Jason KingSalty Popcorn's Massive Top 50 Films Pt 4
April 13th 2008 11:01
Category: No Category
Only two more batches and the mammoth top 50 is complete. Thankyou all very much for reading and a special thanks to those who have added a comment.
So, please enjoy my favorite films in order from Number 19 - 11 (must have a complete top 10). Please also note that the price you see next to the title is what I believe the ticket price is worth, with the most expensive movie ticket costing $16- in Australia. And if I think a film is worth $16- then it's bloody perfect. Only one so far have I seen that will appear in the next batch and I will no doubt get bagged for loving the film. Any guesses? LOL
OK - Enjoy.
Number 19:
Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) $14.50
This is such a beautiful film. Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary-Louise Parker are all sensational in this comedy drama that spans a lifetime. It mixes a brilliant balance of comedy and crying and fine cooking.
Evelyn Couch meets an elderly woman named Ninny Threadgoode in a nursing home waiting room. Ninny tells her the story of the now-abandoned town of Whistle Stop, Alabama, and the people that lived there - specifically the tale of the relationship between Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison, the two women who ran the Whistle Stop Cafe. As the story of Idgie and Ruth (and a missing person) develops, Evelyn Couch finds herself being empowered by the stories of the strong-willed Idgie and the fiercely loyal and independent Ruth. She also finds a true best friend in Ninny.
Trivia: There really is a Whistlestop Cafe that does indeed serve fried green tomatoes (among other Southern foods) just North of Macon Georgia. It is the actual area where many of the scenes were filmed, such as the Cafe and a few surrounding houses. Although they may have filmed in Georgia, the true Whistle Stop Cafe is in Irondale, Alabama (a suburb or Birmingham, where Author Fannie Flagg grew up.)
Number 18:
La Cité des enfants perdus or The City of Lost Children (1995) $14.50
This director is one of the most original visionaries of our time who is a master of creating a visual feast. Jean-Pierre Jeunet has directed some cinematic brilliance. Delicatessen, Amelie, the not very liked Alien 4 and this one - my fave of the lot (although the orchestrated sex scene in Delicatessen is one of the best scenes in film). In this film the evil Krank in an alternate world kidnaps children to steal their dreams which will slow his aging process. When one young child (Denree) is kidnapped, his monster of a brother (played by Ron Perlman - Hellboy) sets out to find him. Amazing!!!!
Number 17:
Unforgiven (1992) $14.50
My favorite a) Western and b) Clint Eastwood film. One of the best "building" films I have seen - the tension builds from the get go and you know the end is going to be great and the showdown is everything I wanted it to be. This cleaned up at the Oscars, 4 trophies for supporting actor (Gene Hackman) who was one of the most evil people on screen in this film, Best Film & Director goes to Clint - this was his baby (directed and starred) and best editing. I bow to you Clint Eastwood.
Number 16:
The Towering Inferno (1974) $14.50
I only watched this for the first time only a few years ago and it blew me away. Up there with Die Hard as the skyscraper action film to watch. The cast is amazing. Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Richard Chamberlain, Robert Wagner and OJ Simpson. HUGE. Great acting, awesome tension and just a scary thought to be stuck in that situation. If you haven't seen it it's all about a grand opening of a massive state of the art skyscraper. A fire breaks out and threatens all at the party. It's their fight for survival.
Trivia: 1) At Steve McQueen's insistence, he and co-star Paul Newman had to have exactly the same number of lines of dialogue in the script 2) Two of the stars, Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway left strict instructions that they should not be approached by visitors to the set. McQueen also refused to give any interviews. Paul Newman asked only that he not be 'surprised'. 3) Principal photography was completed on Sept. 11th 1974 - think about the date - 9/11, the same date as the twin towers.
Number 15:
The Poseidon Adventure (1972 - the year I was born) $14.50
WOW - this film turns 36 this year. That's like, still a baby. LOL. But even though, as a film, it's an old film I will use my technical term and state that is absolutely SHITS BRICKS on the remake. Seriously - this a purely timeless action film. One of the BEST EVER. And what a cast - Gene Hackman, Ernist Borgnine, Roddy McDowall, Shelley Winters and lots of others I don't know but am sure are famous. LOL This film should be way before my time but if it re-released now it would make a fortune. I would love to see this on the big screen.
It is the tale of the passengers on an ocean liner trying to escape after a tsunami capsizes the boat at sea. People die everywhere and it's a battle for survival.
Trivia: 1) Shot in sequence, taking advantage of the fact that the principals became dirtier and more tattered and suffered injuries - some real and some artificial - as they progressed 2) Some of the pre-capsize sequences were shot aboard the Queen Mary, including the opening storm sequence, the pre-disaster scenes in the staterooms and hallways, the scenes above decks, and an early scene in the engine room.
Number 14:
The Basketball Diaries (1995) $15-
The best acting LEO has ever done. Truly remarkable and deserved of that Oscar or 10 he should have received by now. In this film he will reach into your chest and rip your heart out.
This is the film adaption of street poet and muso Jim Carroll's downward spiral into a world of drugs as desperation. You may also notice a very young Mark Wahlberg as one of his mates and Lorraine Bracco is fabulous as Leo's mum. Make sure you have tissues with you when you watch it!!
Trivia: After being nominated for an Oscar for Running on Empty (1988), MTV asked River Phoenix what he wanted to do next. He responded by pulling out a beat up paperback of "The Basketball Diaries" and stated "I wanted to play Jim Carroll." Later, the Los Angeles Times declared, "River Phoenix may have wanted it too much." Leonardo DiCaprio was a fan of Phoenix's.
Number 13:
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) $15-
AS IF any of you need a plot summary of this one. Most people vote the third film as the better but to me this was the one. This is where I met them all and the story was set and I got to fret for a year awaiting the next installment. These are now my sick films. If I am ever sick I watch all 3 directors cuts back to back while under a doona on the couch. Bring on the 2 Hobbit films next year. Am reading the Hobbit now and LOVING IT.
Trivia: 1) Daniel Day-Lewis turned down the role of Aragorn. 2) The climactic fight scene was shot in the middle of a heatwave, with temperatures in excess of 100 degrees. Many of the actors playing the Uruk'hais had to be carried off the set with heat exhaustion. 3) The Tolkien estate was never in favor of Peter Jackson's film adaptation but seeing as J.R.R. Tolkien signed the rights away in 1968 for $15,000, there was nothing they could do about it. Tolkien's grandson Simon came out in support of the production and was disowned by his relatives. Tolkien's son Christopher later retracted any opposition. 4) It is estimated that filming of the trilogy pumped about $200,000,000 into the New Zealand economy. The New Zealand government even created a Minister for Lord of the Rings, whose remit was to exploit all the economic opportunities the films represented. 5) The total budget for all 3 films, including marketing, came to a mere 1/2 a billion dollars.
Number 12:
Wall Street (1987) $15-
Gordon Gekko RULES. LOL. Micheal Douglas win the only Oscar awarded this film for his amazing portrayal of a Wall Street shark. This was probably Charlie Sheen's best role as a junior stockbroker that will do anything to get to the top, what works fabulously is that Martin Sheen plays his father in the film. This is probably one of Oliver Stone's best films and it's a tale of the battle between ethics and greed. Brilliant.
Trivia: 1) Director Oliver Stone's first two choices to play Gordon Gekko were Richard Gere and Warren Beatty. 2) As of 2007, this is the only movie to win both an Oscar (Best Actor: Michael Douglas) and a Razzie (Worst Supporting Actress: Daryl Hannah). 3) Oliver Stone gave Charlie Sheen the choice of having either Jack Lemmon or Martin Sheen play his father (Carl Fox). Charlie chose his dad.
Number 11:
Brokeback Mountain (2005) $15-
Ang Lee's masterpiece that brought gay to the mainstream. The cinematography and acting in this film is so brilliant. The late Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal fooled me so well I was sure they could be gay. I kind of wished Jake was. LOL. All up - around the world this film won 80 film awards including 3 Oscars. This was also the film that brought Heath and Michelle Williams together to create the only child Heath left behind. Acting and settings are mind blowing and this will make the most heterosexual male alive a little bit teary.
Trivia: 1) According to reports, Heath Ledger nearly broke co-star Jake Gyllenhaal's nose while filming a kissing scene. 2) Ang Lee struggled continually with the sheep during the shoot. Apparently sheep don't drink from running water, only ponds and dams. Ang tried all day to get the sheep to drink from a stream, but they wouldn't oblige. He had to give up on the shot. Also, American sheep carry a bacteria/virus that Canadian sheep don't possess. The film's scene where two herds of sheep become mixed up had some nightmarish real-life parallels, as the Canadian government had expressly warned them of dire consequences if they caused any disease to spread to the local animals from the south-of-the-border variety. 3) Director Ang Lee gave Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal copies of the book, "Farm Boys: Lives of Gay Men from the Rural Midwest", by Will Fellows, to help them understand their characters. Noting what he learned from his reading, Gyllenhaal said, "I don't think that these two characters even know what gay is." 4) Writer Annie Proulx sent both Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger an original, autographed copy of her story. When she signed the copy to Jake she wrote "To Jake..." however when she signed the copy she had intended to give to Heath she signed it "To Ennis," After writing out her personal message she realized what she had done and decided to leave it be. In a private screening at Arclight in Hollywood, CA she reflected that Heath Ledger really was Ennis. She left the signed copy that way because she had felt Mr. Ledger has embodied Ennis in every way she had wrote him. 5) Heath Ledger was going to turn down the role when he was first offered it, but his then girlfriend, Naomi Watts, encouraged him to take it.
Well that's it for this round. I must thank IMDB for all the trivia used in all the top 50. I just love the trivia and some of these shocked me.
Thanks for reading.
So, please enjoy my favorite films in order from Number 19 - 11 (must have a complete top 10). Please also note that the price you see next to the title is what I believe the ticket price is worth, with the most expensive movie ticket costing $16- in Australia. And if I think a film is worth $16- then it's bloody perfect. Only one so far have I seen that will appear in the next batch and I will no doubt get bagged for loving the film. Any guesses? LOL
OK - Enjoy.
Number 19:
Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) $14.50
This is such a beautiful film. Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary-Louise Parker are all sensational in this comedy drama that spans a lifetime. It mixes a brilliant balance of comedy and crying and fine cooking.
Evelyn Couch meets an elderly woman named Ninny Threadgoode in a nursing home waiting room. Ninny tells her the story of the now-abandoned town of Whistle Stop, Alabama, and the people that lived there - specifically the tale of the relationship between Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison, the two women who ran the Whistle Stop Cafe. As the story of Idgie and Ruth (and a missing person) develops, Evelyn Couch finds herself being empowered by the stories of the strong-willed Idgie and the fiercely loyal and independent Ruth. She also finds a true best friend in Ninny.
Trivia: There really is a Whistlestop Cafe that does indeed serve fried green tomatoes (among other Southern foods) just North of Macon Georgia. It is the actual area where many of the scenes were filmed, such as the Cafe and a few surrounding houses. Although they may have filmed in Georgia, the true Whistle Stop Cafe is in Irondale, Alabama (a suburb or Birmingham, where Author Fannie Flagg grew up.)
Number 18:
La Cité des enfants perdus or The City of Lost Children (1995) $14.50
This director is one of the most original visionaries of our time who is a master of creating a visual feast. Jean-Pierre Jeunet has directed some cinematic brilliance. Delicatessen, Amelie, the not very liked Alien 4 and this one - my fave of the lot (although the orchestrated sex scene in Delicatessen is one of the best scenes in film). In this film the evil Krank in an alternate world kidnaps children to steal their dreams which will slow his aging process. When one young child (Denree) is kidnapped, his monster of a brother (played by Ron Perlman - Hellboy) sets out to find him. Amazing!!!!
Number 17:
Unforgiven (1992) $14.50
My favorite a) Western and b) Clint Eastwood film. One of the best "building" films I have seen - the tension builds from the get go and you know the end is going to be great and the showdown is everything I wanted it to be. This cleaned up at the Oscars, 4 trophies for supporting actor (Gene Hackman) who was one of the most evil people on screen in this film, Best Film & Director goes to Clint - this was his baby (directed and starred) and best editing. I bow to you Clint Eastwood.
Number 16:
The Towering Inferno (1974) $14.50
I only watched this for the first time only a few years ago and it blew me away. Up there with Die Hard as the skyscraper action film to watch. The cast is amazing. Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Richard Chamberlain, Robert Wagner and OJ Simpson. HUGE. Great acting, awesome tension and just a scary thought to be stuck in that situation. If you haven't seen it it's all about a grand opening of a massive state of the art skyscraper. A fire breaks out and threatens all at the party. It's their fight for survival.
Trivia: 1) At Steve McQueen's insistence, he and co-star Paul Newman had to have exactly the same number of lines of dialogue in the script 2) Two of the stars, Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway left strict instructions that they should not be approached by visitors to the set. McQueen also refused to give any interviews. Paul Newman asked only that he not be 'surprised'. 3) Principal photography was completed on Sept. 11th 1974 - think about the date - 9/11, the same date as the twin towers.
Number 15:
The Poseidon Adventure (1972 - the year I was born) $14.50
WOW - this film turns 36 this year. That's like, still a baby. LOL. But even though, as a film, it's an old film I will use my technical term and state that is absolutely SHITS BRICKS on the remake. Seriously - this a purely timeless action film. One of the BEST EVER. And what a cast - Gene Hackman, Ernist Borgnine, Roddy McDowall, Shelley Winters and lots of others I don't know but am sure are famous. LOL This film should be way before my time but if it re-released now it would make a fortune. I would love to see this on the big screen.
It is the tale of the passengers on an ocean liner trying to escape after a tsunami capsizes the boat at sea. People die everywhere and it's a battle for survival.
Trivia: 1) Shot in sequence, taking advantage of the fact that the principals became dirtier and more tattered and suffered injuries - some real and some artificial - as they progressed 2) Some of the pre-capsize sequences were shot aboard the Queen Mary, including the opening storm sequence, the pre-disaster scenes in the staterooms and hallways, the scenes above decks, and an early scene in the engine room.
Number 14:
The Basketball Diaries (1995) $15-
The best acting LEO has ever done. Truly remarkable and deserved of that Oscar or 10 he should have received by now. In this film he will reach into your chest and rip your heart out.
This is the film adaption of street poet and muso Jim Carroll's downward spiral into a world of drugs as desperation. You may also notice a very young Mark Wahlberg as one of his mates and Lorraine Bracco is fabulous as Leo's mum. Make sure you have tissues with you when you watch it!!
Trivia: After being nominated for an Oscar for Running on Empty (1988), MTV asked River Phoenix what he wanted to do next. He responded by pulling out a beat up paperback of "The Basketball Diaries" and stated "I wanted to play Jim Carroll." Later, the Los Angeles Times declared, "River Phoenix may have wanted it too much." Leonardo DiCaprio was a fan of Phoenix's.
Number 13:
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) $15-
AS IF any of you need a plot summary of this one. Most people vote the third film as the better but to me this was the one. This is where I met them all and the story was set and I got to fret for a year awaiting the next installment. These are now my sick films. If I am ever sick I watch all 3 directors cuts back to back while under a doona on the couch. Bring on the 2 Hobbit films next year. Am reading the Hobbit now and LOVING IT.
Trivia: 1) Daniel Day-Lewis turned down the role of Aragorn. 2) The climactic fight scene was shot in the middle of a heatwave, with temperatures in excess of 100 degrees. Many of the actors playing the Uruk'hais had to be carried off the set with heat exhaustion. 3) The Tolkien estate was never in favor of Peter Jackson's film adaptation but seeing as J.R.R. Tolkien signed the rights away in 1968 for $15,000, there was nothing they could do about it. Tolkien's grandson Simon came out in support of the production and was disowned by his relatives. Tolkien's son Christopher later retracted any opposition. 4) It is estimated that filming of the trilogy pumped about $200,000,000 into the New Zealand economy. The New Zealand government even created a Minister for Lord of the Rings, whose remit was to exploit all the economic opportunities the films represented. 5) The total budget for all 3 films, including marketing, came to a mere 1/2 a billion dollars.
Number 12:
Wall Street (1987) $15-
Gordon Gekko RULES. LOL. Micheal Douglas win the only Oscar awarded this film for his amazing portrayal of a Wall Street shark. This was probably Charlie Sheen's best role as a junior stockbroker that will do anything to get to the top, what works fabulously is that Martin Sheen plays his father in the film. This is probably one of Oliver Stone's best films and it's a tale of the battle between ethics and greed. Brilliant.
Trivia: 1) Director Oliver Stone's first two choices to play Gordon Gekko were Richard Gere and Warren Beatty. 2) As of 2007, this is the only movie to win both an Oscar (Best Actor: Michael Douglas) and a Razzie (Worst Supporting Actress: Daryl Hannah). 3) Oliver Stone gave Charlie Sheen the choice of having either Jack Lemmon or Martin Sheen play his father (Carl Fox). Charlie chose his dad.
Number 11:
Brokeback Mountain (2005) $15-
Ang Lee's masterpiece that brought gay to the mainstream. The cinematography and acting in this film is so brilliant. The late Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal fooled me so well I was sure they could be gay. I kind of wished Jake was. LOL. All up - around the world this film won 80 film awards including 3 Oscars. This was also the film that brought Heath and Michelle Williams together to create the only child Heath left behind. Acting and settings are mind blowing and this will make the most heterosexual male alive a little bit teary.
Trivia: 1) According to reports, Heath Ledger nearly broke co-star Jake Gyllenhaal's nose while filming a kissing scene. 2) Ang Lee struggled continually with the sheep during the shoot. Apparently sheep don't drink from running water, only ponds and dams. Ang tried all day to get the sheep to drink from a stream, but they wouldn't oblige. He had to give up on the shot. Also, American sheep carry a bacteria/virus that Canadian sheep don't possess. The film's scene where two herds of sheep become mixed up had some nightmarish real-life parallels, as the Canadian government had expressly warned them of dire consequences if they caused any disease to spread to the local animals from the south-of-the-border variety. 3) Director Ang Lee gave Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal copies of the book, "Farm Boys: Lives of Gay Men from the Rural Midwest", by Will Fellows, to help them understand their characters. Noting what he learned from his reading, Gyllenhaal said, "I don't think that these two characters even know what gay is." 4) Writer Annie Proulx sent both Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger an original, autographed copy of her story. When she signed the copy to Jake she wrote "To Jake..." however when she signed the copy she had intended to give to Heath she signed it "To Ennis," After writing out her personal message she realized what she had done and decided to leave it be. In a private screening at Arclight in Hollywood, CA she reflected that Heath Ledger really was Ennis. She left the signed copy that way because she had felt Mr. Ledger has embodied Ennis in every way she had wrote him. 5) Heath Ledger was going to turn down the role when he was first offered it, but his then girlfriend, Naomi Watts, encouraged him to take it.
Well that's it for this round. I must thank IMDB for all the trivia used in all the top 50. I just love the trivia and some of these shocked me.
Thanks for reading.
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Comment by Morgan Bell
Science News
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
fried green tomatoes is a fabulous story, one of the first of the genre of old lady telling a tale from her youth (im thinking: titantic, the notebook, how to make an american quilt etc)
unforgiven is one of the few cowboy movies i really like, i also like tombstone and the missing
well done finding such great images for all these films, it really jogs the memory!
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Comment by Cheryl J
Rhythmatism
Zentertainment
Budget Centsability
[Evelyn is cut off in a parking lot]
Evelyn: Hey! I was waiting for that spot!
Girl #1: Face it, lady, we're younger and faster!
[Evelyn rear-ends the other car six times]
Girl #1: What are you doing?
Girl #2: Are you crazy?
Evelyn: Face it, girls, I'm older and I have more insurance.
THAT will be me. I hate being cut off and age does have some benefits! Mwahahaha!!
Comment by Bill D
Comment by Cibbuano
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
surprised at how much I liked Unforgiven... I didn't enjoy City of Lost Children, actually. I dunno... maybe one that should be enjoyed on the big screen? On my little screen, the visuals are lost...