Moving on to the next set of ten films, these being my 90th through 81st ranked movies of all time. What will become clear as you look at what makes the cut to be one of my favorites is that I don't have a specific genre that dominates my attention or my heart. I will fall in love with anything, whether it be a comedy, animation, science fiction, drama or something completely surreal lacking a traditional narrative. Some of all of those things are found throughout this list.
90. Rope
When the fabulous career of Alfred Hitchcock is discussed you rarely hear about the film Rope, an overlooked masterpiece. Of course, it isn't just the viewing public that is to blame for Rope not getting the acclaim it deserves, as Hitchcock himself referred to the picture as "an experiment that didn't work". Oh but I think it did work, I think it worked wonders. The film is shown as if it has no cuts at all, but it is through editing trickery that this perception exists because there are plenty of cuts in Rope, but to the naked eye the experience feels like one giant long shot featuring handheld camera work that weaves throughout the room and it is something to behold.
89. Anatomy of a Murder
I love a great legal courtroom drama, and one of the finest examples of such a film is Otto Preminger's Anatomy of a Murder, nominated for Best Picture in 1960. Terrific performances, perfectly made and filled with the expected tension as evidence unfolds in a courtroom, I am completely drawn in by every second of this movie.
88. The Neon Demon
From a Hitchcock film from 1948 and a courtroom drama from 1959 to The Neon Demon, a 2016 Nicolas Winding Refn movie about the ruthless nature of the modeling industry, a surreal nightmare starring beautiful people doing absolutely horrific things. This isn't the last of the recently released Refn films to make my list.
87. Dazed and Confused
This is a film that I have always loved but my reasons why have shifted over time, starting when I was a teen and I thought of it as nothing more than a loose, fun stoner teenage comedy and now with my deep appreciation for the work of Richard Linklater, I see it as a loose, fun stoner teenage comedy with also a ton of nuance bubbling up with a lot to say. Some movies I loved 20 years ago now seem so hollow or meaningless upon reflection, but Dazed and Confused only gets better with age.
86. Mulholland Drive
The first time I watched Mulholland Drive, I had no fucking idea what was happening, but I loved it.
The second time I watched Mulholland Drive, I had no fucking idea what was happening, but I still loved it. The third time I watched Mulholland Drive, I had no fucking idea what was happening. but I loved it even more. The fourth time I watched Mulholland Drive, I started to form my own opinion about what was happening, had no idea if I was even remotely on the right track, but who gives a shit, I loved it more than ever. I even wrote a paper about it for school.
85. Predator
A lot of people my age have nostalgic memories towards the Disney films from our childhood years, but I don't. Funny enough I didn't love most of those movies until I got older. For me, there were a bunch of movies I probably shouldn't even have been watching at a single digit age that make me feel all warm and sappy when I think about them, remembering a time when I would spend my summer avoiding the heat with alien creatures and galaxies far, far away. One of those films is Predator, a glorious action spectacle that is perfectly paced, incredibly memorable and scary as hell for an 8 year old to witness. I loved it then and I love it now.
84. Toy Story
Sometimes I wonder if the Toy Story sequels and also the numerous other terrific Pixar films since have managed to overshadow just how perfect of a movie the original is. Briskly paced, moving, brilliantly innovative and fun, I will always hold the original in high regard.
83. Scarface
I don't know what lead to me believing for roughly 20 years that the film Scarface was not good, because it turns out giving it a chance in my early 30's made me recognize that it isn't good, it's flat out great. I think I always was turned off by the way the character Tony Montana was glorified by our culture as some sort of iconic hero when in reality he is anything but. I should have had more faith in Brian De Palma.
82. The Raid
One of the greatest action films I have ever seen, The Raid is an Indonesian masterpiece directed by Gareth Evans, and despite its relative popularity I'm sure many of you out there have never seen it. If you don't mind some pretty grotesque violence or dealing with the feeling that you are having a panic attack because of the sheer ferocious pace of the action, I cannot recommend this movie enough.
81. Spirited Away
Already my second Miyazaki to make the list, a man in a class by himself in regards to animated brilliance. Spirited Away is unbelievably haunting and beautiful cinema, a hand drawn master class that belongs on any Mount Rushmore of the genre. The intricate details, the concepts, the ability to deliver a story filled with meaningful themes, the pitch perfect musical score. Incredible.
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