What our your top ten films of all time?

[eggyg]

This is difficult. But here goes.

My all time favourite film is The 39 Steps ( the original with Robert Donat).
The Green Mile, best film adaptation of a book, ever.
Jean de Florette, with Gerard Depardu, I love the book too, which I read first.
Ghost, cheesy but a good one.
Trainspotting. Thought provoking, sad, and funny in places.
Peter Rabbit, the first one. I absolutely could watch it even if the grandchildren weren’t visiting.
Belfast. Maybe because I’m a 60s child and it was my era, but also because of the history of the troubles.
1917. Absolutely stunning cinematography.
All Quiet on the Western Front. Again, great cinematography and also should be watched by everyone to remind us of the total pointlessness of war.
Poor Things. Just because it’s totally bonkers but the costumes were gorgeous.

 

[Ditto]

Every time I read other people's favourites, I remember more of mine, Green Card, Up, Ghost, WallE etc, did I say Blues Brothers? Then there's the Christmas films, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Love Actually and all the rest. So much to look forward to yay.

 

[mashedupmatt]

Human Traffic, SW9, It's all gone Pete Tong, Beats, Mr Nice, Twin Town, Kevin & Perry Go Large, Inbetweeneers 1 & 2, The Great Escape

 

[CliffH]

This is difficult. But here goes.

My all time favourite film is The 39 Steps ( the original with Robert Donat).
The Green Mile, best film adaptation of a book, ever.
Jean de Florette, with Gerard Depardu, I love the book too, which I read first.
Ghost, cheesy but a good one.
Trainspotting. Thought provoking, sad, and funny in places.
Peter Rabbit, the first one. I absolutely could watch it even if the grandchildren weren’t visiting.
Belfast. Maybe because I’m a 60s child and it was my era, but also because of the history of the troubles.
1917. Absolutely stunning cinematography.
All Quiet on the Western Front. Again, great cinematography and also should be watched by everyone to remind us of the total pointlessness of war.
Poor Things. Just because it’s totally bonkers but the costumes were gorgeous.

I also really love 'The 39 Steps': so many iconic moments, such as the cleaner's scream merging into the train whistle (in 1935!) and the 'Mr Memory' sequences ("What won The Derby in 1936?"; "Come back in 1937 and I'll tell you"). There's also of course Peggy Ashcroft's devastating portrayal of being trapped in domestic violence.

I'm pleased to see 'Jean de Florette' on your list; I also love its sequel ('Manon des Sources'). I guess Depardieu is a good subject for the debate regarding the extent to which we can separate the art from the artist: a great actor and also apparently a disgraceful person.

I also agree with you about 'All Quiet on the Western Front': the butterfly . Thinking about bad remakes, 'John Boy' was in a pointless remake of this film; I wish I hadn't bothered seeing it.

 

[helli]

Thinking about bad remakes, 'John Boy' was in a pointless remake of this film; I wish I hadn't bothered seeing it.

Talking about remakes, I loved Wim Wenders Wings of Desire. The Nicholas Cage remake, City of Angels was not a patch on the original. Even if you put the "acting" to one side, Berlin is a much more poignant backdrop than LA.
Or maybe I am biased because I was living in Germany (but not in Berlin) when I first saw the original.

 

[freesia]

In no particular order (and yes i realise theres more than 10 but i just couldn't choose...

Beaches
The Shawshank Redemption
Green Mile
Road to Perdition (well, anything with Tom Hanks really)
Bridges of Madison County
The Notebook
Erin Brockovich
The Commitments
Changeling
Italian Job 1 and 2
Love Actually
An Affair to Remember
The Reader
Shirley Valentine
Dunkirk
Little Women (1957?)

....so many more films i love! How can i possibly choose?!

 

[freesia]

In no particular order (and yes i realise theres more than 10 but i just couldn't choose...

Beaches
The Shawshank Redemption
Green Mile
Road to Perdition (well, anything with Tom Hanks really)
Bridges of Madison County
The Notebook
Erin Brockovich
The Commitments
Changeling
Italian Job 1 and 2
Love Actually
An Affair to Remember
The Reader
Shirley Valentine
Dunkirk
Little Women (1957?)

....so many more films i love! How can i possibly choose?!

Also

Lee (Kate Winslet, very good but harrowing near the end)
Just Mercy
The Duke

 

[eggyg]

In no particular order (and yes i realise theres more than 10 but i just couldn't choose...

Beaches
The Shawshank Redemption
Green Mile
Road to Perdition (well, anything with Tom Hanks really)
Bridges of Madison County
The Notebook
Erin Brockovich
The Commitments
Changeling
Italian Job 1 and 2
Love Actually
An Affair to Remember
The Reader
Shirley Valentine
Dunkirk
Little Women (1957?)

....so many more films i love! How can i possibly choose?!

Oh The Notebook. I have never cried so much at a film ever!

 

[eggyg]

I'm pleased to see 'Jean de Florette' on your list; I also love its sequel ('Manon des Sources'). I guess Depardieu is a good

Yes, Manon des Source too. The book is fab. I read lots of books and read these maybe 30/35 years ago and still have them. I only keep the odd book but I’d never part with those.

 

[stephenS50]

In no particular order (and yes i realise theres more than 10 but i just couldn't choose...

Beaches
The Shawshank Redemption
Green Mile
Road to Perdition (well, anything with Tom Hanks really)
Bridges of Madison County
The Notebook
Erin Brockovich
The Commitments
Changeling
Italian Job 1 and 2
Love Actually
An Affair to Remember
The Reader
Shirley Valentine
Dunkirk
Little Women (1957?)

....so many more films i love! How can i possibly choose?!

So seriously good films in your list @freesia...but i do need to correct you on something. If the version of Little Women you've mentioned stars a young Elizabeth Taylor it came out in 1949..not 1957.

 

[freesia]

So seriously good films in your list @freesia...but i do need to correct you on something. If the version of Little Women you've mentioned stars a young Elizabeth Taylor it came out in 1949..not 1957.

Thats the one.

 

[Satan’s little helper]

I saw Sole survivor for the first time in decades. Made for TV, more a thriller than a “ghost story.” Clever camera work narrates the story.

 

[harbottle]

Unfortunately their fanbase had virtually disappeared by the time the film came out and each member of The Monkees was fed up by then anyway, so hardly anyone saw the film at the time. Nesmith and Tork were musicians rather than actors in any case, so it's not surprising that they were hardly Olivier. However, 'A Hard Day's Night' had shown what was possible to achieve with musicians who weren't trained actors.

I saw all four Monkees live in the 1990s. They played together for the first half, and it was mad, like a garage rock band, then they brought on the session musicians and it was all a bit clinical.

Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork were both excellent musicians and Nesmith a superb songwriter. Tork did some good original songs, but didn't seem as prolific as Nesmith. They revolved against the producer and made Headquarters by themselves and it's a good album, but all over the place stylistically. Then they sort of moved towards doing stuff individually with session musicians and Tork left.

Nes's solo work is pretty amazing.

 

[CliffH]

I saw all four Monkees live in the 1990s. They played together for the first half, and it was mad, like a garage rock band, then they brought on the session musicians and it was all a bit clinical.

Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork were both excellent musicians and Nesmith a superb songwriter. Tork did some good original songs, but didn't seem as prolific as Nesmith. They revolved against the producer and made Headquarters by themselves and it's a good album, but all over the place stylistically. Then they sort of moved towards doing stuff individually with session musicians and Tork left.

Nes's solo work is pretty amazing.

Yes, I saw them (minus Nez) in the late 80s I think. As you say, it was a mixture of them performing the old hits - and each of them having their own spot. I love 'Headquarters'. However, although Tork was the most accomplished musician, he wasn't much of a songwriter, whereas Nez was one of the pioneers of country rock. I love all his Monkees stuff - and his solo albums, even though they were largely ignored. His surprise hit single 'Rio' is astonishing.

 

[harbottle]

Yes, I saw them (minus Nez) in the late 80s I think. As you say, it was a mixture of them performing the old hits - and each of them having their own spot. I love 'Headquarters'. However, although Tork was the most accomplished musician, he wasn't much of a songwriter, whereas Nez was one of the pioneers of country rock. I love all his Monkees stuff - and his solo albums, even though they were largely ignored. His surprise hit single 'Rio' is astonishing.

When I saw them Nes did 'Rio' in his solo spot!

I listened to Tantamount to Treason the other day, and I love The Prison and The Garden.

Tork seemed to be able to play anything!

 

[CliffH]

When I saw them Nes did 'Rio' in his solo spot!

I listened to Tantamount to Treason the other day, and I love The Prison and The Garden.

Tork seemed to be able to play anything!

That's interesting! I like that stuff of Nez's much less than his 'normal' songs: on 'Tantamount to Treason' I keep saying to myself, "Finish this song off properly, Nez!". I really like his 'Live at the Palais' album, even though Nez himself hated it.

Yes, it's such a shame that Tork never really achieved his ambition (other than on 'Headquarters') of being a successful, respected musician - and that drugs ruined any chance of him having a decent post-Monkees career. Also, he hated having to play the 'Ringo' character, whereas the other Monkees played roles much closer to their real selves.

 

[goodybags]

So I’m not a big film watcher but in my Ten Films would include
(not necessarily in this order)

The Roanin
Layer Cake
The Green Mile
James Bond (Goldfinger)
The Great Escape
The Italian Job (original version)
It’s a wonderful life
Rocky
Star Wars (The Empire Strikes Back)

 

[louisew]

Every time I read other people's favourites, I remember more of mine, Green Card, Up, Ghost, WallE etc, did I say Blues Brothers? Then there's the Christmas films, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Love Actually and all the rest. So much to look forward to yay.

Always watch National Lampoons at Christmas with the family

 

[Gwynn]

My 10 ish are

1. Top Gun Maverick
2. The Peanuts movie
3. Avatar (1st not the second)
4. I Robot
5. Mousehunt
6. It Could Happen to You
7. What dreams may come
8. You've got mail
9. Astronaut Farmer
10. Wallace and Gromit The Curse of the Ware Rabbit
11. The Nativity series of films
12. I'll be home for Christmas
13. Johnny English Strikes Again
14. Robot and Frank
15. Passengers, Oblivion, Lochness, Guardians of the Galaxy, Transendence, the Money Pit, most of the Star Trek films, Star Wars 4 &5 (the newer ones were pants imo), Space Cowboys, Equaliser 1, Sleepless in Seatle, The Flintstones 1, The Net, Space Cowboys, Men in Black 3, After Earth, Anne of Green Gables, Aeon Flux, Big Game, Cool Runnings....

Is that more than 10? Sorry, I put 15 🙂

 

[CliffH]

So I’m not a big film watcher but in my Ten Films would include
(not necessarily in this order)

The Roanin
Layer Cake
The Green Mile
James Bond (Goldfinger)
The Great Escape
The Italian Job (original version)
It’s a wonderful life
Rocky
Star Wars (The Empire Strikes Back)

I think it's funny in 'Layer Cake' when Daniel Craig does a James Bond impression with a gun