Re: The Best Films of ALL TIME Countdown thread - 2018

[InfernusAdmin]

Rank 95 (3-way-tie)
12 Years a Slave (2013)

Rank last year - DMI
Score - 70
No. Of Lists - 1 
Average Rank - 14
Rotten Tomatoes - 96%
Box Office - 187 M$

Synopsis and General Info

When two men offer Solomon Northup a fortnightly job as a musician in the US, he gladly takes it up. But on reaching his destination, the two men drug him and enslave him.

Release date: 31 January 2014 (India)
Director: Steve McQueen
Box office: 18.77 crores USD
Screenplay: John Ridley
Awards: Academy Award for Best Picture, MORE

Personal Comments

And here we have it, our first Best Picture Academy Award Winner. This film won the prestigious oscar in 2013 beating out Gravity (which didn't make the list at all). This is a heartfelt look at the horrible cruelty that black slavery was. A film that can move most people to tears, this is definitely a deserving film. Obviously this is not the end for Best Picture winning films on the list. Which others made it? I leave for you to guess

[F-8]

No. 98
Way Back Home

Rank last year - 75 (-23)
Score - 70
No. Of Lists - 1
Average Rank - 15

For more info Contact Revant Gautam at - bestialityRocks@gmail.com

Couldn't find anything about this. Even the guy who put it in his list can't find it online but insists it's a very good film that he watched once. 
This is the first film yet that repeats into the top 100 from last year. Despite the same average rank and vote count as before its rank dropped 23 places showing just how much harder it was to make it high into the list this year.

[F-8]

Rank 95 (3-way-tie)
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Rank last year - 66 (-19)
Score - 70
No. Of Lists - 1 
Average Rank - 14
Rotten Tomatoes - 95%
Box Office - 83.25 M$


Only to be followed by another 3 way tie (don't worry these are only for a few more ranks). I recently saw this film. It's a wonderful blend of surrealistic visual fantasy and wartime drama, a horror fantasy done right.  Described by RT as Alice in Wonderland for Grown Ups. The film is considered the magnum opus of Guillermo Del Toro who won the best director oscar this year for The Shape of Water a similar blend of real world and fantasy. This film was critically acclaimed when released with a 95 on RT coupled with an incredible 8.6 avg rating and a 98 on Metacritic

Yeh Kya yaar !? Iski itni boori ranking. I ranked this movie quiet high in my list.

[InfernusAdmin]

Put this in spoilers tag so that it may not take too much screen space:

Yeah, but you were the only one who had it in his list. Films simply couldn't make it very high on this list this time without many people supporting them.

[InfernusAdmin]

Rank 93 (2-way-tie)
In Bruges (2008)

Rank last year - DMI
Score - 70
No. Of Lists - 1 
Average Rank - 11
Rotten Tomatoes - 84%
Box Office - 33.4 M$

Synopsis and General Info

Ray and Ken, two hitmen, get stuck in Bruges, Belgium, after an unsuccessful mission. The situation becomes complicated when their boss asks Ken to kill Ray.

Release date: 20 June 2008 (India)
Director: Martin McDonagh
Screenplay: Martin McDonagh
Box office: 3.45 crores USD
Awards: Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, MORE

Personal Comments

This is a film that has only very recently come to my attention. Someone recommended it to me a few weeks ago and now it makes it into the top 100 of this list. It probably got back into public attention due to Three Billboards outside ebbing missouri, by the same director, making lots of news this awards season. I have yet to see this but clearly this is a much loved film among those who've seen it. I did really like Three billboards so i'll definitely give this a go sometime soon

[InfernusAdmin]

The next film is also a 21st century best picture winner. Any guesses as to what it might be?

[F-8]

I guess Spotlight

[InfernusAdmin]

Rank 93 (2-way-tie)
Gladiator (2000)

Rank last year - DMI
Score - 70
No. Of Lists - 1 
Average Rank - 11
Rotten Tomatoes - 77%
Box Office - 460.5 M$

Synopsis and General Info

Commodus takes over power and demotes Maximus, one of the preferred generals of his father, Emperor Marcus Aurelius. As a result, Maximus is relegated to fighting till death as a gladiator.

Release date: 1 September 2000 (India)
Director: Ridley Scott
Featured song: Now We Are Free
Awards: Academy Award for Best Picture, MORE
Music director: Hans Zimmer, Lisa Gerrard

Personal Comments

And so we have our next Best Picture Winner. Surprising that this only got a single vote, albeit a high ranking one. The period drama was really loved back when it came out. Made a ton of money alongside the awards. The love for it has clearly waned over the years but it still seems to have some staunch supporters. The soundtrack is my favourite part of the film. I don't rate the film too highly myself either, otherwise but can understand why anybody would love it. It's a definite crowd pleaser with its dialogues and the hopefulness of its "a hero will rise" plot. I wonder if any other russel crowe film made the list

[InfernusAdmin]

I guess Spotlight

Ooh, very very close but no. And I don't mean very very close in terms of the year they won 

[InfernusAdmin]

Rank 92
Rear Window (1954)

Rank last year - DMI
Score - 72
No. Of Lists - 3
Average Rank - 39.66
Rotten Tomatoes - 100%
Box Office - 36.7 M$

Synopsis and General Info

Professional photographer Jeff is stuck in his apartment, recuperating from a broken leg. Out of boredom, he begins to spy on his neighbours and comes across a shocking revelation.
Initial release: 4 August 1954 (New York City)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cinematography: Robert Burks
Budget: 20 lakhs USD
Awards: Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay, National Board of Review Award for Best Actress

Personal Comments

And here we have it, our first pre 2000s film, also the second oldest film in the top 100. The film received 3 votes but its average rank was low enough that it still only made it this far into the list. And still, it isn't the lowest ranked film to be on 3 lists. There's another with a much worse average rank that came in at rank 141 that you'll soon see. Hitchcock is often considered the greatest director of all time and this one is considered one of his top 3 films. Its an intense mystery thriller that I must say was far ahead of its time with the way it was shot and how it had a strong female protagonist who does most of the action. It was almost entirely shot from within the confines of a window. It gives the viewers the same voyeuristic thrills that the protagonist is supposed to feel. While the ending and overall plot might not be liked as much by recent generations due to them feeling cliche now, I think it still holds up pretty well overall even 60+ years after it was released. This is also the first film yet to have a perfect 100% RT rating. Let's see if we get any other. Also is this the last we see of Hitchcock? What d'you guys think?

[InfernusAdmin]

Another 21st Century Bets Picture winner is coming up. Dare make another guess??

[InfernusAdmin]

Rank 91
The Departed (2006)

Rank last year - 110 (+19)
Score - 80
No. Of Lists - 3
Average Rank - 35.33
Rotten Tomatoes - 90%
Box Office - 291.46 M$

Synopsis and General Info

An undercover agent and an espionage agent try to counter-attack each other in order to save themselves from being exposed in front of the authorities.

Initial release: 26 September 2006 (New York City)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Featured song: I'm Shipping Up to Boston
Box office: 28.98 crores USD
Awards: Academy Award for Best Picture, MORE

Personal Comments

And here we have it, another best picture winner from the 2000s. The Departed is kind of a controversial film when it comes to cinephiles. While many love it to bits there are many who simply don't see what exactly is so good about it. I have myself varied between the two positions often in the past and am somewhere in the middle right now. Still, there's no argument it's a very well made film and the voters seem to agree what with this film having received 3 votes. Scorsece is one of my personal favourite directors and widely hailed as among the greatest ever by critics too. He keeps churning up masterpieces one after one and this one was another victory for him, getting him his first best picture and Best Director Oscar.  This is also the first film yet to have increased in rankings from last year moving up from Rank 110 last year.

[InfernusAdmin]

Rank 89
The Big Short (2015)

Rank last year - 32 (-57)
Score - 80
No. Of Lists - 2
Average Rank - 28.5
Rotten Tomatoes - 81%
Box Office - 133.4 M$

Synopsis and General Info

In 2008, Wall Street guru Michael Burry realizes that a number of subprime home loans are in danger of defaulting. Burry bets against the housing market by throwing more than $1 billion of his investors' money into credit default swaps. His actions attract the attention of banker Jared Vennett (Ryan… MORE
Release date: 22 January 2016 (India)
Director: Adam McKay
Box office: 13.34 crores USD
Awards: Academy Award for Best Writing Adapted Screenplay, MORE
Nominations: Academy Award for Best Picture, MORE

Personal Comments

Big Short saw a big decline from last year falling down to 89 from 32. Blame it on the recency bias last year. With a great ensemble cast this film succeeded in relaying the behind-the-scenes of an event that was otherwise quite difficult to understand for the layman. And unlike some other films like the theory of everything or a beautiful mind they didn't just let ignore of the actual work done but actually put an effort into making everyone understand what was done. As such it was quite a learning experience. And even otherwise it was a pretty good film imo. Well paced, well acted and well directed. You knew what was coming and yet you both dreaded and anticipated it. That was the magic of the direction and the screenplay. Personally I definitely loved this more than spotlight. It remains to be seen which one made it higher.

[InfernusAdmin]

Rank 89
Monty Python and The Holy Grail (1975)

Rank last year - DMI
Score - 80
No. Of Lists - 2
Average Rank - 28.5
Rotten Tomatoes - 97%
Box Office - 5M $

Synopsis and General Info

A comedic send-up of the grim circumstances of the Middle Ages as told through the story of King Arthur and framed by a modern-day murder investigation. When the mythical king of the Britons leads his knights on a quest for the Holy Grail, they face a wide array of horrors, including a persistent Black Knight, a three-headed giant, a cadre of shrubbery-challenged knights, the perilous Castle Anthrax, a killer rabbit, a house of virgins, and a handful of rude Frenchmen.
Initial release: 14 March 1975 (Los Angeles)
Directors: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
Budget: 2.3 lakhs GBP
Box office: 50 lakhs USD
Screenplay: John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones

Personal Comments

Okay so this is a comedy film like no other. Absolutely none other. NONE. You haven't seen true comedy till you've seen this. This is a surreal comedy brought to us by the Monty Python group. And it totally lives up to its name. Your mind will be completely blown by this film. Things happen in this film that.... our mere mortal minds can not even hope to comprehend. Legend has it that people who tried to understand the film's secrets lost their souls to deadly rabbits! I can't praise this film enough, honestly. It's one of the most striking films and one of the most quotable films I have ever ever watched. It has improved a lot from last year when it didn't even make the list but this is top 30 material. So yeah all of you guys who still have not.... go and fucking watch it right not and be prepared to fall in a state of transcendental bliss comparable only to the arms of llamas trained to write film credits.
This is also only the second film yet to be pre 2000's and the first one from the 70s. 

[InfernusAdmin]

Another best picture winner coming up, this time from the late 90s

[InfernusAdmin]

Rank 88
American Beauty (1999)

Rank last year - DMI
Score - 80
No. Of Lists - 2
Average Rank - 27.5
Rotten Tomatoes - 88%
Box Office - 356.3M$

Synopsis and General Info

Lester's life seems perfect, having a respectable job and a family. But inside, he is slowly slipping into depression. Struggling with life, he gets infatuated to his daughter's friend, Angela.
Initial release: 8 September 1999 (Los Angeles)
Director: Sam Mendes
Featured song: Any Other Name
Screenplay: Alan Ball
Awards: Academy Award for Best Picture, MORE

Personal Comments

And another Best Picture Oscar Winner. The first pre 2000s one. Though only barely at 1999. It comes from the director behind the last two bond flicks and the leo-winslet film, the other one, Revolutionary Road. This film is also a controversial one in that many love it a lot while many consider it very mediocre. Oh and also because of the recent allegations against Kevin Spacey. I haven't watched it yet though so I can't say much about it. 

[InfernusAdmin]

Two more 21st century best picture winners coming up. Anyone up for the task of guessing even one of them?

[InfernusAdmin]

Rank 87
Spotlight (2015)

Rank last year - 52 (-35)
Score - 80
No. Of Lists - 2
Average Rank - 26
Rotten Tomatoes - 97%
Box Office - 88.3M$

Synopsis and General Info

Martin 'Marty' Baron joins the Boston Globe as an editor and pushes four journalists, Michael, Walter, Sacha and Matt, to pursue a story about the child molestation charges against the local church.
Initial release: 6 November 2015 (USA)
Director: Tom McCarthy
Awards: Academy Award for Best Picture, MORE
Nominations: Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, MORE
Screenplay: Tom McCarthy, Josh Singer

Personal Comments

And another Best Picture Oscar Winner. The latest yet. Spotlight falls down a lot from last year, 35 places. Again, recency bias being lifted. It manages to trump big short though, to my displeasure. This is a great film, no doubt, but definitely not the best one from 2015. Ah well. The film is about how a group of dedicated reporters got around to uncovering and revealing the horrible truth behind the Church, and it's based on a true story. It's a moving film. And it does very well what it sets out to do. 
The battle for the winner of 2015 wasn't between Big Short and this though. Neither was even a contender. There are actually 2 more 2015 films higher up on the list. Can anyone guess which ones and how much higher they'll get?

[InfernusAdmin]

Rank 86
Birdman (2014)

Rank last year - 123 (+37)
Score - 80
No. Of Lists - 1
Average Rank - 10
Rotten Tomatoes - 92%
Box Office - 103.2M$

Synopsis and General Info

Riggan Thomson, a fading cinema superhero, plans to resurrect his career with a passionate Broadway production. However, during rehearsals, his co-star is injured forcing him to hire a new actor.
Initial release: 17 October 2014 (USA)
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki
Budget: $16.5-18 million
Awards: Academy Award for Best Picture, MORE

Personal Comments

And another Best Picture Oscar Winner!! What the fuck is happening here? That's 3 in a row now. This one's from 2014. This is a film my opinion over which has changed a lot since when I first saw it. Maybe it was just because I was too young back then, but when I first saw this I wasn't impressed at all by it. At best it was a 7/10 for me. But over the years I've grown to appreciate this film a lot more. It is indeed a great film, with some impeccable acting and masterful Camerawork (the entire film is shot as if in one take). Innaritu won his first best director oscar for this, a feat that he repeated next year with Revenant. He also won the special achievement Oscar (awarded for the first time in 22 years) this year.... Man, that guy has been on quite the spree. And in all three occasions he had with him the greatest cinematographer of modern times Emmanuel 'Chivo' Lubezki. He won the best cinematographer oscar for this and then for Revenant the next year and had won it for Gravity the year before. What a duo. Anyways, this film goes is a character study unique in that it takes place over a very short period of a few days. That it still manages to make such a character out of keaton is, quite frankly, incredible. We get to see a lot of complexities in his character, superbly portrayed by keaton despite knowing him for a matter of days. The birdman angle and the ambiguous ending only serve to lift the film to greater heights. If any of you felt the film was nothing special when you watched it the first time round, do give it another watch now.
That's it, I think, for the streak of best picture winners and I don't think we'll be seeing another one for a long time now. This was also one of the last few films to receive only one vote. It managed to get so high due that lone vote being a top 10 vote. A few more single vote entries are still to come.

[InfernusAdmin]

And now we'll get back to the films we left behind

[InfernusAdmin]

Ranks 180-165 - 

Rank	Film	Score	Votes	Average Rank
166	Into the Wild	30	1	31
167	Gol Maal	30	1	31
168	Eyes Wide Shut	30	1	32
169	Braveheart	30	1	32
170	It's a wonderful life	30	1	33
171	Night at the Museum	30	1	33
172	Hangover 2	30	1	33
173	Princess Mononoke (1997)	30	1	34
174	The Interview	30	1	34
175	DONNIE DARKO	30	1	34
176	Bhagam Bhaag	30	1	34
177	Perfect Blue (1997)	30	1	35
178	Survivor	30	1	35
179	The Big Lebowski	30	1	35
180	Spiderman 2 (tobey maguire waali)	25	2	43

[InfernusAdmin]

10 of the next 15 films only received a single vote. And they are the last 10 films to have received only a single vote. This is just as high as that's going to take you. All of these films were in the Top 10 of the one person who put it on their list. For some reason or the other, most probably the others not having seen them, nobody else put it on their lists at all. So this is a great chance to discover some really great new films. This is also a time to be tense and worried. Worried that one of your favorites ended up so low down (although honestly speaking making it to the top 85 is no minor feat) due to lack of recognition from others. So keep a close watch.

[InfernusAdmin]

Anybody who thinks one of their top ten or none of their top 10 will be one of those coming up?

[F-8]

I am totally saddened by the fact that Pans Labyrinth was having such a bad ranking.

[InfernusAdmin]

Some more stats about the number of votes films received. 

No film received all 12 votes. There were 4 films that received at least 10 though

Also, as is already very clear, more votes doesn't necessarily mean a better rank.

Films with 6 votes coincidentally performed very well and showed a very stark example of this as the lowest ranked film with 6 votes ranked higher than the lowest ranking film with 7 votes and the highest ranking film with 6 votes also ranked higher than the highest ranked film with 7 votes!

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