Wednesday, August 8, 2012

My Nominees for Top 10 Films of All Time

by Tony Dayoub


Every decade, Sight & Sound polls critics and directors, arriving at a consensus to compile what some may call a definitive list of the top 50 movies of all time. The House Next Door polled its own writers (or at least those of us who weren't invited to contribute to Sight & Sound's poll) publishing each writer's alternative top 10 throughout the month of August.

My list was posted earlier today. After the jump, I give you a hint about what films you'll see over there, using screen captures that share a common theme. Leave a comment if you can guess what I'm going for, and name the movies I've selected (no fair peeking).

A link to my list is posted below the stills.











CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL POST AT THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR

4 comments:

  1. Lessee, that’s BLUE VELVET, followed by THE SEVENTH SEAL. Starts to get tricky here—LOLA MONTES? Then THE LEOPARD? THE SEARCHERS? I think definitewly THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS after that. But I have no idea what the next three are. The seond to last looks like BLUE VELVET again…and the final is of course 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY.

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  2. Correct. I don't want to spoil it here for anyone still wanting to play along, so you can figure out the other three from my list at the House Next Door.

    The first of those three is kind of a cheat since it comes from a scene only available in the DVD's extended edition. But you do get scolded for the last of those three. Tsk, tsk.

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  3. Nicely themed visual tribute. Since (presumably) you didn't choose these films based on the fact that they all have party scenes (even 2001, after a fact) it opens up an interesting idea: selecting a series of themed screen-caps from predetermined movies; in other words, deciding the titles and THEN figuring out something they have in common that didn't initially jump out at you. Kind of cool; almost a structuralist idea - I might try this sometime...

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  4. Tony:

    Nice of you to include "The Magnificent Ambersons." I watched the film the other night for the first time in more than 30 years. Just an amazing piece of work by Welles, one that exudes grace and elegance as opposed to the sheer power and dynamism of "Citizen Kane."

    Welles' script is marvelous, at times insightful and at times very touching. The letter from Eugene to Isabel along with his comments to George about the automobile are extremely well written scenes.

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