The Top 50 Reveal Continues

This week Part II of my Top 50 is revealed.  These are the films that are beloved and have special places in my heart.  They range in years from 1944 to 201; they are comedy, musical, western, drama, epic – the entire genre’ gamut, so to speak.  This week the choices get tougher, and I will say right from the start – I cheated!  There are some films in groups & share the same position, and since it’s my list, it counts! Never the less, these are films that I love, but according to the criteria I used to select these favorites, they just did not make the Top 15.  To read what criteria have I considered when creating this list of films for myself, please revisit last week’s blog.

Here’s a quick review of last week’s #31- 50:

#50  - Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

#49 – The Competition (1980)

#48 - The Daydreamer (1966)

#47 – Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

#46 – Somewhere in Time (1980)

#45 – Table for Five (1980)

#44 – On the Town (1949)

#43 – Walt Disney’s Robin Hood (1973)

#42 – Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)

#41 – National Treasure (2004)

#40 – Chocolat (2000)

#39 – The Godfather (1972)

#38 – The Spanish Prisoner (1997)

#37 – Who’s Minding the Mint? (1966)

#36 – A Shot in the Dark (1966)

#35 – The Right Stuff (1983)

#34 – The Untouchables (1987)

#33 – The Quick & the Dead (1995)

#32 – The Good-bye Girl (1977)

#31 – Murder By Death (1976)

The Top  #16 -30

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

#30 – It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)

The second of the ‘scavenger hunt’ films (the first came in at #41), this star-filled romp is so far-fetched that it embodies those wacky things we’d each do if we had the chance to find a boat-load of money.  The first time I saw this film was in the mid-1970’s, and I’ll tell you that when the ‘solution’ appears on screen, I got that, “Oh, my gosh, I see it!” lump in my stomach and that eerie feeling that accompanies it!  It still makes my crack-up with the great dialog and outstanding performances by the popular stars of yesterday!

#29 – Up in Arms (1944)

As the subject of my March 12 blog, “…1a!” I won’t spend any time retelling why I love this Danny Kaye classic. 

 #28 – The Mission (1986)

Starring Robert DeNiro, Jeremy Irons, and Liam Neeson, this is an amazing tale of a man who is in dire need of redemption.  As one of my favorite inspirational films, as well, (blog of May 17), this is another film that reached far beyond just storytelling – it is life changing.

#27 – Giant (1956)

Here’s another film that has been featured in an earlier blog of mine (“Deja-View”, July 5).  As another film I saw in my teen-age years, I fell in love with the epic.  Yes, I knew Ben Hur, but this masterfully told story from the novel written by Edna Ferber and directed by George Stevens made these characters were people I wanted to know. One of only three major roles on film by James Dean, this film premiered after his death.

The Godfather Part II

#26 – The Godfather – Part II (1974)

There is only one word for me to describe this film – hypnotic. There must be a subliminal message that flickers throughout this film, as I can never not watch it when it airs on television.  The trilogy of Coppola’s classics sits in the DVD cabinet here, but I just can’t help myself.  As I mentioned last week, with the 39^th entry on my list, I don’t know why being entranced by violent, revenge-seeking men has such an appeal, but perhaps it is just that – their lives are so opposed to my own that what they do satisfies the humanness in me.

#25 – Singing in the Rain (1952)

And yet another film which has been the subject of an earlier blog this year “When ‘All Wet’ Spells Classic” (July 15), Singing in the Rain embodies the glory of the early days of Hollywood and moviemaking magic.  Not to mention that it stars Gene Kelly; it is no wonder that the American Film Institute named it the Greatest Movie Musical of All-Time.

#24 – The Majestic (2001) / The Artist (2011) / Cinema Paradiso (1988) / Hugo (2011) / The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

I have lumped these five films together as a representation of the movies I love that are about the movies. They honor the glory of filmmaking and the magic that never leaves the screen; it’s indelible mark on our hearts and the forever perfection of the stars that are on that screen for but those short one hundred twenty minutes or so they are there with us.

Midnight Madness

#23 – Midnight Madness (1980)

My favorite ‘scavenger hunt’ film! I first saw this on HBO back in the early '80's at some odd time of night – probably at my sister’s home where there was cable!  It is a true‘sleeper.  I still don’t think many people know about it.  With a co-starring role by an ever-so-youthful-looking Michael J. Fox, (billed as Michael Fox), David Naughton (of An American Werewolf in London (1981) & Dr. Pepper commercials fame) leads one of four unique teams of collegiate on a farcical romp through the streets of Los Angeles in the dark! The dialog is corny, but always quotable, the storyline is simplistic in nature, and the ending is just, well, an ending. But I love it!

 #22 – Victor Victoria (1982)

30 years ago you probably would not have seen a movie about a drag queen and a soprano down on her luck on any list of mine, but as I mellowed and ‘spread my adult wings’, I found how much love this movie, and it has been for many years. It all works – Blake Edwards, Henry Mancini, Julie Andrews, Robert Preston (who took MANY years to appeal to me), James Garner, and Lesley Ann Warren make an incredible starring cast, not to mention the amazing character actors who fill in all the additional spaces! “Let me get this straight: a woman pretending to be a man, pretending to be a woman? No one will ever believe it!”

#21 – The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003)

Sorry folks, yes, I have given all three of the trilogy films the 21^st position.  For years, my favorite of the three was The Two Towers, but as I continue to watch them annually (see my blog “Tradition” July 21), I can no longer place any one as the favorite.  Peter Jackson’s intentions truly work to the best advantage.   J.R.R. Tolkien’s World War II analogy masterpiece carries over on the film as masterfully as any book to film attempt could ever be.

Sneakers

#20 – Sneakers (1992)

Robert Redford makes an appearance on the Top 50 list for the first time here in this spy spoof. Spoof yes, but very real for the times.  The controlling of information in an on the cusp of the world-wide-web world, makes the startling point that power in the hands of wrong hands truly can corrupt.  Also starring Ben Kingsley, Sidney Poitier, Dan Aykroyd, David Strathairn, and the late River Phoenix, this is a great ensemble case ‘get there first’ kind of spy thriller. "Uh, could we maybe just go back to the "they might kill us" part?"

#19 – Chisum (1970)

This John Wayne western represents my life-long love of The Duke, and although there are many favorites of mine “just because,” this film truly is my favorite.  It may not be the critics’ choice as his best, and I agree, but I know this one backward & forward to where the 111 minutes of movie go by so quickly it seems like it’s over before it’s begun.   Co-starring popular television actors of the day, such as Christopher George, Geoffrey Duel, and Lynda Day George, and seasoned western veterans such as Ben Johnson and Forrest Tucker, the fictionalized true-story of the Lincoln County land wars and the real John Chisholm are blend with the stories of a young William Bonney and Sheriff Pat Garrett.  It’s got great western action, dialog, and amazing faces.

#18 – Godspell (1973)

Making the list of my favorite inspirational films at #11 (blog “The Act of Breathing In,” May 17) this is the film version of Stephen Schwartz’s Broadway musical.  ‘Revivaled’ many times, this film stars Victor Garber (Titanic, Argo), and contains all the music in various forms and in an alternate order) from the stage production.  An additional song was written for the film, which I actually love just as much as the original music.  The late David Haskell portrays John the Baptist/Judas Iscariot.  He is a much-missed talent.  I watch this film every Holy Week in the Lenten season and it truly turns my heart to focus on the passion of Jesus Christ.

#17 – Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1982)

With only three films to choose from, this would be as easy choice; however, with the arrival of the prequels, it has to work a bit harder to be the favorite in Star Wars series. (I do fancy Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, but “spoiler alert,” it does not make the Top 50 at all.  This was the first of the Star Wars films I saw with my future husband, so perhaps it does have a special place on the list.  With great scoring by John Williams, Darth Vader more evil and powerful than he ever was in A New Hope.  Great dialog and further character development makes Empire my pick of the litter.

Tootsie

#16 – Tootsie (1982)

Another movie about acting - surprise! Who could not love Michael Dorsey?  A down-on-his-luck actor figures out a way to make it in the dog-eat-dog acting world in New York City.  Unfortunately, the way to make it work comes with a price tag! Dustin Hoffman brings this hysterically funny look at the life of this actor come to life.  Michael’s acting friends are played by Bill Murray, Teri Garr, and his troubles are compounded by Dabney Coleman and Jessica Lange. With clever dialog and a twisting plot that keeps me laughing even until the end, then of course, I need the tissue. "Lovely blouse, lovely blouse!"

Next week:  The final Top #1– 15 are revealed.