The Top Ten
Okay, here's a fun game.
Right now, without too much thought, see if you can reel off your top ten favorite films of all time.
Harder than it looks isn't it? I know. And here's why: Nobody wants to leave out one of those "gems" that forever affected them (or maybe even helped shape a part of their life).
I constructed my first list about five years ago. A close buddy of mine recently reissued the challenge and I'm still amazed at just how difficult it is to whittle a lifetime of great cinema down to a measly ten titles.
It's especially entertaining when your significant other, close friend, co-worker or family member lists a film that you'd never in a million years suspect them of liking.
There are a few rules:
1. Don't spend a lot of time thinking about it -- just jot down the most memorable films that pop into your head. You can always re-edit your list later (and trust me, you will)
2. Animated films absolutely count. My wife wanted to have her own separate top ten list for feature-length animated fare but in this game, it's not a separate category.
3. An entire trilogy (like the"Godfather" movies or the "Star Wars" films) DOES NOT count as just one film (come on . . . you didn't expect it to be that easy did you?)
4. Here's a helpful hint: Think "Watchability". It doesn't matter how "well-constructed" the film is or how critically acclaimed it was. All that matters is how enjoyable or meaningful it was to you. One good rule of thumb is to ask yourself whether or not a film has successfully withstood the test of time. For example, I'd be hard-pressed to label "Beastmaster", "Evil Dead" or "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" great cinema, but I've seen each of them a hundred times over. And if I crossed through a room in which any of the three happened to be playing on cable, I'd have a pretty hard time not plopping down and watching them again
It's always surprising to see what comes to mind first. After further editing, I ended up sticking with about eight of my original titles. For those of you who care, I'll publish my list in a separate post.
Happy listing!
Right now, without too much thought, see if you can reel off your top ten favorite films of all time.
Harder than it looks isn't it? I know. And here's why: Nobody wants to leave out one of those "gems" that forever affected them (or maybe even helped shape a part of their life).
I constructed my first list about five years ago. A close buddy of mine recently reissued the challenge and I'm still amazed at just how difficult it is to whittle a lifetime of great cinema down to a measly ten titles.
It's especially entertaining when your significant other, close friend, co-worker or family member lists a film that you'd never in a million years suspect them of liking.
There are a few rules:
1. Don't spend a lot of time thinking about it -- just jot down the most memorable films that pop into your head. You can always re-edit your list later (and trust me, you will)
2. Animated films absolutely count. My wife wanted to have her own separate top ten list for feature-length animated fare but in this game, it's not a separate category.
3. An entire trilogy (like the"Godfather" movies or the "Star Wars" films) DOES NOT count as just one film (come on . . . you didn't expect it to be that easy did you?)
4. Here's a helpful hint: Think "Watchability". It doesn't matter how "well-constructed" the film is or how critically acclaimed it was. All that matters is how enjoyable or meaningful it was to you. One good rule of thumb is to ask yourself whether or not a film has successfully withstood the test of time. For example, I'd be hard-pressed to label "Beastmaster", "Evil Dead" or "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" great cinema, but I've seen each of them a hundred times over. And if I crossed through a room in which any of the three happened to be playing on cable, I'd have a pretty hard time not plopping down and watching them again
It's always surprising to see what comes to mind first. After further editing, I ended up sticking with about eight of my original titles. For those of you who care, I'll publish my list in a separate post.
Happy listing!
posted by Rochelle Smith at 10:57 PM
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