Thomas T's favorite/best movies by years 1928-2019 (1 Viewer)

[TravisR]

By whom? You're entitled to your own opinion.

I'll step up and admonish Thomas for not worshipping Shadow Of A Doubt as a masterpiece.

 

[Dick]

Here's mine - and it was an incredibly tough list to make. For many years I struggled with what I'd call my "favorite" as there were many. Other years I struggled to actually *find* a "favorite" as I just didn't consider them to be very good years. As always, I totally ignored popularity, Oscars, and what are considered "good" movies, totally focusing on what *I* liked best. One of my toughest choices was selecting 1968's Planet of the Apes over 2001: A Space Odyssey. In the end, Planet won simply because I find parts of 2001 to be something of a slog. It was also difficult selecting 1956's Invasion of the Body Snatchers over Demille's The Ten Commandments and 1931's Frankenstein over Monkey Business. And those weren't the only tough choices.

1929 - The Cocoanuts
1930 - Animal Crackers
1931 - Frankenstein
1932 - Tarzan the Ape Man
1933 - King Kong
1934 - The Thin Man
1935 - Captain Blood
1936 - After the Thin Man
1937 - Topper
1938 - The Adventures of Robin Hood
1939 - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
1940 - His Girl Friday
1941 - Buck Privates
1942 - To Be or Not to Be
1943 - Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon
1944 - Arsenic and Old Lace
1945 - Christmas in Connecticut
1946 - My Darling Clementine
1947 - Miracle on 34th Street
1948 - The Three Musketeers
1949 - Ma and Pa Kettle
1950 - Treasure Island
1951 - Day the Earth Stood Still
1952 - Monkey Business
1953 - The War of the Worlds
1954 - Gojira!
1955 - Mister Roberts
1956 - Invasion of the Body Snatchers
1957 - Bridge on the River Kwai
1958 - The Fly
1959 - Journey to the Center of the Earth
1960 - Spartacus
1961 - Pit and the Pendulum
1962 - The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence
1963 - Charade
1964 - My Fair Lady
1965 - The Sons of Katie Elder
1966 - The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
1967 - In Like Flint
1968 - Planet of the Apes
1969 - Paint Your Wagon
1970 - M*A*S*H
1971 - A Clockwork Orange
1972 - What's Up Doc?
1973 - The Three Musketeers
1974 - Blazing Saddles
1975 - Monty Python and the Holy Grail
1976 - In the Dust of Stars
1977 - Star Wars (aka Star Wars IV: A New Hope)
1978 - Animal House
1979 - Alien
1980 - The Shining
1981 - Raiders of the Lost Ark
1982 - Blade Runner
1983 - The Right Stuff
1984 - This is Spinal Tap
1985 - Fright Night
1986 - The Fly
1987 - The Princess Bride
1988 - A Fish Called Wanda
1989 - Batman
1990 - Total Recall
1991 - The Addams Family
1992 - Army of Darkness
1993 - Dazed and Confused
1994 - The Legend of Drunken Master
1995 - Twelve Monkeys
1996 - Rumble in the Bronx
1997 - Gattaca
1998 - Rush Hour
1999 - Galaxy Quest
2000 - The Chronicles of Riddick: Pitch Black
2001 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2002 - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2003 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2004 - Shaun of the Dead
2005 - King Kong
2006 - Black Sheep
2007 - Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End
2008 - Journey to the Center of the Earth
2009 - Moon
2010 - Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
2011 - Rise of the Planet of the Apes
2012 - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
2013 - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
2014 - The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
2015 - The Martian
2016 - Deadpool
2017 - Wonder Woman

I am pleased to see you choosing THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME as your favorite film of 1939. That was an awesome year, arguably the best, but I prefer your choice (and mine) over the rest of the crop, including GONE WITH THE WIND and THE WIZARD OF OZ. Laughton's Hunchback is hands down the most emotionally satisfying portrayal of all, and easily the best adaptation of the Victor Hugo book. The production itself is without peer that year, in my opinion. I feel...its recreation of Paris and the cathedral are spectacular; the casting was flawless; career-best performances by Laughton, O'Hara, and Hardwicke. the Newman music score is gloriously memorable, and inseparable from the film; the photography and set design....oh, hell, I think it's the best movie of that year, period, but the Academy did not see it that way. It was nominated for a a pair of Oscars in 1939, but won neither of them.

As a side note: Million Dollar Movie (WOR-TV, channel 9 in New York) ran this film 16 times in a single week when I was young, which was my first exposure to it. I probably watched it about 10 times that week, memorizing the dialog, the music cues, even where the commercial breaks were. On t.v. back then, commercial breaks figured in, I was seeing a movie that ran roughly 75-78 minutes in length. Many years later, I ordered a Super 8mm copy of the film from U.K., which ran 117 minutes. Whoa! Entire subplots I had never seen were suddenly there! A film I had loved quickly and exponentially got even better.

Of course, I bought the laserdisc (which had a partial commentary) and then the Warner Bros DVD and, most recently, the Blu-ray, the latter of which looks pretty damn good. This movie is simply superb, and anyone on this forum who hasn't seen it NEEDS TO RENT OR BUY IT RIGHT AWAY!

 

[Thomas T]

By whom? You're entitled to your own opinion.

Other film geeks on other sites (HTF isn't the only one I frequent) and a few in person . Of course, I'm entitled to my opinion but that doesn't stop some people who feel the need to shake their finger at you for not appreciating a film "masterpiece". The irony, of course, is that I don't dislike it unlike some other beloved "classics" which I can't stand. It's just a film I can't warm up to. There will always be someone around who'll say, "If you don't like Fill In The Blank, then you don't know a good movie when you see it". I have my strong opinions and it will rub some people the wrong way (it's happened at the HTF a couple of times) but I'll continue to voice them without hostility or attitude (unlike some people, no names )

 

[Thomas T]

I'll step up and admonish Thomas for not worshipping Shadow Of A Doubt as a masterpiece.

When Joseph Cotten is trying to push Teresa Wright off the train, I'm cheering him on

 

[TravisR]

When Joseph Cotten is trying to push Teresa Wright off the train, I'm cheering him on

I'd be on Joseph Cotten's side if he was trying to kill her younger sister. That kid's annoying.

 

[BobO'Link]

I am pleased to see you choosing THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME as your favorite film of 1939. That was an awesome year, arguably the best, but I prefer your choice (and mine) over the rest of the crop, including GONE WITH THE WIND and THE WIZARD OF OZ. Laughton's Hunchback is hands down the most emotionally satisfying portrayal of all, and easily the best adaptation of the Victor Hugo book. The production itself is without peer that year, in my opinion. I feel...its recreation of Paris and the cathedral are spectacular; the casting was flawless; career-best performances by Laughton, O'Hara, and Hardwicke. the Newman music score is gloriously memorable, and inseparable from the film; the photography and set design....oh, hell, I think it's the best movie of that year, period, but the Academy did not see it that way. It was nominated for a a pair of Oscars in 1939, but won neither of them.

As a side note: Million Dollar Movie (WOR-TV, channel 9 in New York) ran this film 16 times in a single week when I was young, which was my first exposure to it. I probably watched it about 10 times that week, memorizing the dialog, the music cues, even where the commercial breaks were. On t.v. back then, commercial breaks figured in, I was seeing a movie that ran roughly 75-78 minutes in length. Many years later, I ordered a Super 8mm copy of the film from U.K., which ran 117 minutes. Whoa! Entire subplots I had never seen were suddenly there! A film I had loved quickly and exponentially got even better.
.
Of course, I bought the laserdisc (which had a partial commentary) and then the Warner Bros DVD and, most recently, the Blu-ray, the latter of which looks pretty damn good. This movie is simply superb, and anyone on this forum who hasn't seen it NEEDS TO RENT OR BUY IT RIGHT AWAY!

I read the Victor Hugo novel in HS - long before I saw the film - and really liked it - enough so that I read several other works from Hugo and liked them all (the 1935 filmed version of "Les Miserables" another excellent adaptation and I shake my head in bewilderment that the story was turned into a musical). When I saw The Hunchback of Notre Dame I was amazed at how well it channels the novel. As you've said, it's just excellent all the way around. It's not only my favorite but, IHMO, the cream of the crop in a year full of excellent films.

 

[John Sparks]

All my favorite films were seen in the back seat of my parents 1956 Ford station wagon while at the drive-in theater. The others were at the Saturday matinees.

THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD; IT! THE TERROR BEYOND SPACE; RODAN; FORBIDDEN PLANET; THE LOST MISSLE; THIS ISLAND EARTH; MOBY DICK. All these and tons more were my staple from youth to now.

To me, these are classics IMHO, not all classics have to be main stream. Sci-fi/horror are somewhere in there.

 

[BobO'Link]

I'll step up and admonish Thomas for not worshipping Shadow Of A Doubt as a masterpiece.

I'll admit to never having heard of it before it was mentioned in this thread. However, I'm not much of a Hitchcock fan, mostly due to some of his filming techniques which I find incredibly distracting*, and primarily know of his more well known releases from the 50s and 60s. I'm the guy who doesn't "get" all the love directed at The Birds. It's a middlin' horror film with dodgy visual effects and little horror.

*He vastly overuses rear screen projections in place of location scenes and intercuts location with rear screen with annoying regularity, frequently having the same actors in both the location *and* rear screen in the same scene/sequence. It sticks out like a sore thumb and has always taken me out of the film.

 

[PMF]

By whom? You're entitled to your own opinion.

I see nothing written in the HTF rules and guidelines stating that Thomas T, specifically, is entitled to his own opinion.

 

[Walter Kittel]

I like Hitchcock a lot, but yeah The Birds always was kind of a head scratcher for me. Like all (most?) art, I suppose there are allegorical interpretations that give the film more resonance, but when taken literally it makes less sense. Birds attacking, break out the 12 gauge shotguns and problem solved. At least where I grew up that is how it would be handled.

- Walter.

 

[Thomas T]

I'll admit to never having heard of it before it was mentioned in this thread. However, I'm not much of a Hitchcock fan, mostly due to some of his filming techniques which I find incredibly distracting*, and primarily know of his more well known releases from the 50s and 60s. I'm the guy who doesn't "get" all the love directed at The Birds. It's a middlin' horror film with dodgy visual effects and little horror.

*He vastly overuses rear screen projections in place of location scenes and intercuts location with rear screen with annoying regularity, frequently having the same actors in both the location *and* rear screen in the same scene/sequence. It sticks out like a sore thumb and has always taken me out of the film.

I was present at a Q&A with the lovely Tippi Hedren (one of the nicest actresses I've met) when someone referred to The Birds as a horror film and she shrieked with shock, "It's not a horror movie!". To be honest, I've never thought of it as a horror film either but hey, that's just me (and Tippi). For the record, The Birds wasthisclose to getting the #1 spot for1963 on my list but I knew Marnie would be grabbing 1964 so I went with the equally loved Charade.

 

[Thomas T]

I see nothing written in the HTF rules and guidelines stating that Thomas T, specifically, is entitled to his own opinion.

Well, there should be

 

[Robert Crawford]

Other film geeks on other sites (HTF isn't the only one I frequent) and a few in person . Of course, I'm entitled to my opinion but that doesn't stop some people who feel the need to shake their finger at you for not appreciating a film "masterpiece". The irony, of course, is that I don't dislike it unlike some other beloved "classics" which I can't stand. It's just a film I can't warm up to. There will always be someone around who'll say, "If you don't like Fill In The Blank, then you don't know a good movie when you see it". I have my strong opinions and it will rub some people the wrong way (it's happened at the HTF a couple of times) but I'll continue to voice them without hostility or attitude (unlike some people, no names )

I know what you mean as there are several movies on your best/favorite movie listing that I personally think are overrated or not my cup of tea.

 

[TravisR]

I like Hitchcock a lot, but yeah The Birds always was kind of a head scratcher for me. Like all (most?) art, I suppose there are allegorical interpretations that give the film more resonance, but when taken literally it makes less sense. Birds attacking, break out the 12 gauge shotguns and problem solved. At least where I grew up that is how it would be handled.

- Walter.

In the movie, they talk about killing the birds but someone points out that there's so many birds that it would be nearly impossible to kill them all. I guess it's like the zombies in The Walking Dead, the numbers are so overwhelming that humans are screwed.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Well, my prior post was mostly in jest, but I do feel like most of these 'nature run amuck' type of films (at least the ones that deal with animals) tend to underestimate mankind's technological capabilities. Now ants might give us a run for our money considering there are over 1 million ants per person on the Earth. Perhaps that is why I always enjoyed Phase IV and The Naked Jungle.

Of course ecological and meteorological disasters might be beyond our capacity, which is why I added the caveat regarding animals.

- Walter.

 

[Dick]

I like Hitchcock a lot, but yeah The Birds always was kind of a head scratcher for me.

How old were you when you first saw it? Was it in a theater? I was thirteen, and THE BIRDS was absolutely riveting for me after the first forty minutes of slow and rather silly romantic crap was finally brushed out of the way. I stayed through it twice one Sunday afternoon, which also meant sitting through a rather lengthy short with Mr. Acker Bilk, which held no interest. So, although some of the effects are, as others have said, pretty ropey, I really loved the 80 or so minutes once it finally got going. Still do. The current Blu-ray looks really nice to my eyes.

 

[Walter Kittel]

My first exposure to The Birds was on television in the late '70s (I think). I was a little too young for the theatrical showing. I guess I never bought into the central concept that a) the birds would attack in the manner depicted and b) as I alluded to earlier, growing up in rural Texas birds feared me and my shotgun, I didn't fear them.

I'm not trying to dump all over The Birds, it certainly isn't a bad film, it just kind of came up in this thread. I actually do like most of the acting. Maybe I need to watch it again, it has been awhile.

- Walter.

 

[sleroi]

It took me a few days, but it was a fun exercise. And I realized I really need to seek out more films from the 30s. Outside of the universal horrors, Marx Brothers, Capra and King Kong, I hardly recognized anything on most lists.

Anyways, heres my list

1928. The Cameraman
1929. The Cocoanuts
1930. Animal Crackers
1931. Dracula
1932. The Mummy
1933. King Kong
1934. It Happened One Night
1935. Bride of Frankenstein
1936. The Petrified Forest
1937. Shall We Dance
1938. You Cant Take It With You
1939. Of Mice and Men
1940. Go West
1941. Sullivan's Travels
1942. Casablanca
1943. Phantom of the Opera
1944. Double Indemnity
1945. The 3 Caballeros
1946. My Darling Clementine
1947. Dark Passage
1948. Red River
1949. Criss Cross
1950. The Gunfighter
1951. The Day the Earth Stood Still
1952. Singin' In the Rain
1953. Inferno (3D)
1954. Seven Samurai
1955. Mister Roberts
1956. Jubal
1957. The Bridge on the River Kwai
1958. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
1959. Rio Bravo
1960. Psycho
1961. Yojimbo
1962. Lawrence of Arabia
1963. Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
1964. Robin and the 7 Hoods
1965. The Glory Guys
1966. A Man For All Seasons
1967. Hombre
1968. Planet of the Apes
1969. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
1970. Start the Revolution Without Me
1971. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
1972. The Godfather
1973. The Friends of Eddie Coyle
1974. The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3
1975. Jaws
1976. Assault on Precinct 13
1977. Slapshot
1978. Hooper
1979. Life of Brian
1980. The Blues Brothers
1981. Escape From New York
1982. The Thing
1983. Strange Brew
1984. Broadway Danny Rose
1985. Ran
1986. Aliens
1987. Robocop
1988. They Live
1989. Erik the Viking
1990. I Love You to Death
1991. Defending Your Life
1992. Hard Boiled
1993. Hot Shots Part Deux
1994. True Lies
1995. Dead Man
1996. Fly Away Home
1997. The Man Who Knew Too Little
1998. The Impostors
1999. Being John Malkovich
2000. The Way of the Gun
2001. Frailty
2002. Adaptation
2003. LOTR: The Return of the King
2004. Miracle
2005. Zathura
2006. Apocalypto
2007. Walk Hard
2008. Valkyrie
2009. Gentlemen Broncos
2010. Hot Tub Time Machine
2011. MI: Ghost Protocol
2012. The Cabin in the Woods
2013. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
2014. Bad Words
2015. In the Heart of the Sea
2016. Don't Breathe
2017. Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2
2018. Ant Man and the Wasp
2019. JoJo Rabbit
2020. The Witches

 

[Thomas T]

It took me a few days, but it was a fun exercise. And I realized I really need to seek out more films from the 30s. Outside of the universal horrors, Marx Brothers, Capra and King Kong, I hardly recognized anything on most lists.

Anyways, heres my list

1928. The Cameraman
1929. The Cocoanuts
1930. Animal Crackers
1931. Dracula
1932. The Mummy
1933. King Kong
1934. It Happened One Night
1935. Bride of Frankenstein
1936. The Petrified Forest
1937. Shall We Dance
1938. You Cant Take It With You
1939. Of Mice and Men
1940. Go West
1941. Sullivan's Travels
1942. Casablanca
1943. Phantom of the Opera
1944. Double Indemnity
1945. The 3 Caballeros
1946. My Darling Clementine
1947. Dark Passage
1948. Red River
1949. Criss Cross
1950. The Gunfighter
1951. The Day the Earth Stood Still
1952. Singin' In the Rain
1953. Inferno (3D)
1954. Seven Samurai
1955. Mister Roberts
1956. Jubal
1957. The Bridge on the River Kwai
1958. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
1959. Rio Bravo
1960. Psycho
1961. Yojimbo
1962. Lawrence of Arabia
1963. Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
1964. Robin and the 7 Hoods
1965. The Glory Guys
1966. A Man For All Seasons
1967. Hombre
1968. Planet of the Apes
1969. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
1970. Start the Revolution Without Me
1971. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
1972. The Godfather
1973. The Friends of Eddie Coyle
1974. The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3
1975. Jaws
1976. Assault on Precinct 13
1977. Slapshot
1978. Hooper
1979. Life of Brian
1980. The Blues Brothers
1981. Escape From New York
1982. The Thing
1983. Strange Brew
1984. Broadway Danny Rose
1985. Ran
1986. Aliens
1987. Robocop
1988. They Live
1989. Erik the Viking
1990. I Love You to Death
1991. Defending Your Life
1992. Hard Boiled
1993. Hot Shots Part Deux
1994. True Lies
1995. Dead Man
1996. Fly Away Home
1997. The Man Who Knew Too Little
1998. The Impostors
1999. Being John Malkovich
2000. The Way of the Gun
2001. Frailty
2002. Adaptation
2003. LOTR: The Return of the King
2004. Miracle
2005. Zathura
2006. Apocalypto
2007. Walk Hard
2008. Valkyrie
2009. Gentlemen Broncos
2010. Hot Tub Time Machine
2011. MI: Ghost Protocol
2012. The Cabin in the Woods
2013. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
2014. Bad Words
2015. In the Heart of the Sea
2016. Don't Breathe
2017. Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2
2018. Ant Man and the Wasp
2019. JoJo Rabbit
2020. The Witches

I was surprised to see The Impostors on your list. Honestly, I was beginning to think I was the only person who's ever seen it. I haven't seen it in years but remember enjoying it quite a bit. Time for a revisit. Thanks for taking the time to make up your list.

 

[TravisR]

2007. Walk Hard

Finally, someone else recognizes the greatness of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. It boggled my mind that movie wasn't a hit and it seems like it's finally starting catch on more thanks to TV and streaming.

And thumbs up for Assault On Precinct 13 which was the runner up for 1976 for me.