new list: Top 10 Films I Instantly Knew Were Special
March 15th 2011 01:01
I still have to do an Academy Awards write-up.... but here, have a list instead:
This list is different – it’s rather elite, if you will. The basic idea is this: which films gripped you instantly from their commencement? Which films ‘had you at hello’ if you will. Overall, these films would usually also be your favorite films but here’s the catch: you have to a) remember the feeling you had specifically and when b) the ‘feeling’ had to come incredibly close to the beginning of the film and c) you had to feel this way on the first viewing. Out of my Top 300 Favorite Films only a little over 30 even qualified to be on the brainstorm for this list. And so, without further adieu, here are the top 10:
Note: the ‘ranking’ is where the film places on my Top 300 Films list
Top 10 Films I Instantly Knew Were Special
10. The Aviator (2004, Scorsese)
With The Aviator, there was history there. It was going to be Leonardo DiCaprio’s second project with Martin Scorsese and I hadn’t been crazy about their first project – plus I’d been kinda sour on Leonardo for a while. I was nervous about the accent aspect and the first trailer hadn’t overly impressed me. When the second trailer came out, I was rather excited but still a bit weary. That all changed mere minutes in – the second we see him – from the first shot of him to the first words out of his mouth to the fast-paced scene that follows I knew I was watching what would become one of my favorite films ever. Ranking: #9
9. The Social Network (2010, Fincher)
I felt --- strange putting something so current on this list because the memory is so—immediate. But I couldn’t in good conscious omit this film. I’d read the script prior to seeing it and so I knew what this first scene would be like. I didn’t, however, realize that it would be as fast, if not faster, as your standard Sorkin. I didn’t realize how incredible the direction would be or how fantastically the two actors would play off of one another creating that ‘magic’ in a scene that is incredibly rare. You know what you’re getting yourself into from the first shot of this film and the first line of dialogue. I knew about one minute in that I was in for something very different. Ranking: not yet listed – under revision
8. The Departed (2006, Scorsese)
The Departed is kind of a special case – I didn’t see the beginning the first time I saw it. I was, for some reason, late to the movie theater and still went even though I don’t like walking in after a film begins. So I was confused because we get there and the credits had only just come up – I’m thinking ‘wow’ we didn’t miss much, until afterwards that I discover I missed like 15 minutes. All I remember is sitting in the 2nd row or so because the theater was packed and looking over at my boyfriend and us smiling hugely. It was exhilarating what I was watching on screen. And even the second time, when I realized how much I missed, I still would have put this on the list—I still had the feeling of ‘oh, yeah this is Scorsese and this is incredible.’ Ranking: 30
7. Once upon a time in the west (1968, Leone)
I first experienced this in one of my film classes in college. I saw it on the big screen and we were meant to focus on the non- diegetic vs. diegetic sound that was going on in the first scene. It remains to this day one of my favorite film openings of all-time. Whenever it’s on, I watch it avidly, unable to tear my eyes away. Ranking: 79
6. Badlands (1973, Malick)
Badlands is the film on the list that I have the vaguest ‘moment’ memory from but it’s there. It was basically right from the start – the music and the imagery – the gorgeous execution of shots. The music was altered slightly and used in True Romance and that film had been in my life for about 10 years prior to Badlands – it was also some of my favorite film music – so this was special for me. Ranking: 268
5. A Single Man (2009, Ford)
I’d read the book prior to seeing the film and I was highly anticipating the film; it did not disappoint. From the very first shot I was entranced. It’s a surreal exhilarating feeling to look at something, to experience something right off the bat and know it is suddenly one of your favorite things. Ranking: 7
4. Almost Famous (2000, Crowe)
My history and love for Cameron Crowe goes back a long time. I knew I would love Almost Famous but I didn’t expect to leave the theater and have it become my favorite film and stay in that spot way for a number of years. It was as soon as the Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas song began playing over the credits. Ranking: 2
3. Mysterious Skin (2005, Araki)
This almost didn’t make it because even though it’s one of my favorite films and one of my favorite books I haven’t seen it in a long time and I couldn’t remember when in the film my moment occurred. When I discovered it was right at the beginning – well, that was all I needed. This moment was vivid, stunning, and heartbreakingly beautiful: the cereal. I’d read the book prior and I loved being able to experience its transformation into a visual medium. This was one of those 'I truly adore the power of cinema' moments. Ranking: 32
2. Mary and Max (2009,Eliot)
Wow, um. The very first moment, basically. As soon as Perpetuum Mobile began I was in love. I got an hour into this film and when my boyfriend came home I said ‘I’m stopping this and you’re watching it right now’ and I re-watched it without even having finished it once through. This is how sure I was that it would be one of my favorite films. Ranking: 20
1. Breaking Away (1979, Yates)
Breaking Away was the reason for this list. Prior to Mary and Max this film was the most overt instance of ‘the feeling’ and it hit me like a brick. This was as film I’d thought I’d seen years previously – I know my mom loved it and I was sure I’d seen it but I couldn’t be sure. One day it was on TCM and I decided on a whim to keep it on. I had the biggest smile on my face and I couldn’t stop. One of my most satisfyingly entertaining films I’ve ever seen. Ranking: 14
This list is different – it’s rather elite, if you will. The basic idea is this: which films gripped you instantly from their commencement? Which films ‘had you at hello’ if you will. Overall, these films would usually also be your favorite films but here’s the catch: you have to a) remember the feeling you had specifically and when b) the ‘feeling’ had to come incredibly close to the beginning of the film and c) you had to feel this way on the first viewing. Out of my Top 300 Favorite Films only a little over 30 even qualified to be on the brainstorm for this list. And so, without further adieu, here are the top 10:
Note: the ‘ranking’ is where the film places on my Top 300 Films list
Top 10 Films I Instantly Knew Were Special
10. The Aviator (2004, Scorsese)
With The Aviator, there was history there. It was going to be Leonardo DiCaprio’s second project with Martin Scorsese and I hadn’t been crazy about their first project – plus I’d been kinda sour on Leonardo for a while. I was nervous about the accent aspect and the first trailer hadn’t overly impressed me. When the second trailer came out, I was rather excited but still a bit weary. That all changed mere minutes in – the second we see him – from the first shot of him to the first words out of his mouth to the fast-paced scene that follows I knew I was watching what would become one of my favorite films ever. Ranking: #9
9. The Social Network (2010, Fincher)
I felt --- strange putting something so current on this list because the memory is so—immediate. But I couldn’t in good conscious omit this film. I’d read the script prior to seeing it and so I knew what this first scene would be like. I didn’t, however, realize that it would be as fast, if not faster, as your standard Sorkin. I didn’t realize how incredible the direction would be or how fantastically the two actors would play off of one another creating that ‘magic’ in a scene that is incredibly rare. You know what you’re getting yourself into from the first shot of this film and the first line of dialogue. I knew about one minute in that I was in for something very different. Ranking: not yet listed – under revision
8. The Departed (2006, Scorsese)
The Departed is kind of a special case – I didn’t see the beginning the first time I saw it. I was, for some reason, late to the movie theater and still went even though I don’t like walking in after a film begins. So I was confused because we get there and the credits had only just come up – I’m thinking ‘wow’ we didn’t miss much, until afterwards that I discover I missed like 15 minutes. All I remember is sitting in the 2nd row or so because the theater was packed and looking over at my boyfriend and us smiling hugely. It was exhilarating what I was watching on screen. And even the second time, when I realized how much I missed, I still would have put this on the list—I still had the feeling of ‘oh, yeah this is Scorsese and this is incredible.’ Ranking: 30
7. Once upon a time in the west (1968, Leone)
I first experienced this in one of my film classes in college. I saw it on the big screen and we were meant to focus on the non- diegetic vs. diegetic sound that was going on in the first scene. It remains to this day one of my favorite film openings of all-time. Whenever it’s on, I watch it avidly, unable to tear my eyes away. Ranking: 79
6. Badlands (1973, Malick)
Badlands is the film on the list that I have the vaguest ‘moment’ memory from but it’s there. It was basically right from the start – the music and the imagery – the gorgeous execution of shots. The music was altered slightly and used in True Romance and that film had been in my life for about 10 years prior to Badlands – it was also some of my favorite film music – so this was special for me. Ranking: 268
5. A Single Man (2009, Ford)
I’d read the book prior to seeing the film and I was highly anticipating the film; it did not disappoint. From the very first shot I was entranced. It’s a surreal exhilarating feeling to look at something, to experience something right off the bat and know it is suddenly one of your favorite things. Ranking: 7
4. Almost Famous (2000, Crowe)
My history and love for Cameron Crowe goes back a long time. I knew I would love Almost Famous but I didn’t expect to leave the theater and have it become my favorite film and stay in that spot way for a number of years. It was as soon as the Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas song began playing over the credits. Ranking: 2
3. Mysterious Skin (2005, Araki)
This almost didn’t make it because even though it’s one of my favorite films and one of my favorite books I haven’t seen it in a long time and I couldn’t remember when in the film my moment occurred. When I discovered it was right at the beginning – well, that was all I needed. This moment was vivid, stunning, and heartbreakingly beautiful: the cereal. I’d read the book prior and I loved being able to experience its transformation into a visual medium. This was one of those 'I truly adore the power of cinema' moments. Ranking: 32
2. Mary and Max (2009,Eliot)
Wow, um. The very first moment, basically. As soon as Perpetuum Mobile began I was in love. I got an hour into this film and when my boyfriend came home I said ‘I’m stopping this and you’re watching it right now’ and I re-watched it without even having finished it once through. This is how sure I was that it would be one of my favorite films. Ranking: 20
1. Breaking Away (1979, Yates)
Breaking Away was the reason for this list. Prior to Mary and Max this film was the most overt instance of ‘the feeling’ and it hit me like a brick. This was as film I’d thought I’d seen years previously – I know my mom loved it and I was sure I’d seen it but I couldn’t be sure. One day it was on TCM and I decided on a whim to keep it on. I had the biggest smile on my face and I couldn’t stop. One of my most satisfyingly entertaining films I’ve ever seen. Ranking: 14
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Comment by Bryn Tilly
Horrorphile
In no particular order:
Star Wars (saw it at the cinema aged 9 ... it changed my life)
Eraserhead (saw it on television late at night with my father in the UK aged 16)
Down By Law (saw it at Wellington Film Festival when it was first released, my first Jarmusch movie, and the panning along with New Orleans house fronts in monochrome had me at hello)
Three Colours Blue (saw it at Wgtn FF, the opening montage sequence blew me away)
The Thing (saw it when it was first released aged 13, went with my friend and his father, and from the moment the title card burst onto the screen I had butterflies)
Alien (saw it on VHS and the eerie title sequence and following awakening sequence got deep under my skin)
Black Swan (at a media screening in theatrette, few people, perfect seating, very stoned)
The Hitcher (saw it at cinema when it was first released, the haunting score, the rainy night, and Rutger's first scene ... )
WALL-E (the dialogue-free first twenty mins, the mood and tone)
Cul-de-Sac (the monochrome photography, the coastline location, and the two funny looking men, one pushing the car, the other moaning in the front seat)
Comment by Cinema is Truth
Cinema is Truth
Cinema is Truth
Comment by Bryn Tilly
Horrorphile