Taking my cue from a post at the terrific
Rupert Pupkin Speaks blog (who in turn got the idea from the equally great
Citizenrobot.com), I've decided to put together a list of 26 favorite films, each beginning with a unique letter of the alphabet. This is by no means a list of what I consider the best films, more a list of favorites which have impacted me personally over the years. Even so, this was a tougher list to put together than I originally thought it would be. I found myself kicking so many great films to the curb in favor of sentimental favorites that I may find myself making another list sometime soon so I can include some the greats that I left off this time.
A is for Annie Hall
B is for Breathless
C is for Caligula
D is for Diner
E is for The Exorcist
F is for A Fistful of Dollars
G is for Godzilla
H is for Hair
I is for Invasion of the Body Snatchers
J is for Jaws
K is for King Kong
L is for The Last Temptation of Christ
M is for Mulholland Drive
N is for Nashville
O is for Once Upon a Time in the West
P is for Pink Flamingos
Q is for Q
R is for Repo Man
S is for Suspiria
T is for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
U is for Under the Volcano
V is for Vertigo
W is for War of the Worlds
X is for X: The Man With the X-Ray Eyes
Y is for Young Frankenstein
Z is for Zulu
I'd love to see other folks try their hands at such a list. If you feel up to making one of your own please let me know so I can check it out.
Great list!! Huge DINER fan here. Considered it for mine. Also, been meaning to see ZULU forever! Even have a blu-ray!!
ReplyDeleteI'm ashamed to say I'd probably choose Zardoz for Z. (although come to think of it, Zelig or Z would do). I should have done my own list before reading yours, there's so much I'd probably agree on anyway, but I'll wait a few days to try to forget what I've just seen.
ReplyDeleteTo up, or lower the ante, how about the worst films alphabet -- Y is for Yentl.
Hey, YENTL would be fine if not for Barbra and the songs. A little of IB Singer managed to leak through. Or was I just looking at Amy Irving too much. The worst list would run heavily to Jerry Lewis and Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence for me as defaults, till each letter was carefully considered.
ReplyDeleteI suspect a small prize has to be offered for the first person to use another film than Q for q.
Z beats ZARDOZ, but for me ZARDOZ pulls out ahead of ZELIG, though that is one of the better WA films. ZULU is an interesting choice, a film that isn't given quite the consideration it deserves.
So, which letter gave you the most trouble, Chuck?
@Rupert - Thanks! If you're talking about the ZULU blu-ray from the UK, I have it as well. It looks great!
ReplyDelete@Brian & Todd- YENTL may not make my worst list, but it would be on my list of most embarrassing vanity productions. And ZARDOZ is a great film, several decades ahead of its time. Todd, M was toughest for me. There were lots of great films but there was no way I was leaving MULHOLLAND DRIVE off the list.