That's because your viewing experience is much larger than the average viewer who also seem to remember recent stuff a lot more. I doubt the majority of people who call it one of the best films ever consider every film made from the last century while saying so.
Oranje Café's Top 50 Films aller tijden Aftellen Schroefdraad (The Countdown)
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
n. 43
I can do this all day
And, actually, I'm not so sure that it must be in top-100. It's a good film though
I don't buy that. I don't need to watch thousands of films to decide if something is great or not, in my opinion. There have been quite a lot more popular and in my opinion significantly better films than Shawshank in the past 20 years, that never received the same hype. Shawshank wasn't even successful at the box office in the first place, that's what's so strange about it. I understand why Gladiator or The Dark Knight are often high in these lists even though I disagree with it. I really don't get it with Shawshank though. It's not meant as a criticism towards someone who believes it's the best film of all time. I just like to know why
Because as I said people rate movies a lot more casually than you do. You put sincere thought and measure things carefully. It doesn't have to be thousands of movies but clearly you have watched, and remember well, most good movies made from at least 50 years ago and you wouldn't just call some movie great or top 10 without thinking about all others that can be there, etc. The regular public... doesn't give a feck. They call a movie top 5 and forget about it, instead of thinking of a reason for it. It's just a casual thing for most, these "top" lists. Age also matters, how many people do you think over the age of 50 right now and who were avid movie fans in their lives would call Shawshank a top 5?I don't buy that. I don't need to watch thousands of films to decide if something is great or not, in my opinion. There have been quite a lot more popular and in my opinion significantly better films than Shawshank in the past 20 years, that never received the same hype. Shawshank wasn't even successful at the box office in the first place, that's what's so strange about it. I get why Gladiator or The Dark Knight are often high in these lists even though I disagree with it. I really don't get it with Shawshank though. It's not meant as a criticism towards someone who believes it's the best film of all time. I just like to know why
I think if you're exposed to a lot more of anything your tastes tend to become more refined/obscure. You smoke a bit of weed before you start injecting heroin into your eyeballs.
People just don't think, they see Shawshank at #1 at IMDB and Morgan fecking Freeman is in it so they just assume it's that good.
That escalated quickly
In general any excellent film that actually becomes popular would eventually go on to be hated by the pretentious hipsters.
Anything mainstream = bad. Anything obscure = Goooood.
Anything mainstream = bad. Anything obscure = Goooood.
Which is fairly representative of the Spartan way of life, in fairness.
I'd say that saying that Louis CK is 'too much midlife crisis' is a bit reductive. There's a lot more to Louis than just a guy talking about masturbating and his troubles and his kids. There's a huge work on words, language, on how to directly draw the spectator into what he wants and confront them with not-so-enjoyable aspects of their life.
I'm surprised, I thought you'd like him Nilsson!
Well, I do like him but not in the same gaga way as others do.
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In general any excellent film that actually becomes popular would eventually go on to be hated by the pretentious hipsters.
Anything mainstream = bad. Anything obscure = Goooood.
You shouldn't feel so intimidated.In general any excellent film that actually becomes popular would eventually go on to be hated by the pretentious hipsters.
Anything mainstream = bad. Anything obscure = Goooood.
Fair points, but Shawshank is such a random pick for such a huge number of film fans (whatever the age) choosing it as their best film of all time. It wasn't a blockbuster or anything.
It became big through being repeatedly televised in the late 90's. I don't know the average age of tv viewers in the US but I wouldn't be surprised if the older generation was partly responsible for the success of the film on TV, while Fight Club was clearly hyped through the young internet generation after doing miserably at the box office.
The weird thing is that Shawshank isn't mainstream, it's in my opinion the hipster choice for a top film that isn't really a classic but also not an obvious mainstream film. Best example was when the silly Godfather vs Dark Knight fight on imdb broke out and the Godfather fans voted Dark Knight down and the Dark Knight fans voted Godfather down until Shawshank all of a sudden was at the topIn general any excellent film that actually becomes popular would eventually go on to be hated by the pretentious hipsters.
Anything mainstream = bad. Anything obscure = Goooood.
. Everything around Shawshank's reputation between the greatest films of all time has to be a big wum. It makes no sense to me.So, you are the pretentious hipster. Nice to meet you, friend.
I don't need to feel intimidated. These threads and lists for me basically are a fun exercise. I participate, and the final lists provides me with options to movies that I have not watched. I am not looking at these threads as a way to find out the "ultimate" list or as a validation for my choices. I fully understand that people have eclectic tastes.
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Serves me right for reading the bit before the listn. 43
I can do this all day
And, actually, I'm not so sure that it must be in top-100. It's a good film though
Ok if you can do this all day, where the feck is Goal! then eh?
That's the same with anything not just films...once the whole world knows about that tv show/band/book you have been enjoying for ages, somehow you start to enjoy it less.In general any excellent film that actually becomes popular would eventually go on to be hated by the pretentious hipsters.
Anything mainstream = bad. Anything obscure = Goooood.
Serves me right for reading the bit before the list
Ok if you can do this all day, where the feck is Goal! then eh?
you got me
The weird thing is that Shawshank isn't mainstream, it's in my opinion the hipster choice for a top film that isn't really a classic but also not an obvious mainstream film. Best example was when the silly Godfather vs Dark Knight fight on imdb broke out and the Godfather fans voted Dark Knight down and the Dark Knight fans voted Godfather down until Shawshank all of a sudden was at the top
The choices are from random people on redcafe or imdb. People have different tastes and are also limited by range of movies that they have watched.
A few days back I asked my 16 year old cousin who her favorite singer/musician was, she said Taylor Swift. Her favorite song ever is "Enchanted".
What are we going to do, man?
I don't mind anyone choosing a film as his/her favourite. I have some strange choices in my top 20 as well, nothing wrong with it. I just find it so strange, that Shawshank is so incredibly often named, because it looks so random to me. I can explain why The Dark Knight is up there for example, I disagree, but I don't mind. Same with Gladiator or Fight Club or a few more. It's not criticism, I actually like Shawshank a lot. It's clearly a very good film.
I think so, yes. I usually get a bit annoyed if I find a gem and then later watch it becoming a huge hype. Usually I need a few years until it grows on me again and I judge it fairly, but hype almost always has an effect, negative or positive.
I am shocked that not even one other poster picked "8 1/2" in their top 20; Federico Fellini's finest. I guess that is the fun of it. It would have been boring if everyone had it in their list.
I am surprised that you think Shawshank is not mainstream. Everyone I have ever met, loves that movie. Young, Old, Children, male, female, gay, lesbian, everyone.
Yeah Fellini got overlooked a lot, didn't include one of his films eitherI am shocked that not even one other poster picked "8 1/2" in their top 20; Federico Fellini's finest. I guess that is the fun of it. It would have been boring if everyone had it in their list.
I am surprised that you think Shawshank is not mainstream. Everyone I have ever met, loves that movie. Young, Old, Children, male, female, gay, lesbian, everyone.
. The opening scene of 8 1/2 is the only one that rivals 'Once upon a time in the west' for the best opening scene ever in my opinion. I could watch those few minutes until he falls towards the sea again and again.Duffy, how about updating the OP with the list?
So Eboue can always see that Dark Knight is the third best movie of all times.
So Eboue can always see that Dark Knight is the third best movie of all times.
La Dolce Vita would probably be he highest ranked Fellini film on my list.
I think this film talk should continue somehow, @Scrumpet's idea of a film club is a good one.
I think this film talk should continue somehow, @Scrumpet's idea of a film club is a good one.
I think Fellini suffered from the fact his name is so close to Fellaini and people hate him.
That may be why I like it
Mad Men is criminally overlooked!
Sorry didn't get around to it last night - will do later .
If we try to make another top100 like @crappycraperson suggested, it would be kinda like a film club anyway, right? At least how I understood it. Would love something like:
everyone has to suggest at least 15-20 films that weren't on the last top 100
we get 6-8 months to watch those films while we can discuss them
then we submit a top100 and see what we got in the end.
Yes. I will make a thread for the same by the end of weekend. We will try to get a list done by Xmas perhaps
The weird thing is that Shawshank isn't mainstream, it's in my opinion the hipster choice for a top film that isn't really a classic but also not an obvious mainstream film. Best example was when the silly Godfather vs Dark Knight fight on imdb broke out and the Godfather fans voted Dark Knight down and the Dark Knight fans voted Godfather down until Shawshank all of a sudden was at the top
That was really ridiculous. imdb has a good list, but fanboyism is still present. Especially Nolan's fanboys are the worst of them all.
About Shawnshank, I also agree that it is very overrated. It is a top 50-top 100 movie IMO, but there is no way that is one of the best on anything. Acting, directing, writting, in all those categories you have many movies that are better than it. And as a total package there are several movies better, while The Godfather is so much better in everything that it isn't even funny.
I also think that movies on imdb list goes a bit by reputation. If you see a movie which has a rating 9, but you think that it is only a 6, I guess that most of the people give it the benefit of a doubt (that they might not be in mood etc), and give it a 7 or 8. I know that I have done this several times, and I know people who do this regularly.
Serves me right for reading the bit before the list
Ok if you can do this all day, where the feck is Goal! then eh?
I dont think you read the bit before the list either. I was complaining about those movies being so high on our list.
Yeah Fellini got overlooked a lot, didn't include one of his films either
How about the opening for Touch of Evil?
The opening scene from "Saving Private Ryan" is the greatest ever. Pity about the last 45 minutes of the film.
I have a problem...I skimread. I admit it, it's an illness, I need real help.
All my mates are like "hey where's Duffy" and then it's like "oh there he is jumping the gun...again!"
Excellent of course. I haven't seen the restored director's cut yet, which afaik is even more impressive without the credits running through the opening and some changes with the score. But the lightning in Touch of Evil is what really blew my mind when watching it for the first time. Really have to watch the new version soon, it's on my to do list for years now.
My memory is a bit fuzzy about that film. The opening is the one with the cut from the cemetery to the landing at Omaha Beach? I haven't seen it for a 2nd time since it's release in the 90's, so can't really say if it's up there with the best. I found several parts of the film annoying, so I ignored it since then.
"Why do our fingers become calloused to the flesh of women?" Burt Lancaster
We wear everything out eventually. To a degree at least. You can't go home again. Or back to the cinema of your youth.
I mean the Omaha beach scene, not the cemetery stuff. In terms of pure cinema, it's perfect. I've never seen anything like it, although the destruction of the ISS in Gravity was similarly powerful.
The rest of Saving Private Ryan was ruined by Spielberg's naff sentimentality. He'd be a great(er) director if he were someone else.