big Sleep (1946), Gilda (1946), The Killers (1946), The Lady from Shanghai (1947), Out of the Past (1947), Key Largo (1948), The Third Man (1949), White Heat (1949), The Asphalt Jungle (1950), Sunset Boulevard (1950), Pickup on South Street (1953), The Big Heat (1953), Kiss Me Deadly (1955), The Night of the Hunter (1955), The Killing (1956), Touch of Evil (1958).

v. Italian Neorealism

This movement is characterized by stories set amongst the poor and working class, filmed in long takes on location, frequently using non-actors for secondary and sometimes primary roles. Italian neorealist films contend with the defeat, povery and desperation of postwar Italy. Cinecittà -- a complex of studios in Rome and the center of commercial filmmaking in Italy since 1936 -- was occupied by refugees, so films were shot outdoors, amidst devastation.
Neorealism was first introduced to the world in 1946 with Rossellini’s Roma, città aperta (Rome, Open City), the first major film to come out Italy after the war. The movement was promoted by a circle of film critics from the magazine Cinema -- Michelangelo Antonioni, Luchino Visconti, Gianni Puccini, Giuseppe De Santis, and Pietro Ingrao, who attacked the telefono bianco (white telephone) films that dominated the industry.
The neorealists were heavily influenced by French poetic realism. Both Michelangelo Antonioni and Luchino Visconti had worked with Jean Renoir. Two precursors of neorealism are Toni (Renoir, 1935) and 1860 (Blasetti, 1934).
Fellini, Antonioni, and Visconti began their careers in neorealism. The French New Wave critics incorporated it in their own movement. Other movements elsewhere developed the ideas of the neorealists. Some notable neo-realist influenced films were the "spaghetti westerns" of Sergio Leone in the mid-1960s, which spawned many imitators.
Some of Pier Paolo Pasolini 's works in the 1970s were considered part of a new neorealist sub-genre. In recent times other movies have been produced that recall the neorealist canons, by Gianni Amelio and others.
Italian neorealism was inspired by French cinéma vérité, German Kammerspiel, and influenced the U.S. documentary movement and the Polish Film School. Its effects can be seen as recently as the Danish Dogme 95 movement.
Major films: Ossessione (Luchino Visconti, 1943), Roma, città aperta (Roberto Rossellini, 1946), Sciuscià (Vittorio De Sica, 1946), Paisà (Rossellini, 1946), Germania anno zero (Rossellini, 1948), Ladri di biciclette (De Sica, 1948), La Terra trema (Visconti, 1948), Stromboli (Rossellini, 1950), Umberto D. (De Sica, 1952)

vi. French New Wave

The New Wave (la Nouvelle Vague) was a blanket term coined by critics for a group of French filmmakers of the late 1950s and 1960s. Although never formally organized, the New Wave filmmakers were linked by their self-conscious rejection of classical cinematic form and their spirit of youthful iconoclasm. Many also engaged in their work with the social and political upheavals of the era, making their radical experiments with editing, visual style and narrative part of a general break with a conservative paradigm.
Some of the most prominent pioneers among the group, including François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Eric Rohmer, Claude Chabrol and Jacques Rivette, began as critics for the film magazine Cahiers du cinéma. Co-founder and theorist André Bazin was a prominent source of influence for the movement. By means of criticism and editorialization, they laid the groundwork for a surge of concepts which in later decades of film study (originally in the 1970's) was coined as the auteur theory. Chabrol's Le Beau Serge (1958) was the first New Wave feature. Truffaut, with his The 400 Blows (1959) and Godard, with Breathless (1960) had international successes, both critical and financial. Other directors included Louis Malle, Alain Resnais, Agnes Varda and Jacques Demy.
The movies featured radical styles of expression, like the jumpcut, and seven-minute tracking shots, like the traffic jam in Godard's Week End. Also, these movies featured existential themes, such as the stressing of the individual and the acceptance of the absurdity of human existence.
Lightweight cameras, lights, sound equipment, and wheelchairs used for dolly shots allowed the New Wave directors to shoot in the streets, rather than in studios.
After Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde (1967), the New Hollywood directors -- Altman, Coppola, De Palma, Scorsese -- of the late 1960s and early 1970s made movies inspired by the French. Today Quentin Tarantino and Wes Anderson are New Wave acolytes.

vii. Cinéma vérité, Direct Cinema, Free Cinema

This style of filmmaking combines naturalistic techniques from documentary filmmaking, with the storytelling elements of a scripted or semi-scripted film. The name is a French phrase meaning, literally "true film". It aims for extreme naturalism using non-professional actors, non-intrusive filming techniques, hand-held camera, genuine locations rather than sound stages, naturalistic sound without post-production or voiceovers. It began in the 1950s and flourished in the 1960s. It was similar to the mid-1950s UK "free cinema" and US "Direct Cinema.”
Filmmakers: Richard Leacock, Michel Brault and Gilles Groulx (Les Raquetteurs, 1958), Robert Drew, Jean Rouch, D.A. Pennebaker, The Maysles Brothers (Albert and David), Frederick Wiseman, Barbara Kopple, Scott Shaw
Films: Primary (1960), Chronique d'un été (1961), Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment (1963), The Battle of Algiers (1965), Don't Look Back (1967), High School (1969), Salesman (1969), Hospital (1970), Cocksucker Blues (1972), West 47th Street (2003), À Hauteur d'homme (2003)

viii. Dogme 95

This is a movement developed in 1995 by the Danish directors Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg, Kristian Levring and Søren Kragh-Jacobsen. The goal is to instill a sense of simplicity, free of postproduction modification and other gimmicks -- placing the focus on the actual story and the performance of the actors. The viewer realizes the lack of overproduction, and becomes more concerned with the narrative and mood. Von Trier and Vinterberg developed ten rules – the Vow of Chastity -- that a Dogme film must conform to. These rules, referred to as the [sic], are as follows:
Filming must be done on location. Props and sets must not be brought in (if a particular prop is necessary for the story, a location must be chosen where this prop is to be found).
The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa. (Music must not be used unless it occurs where the scene is being filmed).
The camera must be hand-held. Any movement or immobility attainable in the hand is permitted. (The film must not take place where the camera is standing; filming must take place where the action takes place.)
The film must be in colour. Special lighting is not acceptable. (If there is too little light for exposure the scene must be cut or a single lamp be attached to the camera).
Optical work and filters are forbidden.
The film must not contain superficial action. (Murders, weapons, etc. must not occur.)
Temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden. (That is to say that the film takes place here and now.)
Genre movies are not acceptable.
The final picture must be transferred to the Academy 35mm film, with an aspect ratio of 4:3, that is, not widescreen. (Originally, the requirement was that the film had to be filmed on Academy 35mm film, but the rule was relaxed to allow low-budget productions.)
The director must not be credited.
This style of filmmaking is often utilized by filmmakers without a real budget of any kind. Critics often claim that this style is simply a facade to cover up bad filmmaking or direction.
From the first dogme film, these rules have been circumvented and broken. In The Idiots, a musician provided background music off-camera, and Thomas Vinterberg "confessed" to having covered a window during the shooting of one scene in The Celebration (Festen), which is both bringing a prop onto the set and using special lighting.
The first of the Dogme films was Vinterberg's 1998 film Festen, which is also known as Dogme #1. Festen was highly acclaimed by many critics, and won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Von Trier's only Dogme film, Idioterne (The Idiots , or Dogme #2), was less successful. The American director Harmony Korine created the movie Julien Donkey-Boy which is also known as Dogme #6.
Dogma films: The Celebration (Denmark, 1998), The Idiots (Denmark, 1998), Mifunes Sidste Sang (Denmark, 1999), The King is Alive (Denmark, 2000), Lovers (France, 1999), Julien Donkey-Boy (USA, 1999), Interview (South Korea, 2000), Fuckland (Argentina, 2000), Babylon (Sweden, 2001), Chetzemoka's Curse (USA, 2001), Diapason (Italy, 2001), Italiensk For Begyndere (Denmark, 2000), Amerikana (USA, 2001), Joy Ride (Switzerland, 2001), Camera (movie) (USA, 2000), Bad Actors (USA, 2000), Reunion (movie) (USA, 2001), Et Rigtigt Menneske (Denmark, 2001), Når Nettene Blir Lange (Norway, 2000), Strass (Belgium, 2001), En Kærlighedshistorie (Denmark, 2001), Era Outra Vez (Spain, 2000), Resin (movie) (USA, 2001), Security, Colorado (USA, 2001), Converging With Angels (USA, 2002), The Sparkle Room (USA, 2001), Come Now, Elsker Dig For Evigt (Denmark, 2002), The Bread Basket (USA, 2002), Dias De Boda (Spain, 2002), El Desenlace (Spain, 2004), Se Til Venstre, Der Er En Svensker (Denmark, 2003), Residencia (Chile. 2004), Forbrydelser (Denmark, 2004), Cosi x Caso (Italy, 2004), Amateur Dramatics (movie) (UK/Denmark), Gypo (UK, 2005), Mere Players (USA), el ultimo lector (Mexico), Lazy Sunday Afternoons (UK), Lonely Child (Canada), Darshan (USA), 11:09 (USA), Vince Conway (UK), Regret Regrets (USA), Perspective (UK), Godinne van die Grondpad (South Africa), Giles sucks (Luxembourg), Michelle, Gilles, Kim (Luxembourg), autobahne (Turkey)

ix. Independent/Indie Films

These are American films not financed by Hollywood. John Cassavetes is the father and undisputed master of the American independent film. Miramax was a famous distributor and producer of indie films. The list of American indie film-makers is impressively indiosyncratic: Russ Meyer, Roger Corman, John Cassavetes, John Sayles, Jim Jarmusch, Woody Allen, Hal Hartley, Tod Solonz. Steven Soderberg and Quentin Tarantino, who made the indie classics sex lies and videotape and Pulp Fiction, are now very Hollywood.

x. Experimental/Avant-garde Film

This is a film organized neither as narrative fiction nor as non-fiction. Experimental film tends to have the closest relationship to the other visual arts and their avant-gardes.
The Dadaists and Surrealists took to cinema. René Clair 's Entr'acte took madcap comedy into nonsequitur, and artists Hans Richter, Jean Cocteau, Marcel Duchamp, Germaine Dulac and Viking Eggeling contributed Dadaist/Surrealist shorts. The most famous experimental film is Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí 's Un Chien Andalou.
The Soviet filmmakers found a counterpart to modernist painting and photography in their theories of montage. The films of Dziga Vertov, Sergei Eisenstein, Alexander Dovzhenko and Vsevolod Pudovkin were instrumental in providing an alternate model from that offered by classical Hollywood. While not experimental films per se, they contributed to the film language of the avant-garde.
Meshes of the Afternoon by Maya Deren is considered to be the first important American experimental film. It provided a model for self-financed 16mm production and distribution, one that was soon picked up by Cinema 16 and other film societies. Just as importantly, it established an aesthetic model of what experimental cinema could do. Early works by Kenneth Anger, Stan Brakhage, Shirley Clarke, Gregory Markopoulos, Willard Maas, Marie Menken and Curtis Harrington followed. Stan Brakhage's Dog Star Man exemplified a shift from personal confessional to abstraction. Kenneth Anger's Scorpio Rising was an inverted musical of sorts and a camp commentary on Hollywood mythology. Jack Smith and Andy Warhol pushed further toward camp minimalism. By now, American experimental film and the avant-garde of the visual arts (centered in New York) had aligned themselves.
Structural-Materialist filmmakers like Hollis Frampton and Michael Snow created a highly formalist cinema that foregrounded the medium itself: the frame, projection, and most importantly time itself. By breaking film down into bare components, they sought to create an anti-illusionist cinema. Even more than previous movements, this avant-garde was international in scope.
Laura Mulvey 's writing and filmmaking launched a flourishing of feminist filmmaking based on the idea that conventional Hollywood narrative reinforced gender norms and a patriarchal gaze. Their response was to resist narrative in a way to show its fissures and inconsistencies. Chantal Akerman and Sally Potter are just two of the leading feminist filmmakers working in this mode in the 1970s. Video art emerged as a medium in this period, and feminists like Martha Rosler and Cecelia Condit took full advantage of it. Into the 1980s and 1990s, feminist, gay and other political experimental work continued, with filmmakers like Barbara Hammer, Su Friedrich, Tracy Moffatt, Sadie Benning, and Isaac Julian among others finding experimental format conducive to their questions about identity politics.
Video artists like Nam June Paik and Bill Viola exhibit in art museums.
American experimental film makers include Kenneth Anger, Stan Brakhage, Shirley Clarke, Bruce Conner, Tony Conrad, Joseph Cornell, Hollis Frampton, Ernie Gehr, Barbara Hammer, Ken Jacobs, Richard Kern, Jonas Mekas, Adolfas Mekas, Richard Myers, Michael Snow, Andy Warhol, Joyce Wieland, Grahame Weinbren, and Nick Zedd.

xi. Some Well-known American Film Critics

James Agee, Manny Farber, Pauline Kael, Andrew Sarris, Roger Ebert, Stanley Kaufman, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Elvis Mitchell, A.O. Scott, Vincent Canby, Manolo Darghis, J. Hoberman.

xii. Film Theory

Film theory develops systematic concepts to apply to the study of cinema as art. Classical film theory provides a structural framework to address classical issues of techniques, narrativity, diegesis, cinematic codes, "the image", genre, subjectivity, and authorship. More recent analysis has given rise to psychoanalytical film theory, structuralist film theory, feminist film theory, and theories of documentary, new media, third cinema, and new queer cinema.
The Italian futurist Ricciotto Canudo (1879-1923) is considered to be the very first film theoretician. He published his manifesto The Birth of the Seventh Art in 1911. Another early attempt was The Photoplay (1916) by Hugo Münsterberg .
Gilles Deleuze took Bergson’s Matière et Mémoire as the basis of a theory on film, and used it to explain his views in his Cinéma I & II (1983-1985).
Classical film emerged from the works of directors like Germaine Dulac, Louis Delluc, Jean Epstein, Sergei Eisenstein, Lev Kuleshov, Dziga Vertov, Paul Rotha and film critics like Rudolf Arnheim, Béla Balázs and Siegfried Kracauer.
In the early 1950s the French film critic André Bazin helped to found the highly influential magazine Cahiers du Cinéma. Many of its young writers François Truffaut and Jean Luc Godard would go on to direct the films of the French New Wave. These writers were some of the first to take popular Hollywood cinema seriously as an artform.
In the 1960s film theory took up residence in academe, importing concepts from established disciplines like psychoanalysis, literary theory and linguistics.
In the seventies the British journal Screen was very influential.
During the 1990s the digital revolution impacted film theory -- with a refocus onto celluloid film's ability to capture an indexical image of a moment in time by theorists like Mary Ann Doane, Philip Rosen and Laura Mulvey, and a historical revisiting of early cinema screenings, practices and spectatorship modes by Tom Gunning, Miriam Hansen and Yuri Tsivian.

a. Marxist Film Theory

This is one of the oldest forms of film theory.
Sergei Eisenstein and many other Soviet filmmakers in the 1920s used Marxism as justification for film. In fact, the Hegelian dialectic was considered best displayed in film editing through the Kuleshov Experiment and the development of montage.
They believed, as many Marxists since have believed, that Hollywood cinema is designed to draw you into believing in capitalist propaganda. Shot reverse shot is nothing more than a device to make you align yourself with this unhealthy ideology.
Eisenstein's solution was to shun narrative structure by eliminating the individual protagonist and tell stories where the action is moved by the group and the story is told through a clash of one image against the next, so that the audience is never lulled into believing that they are watching something that has not been worked over.
Eisenstein himself, however, was accused by Soviet authorities of highlighting form as a thing of beauty instead of portraying the worker nobly.
Situationist film maker Guy Debord, author of The Society of the Spectacle, began his film In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni (Wandering around in the night we are consumed by fire) with a radical critique of the spectator who goes to the cinema to forget about his dispossessed daily life.
Situationist filmmakers produced a number of important films, where the only contribution by the situationist film cooperative was the sound-track. In Can dialectics break bricks? (1973) a Japanese samurai film was transformed by redubbing into an epistle on state capitalism and Proletarian revolution. The intellectual technique of using capitalism's own structures against itself is known as detournement.

b. Psychoanalytical Film Theory

The 1970s and 1980s saw the development of theory that took concepts developed by Jacques Lacan and applied them to the experience of watching a film.
The film viewer is seen as the subject of a "gaze" that is largely "constructed" by the film itself, where what is on screen becomes the object of that subject's desire.
The viewing subject may be offered particular identifications (usually with a leading male character) from which to watch. The subject longs for a completeness which the film offers through identification with an image. According to Lacanian theory, identification with the image is an illusion and the subject is split simply by coming into existence.

c. Structuralist Film Theory

The structuralist film theory emphasizes how films convey meaning through the use of codes and conventions. The simple combination of shots can create an additional idea: the blank expression on a man's face, a piece of pie, and then back to the man's face. While nothing literally expresses hunger -- or desire -- the juxtaposition of the images convey that meaning. Alfred Hitchcock used this technique and attributed its invention to D.W. Griffith. Unraveling this meaning can become complex. Lighting, angle, shot duration, juxtaposition, cultural context, and a wide array of other elements actively reinforce or undermine a sequence's message.

d. Feminist Film theory

This covers the function of women characters in particular genres: film noir’s subversive femme fatale; damsel in distress; ingénue; hooker with a heart of gold; scream queen. It notes the “male gaze” in classic Hollywood pictures, the POV of spectator being aligned with the male protagonist. Laura Mulvey gave an influential version of this argument in Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.

e. Apparatus Theory

This was the dominant theory in cinema studies in the 1970s. It maintains that cinema is by nature ideological because its mechanics of presentation is ideological. These mechanics include the camera and editing. The central position of the spectator in the perspective of the composition is also ideological. The cinema maintains the dominant ideology of the culture within the viewer. Ideology is part of film’s nature. Theorists: Jacques Lacan, Louis Althusser, Jean-Louis Baudry, Jean-Louis Comolli, Christian Metz, Laura Mulvey, Peter Wollen.

f. Serious Film Theoriticians

Rudolf Arnheim, Béla Balázs, André Bazin, Jean-Louis Beaudry, Peter Bogdanovich, David Bordwell, Ernest Callenbach, Serge Daney, Maya Deren, Mary Ann Doane, Sergei Eisenstein, Ray Carney, Siegfried Kracauer, Christian Metz, Laura Mulvey, William Rothman, Andrew Sarris, Kaja Silverman, Kristin Thompson, Slavoj Zizek, Susan Sontag.
New Wave Film Critics/Makers: François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Eric Rohmer, Claude Chabrol, Jacques Rivette.


11. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MOVIES

In the first 50 years of the 20th century -- before television -- film took over from the novel and the play as the mainstay of popular culture.
From 1860 on, after the invention of photography, many people worked on various inventions to capture and project moving images, taking advantage of the optical phenomenon “persistence of vision,” as demonstrated by the camera obscura, the magic lantern, and the zoetrope. They included Eadward Muybridge, Louis Le Prince, Ottomar Anschutz, George Eastman, Hannibal Goodwin and William Friese-Greene.

1. The first movies

In October 19, 1878, Scientific American published a series of 12 pictures depicting a horse in full gallop, with instructions to view them through the zoetrope. The photos had been taken by British photographer Eadward Muybridge to settle a bet made by California businessman Leland Stanford -- that at some point in a horse’s stride, all four hooves were off the ground. The photographs proved Stanford’s point; he won his bet. Muybridge went on to create a sequential photo projector – the zoogyroscope – in 1879 with Stanford’s backing. In Paris, physiologist Etienne-Jules Marey, who studied animal movement, made a camera that could take 12 pictures per second of a moving object, a process called chronophotography.
The first films were shot by Louis Le Prince in 1888 in Leeds, England, using a single lens motion picture camera. They were Roundhay Garden Scene and Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge.
W.K. Laurie Dickson, a researcher at the Edison Laboratories, is credited with the invention of a practicable form of celluloid strip containing a sequence of images, to enable moving images to be photographed and projected. In 1890 Dickson unveiled the Kinetograph, a primitive moving picture camera. In 1892 he announced the Kinetoscope, a way to view the projected images through an eyepiece. In 1894 Edison initiated public film screenings in Kinetograph Parlors.
Robert Paul, a British electrician and scientific instrument maker, invented the film projector, to show movies to an audience, giving his first public showing in 1895.
Inspired by the kinetoscope, the French brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière invented the cinematograph in 1895 -- a portable, three-in-one camera, developer/printer, and projector that showed 16 frames per second.
The Lumiere brothers are usually credited with the first public projection of motion pictures on December 28, 1895, when the film industry was born, because people paid to see their movies. Before that there had been many private showings, by the Englishman William Friese-Greene, the Germans Max and Emil Skladanowsky, and the French inventors Henry Joly and Jean-Aime LeRoy.
The first scripted film was shot in France in 1896 by director Alice Guy, a woman, for producer Leon Gaumont. Thus was born the movies as we know them. This first film was entitled La Fee Aux Choux, or The Cabbage Patch Fairy. It ran for 60 seconds, and depicted a young couple finding their baby in a cabbage patch.
The Lumiere brothers produced “actualities,” short films that depicted real-life events.
George Melies made special effects extravanganzas, including the famous Le Voyage Dan La Lune (A Trip To The Moon) in 1902.
Guy, Melies and Lumiere became the first leading producers of movies in Eruope. By 1904 there were hundreds of films, both fictional and documentary.
Thomas Edison built the first movie studio in the USA when he constructed the Back Maria, a tarpaper-covered structure near his laboratories in West Orange, New Jersey, and asked circus, vaudeville and dramatic actors to perform for the camera. He distributed these movies at vaudeville theaters, penny arcades, wax museums and fairgrounds.

2. The silent era begins

Not until the late 1920s did anyone come up with a practical way of marrying images with synchronous sound. Movies were silent, with the dialogue and narration presented in intertitles, and often accompanied by live musicians, and in Japan, by a live narrator.
George Melies pioneered many of the special effects techniques pf the 20th century with his films of fantasy and the bizarre. He also led the way in making multi-scene narratives as long as fifteen minutes the standard.
Edwin Porter, Edison’s leading director of those days, was probably the man who first realized that the basic unit of film was the shot, not the scene, thereby launching the art of editing.
By 1908 there were 10,000 “nickelodeons” in the US, the first permanent movie theaters (odeon is the Greek word for theater; it cost a nickel to get in). The French company Pathe Freres achieved a dominant world position by controlling key patents and theater ownership.
In the US, Edison led the creation of the Motion Picture Patents Company in 1908, known as “The Trust,” which tried to establish a monopoly via violent intimidation of competitors. Those were the good old days of the robber barons. Eastman Kodak, who supplied most of the industry’s film stock, made a deal with the Trust to supply film only to its members. Everyone else ran illegal production operations.
For the first ten years, the standard length of the film was one reel, about ten to fifteen minutes. With period extravaganzas like Queen Elizabeth (France 1912, starring Sarah Bernhardt), Quo Vadis? (Italy 1913) and Cabiria (Italy 1914), the multi-reel or “feature” film began to replace the short, and film got through to the middle and upper classes.
American director D.W. Griffith brought this trend to artistic domimance with his epic masterpieces Birth of a Nation (1915) and Intolerance (1916). He also established editing and visual storytelling techniques like parallel cutting that have remained the foundation of film grammar ever since.

3. WW1 makes Hollywood the world leader

In the early 1900s, companies started moving to Los Angeles, California, because of the good weather and longer days. The best source of illumination for motion picture production was natural sunlight. None of the electric lights at that time were powerful enough to adequately expose film. Some movies were shot on the roofs of buildings in downtown Los Angeles.
Another reason for moving to LA was to get far away from the Trust.
In 1911, the first issue of Motion Picture Story Magazine was published, followed by its competitor Photoplay soon after. Fan culture and the star system were born.
In 1913, Hollywood film crews were working non-stop to crank out 200 reels per week. The Trust was dissolved in 1915, ruled a monopoly by the US government. Businessman William Hodkinson came up with the idea of letting the distibutor cover production costs for exclusive rights to the completed film. The distributor would get 35% of the gross, the producers 65%. It became the founding principle of film distibution.
Until WW1, France and Italy were the most powerful and globally popular film nations. WW1 interrupted European production devastatingly. Hollywood gained the leading position, which it has held ever since, except for Bollywood, the Indian film capital, which produces more features than Hollywood.
By the 1920s the US produced an average of 800 feature films a year, 82% of global production. The comedies of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, the swashbuckling adventures of Douglas Fairbanks, and the romances of Mary Pickford and Clara Bow, made the faces of these performers iconic on every continent. They were the first emblems of a globally shared culture.

4. The Studio System

The first movie studio in the Hollywood area was Nestor Studios, which was opened in 1911 by Al Christie for David Horsley. In the same year, another fifteen independents settled in Hollywood.
By the mid 1920s a handful of American production companies has developed into wealthy film industry conglomerates. They owned their own studios, as well as their own distribution divisions, theaters, and they contracted performers and filmmaking personnel.
Five large companies came to be known as the "Big Five", the "majors" or "the Studios" in trade publications such as Variety, and their management practices were called the Studio system. They were Fox (later 20th Century Fox), Loew’s Incorporated (parent company for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer), Paramount Pictures, RKO (Radio-Keith-Orpheum) and Warner Bros.
Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures and United Artists were part of the studio system, although they did not own their own theaters.
United Artists swas a noted exception among studios, because it was founded by the tough and ambitious Mary Pickford, who as a actress had moved from company to company to increase her earnings to become the highest paid star in the world. She launched her own company with Douglas Fairbranks, Charlie Chaplin and D. W. Griiffith in XXXX. “The lunatics have taken over the asylum,” reamrked Richard Rowland, the president of Metro Pictures. The tone of art vs. commercialism, and creatives vs. the business people, was set.
The growth of the studio system and the publicity tool of the star system became the engines of US film for decades to come. Lavish productions and technical sophistication afforded glamorous escapism. There were some heroic attempts at art, notably from director Erich Von Stroheim, a totem of the film artist trying to make his mark in a cut-throat business, but mostly the movie business became a producer of escapist entertainment.

5. Famous silent movies

Edison's American films, especially The Great Train Robbery (1903) demonstrated that there was a ready audience for the genre film. In 1905, the Englishman Cecil Hepworth directed the suspense thriller Rescued by Rover, in which an abducted baby is rescued by the family dog.
In the US, D. W. Griffith, Edwin S. Porter and others pursued a commercial path, while their European counterparts embraced the new medium for artistic expression.
In France, a woman, Alice Guy, directed hundreds of short films for Gaumont before departing to the United States to set up her own company, Solax. Ferdinand Zecca, hired by Guy to assist in producing films for Gaumont, soon struck out on his own as a director. The comedian Max Linder made a variety of influential comic shorts, while Louis Feuillade enthralled audiences with his serials Les Vampires (1915) and Judex (1916).
In Italy, Luigi Maggi produced the 1908 spectacle The Last Days of Pompeii, an immediate hit, and led the way for opulent historical dramas, such as Enrico Guazzoni's Quo Vadis? (1912) and Mario Caserini's 1913 remake of The Last Days of Pompeii. Even at this early stage, remakes were common. The most notable of these early Italian spectacles was Giovanni Pastrone's Cabiria (1914), running a full 120 minutes, or twelve reels in length, made one year before the American feature-length D. W. Griffith's The Birth of A Nation (1915) caused an international sensation.
In India, Dadasaheb Phalke made India’s first feature-length film, a period piece Raja Harishchandra (1913), laying the foundation for a series of period films. By the next decade India was making 27 films per year.
Cinema production in Italy, Germany, France, Denmark, and Norway, all of which already had their own prosperous national cinema industries, was almost fatally interrupted by World War I. The Norwegian production company Nordisk, which was founded in 1906, made 124 features in 1916; in 1928, they produced only one movie. Swedish filmmaker Victor Sjostrom, and German directors Ernst Lubitsch and F.W. Murnau, among others, left for Hollywood, meeting with varying degrees of success.
In France, a country with one of the strongest traditions of independent filmmaking, such artists as Jean Renoir, Man Ray, Jean Cocteau, Abel Gance and others remained true to the spirit of experimentation in their work, refusing to join the American exodus. Luis Bunuel teamed with surrealist Salvador Dali to create the scandalous Un Chien Andalou in 1929, while Cocteau created an international sensation with his artistic feature Le Sang d'un Poete, (1930 The Blood of a Poet), one of Europe’s first "talking" films.
In Germany, Fritz Lang thrilled movie-goers with the two-part melodrama Die Spinnen (1919/1920 The Spiders), and followed it with Der M de Tod (1921 The Weary Death), the two-part criminal mastermind thriller Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler (1922 Dr. Mabuse The Gambler), the epic two-part fantasy Die Nibelungen (1924 Kriemhild's Revenge and Siegfried), and Metropolis (1927), the most copied and influential science fiction film ever. Lang adapted to sound easily in 1931 with M, the story of a serial child killer that propelled Peter Lorre to international stardom.
Germany was America’s strongest competitor. Its most distinctive contribution was the dark, hallucinatory worlds of German Expressionism as expressed in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligieri and Nosferatu, which put internal states of mind onscreen, and strongly influenced the emerging horror genre.
Carl Theodor Dreyer's artistic masterpiece La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc (1928 The Passion of Joan of Arc), the greatest silent film ever made, was also one of the last silents produced in Europe. It was popular with international audiences, featuring a stunning performance by Maria Falconetti.
Russian cinema exploded during the Revolution, producing the newsreel "Kino-Eye" films of Dziga Vertov, as well as Sergei Eisenstein's propaganda masterpieces Battleship Potemkin and Strike (both 1925). Stalin nationalized the film industry in 1927, putting it under the control of the mediocre bureaucrat Boris Shumyatsky, who stultified Soviet film into melodramatic genre films, lasting until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Before Stalin intervened, Soviet cinema was highly innovative, especially in the craft of editing. Eisenstein perfected the technique of the dialectical montage, which made non-linear images express new ideas and provoke new emotional and intellectual reactions.
As visual eloquence increased, reliance on intertitles decreased. Some films, such as F.W. Murnau ’s The Last Laugh (Germany, 1926) did without them altogether.
Hollywood dominated. Slapstick comedy was a highly successful genre, and Charlie Chaplin’s little tramp became a worldwide icon.

6. The sound era

In late 1927, Warners released The Jazz Singer, which was mostly silent but contained the first synchronized dialogue -- and singing -- in a feature film. It was a massive success, as were follow-ups like Warners' The Lights of New York (1928), the first all-synchronized-sound feature. By the end of 1929, Hollywood was almost all-talkie, with several competing sound systems, soon standardized.
In China and Japan, silents co-existed with sound well into the 1930s, producing what would be some of the most revered classics in those countries, like Wu Yonggang 's The Goddess (China 1934) and Yasujiro Ozu 's I Was Born, But... (Japan 1932). But even in Japan, a figure such as the benshi, the live narrator of silent movies, knew his days were numbered.
With the introduction of sound began what is often called "The Golden Age of Hollywood," lasting until the late 1940s. The American cinema reached its peak of efficiently manufactured glamour and global appeal. The top actors of the era are now thought of as the classic movie stars, like Clark Gable, Katharine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and the number one box office draw of the '30s, child star Shirley Temple.
Creatively, however, the quick transition was difficult. The late '20s spawned many static, stagey talkies as everyone struggled with the limitations of early sound equipment and their own awkwardness with the new medium. Stage performers, directors and writers flooded Hollywood as producers looked for experienced dialogue-based storytellers. Many major silent filmmakers and actors couldn’t adjust, and found their careers declining or over.
By 1929, directors got the hang of things. William Wellman with Chinatown Nights and The Man I Love, Rouben Mamoulian with Applause, and Alfred Hitchcock with Britain's first sound feature Blackmail brought fluidity to the talkies. It was possible to post-synchronize sound, rather than record all sound directly during filming. To this day, the Italian film industry post-synchronizes everything, even dialogue.
Sound films brought different genres to the fore. The musical was born. The first classic Hollywood musical was The Broadway Melody (1929) and the form found its first major master in the extravagant choreographer/director Busby Berkeley: 42nd Street (1933) and Dames (1934). In France, avant-garde director René Clair made surreal use of song and dance in comedies like Under the Roofs of Paris (1930) and Le Million (1931). The trend thrived in India, where the traditional song-and-dance drama made the musical India’s basic movie form. Unnoticed by the Western world for decades, India’s Bollywood became the world's biggest production center.
American gangster films like Little Caesar and Wellman's The Public Enemy (both 1931) became a successful genre. Dialogue now took precedence over slapstick in Hollywood comedies, as in the fast-paced, witty banter of The Front Page (1931) and It Happened One Night (1935); the sexual double entrendres of Mae West in She Done Him Wrong (1933); and the nonsense talk of the Marx Brothers in Duck Soup (1933).
Starting as early as The Great Train Robbery, the Western became a popular genre, and in 19XX the quintesserntial Western star, John Wayne, made a dazzling debut in John Ford’s classic Stagecoach.
The Hays Code

7. European movies in the 30s

In the 1930s, various European national cinemas defined themselves, reflecting the tastes of their national audiences.
In Britain, Alexander Korda's London Films produced The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), starring Charles Laughton, who won an American Oscar for his performance. Alfred Hitchcock began turning out excellent thrillers, like Murder! (1930), The 39 Steps (1935), Secret Agent (1936) and Sabotage (1936), until he left for Hollywood and a great American career, starting with Rebecca (1940). Documentarians John Grierson and Paul Rotha flourished in the UK, as did the experimental filmmaker Len Lye, with his short films Rainbow Dance (1936) and A Colour Box (1935).
In France, Jean Renoir, son of the painter Pierre Auguste Renoir, sold some of his father's paintings to begin a distinguished career. With such groundbreaking, direct-sound films as La Chienne (1931 The Bitch), Boudu Sauve des Eaux (1932 Boudu Saved From Drowning), La Grande Illusion (1937) and La Regle du Jeu (1939 The Rules Of The Game), Renoir became cinema's great humanist. Rene Clair began his career with the surrealist short Entr'acte (1924 Intermission), flipped into sci-fi fantasy with the featurette Paris qui Dort (1925 The Crazy Ray), and then conquered sound with the romantic musical comedies Nous la Liberte (1931 Freedom for Us), Le Million (1931), and Sous les toits de Paris (1930 Under the Roofs of Paris), combining tightly synchronized musical scores with plots that teased the bourgeoisie. Jean Vigo created two masterpieces L'Atalante (1934), his only feature, dealing with the romantic misadventures of a young couple on a houseboat, and the ferocious Zero de Conduite (1933 Zero for Conduct), an attack on the French public school system, banned for many years after his untimely death at 29 in 1934.
In Italy, Benito Mussolini consolidated the country's three major studios into one giant, and in 1935 built Cinecitta, one of the world's largest film studios. Directors like Alessandro Blasetti, Alberto Lattuada, Renato Castellani, future Neo-Realist Roberto Rossellini and others created highly successful commercial films. They offered successful escapism and luxury, especially the soap-opera films of bourgeois indolence called telefono bianco (white telephone) movies.
In Germany in 1933, Fritz Lang was offered the directorship of the newly Nazified UFA Film, but immediately fled the country, eventually landing in the US, where he enjoyed a highly successful career. Along with Lang, such directors as Billy Wilder, Robert Siodmak, Max Ophuls, Curtis Bernhardt, Edgar G. Ulmer and many others left Germany as the Nazis seized control of the business.
Those who stayed behind, including Lang's wife Thea von Harbou, who wrote Metropolis and other movies for him, along with Fritz Hippler, Viet Harlan, and Leni Riefenstahl, eagerly served the Third Reich in making anti-Semitic propaganda. Riefenstahl became famous for her propaganda masterpiece Triumph des Willens (1934 Triumph of the Will), which documented the 1934 Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg, as well as for her two-part film of the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Olympia - Fest der Volker and Olympia - Fest der Schonheit (1938). Riefenstahl refused to accept responsibility for her part in advancing the aims of the Nazis, right up to her death in 2003.

8. World War II

As Czechoslovakia, Poland, Holland, France and other nations fell to the Nazi blitzkrieg, film-makers fled Europe for the relative safety of England or America, or joined what is known as "resistance" cinema.
In France, Jean Cocteau stayed afloat during the Nazi occupation, managing to appease the occupying Germans while secretly working to help the underground. Robert Bresson's luminous Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne (1945 The Ladies of the Bois de Boulogne) and Les Anges du Peche (1943 Angels of Sin) tweaked the Vichy regime.
In Italy, Roberto Rossellini, working in secret, with minimal equipment and short fragments of raw film stock, created one of the most searing indictments of a totalitarian regime, Roma, Citti Aperta (1945 Rome: Open City). It launched the neo-realist movement, which rejected the traditional Hollywood trappings of stars, lavish sets, and happy endings. Neo-realist films were shot on the street, using existing lighting, non-actors and actual locations. The impact of Roma, Citti Aperta was immense. It seemed possible to make films outside of the Hollywood studio model, and still have a big international impact.
Rossellini's film was followed by many neo-realist masterpieces, including Vittorio de Sica's Ladri di Biciclette (1948 Bicycle Thieves), Ossessione, and Umberto D (1952), depicting the harshness of everyday reality. Neo-realism had a lasting impact on film-makers all over the world, but was itself over quite quickly, because of the 1949 Andreotti Law, which censored films that did not present post-war Italy in a favorable light, by denying them export permits and government tax breaks.
The onset of US involvement in WWII brought American propaganda movies to the fore: Desperate Journey, Mrs Miniver, Forever and a Day and Objective Burma. American films from the war years include the anti-Nazi Watch on the Rhine (1943), scripted by Dashiell Hammett; Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Hitchcock's direction of a Thornton Wilder script; the George M. Cohan biopic, Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), starring James Cagney; and the immensely popular Casablanca, with Humphrey Bogart. The world-weary Bogart starred in 36 films between 1934 and 1942, including John Huston's The Maltese Falcon (1941).
Britain turned out realistic war dramas like Forty-Ninth Parallel (1941), Went the Day Well? (1942), The Way Ahead (1944) and Noel Coward and David Lean's naval film In Which We Serve (1942), which won a special Academy Award. These war movies existed alongside more flamboyant productions like Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger 's The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), A Canterbury Tale (1944) and A Matter of Life and Death (1946), as well as Laurence Olivier 's 1944 Shakespeare war movie Henry V.
More fanciful fare included Britain's Gainsborough melodramas The Man in Grey and The Wicked Lady, and films like Here Comes Mr Jordan, Heaven Can Wait, I Married a Witch and Blithe Spirit. Val Lewton produced atmospheric and influential low-budget horror films, like Cat People, Isle of the Dead and The Body Snatcher. "Women's pictures," like Now Voyager, Random Harvest and Mildred Pierce hit their peak of popularity.

9. Post WW2 European movies

1946 saw RKO Radio releasing It's a Wonderful Life directed by Frank Capra. Soldiers returning from the war would provide the inspiration for films like The Best Years of Our Lives. Samuel Fuller 's experiences in WWII influenced his later autobiographical films like The Big Red One. The Actor's Studio was founded in October 1947 by Elia Kazan, Robert Lewis, and Cheryl Crawford, and in the same year Oskar Fischinger filmed Motion Painting No. 1.
European governments grew evermore alarmed at the dominance of Hollywood. In 1947, Britain stuck a 75% tax on imported films. British producers turned out cheap films called Quota Quickies, made on 6-day schedules for 5,000 pounds, running around an hour. They were great training grounds for many actors and directors.
By the late 40s, the British people could do with a good laugh, and Ealing Studios turned out celebrated comedies like Whisky Galore, Passport to Pimlico, Kind Hearts and Coronets and The Man in the White Suit. Director Carol Reed produced his influential thrillers Odd Man Out, The Fallen Idol and the brilliant Graham Greene-scripted The Third Man. Editor David Lean became a director with Brief Encounter and his Dickens adaptations Great Expectations and Oliver Twist, and Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger hit the peak of their partnership with Black Narcissus and The Red Shoes.
Television, experimentally introduced in Europe before the war, emerged in the early 1950s as a threat to conventional moviegoing. Movie attendance dropped as people stayed home to watch TV. Hollywood fought back with CinemaScope, 3-D films, and gigantic spectacles. European films became smaller and more regionally focused.
In Sweden, Ingmar Bergman began to direct deeply personal films for Svensk Filmindustri, the state-owned film studio. They quickly became international art-house hits: Summer with Monika (1953), Smiles of a Summer Night (1955), and especially The Seventh Seal (1957). Bergman probed the depths of the human psyche and showed that directors could use state funds to create personal, daring statements that had audience appeal, unlike the commercial Hollywood model.
In Britain, Ealing Studios continuing to turn out their comedies: The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) and The Ladykillers (1955), making stars of Peter Sellers and Alec Guinness. At the same time, Hammer Studios tapped into the appetite for graphic horror films, beginning with The Curse of Frankenstein in 1957, and moving on to Dracula (1958), The Mummy (1959) and other classic horror icons in blood-drenched color.
In France, Jean Cocteau released Orphee (1949), a poetic retelling of legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, with death's agents cast as a motorbike gang. Robert Bresson refined his austere style with minimalist masterpieces like Pickpocket (1959), A Man Escaped (1956), and Diary of a Country Priest (1951).
However, it was Italy’s neo-realism's freewheeling spirit of improvisation and low-budget production that influenced the next great movement in European cinema: the French New Wave.
Starting as critics for the journal Cahiers du Cinema (The Notebooks of Cinema), Jean-Luc Godard, Francois Truffaut, Agnes Varda, Claude Chabrol, Alain Resnais and Eric Rohmer began making films in the late 1950s, with Varda's La Pointe Courte (1956) leading the onslaught. Truffaut's semi-autobiographical Les Quatre Cents Coups (1959 The 400 Blows), Godard's crime thriller A Bout de Souffle (1960 Breathless), and Alain Resnais' mysterious L'Annee derniere a Marienbad (1961 Last Year at Marienbad) attracted international attention. Godard and Truffaut proved influential and prolific: Godard played the polemicist and Truffaut the romantic.
Made on modest budgets with minimal crews, the personal films of the New Wave caused a sensation, and inspired similar works in England. Room at the Top (1958), Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960), and The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) exemplified the gritty new spirit of "Free Cinema" adopted by younger British filmmakers. Commercialism lived on, too: Carry On Sergeant (1958) launched a series of naughty low-brow comedies; James Bond made his first appearance appeared in Dr. No (1962); and Richard Lester showcased the Beatles in A Hard Day's Night (1964). US expatriate Joseph Losey directed an acerbic attack on the Brit upper classes, The Servant (1963), while another American in London, Stanley Kubrick, created the memorable Dr. Strangelove, or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964).
In Italy, Federico Fellini, director of La Strada (1954), Il Bidone (1955), Nights of Cabiria (1957) and other art-house films, hit the international market big-time with La Dolce Vita (1960), unmasking Rome as a hotbed of tabloid journalism, corruption and celebrity-seeking parasites, and coining the word "papparazi." Michelangelo Antonioni explored existential human emptiness in L'Eclisse (1962), La Notte (1961) and L' Avventura (1960). The Marxist Pier Paolo Pasolini created the most moving religious film ever, the cinema verite The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964), while Bernardo Bertolucci made his Before the Revolution (1964) at the age of 24.
In Eastern Europe, Stalin's death in 1953 brought a new openness to Soviet cinema and its satellite nations, with The Cranes are Flying (1957) in Russia, and Andrzej Wajda's Kanal (1957) and Ashes and Diamonds (1958) in Poland. Roman Polanski, a Polish graduate from the state-run Lodz film school, hit with the psychological suspense thriller Knife in the Water (1962), and departed for the UK, and later Hollywood, making the masterpiece Chinatown, whereafter the dimunitive 5’ 2” Pole dipped his pole into a 14-year-old and had to scramble back to Europe to escape what could’ve been a sensational trial and a nasty jail term. He continues his film-making in Europe, and maybe even his Chaplinesque penchant for pubescent pubes.
In Hungary, Miklos Jancso created compelling films with a restless camera recording mesmerizingly long-running shots: Silence and Cry, The Red and the White (1967), and other films questioning state censorship. The Czech New Wave flourished from 1960 until 1968, with directors Vera Chytilov, whose feminist film Sedmikrasky (1966 Daisies) was a film festival favorite, and Milos Forman, whose Black Peter (1964) and The Loves of a Blonde (1965) heralded a successful second career in Hollywood. In Yugoslavia, Dusan Makavejev's Love Affair; Or The Case of the Missing Switchboard Operator (1967) showed a new sexual frankness in Eastern European movies.
Meanwhile, Japanese films hit Europe like a nuclear bomb when Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon won the top prize at Cannes in 1950. Japanese masters like Ozu and Mizoguchi had been making hundreds of great movies, and suddenly the whole world became aware of it.

10. The collapse of the studio system and the “New Hollywood”

The “New Hollywood” and “post-classical cinema” are terms used to describe the era following the decline of the studio system in the 50s and 60s, and the end of the Hayes production code, which kept sexuality off the screen. “Post-classical cinema” is used to describe changing methods of storytelling in the New Hollywood. It’s argued that new approaches to drama and characterization played upon audience expectations laid down in the classical/Golden Age period: chronology was now scrambled, storylines featured "twist endings," lines between antagonist and protagonist became porous. The roots of post-classical storytelling may be seen in film noir, in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), and in Hitchcock's storyline-shattering Psycho.
The studios started losing their hold on contracted actors after Olivia De Havilland challenged the system, whereby the law allowed studios to suspend contract players for rejecting a role and add the period of suspension to the contract period. In theory this allowed a studio to maintain indefinite control over an uncooperative contractee. Bette Davis mounted an unsuccessful lawsuit against Warner Bros in the 1930s. De Havilland mounted a lawsuit in the 1940s, and won, thereby reducing the power of the studios and extending greater creative freedom to the performers. The decision was one of the most significant and far-reaching legal rulings until that time in Hollywood. The court's rulling came to be known, and is still known to this day, as the De Havilland law.
The Big Five's ownership of theaters was opposed by eight independent producers, including Samuel Goldwyn, David O. Selznick, Walt Disney and Walter Wanger. In 1948 the U.S. government won a case against Paramount in the Supreme Court, ruling that this high level of power constituted a monopoly. This decision helped end the "studio system" and The Golden Age of Hollywood.
By the mid-1950s, when television proved a profitable enterprise, movie studios started producing programming for the new medium. Some companies, such as Republic Pictures, eventually sold their studios to TV production companies. More and more companies became management structures that put together artistic teams on a project-by-project basis, usually renting space from some of the surviving studios, which is still the norm today.
The postwar environment in the US became polarized as Cold War hysteria gripped Washington. The House Un-American Activities Committee investigated Hollywood in the early 1950s, and director Elia Kazan gave names of suspected Communists in the business. The so-called Hollywood Ten refused to give names. The hearings resulted in the blacklisting of many actors, writers and directors, including Paddy Chayefsky, Charlie Chaplin, and Dalton Trumbo, and many fled to Europe, especially Britain, director Joseph Losey among them.
The Cold War era’s paranoia was evident in films of invading armies of evil aliens in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and The War of the Worlds, and communist fifth columnists in The Manchurian Candidate. The demise of the "studio system" spurred the self-commentary of films like Sunset Boulevard (1950) and The Bad and the Beautiful (1952).
In 1950, the Lettrists avante-garde movement caused riots at the Cannes Film Festival, when Isidore Isou's Treatise on Slime and Eternity was screened. After their criticism of Charlie Chaplin and split with the movement, the Ultra-Lettrists continued to cause disruptions when they announced the death of cinema and showed their new hypergraphical techniques. The most notorious film was Guy Debord 's Bombs in Favor of DeSade (1952).
Distressed by the increasing number of closed theatres because of TV, studios and companies found innovative ways to lure audiences back. There were new screen formats like the wide Cinemascope, a 20th Century Fox distinction until 1967, which was announced with 1953 's The Robe. VistaVision and Cinerama boasted a "bigger is better" approach to marketing movies to a shrinking US audience. This led to the re-emergence of the epic to take advantage of the new big-screen formats. Biblical and historical spectaculars included The Ten Commandments (1956), The Vikings (1958), Ben-Hur (1959), Spartacus (1960) and El Cid (1961).
Gimmicks also proliferated to win audiences. The magic of 3-D film would last for only two years, 1952 to 1954, and helped sell The Creature From The Black Lagoon. Producer William Castle touted films featuring "Emergo" and "Percepto", the first in a long line of gimmicks that would remain popular marketing tools for Castle and others throughout the 1960s.
Brown v. Board of Education (1954) set the stage for The Blackboard Jungle (1955), and some notable early TV productions like Paddy Chayefsky's Marty and Reginald Rose's Twelve Angry Men were turned into acclaimed films. Disney's animated Sleeping Beauty was released in 1959 after nearly a decade in production.
Across the globe, the 1950s marked the golden era of Indian film with more than 200 films being made a year. Indian films also gained world recognition through films like Pather Panchali (1955), from Oscar-winning director Satyajit Ray.
As the studio system declined, many Hollywood films were made on location in other countries, or using studio facilities abroad, such as Pinewood in England and Cinecittà in Rome. Hollywood movies were still largely aimed at big family audiences, and it was often the more old-fashioned films that produced the studios' biggest successes, like the blockbusters Mary Poppins (1964), My Fair Lady (1964) and The Sound of Music (1965).
There was an increasing awareness of foreign language cinema in the US in this period, however, and its more artistic product. Art-house theaters sprang up, often near colleges. The French New Wave, Fellini 's La Dolce Vita, Bergman’s stark dramas, and Britain’s "Free Cinema" of the 60s from Lindsay Anderson, Tony Richardson and others (Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, A Kind of Loving, This Sporting Life, Repulsion, Darling, Alfie, Blow-up, Georgy Girl), helped to break taboos around sex and nudity on screen, and gave American filmgoers a taste for artistic depth and flair in their movie diet.
In the 60s, Africa’s Ousmane Sembène produced French- and Wolof-language films and became the father of African Cinema.
In Latin America, the dominance of the Hollywood model was challenged. Fernando Solanas and Octavio Gettino called for a politically engaged Third Cinema in contrast to Hollywood and the European auteurs.
In documentary film, the 60s saw the blossoming of Direct Cinema, an observational style of film-making, as well as the advent of hard-hitting partisan films like The Year Of The Pig about the Vietnam War by Emile de Antonio.
The casual sex and violence of the James Bond films, beginning with Dr. No in 1962, turned the series and Sean Connery into worldwide phenomena.
By the late 1960s, Hollywood started its own cycle of creative flowering with more personal, idiosyncratic films like Bonnie and Clyde (1967), The Graduate (1967), Midnight Cowboy (1969), Five Easy Pieces, The King Of Marvin Gardens, and The Wild Bunch (1969).

11. The 1970s in US films

The 1970s saw the arrival of a new generation of the first college film school-trained brats in Hollywood -- Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, Brian de Palma and George Lucas. This coincided with the increasing popularity of the auteur theory in film literature and the media, which gave these directors greater control than possible earlier. This led to some enormous critical and commercial successes, like Coppola's The Godfather films, Spielberg's Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Lucas's Star Wars, as well as some missteps like Michael Cimino 's Heaven's Gate, which almost single-handledly brought down United Artists in 1980.
The era of the blockbuster summer movie was born. The brief flowering of personal, idiosyncratic films was killed by the advent of the blockbuster. Hollywood became intent on producing a smaller number of high-budget films with massive marketing and promotional backing, a development that has continued till today.
The mid-1970s also saw a big increase in adult cinemas and hardcore porn like Deep Throat, which lasted until the introduction of VCR in the 80s.
The end of the decade brought the first major international interest in Australian cinema, where the government transplanted the Polish film school to put Australia on the map. Graduates like Peter Weir with Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Last Wave, Fred Schepisi with The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith and Bruce Beresford with Breaker Morant gained critical acclaim, while George Miller's futuristic Mad Max was a big hit in 1979, turning Mel Gibson into a world star.

12. European movies from the 70s till today

In France, a revolution brewed after the New Wave. Godard, always political, formed the Dziga Vertov group to make small "cinetracts" that helped foment the events of May in 1968, when Godard, Truffaut and other filmmakers closed down the Cannes Film Festival, and 10 million French workers went on strike. It was a rare moment when cinema actually served as a tool of social change.
As the 1970s progressed, however, European film entered a period of retrenchment, with the New Wave becoming increasingly more commercial. Godard left the field altogether, making 16mm short films and features for more than a decade before returning to commercial production with Numero Deux (1975).
By the 1980s, the scene had switched to Germany, where the renegade filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder, along with his colleagues Jean-Marie Straub, Daniele Huillet, Wim Wenders, Werner Herzog, Volker Schlondorff and numerous other young filmmakers created "Das Neue Kino," or The New German Cinema.
Fassbinder was both the most inventive and the most prolific, creating 42 features in five years, including a mammoth 14-part, 894-minute mini-series, Berlin Alexanderplatz, before his early death in 1982. Born in 1945, Fassbinder started as an actor in theater and film productions before striking out on his own with a series of highly idiosyncratic melodramas modeled after the American director Douglas Sirk, melded with Fassbinder's own queer aesthetic. His most famous films include The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, The Merchant of Four Seasons, Beware of a Holy Whore, Fox And His Friends, Ali: Fear Eats The Soul, and The Marriage of Maria Braun, starring his most famous actress, Hanna Schygulla.
Straub's most famous film was The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach (1968), using period costumes and instruments to create an engrossing vision of J.S. Bach's life through the eyes of his second wife. Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire (1987) was a fantasy set in the then-contested territories of East and West Berlin. Werner Herzog's Aguirre, The Wrath of God (1972) was an uncompromisingly bleak and fantastic vision starring the incomparably crazy Klaus Kinski, whose autobiography was an Errol Flynn fuck saga for our time.
In the 1980s, the Polish filmmakers Agnieszka Holland (Angry Harvest 1985), Andrzej Wajda (Man of Iron 1981) and Krzysztof Zanussi (The Contract 1980) continued their criticism of the Soviet system, while the mystic Andrei Tarkovsky created a series of compelling parables that also critiqued the collapsing Soviet regime, including Nostalghia (1983), Stalker (1979) Zerkalo (The Mirror 1975) and Solaris (1972). In Yugoslavia, now Bosnia, the maverick filmmaker Emir Kusturica directed When Father Was Away on Business (1985) and Time of the Gypsies (1988), before creating the epic political satire Underground (1995) after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
In the 1990s, a group of young directors who had made their first films in the 1970s and 1980s took their place on the European stage, including Chantal Akerman from Belgium, whose feminist vision in such films as Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1976), Night and Day (1991) and The Captive (2000), made her an international icon for women in the cinema; Paul Verhoeven, whose early films -- Soldier of Orange (1977), Spetters (1980) and The Fourth Man (1983) -- secured him a place in Hollywood as the director of a series of special effects blockbusters; and Olivier Assayas from France, whose ultra-retro Irma Vep (1996) is partially a homage to Louis Feuillade's silent serial Les Vampires.
Other directors of note in recent years include Alain Tanner from Switzerland, Aki Kaurismaaki from Finland, and Bille August from Sweden. The studio classicists Ishmail Merchant and James Ivory, who started their career in India making English films, mounted a series of lavish costume period films, including Howards End (1991) and The Remains of the Day (1993), enjoying wide audience appeal, and Derek Jarman (1942-1994) emerged as one of the most activist directors championing the cause of Queer Rights, most notably with Caravaggio (1982) and his late film Edward II (1991).
In the late 1990s and the early part of the new century, filmmakers continued to push the envelope even more, with such films as Michael Haneke's brutal Funny Games (1997), Catherine Breillat's frankly sexual Romance (1999), Coralie Virginie Despentes' explicit Baise-moi (2000 Rape Me), and Gaspar Noe's rape revenge drama Irreversible (2002). The European ratings system collapsed as filmmakers demanded the right to depict the entire range of human experience on the screen without censorship.
Agnes Varda, the first person to launch the French New Wave, struck a bold blow for the reinvention of the cinema with Les Glaneurs Et La Glaneuse (2000 The Gleaners And I), a documentary feature film shot entirely on digital video with a small, hand-held portable camera. The film was an immense commercial and critical success, and opened the possibility of filmmaking to an ever-wider range of auteurs.

13. The '80s and on: franchises, independents, documentaries, DVDs

The shift that occurred in the 1980s from seeing movies in a theater to watching videos on a VCR was, bizarrely, a step back to the direction envisioned by Thomas Edison, when he came up with the one-eyepiece-per-viewer idea before the invention of the projector.
In the early part of the 80s, the movie studios tried legal action to ban home ownership of VCRs as a violation of copyright, to no avail -- and to their benefit, as the sale and rental of their movies on home video became a significant source of revenue for them. Both the movie and the music businesses have been Luddite rubes in their belated cottoning on to the potential of new technologies.
In the 80s, Hollywood discovered the movie franchise in a big way. Sylvester Stallone wrote the rather sweet Rocky, a movie that won the Oscar for best picture, and spawned five sequels. A second over-muscled action hero emerged in the person of body-builder Arnold Schwarzenegger, with his Terminator series.
George Lucas completed his Star Wars saga of six films, of which the first two remain the best, the last ones being very disappointing, revealing a love for special effects greater than a love for compelling characters and story-telling.
Any successful movie could be franchised, for example Jaws, but that did not necessarily guarantee good movies: the Jaws sequels were all stupendously lame.
Besides the James Bond series, in which fresh actors keep the character of this most successful of all franchises shooting, bonking, and chase-sequencing along, there were a number franchises tied to bankable stars: Lethal Weapon (Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, 4 movies), Mission Impossible (Tom Cruise, 3 movies), Terminator (Arnold Scharzenegger, 3 movies), Rambo (Sylvester Stallone again, 3 movies), and Diehard (Bruce Willis, 3 movies). Movies starring comic book superheroes became natural franchises: Superman, Batman, X-Men, Spiderman, Blade. The horror genre delivered countless franchises: Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, Evil Dead, Hellraiser, Saw, The Ring. George Romero returned to his zombies a few times, and made the classic Dawn Of The Dead.
Disney relaunched itself with a series of highly successful animation movies: The Little Mermaid, Beauty And The Beast, and Alladdin. Sadly, they couldn’t keep it up, and were overtaken by Steve Jobs’s Pixar, which launched computer animation with the highly successful Toy Story 1 and 2, and Finding Nemo. The kiddie and youth markets became more sought-after than any other audience. Harry Potter proved as big a block-buster in movies as in the realm of books.
MTV launched the music video genre, characterized by hyper-rapid cutting and the ransacking of every movie cliche imaginable, and brought a new flash to Hollywood, as music video directors graduated to feature film directing. Michael Jackson’s most successful album of all time, Thriller, owed its phenomenal sales to its great videos. The Peter Gabriel video of is perhaps the most accomplished music video of all time.
CGI or computer-generated imagery became an amazing special effects tool, making possible the effects-laden blockbuster trilogies The Matrix and Lord of The Rings. George Melies would be in his element today – his special effects dreams fully realized. The day is not long off when actors themselves will be computer-generated.
Matrix 3 was unique in that it had a same-day global release, partly to frustrate movie pirates. Movies are freely pirated in China, where the authorities don’t have much respect for intellectual copyright.


14. The indie movement

A notable arrival on the American movie scene in the 80s was director Martin Scorcese, whose Taxi Driver and Raging Bull are modern classics. He re-established the tradition of the personal, idiosyncratic movie.
The independent movement grew in strength, building on the tradition of the pioneer of American independent movies, John Cassavetes (Faces, Shadows, Husbands, A Woman Under the Influence, Opening Night). Steven Soderberg hit big with sex lies and videotape, as did Quentin Tarantino with Pulp Fiction, both produced by Miramax, an independent movie company run by the Weinberg brothers, later sold to Disney. The major film companies all started similar smaller boutique offshoots to nurse smaller, more artistic movies – a smart move, since it keeps their big stars happy, and provides perches for people who actually want to make good movies (as opposed to those who want to make big money making big movies).
The tradition of maverick independents has a storied place in US movie history. Consider the discordant bunch of D.W. Griffith, Orson Welles, Russ Meyer and Roger Corman, to name just four rebels. D.W. Griffith and Orson Welles made ground-breaking films that have stood the test of time. Welles got Brando-fat, roamed Europe, and starred in wine commercials for easy money to keep turning out classics like Chimes At Midnight and other Shakespeare movies, as well as a great version of Kafka’s The Trial. Russ Meyer made spoofy soft-porn movies starring women with breasts as big as hot-air balloons. He even made a movie in Hollywood, the ultra-bizarro Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls, written by the well-known film critic Roger Ebert. Roger Corman turned out horror quickies by the dozens, and gave people like Francis Ford Coppola their first shot at directing.
Russ Meyer and Jim Jarmusch own their movies. In a steadily building career, Jim Jarmusch has made Stranger Than Paradise, Down By Law, Dead Man Flowers. Besides Jarmusch, independents who are still going strong include John Sayles, John Waters, Todd Solonz, Hal Hartley and Woody Allen – a more divergent group of film-makers one could hardly imagine. They’ve enriched our movie culture more than thousands of Hollywood hacks.
The 2005 Best-Picture Oscars were notable in that four of the five contenders were small-budget “art” movies: Crash, Brokeback Mountain, Capote, and Goodnight And Good Luck. Their totaled budgets togethere were not as big as the budget for the one big movie on the list, Spielberg’s Munich.
Still, even though Hollywood places their big bets on shit-for-brains dumbfuck teen-fodder, they reserve their accolades for the smaller, personal movie.
The split between movies-as-business and movies-as-art has become wider than ever before, and only actors can comfortably exist in both camps, like Kevin Bacon doing a brilliant performance as a pedophile in the unseen The Woodsman, as well as starring in the widely successful Mystic River, or Charlize Theron playing a real-life serial murderer in the small movie Monster and winning an Oscar for it, as well as carrying a piece of totally commercial crap like Aeon Flux.
Old salts like Clint Eastwood direct populist films with artistic pretensions like Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby, but there’s also room for younger directors like XXXXX Anderson to make a fascinating epic of the porn industry, Boogie Nights, and for a burgeoning genre that the Gonzo Guru calls The New Quirkiness -- off-beat films like Sophia Coppola’s Lost In Translation, XXXXX American Splendor, and the artist XXXXX You And Me and Everybody We Know, with Tod Solonz (Welcome To The Dollhouse, Happiness) perhaps being the father and exemplar of The New Quirkiness.
Another independent phenomenon is the advent of the documentary, which has transcended its bridesmaid status and become a staple at movie theatres after Michael Moore’s political Bush-bash, Fahrenheit 9/11, grossed more than $100m -- the most successful documentary ever. The popularity of March Of The Penguins, about the mating habits of these cute avians, solidified this trend. Movies that would hardly have been seen before, like Capturing The Friedmans, or Darwin’s Nightmare, were distributed in major cities across the US. The op-ed attack documentary gained popularity and influence -- The Corporation (attacking big business), Super Size Me (attacking McDonalds), Outfoxed (attacking Rupert Murdoch and Fox News), and Walmart: The High Cost Of Low Price (attacking the biggest company on earth).

14. The rich possibilities of the digital age

The VCR revolution of home movie rental via Blockbuster and other chains is transitioning into the digital age with the popular DVD format, which you can play on your computer and buy everywhere, and even rent by mail from Netflix.
Films have long been edited digitally, but not many movies are yet shot or projected that way, although it’s obvious this will happen. The rise of videogames, a bigger business than the movies, will hasten this day.
Video games and cable television have siphoned off a large part of the cinema audience, which has become progressively younger as parents stay home to watch the wide choice of offerings on digital cable. Europe lags behind America to some degree in this regard, and continues to revere the halcyon past of cinema culture, as evidenced by institutions like The British Film Institute in London, La Cinematheque Francaise in Paris, and The Nederlands Filmmuseum in Amsterdam. In his own way, the Gonzo Guru is trying to do the same, by steering viewers to the grand legacy of yesterday’s great movies.
The 21st century is bringing us an entirely new form of moving image production, using digital videotape, computer-generated imagery, and interactive productions that mimic videogames. Film is dying, but that doesn’t mean the film as we know it is at an end. In fact, inexpensive digital production of movies -- shot with cheap digital cameras and edited on home computer software -- will make it possible for many more people to participate in making as well as watching movies. Now regular folks can write, shoot, edit and distribute their own movies outside the large apparatus of the film industry. This phenomenon and its repercussions are outlined in Chris Anderson's theory, The Long Tail. One of the new systems for this kind of filmmaking is machinima, using videogame technology, and exemplified by the comedy series Red vs. Blue and the action series The Codex. The Internet company YouTube is a harbinger of things to come – you can send your home-made video to them via your computer, and then they give everyone with an internet connection the opportunity to see it on their own TV channel. The democratization of movie images is at hand.
George Beuys famously said, “Everyone is an artist.” Now everyone can be a film-maker, too.
17. MOVIE DISTRIBUTION

According to a study in 2000, about 26% of Hollywood movie studios' worldwide income came from box office ticket sales. 46% came from VHS and DVD sales to consumers, and 28% from television -- broadcast, cable, and pay-per-view.
Typically, a movie studio first releases a movie to theaters, opening the movie as widely as possible -- over 3000 screens for the largest blockbusters -- backed by a widespread, expensive TV advertising campaign. Attendance for a successful movie is highest in the first week of release, and drops substantially each successive week. Movie theaters pay a percentage of movie ticket sales to the movie studio as the rental fee -- as high as 90% for certain blockbuster movies. The percentage drops with each successive week; the average percentage due to the movie studio is about 55%.
This differs from the past practice, when a movie was released in a few dozen theaters and spread after receiving good "word of mouth" and good reviews, moving around the country for years.
After the movie's theatrical run is almost completely spent, the movie is introduced for sale and rental to consumers, on VHS and DVD. For about six weeks, this is the only way potential customers can watch the movie. After the six-week protected window on video, the movie is shown on pay-per-view stations (both cable and satellite TV) for a period ranging from 2 weeks to 3 months. The studio gets around 50% of the resulting income.
After this exclusive period, the movie is shown on premium pay TV channels, like HBO and Showtime. The studio receives a fixed payment based on the movie's performance in theaters, averaging from $6 to $8 million -- for some blockbusters $25 million.
After about 18 months of showing on premium pay TV channels, the movie appears on network television or a basic cable channel (TBS, TNT, or USA Network) for 12 to 18 months, or in some cases for several years (ABC and its affiliate networks have 10-year broadcast rights to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone). The network typically pays from $3 to $15 million, depending on the movie and the number of runs. After the network television runs are complete, the movie goes into playout runs on cable before entering television syndication for broadcast and/or basic cable television, receiving payments based on the size of the market that sees the movie, and ranging up to $5 million in the largest markets.

18. IMPORTANT WOMEN IN THE MOVIES
The movies have been a male-dominated form, which is an unfortunate effect of general sexism. Even today, women directors are few and far between. The Gonzo Guru hopes to help redress this continuing injustice, and wants to pay tribute to his mom and three sisters, by high-lighting some of the powerful, influential women in movies.

5. Alice Guy, the first movie director.
6. Mary Pickford
7. Ida Lupino
8. Bette Davis
9. Olivia De Havilland
10. Marlene Dietrich
11. Katharine Hepburn
12. Ingrid Bergman
13. Marilyn Monroe
14. Doris Day
15. Elizabeth Taylor
16. Jane Fonda
17. Barbra Streisand
18. Susan Sarandon
19. Sophia Loren
20. Jeanne Moreau
21. Simone Signoret
22. Penelope Spheeris
23. Chick who made Laurel canyon
24. Katherine Bigelow
25. Chick who made Friends with Money
26. Dawn Steele
27. Sherry Lansing
28. Chick who wrote you’ll never eat lunch in this town again
29. Hitchcock’s wife
30. Thelma Schoonmaker
31. Camerawoman who shot Good Night and Good Luck
32. Agnes Varda
33. Chantal Ackermann
34. Dutch chick who made movie of women murdering man A Question Of Silence, Antonia’s Line
35. German chick
36. that mad chick Ulrike somebody Ottoman movie
37. Lina Wertmuller
38. Chick who produced Driving Miss Daisy with her husband
39. Monster, The Woodsman, artist You and Me and Everyone We Know
40. Sofia Coppola
41. I shot Andy Warhol chick

18. ESSAY: THE STATE OF THE MOVIES
Or: why doesn’t Hollywood make as many classics as it used to?

Hollywood is in the doldrums every year, as it has been for many a year, because it never gets the great summers it used to. Movie attendance goes down, down, down.
What Hollywood should really be in the doldrums about is that they can’t make great movies anymore. Every now and then they make a good movie, but a great movie, forget about it.
For enlightenment, take a look at the American Film Institute’s list of 100 Greatest American Movies of All Time, “as selected by a blue-ribbon panel of leaders from across the film community.”
In the 50s, they find 20 movies to call great. From the 60s, they find 18, and from the 70s, another 18.
When it comes to the 80s, something weird happens. They find only six movies they can call great. Yep, the whole decade of the 80s produced only six great movies, according to Hollywood's own. From the 90s they find eight. They didn’t get to the 2000s, but can you think of one great recent movie? I can’t. Hey, if good movies like Crash, Spiderman 2, Batman Begins, and Sideways are our ideas of great movies, then we might as well outsource our movies to India along with our other software. So the score for our decade so far is zero.
What happened? When movie people think about it, they usually give two reasons, even though there are more and better ones:

1.The death of the studio system.
Yes, the old studio system, when directors, actors and writers worked under contract, turned out more classic movies than today’s system. You had a few studio bosses who tried to hire the best (heck, they tried Faulkner, Scott Fitzgerald, and Raymond Chandler), and it worked. Because they were so successful, and only accountable to themselves, these bosses also spent money on making what they called “prestige” movies, films they could be proud of -- which often turned out to be great movies.

2. The discovery of the expensive summer blockbuster.
Yes, Jaws and Star Wars: most people in the movie business are trying to make another one of those, so they can get scandalously rich. These movies prevent Hollywood from making great movies not just because they're expensive, so a lot of money gets sucked away from other movies. More importantly, they waste a lot of talent and time that could’ve been applied to more worthwhile efforts. If you’re spending your time doing the tenth rewrite of Jaws III, you’re not doing anything worthwhile.

Here are some other reasons:

1. The rise of costs in the new studio system.
Francis Ford Coppola remembers when a studio was run by ten people. Now it takes hundreds, with all their salaries. In the 70s and 80s, the studios left over from the great studio days were bought by business conglomerates. Business people took over. Literally, in sheer numbers. More people work in movie studios with high salaries than are actually out there making movies. The ratio of studio people versus people actually working on a set is way out of whack. In the studio days, everyone worked on the set. Now the people working on the set have to pay the salaries of the business people working off the set. Hence, the business people need those summer blockbusters to keep them and their big salaries afloat.

2. The discovery of the youth audience.
Or more particularly, the teenage boy audience. This is the worst excess of demographic movie-making, because of an insidious thing: older people are making movies for younger people. So you get patronizing movie-making that panders. Like, duh, dumb action movies and gross-out comedies. For every half-good action movie like Lethal Weapon, or genuinely funny gross-out comedy like There’s Something About Mary, there are god knows how many pieces of crap turned out by older people trying to suck up to younger people.

3. The B picture has become the A picture.
In the old studio system, they thought of genre quickies as B-pictures. Now these genre pictures have become our A pictures, with vast amounts of talent, time and money wasted on them. Think of all the cartoon character movies: Superman, Batman, X-men, Daredevil, Catwoman, etc.

4. The discovery of the franchise picture.
Blame James Bond for this. Also, Rocky. Who would’ve thought, Rocky V1? Talent and time that could be spent on making great movies get spent on churning out the next franchise.



5. The discovery of the global audience.
Because you’re making a movie for a world audience, all cultural subtleties go out the window. You get pieces of mindless crap like Titanic or Gladiator. It’s funny, the Italians used to gleefully turn out dumb sandal epics with Steve Reeves as Hercules, knowing they were making dumb movies. Now Hollywood makes them instead, and they take them seriously. A film-maker like Oliver Stone gets suckered into making a piece of crap like Alexander the Great, and then spends even more of his precious time trying to regain his reputation by working up a director’s cut for DVD, instead of trying to come up with the next Platoon.

6. The rise of quality television.
Since Hill Street Blues, creative people have seen that they can do good work on TV. Here the writer rules, the actual originator of the work. (God knows who rules in Hollywood, maybe the agent.) Having the artist in control makes a difference. It's almost a perfect system, because the artist has only two contraints -- if the series doesn't get an audience, it gets cancelled, and the budgets are realistic, so they don't encourage indulgence on the part of the creator or fear on the part of the investor. For TV they shoot in a day what it takes Hollywood a week to shoot. A personal vision can reach the screen more or less intact. So why should a good writer go to Hollywood? These days, original HBO programming beats Hollywood cold. They've got more interesting characters and better stories, like The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, etc.

7. The rise of the film school.
Unfortunately, these sinecures for failed movie-people attract and mold young people who go to film school because they want to do well in Hollywood, not because they want to make great movies. As such, these schools are the antithesis of art schools, where they actually try to nurture great artists.

8. The lack of social conscience.
“If you want to send a message, use Western Union,” said Sam Goldwyn. But the fact is, a lot of message movies got made under the studio system. Now they don’t. The Stanley Kramers don’t exist anymore.



9. The death of wit.
There hasn’t been a Preston Sturges or a Billy Wilder for a long time. Neil Simon tried. Nora Ephron tries. Woody Allen did it once upon a time. But they just ain't Billy Wilder. These days, a Billy Wilder has to write novels to get their vision out.

10. The rise of the movie critic as Hollywood shill.
You don’t get a Pauline Kael anymore. Even a magazine as up-market as The New Yorker covers shitty, no-account movies as a rule, and gives them credibility. There are no movie critics holding Hollywood's feet to the fire anymore. Movie critics have become what political pundits are: mouthpieces for the powers-that-be. They seem to be more interested in the business of movies than its possible art. This comment from Roger Ebert is rather sad:
“The history of Last Tango in Paris (1972) has and always will be dominated by Pauline Kael. ‘The movie breakthrough has finally come,’ she wrote, in what may be the most famous movie review ever published. ‘Bertolucci and Brando have altered the face of an art form.’ She said the film's premiere was an event comparable to the night in 1913 when Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring was first performed and ushered in modern music. As it has turned out, Last Tango was not a breakthrough but more of an elegy for the kind of film she championed. In the years since, mass Hollywood entertainments have all but crushed art films, which were much more successful then than now. Although pornography documents the impersonal mechanics of sex, few serious films challenge actors to explore its human dimensions; isn't it remarkable that no film since 1972 has been more sexually intimate, revealing, honest and transgressive than Last Tango?”

11. The death of the French New Wave.
There used to be a time when foreign movies jolted American movie-makers into upping their aim. Now too many film countries have become Hollywoodized themselves. There is what critic James Quandt has called the New French Extremity, but it hasn't had an impact yet -- films like Twentynine Palms (Dumont), Anatomy of Hell (Breillat), Irreversible (Noé). James Quandt wrote about these films in Artforum:
"Bava as much as Bataille, Salo no less than Sade seem the determinants of a cinema suddenly determined to break every taboo, to wade in rivers of viscera and spumes of sperm, to fill each frame with flesh, nubile or gnarled, and subject it to all manner of penetration, mutilation, and defilement. Images and subjects once the provenance of splatter films, exploitation flicks, and porn -- gang rapes, bashings and slashings and blindings, hard-ons and vulvas, cannibalism, sadomasochism and incest, fucking and fisting, sluices of cum and gore -- proliferate in the high-art environs of a national cinema whose provocations have historically been formal, political, or philosophical (Godard, Clouzot, Debord) or, at their most immoderate (Franju, Bunuel, Walerian Borowczyk, Andrzej Zulawski), at least assimilable as emanations of an artistic movement (Surrealism mostly).”
I'd call Miike's Audition an extremity, too, and Park's Sympathy for Mr Vengeance. Audition and Irréversible are pretty damn extreme but exciting -- small-scale chamberpiece spectacular shock psycho action adventures. Very worth renting, but steel yourself.

12. The success of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.
They changed our idea of what a great movie is. A great movie isn’t about great characters and a great story anymore: it’s about great special effects. It’s astonishing that the creator of American Graffiti and Star Wars could’ve produced Revenge of the Sith, a relentless barrage of special effects with characters so wooden, they’re an insult to trees, and a story so lame, it got in on the disabilities ramp. George Lucas says he wants to make interesting movies, but never has. At least Steven Spielberg tries, even if it’s embarrassing to watch. Let’s face it, Spielberg constructs kitsch-driven action-spectaculars of stupefying energy. But his ‘serious’ films (The Color Purple, Saving Private Ryan) only work half-way. They let the kitsch come at us unmediated, instead of being laced with irony and gusto, like in his fun movies. Take Schindler's List. Some of the violence is properly upsetting, but it's mostly kitsch through and through. I once had a huge argument with a friend of mine about the movie. His point was that Spielberg at least showed a lot of people that there had been such a thing as the Holocaust. I was a snobbish aesthete, my friend said. I know I am, but still, it sucked. Spielberg's movies won't be looked at in fifty years, while Scorcese's Raging Bull will. As will The Godfather. Spielberg is a pop moviemaker, not an artist. I find his pop movies vastly superior to his arty efforts. Close Encounters was bloody good. Spare us your "art", Steven. It's a pity that Spielberg and Lucas have become the role models for young American film-makers.
Here's a different view, that doesn't blame Spielberg and Lucas, from Joe Morgenstern:

“With War Of the Worlds opening next week, it feels like an odd time for me to be wondering whether Spielberg and Lucas killed the movies. During the past few months, which have been unusually bleak for movie lovers (has anything flat-out wonderful opened since last year? Not that I can recall), I've been hoping against hope that Spielberg would return to form—that he'd become Steven Spielberg again rather than the impostor who used his name on The Terminal—and that he would save the movies, or at least give us the sort of huge, exuberant, and shrewdly conceived blockbuster that used to be a Hollywood staple every summer. Certainly Spielberg and Lucas changed the movies fundamentally, in some ways for the worse. But I'm with you on Jaws—if only we could see new films of such flair and power today—and I was even more excited than you were about the first two Star Wars films.
“My first exposure to Star Wars was startling. It was in 1975 in California, at the Avco Theater in Westwood, then a state-of-the-art fourplex. I was married at the time to Piper Laurie, and we were there for a sneak preview of Carrie, in which she played Margaret White, Sissy Spacek's crazy, Bible-thumping mother. The preview went extremely well, but then a trailer came on the screen for a movie no one had heard of, and I thought that I would go crazy with delight. An ape at the controls of a space ship? A space ship the size of Rhode Island? The memory of that stunning newness is still with me, and I cherish it.
“I also cherish my encounter with another movie I knew nothing about at the time, except that Steven Spielberg had directed it. My daughter was 10 years old when I took her to a screening of E.T. at the Motion Picture Academy. She kept her (strong) emotions to herself, but I completely lost it when the kids on their bicycles soared into the sky. (Which makes me think, if I may digress, of our dear and departed friend Pauline Kael sitting absolutely rapt, in a front row seat at the old 20th Century Fox screening room on 56th Street, as Planet of the Apes unfolded.) But that may not be a digression, because the theme here, I think, is newness, and surprise, and surprisability, qualities currently in short supply in many films, and in the people who see them. That's due, in part, to staggering marketing budgets that now, quite routinely, accompany every weekend's blockbuster wannabe—it's hard to sustain a sense of discovery when you pretty much know the whole plot from the TV trailers or the Web. But it's also due to the generally dismal quality of studio movies (with the singular exception, that I'll get to in a bit, of a studio that isn't really a studio). I don't think Spielberg and Lucas were the marauders they've been made out to be. For my money (which, mercifully, I don't have to spend to see movies), the Jeffrey Dahmers of today's feature-film business are the people who make the decisions at the entertainment conglomerates, vast and sprawling institutions which have perfected—or so it was thought until very recently—a manufacturing process for crudely made movies that can be marketed successfully via TV and the Web and that can recoup their increasingly absurd costs overseas (the best, or rather worst, recent example being Troy) even if they bomb domestically.
“Now, as you note, things suddenly seem to be spiraling downward for the studios, as well as for the exhibitors. (Let's not forget, in our list of movie-business malefactors, the emergence of a vast network of multiplexes whose screens are given over almost entirely to mainstream studio output; so much for the early promise that one or two screens in each complex would be reserved for indie productions or worthy documentaries. And let's also not forget, while we're at it, to note that four years before Jaws, in 1971, The French Connection, which received the most Academy Awards that year, made its own significant contribution to the creation of the action-intensive blockbuster.) You wrote of 16 straight weekends in which ticket sales have declined in comparison to last year's box office. As I write this, Variety is reporting the likelihood of a 17th weekly decline, given the somewhat soft opening for Batman Begins, although the losing streak could snap when the studios issue their actual box-office tallies tomorrow.
“That can't be blamed on Spielberg or Lucas, even though both directors seem to have lost their way in recent years as innovating entertainers. It's the consequence of the conglomerates starting to lose their audience by beating the Spielberg-Lucas formulas—along with most others—into the ground. The exception I referred to earlier is, of course, Pixar, a not-quite-studio, safely based near San Francisco, hundreds of miles from Hollywood, that has turned out six brilliant, and brilliantly successful, films in a row. Their winning streak will end some day—how could it not—but in the meanwhile Pixar's prodigious outpourings provide proof that even in these tumultuous times, when movies are losing traction to video games (and when moviegoers can't even watch movies without taking out their cell phones, BlackBerrys, or Nintendos whenever there's a sag in the action), strong entertainment values still bring customers into the tent and keep them there quite happily. The same values, that is to say, that Spielberg and Lucas pioneered and refined.”
It’s almost criminal to see what happened to Styar Wars. The first two mocvies were excellent. The other four descended into pure crap. Here’s my review of the last one:

13. Hollywood turns great moviemakers into crap moviemakers.
Here is an interesting dissent from David Plotz, about Francis Ford Coppola, saying that Hollywood had nothing to do with Coppola turning into a crap movie-maker:
“Every couple of years, Francis Ford Coppola's devoted fans--and such people still exist--do something heartbreaking: They see his new film. This month has brought the latest Coppola punishment, The Rainmaker.
“Critics are greeting Coppola's film--the usual Grisham tale of an idealistic young lawyer slingshotting a Goliath--with a desperate generosity. Casting about for something nice to say, most reviewers have hit upon the conclusion that J.G.'s The Rainmaker is better than the ‘typical’ Hollywood movie (by which they mean it has fewer automatic weapons, fewer car chases, and more character actors than regular fare does). One well-meaning critic called it the best Grisham movie since The Firm. This is sad: Francis Ford Coppola, the director of The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, The Conversation, Rumble Fish, and Apocalypse Now and the winner of five Academy Awards, is being praised for making the second-best John Grisham movie. What's even sadder: The Rainmaker is actually much better than most of Coppola's recent work. In the past 15 years, he's become the most hackish of the studio hacks. His last dozen films have ranged from bombastic dreck (Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Godfather Part III, The Cotton Club) to infantile dreck (Jack, Captain Eo) to biographical dreck (Tucker: The Man and His Dream) to pretentious dreck (One From the Heart, New York Stories). He has also been producer for an astonishing volume of bad cinema and television, including NBC's The Odyssey; the 1992 movie Wind; and White Dwarf, a sci-fi movie for Fox.
“Despite this record of unadulterated mediocrity, a fog of optimism continues to envelop Coppola. This movie, it is promised, will be Coppola's last as a studio lackey. Soon he will return with his own project, independent of Hollywood's morons, and make the great movie that They have stopped him from making since the late '70s. (Coppola is cryptic about what this project will be, but there are vague rumors about Megalopolis, a long-planned film comparing Imperial Rome and modern Manhattan. Other rumors have him filming Jack Kerouac's On the Road.)
“People continue to believe in Coppola because he is the romantic archetype of the movie director. He has embedded himself in the mythology of the film industry like no director since Orson Welles or D.W. Griffith. Coppola made his name as the director who would risk everything--his fortune, his family, even his sanity--for his art.
“This vision of Coppola as romantic genius makes it very easy to rationalize his failures as poor accountancy. ‘His career can be summed up as the case of a man who needed a financial manager,’ says Roger Ebert. Coppola spent much of the '80s in bankruptcy, driven there by the failure of One From the Heart and his studio's collapse. So of course he became a hired gun: He needed to pay his debts. According to the mythology, Coppola was given third-rate scripts and managed to transform them into second-rate entertainment like The Cotton Club, Gardens of Stone, and Peggy Sue Got Married.
“Coppola too buys into the notion that he would have kept making great movies if only he'd been debt free. He's obsessed with the notion of artistic purity. The Rainmaker is a two-hour tribute to the idea of not selling out (in the movie's emotional climax, when the young lawyer hero confronts the old lawyer villain about selling out). In recent interviews, Coppola has upbraided himself for his own compromises.
“But Coppola may be misjudging the reason why he's made so many bad movies. He thinks that selling out--making movies for financial rather than artistic reasons--has put a crimp in his style. But he has always been a sellout. Or, to put it more kindly, the quality of his movies has never depended on whether the movies were sellouts or not. Some of Coppola's "personal" movies are magnificent (The Conversation and, arguably, Apocalypse Now). But others are dreadful (One From the Heart, Tucker). Some of Coppola's sellout movies are dreadful (The Cotton Club, Jack ...). But Coppola's two greatest movies, the Godfathers, were studio-funded, studio-managed projects.
“The Godfather, in fact, was the quintessential sellout: Paramount picked Coppola to direct the movie because he would work for cheap. Why would he work for cheap? Because he had just bankrupted himself making a disastrous independent movie called The Rain People.
“Coppola has become a studio hack for much more banal reasons. He got older, mellower, more respectable. He has his estates, his winery, his Belize resort, his merchandise. It's impossible to imagine today's Coppola driving himself or his actors the way he did during the filming of Apocalypse Now. He also seems to lack the inspiration for a grand project. His last truly personal movies were Tucker, back in 1988, and One From the Heart, back in 1982. Neither was good.
“Recently Coppola said, ‘People want me so badly to do something truly astounding. To show them something they haven't seen before. I would like to do that, and I really believe I can do it.’
“This may be the heart of Coppola's dilemma. He views his life as a story of unfulfilled promise, the tale of an artist constrained by commerce. It isn't. Coppola's life is the story of fulfilled promise. He made two of the greatest, if not the two greatest, movies in American history. These were triumphs enough for any career. It is Coppola's tragedy that he believes his best work is always ahead of him, yet keeps on making Rainmakers.”
The career of Martin Scorcese is another case in point. With Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Goodfellas he made great movies, but his output since leaves much to be desired. Maybe directors just run out of steam.
Can Hollywood ever make great movies again? There are four bright spots for a modicum of hope:

1. Harvey Weinstein.
Not many people in the movie business actually love good movies the way Harvey does. His example has changed a few things. All the big studios now have smaller Miramax-copy off-shoots like Sony Classics, where there’s room for some experimentation and risk-taking, because the budgets aren’t so large. At least people who love good movies have places to go and work now, where the so-called "indie" film is nurtured. Unfortunately “indie” too often means Hollywood calling card, instead of a unique vision, like Todd Solonz or Hal Hartley has. They might not be great moviemakers yet, but at least they have their personal visions. The indie film that's more than a Hollywood calling card has actually become a genre. One might call it the New Quirkiness -- films like Happiness (Solondz), Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola), and American Splendor. The smaller studio off-shoot system has produced only two great movies so far, Pulp Fiction and The English Patient, but let's hope.

2. Charlie Kaufman.
He’s the only true auteur working in Hollywood today, but at least he exists, and others may be inspired by his example. As he gets older, the writer of Being John Malkevich may surprise us even more than he has so far.

3. HBO.
The people at HBO are truly a godsend. Like any novelist, I was wondering what my latest novel would look like as a movie. It's a story set in the near future, in which America has become a puritan theocracy (a Pat Robertson paradise). And then I thought, hell no, Hollywood would screw it up; HBO should do it as a series. When a creative person can’t trust Hollywood anymore, and would rather go with HBO, you know that Hollywood is in trouble.

4. Mel Gibson.
I think the rise of the actor/director augurs well for the business. They have the clout to do what they want. Kevin Costner made one of the best cowboy movies ever in 2005, XXXXXX. Mel Gibson has made three very good movies: Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto, a pretty astonishing threesome from a Hollywood A-list actor turned director. Clint Eastwood is wide regarded as a modern master – a reputation somewhat overblown, but he does work at a serious level with, it seems, not much regard for commercialism, even though his movies tend to be quite popular.
Let me end this essay by putting in a word for The Passion of the Christ. I think it's a great movie, probably a classic. Listen, before I duck the deluge of rotten tomatoes, let me point out that I’m not an American or a Christian or Jewish, so I think I can state my case objectively -- unlike you, dear reader. Let’s face it, it’s impossible for anyone in America to see or judge this movie objectively. As a non-American non-Christian on-Jew, I’ll tell you how this movie strikes me. It comes off exactly like an East-European art-house movie. EXACTLY. Why? It has a relentless vision. That’s what Hollywood lacks. You need a Stanley Kubrick, or a Martin Scorcese before he started making crap. Someone with a relentless vision: that’s what makes a great movie. Yet Hollywood encourages visionless technicians like Michael Bay by the dozen, instead of Stanley Kubricks. As long as Hollywood doesn't foster original talent with actual personal artistic visions -- and when last did they? – they don't stand a chance of making classic movies again.