Empire Online's new polls! (1 Viewer)

[Terrell]

Well, Empire Online has a number of various polls, though not necessarily new. However, they are recent. I thought it might be fun to mull over these. Many of the rankings will probably cause a stir among many. Just remember, we're talking about polls from regular internet fans. So here we go. I'll list the Top 10. But most of the polls have more than 10. You'll have to follow the links to see the entire poll to each category.

Best Film

1. Star Wars
2. Empire Strikes Back
3. The Shawshank Redemption
4. The Godfather
5. The Matrix
6. Fight Club
7. Gladiator
8. Goodfellas
9. Breakfast At Tiffany's
10. Pulp Fiction

Talk about a varied list. Obviously, these are skewed towards fan favorites, rather that truly judging the top 10 best films. But since the top 2 are my favorite films of all time, I'm not complaining. Here's a link to the entire poll. Let's the outcry begin.

http://www.empireonline.co.uk/features/spotlight/ultimatemoviepoll2001/film/[/urk]

Best Actor

1. Robert DeNiro
2. Kevin Spacey
3. Al Pacino
4. Harrison Ford
5. Tom Hanks
6. Ed Norton
7. James Stewart
8. Jack Nicholson
9. John Cusack(huh?)
10. Tony Hopkins

Well, I love all those guys. Throw Cusack out and replace him with Russell Crowe, and I wouldn't argue too much.

http://www.empireonline.co.uk/featur...oll2001/actor/

Best Actress

1. Juila Roberts(no way)
2. Jodie Foster
3. Sigourney Weaver
4. Julianne Moore
5. Katherine Hepburn
6. Angelina Jolie
7. Meryl Streep
8. Cameron Diaz
9. Audrey Hepburn
10. Natalie Portman

Okay, Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman, Angelina Jolie, and Cameron Diaz don't belong in that list. Moore and Weaver shouldn't either. Put Hepburn and Streep at 1 and 2.

http://www.empireonline.co.uk/featur...l2001/actress/

Best Director

1. Steven Spielberg
2. Martin Scorsese
3. Alfred Hitcock
4. Tim Burton
5. Stanley Kubrick
6. Ridley Scott
7. David Fincher
8. George Lucas
9. James Cameron
10. Joel Coen

Okay, I love George Lucas and his work. I think he's a genius in many areas, and he has given millions of moviegoers some of the greatest theater experiences of their lives. But I can't include him in that list. Maybe one of the Top 10 best innovators and creators, but not director. Maybe the Lucas of 20 years ago could be close to that list. But Lucas has mellowed, and has changed. Fincher and Burton don't belong either. Neither does Cameron. It's arguable that Scott doesn't either, nor does Coen. Where the hell is Kurosawa?

http://www.empireonline.co.uk/featur...2001/director/

Best Screenwriter

1. Quentin Tarantino(get out of here)
2. Coen Bros(nada)
3. Bily Wilder
4. Woody Allen
5. Kevin Smith
6. David Mamet
7. William Goldman
8. Paul Schrader
9. Robert Towne
10. Lawrence Kasdan

Sadly, I don't know enough about screenwriters. But get Tarantino, Coen Bros., and Kevin Smith out of there. Bump everyone else up the list. But you guys no more about writers than I probably do.

http://www.empireonline.co.uk/featur.../screenwriter/

Best Soundtrack

1. Pulp Fiction
2. Star Wars
3. Gladiator
4. The Crow(nope)
5. The Matrix(no way in hell)
6. The Empire Strikes Back
7. Reservoir Dogs
8. Trainspotting
9. Jaws
10. Fight Club

Okay, Pulp Fiction should not be number 1. Get The Crow and Matrix out of there. I love Gladiator, but it shouldn't be there. Get Fight Club and Trainspotting out of there too. I can think of a ton of soundtracks that are superior to those.

http://www.empireonline.co.uk/featur...01/soundtrack/

Best Ensemble Cast

1. Pulp Fiction
2. Magnolia
3. The Godfather
4. The Usual Suspects
5. Traffic
6. Star Wars
7. LA Confidential
8. Boogie Nights
9. Reservoir Dogs
10. Heat

All are good damn casts. So I won't argue, since I'm tired of typing.

http://www.empireonline.co.uk/featur...poll2001/cast/

Best Trailer

1. Lord of the Rings
2. Star Wars Episode I
3. The Matrix
4. Planet of the Apes(get out of here)
5. Harry Potter
6. Gladiator
7. Spider-Man
8. Jurassic Park
9. Fight Club
10. ID4

I like all of those exept for Fight Club and Planet of the Apes. Get'em outta here.

Best Effects

1. The Matrix(not a chance)
2. Jurassic Park
3. Star Wars
4. Terminator 2
5. Star Wars Episode I
6. King Kong(the original)
7. ID4
8. Titanic
9. 2001
10. Aliens

All damn good, and even though The Matrix has good effects, well, at this point it doesn't matter. I'm pooped. Let the arguing begin. We all know this is a popularity poll. There are some great choices, some bad choices, and some okay choices. This most certainly is not a scientific poll. But all lists are subjective and opinionated. They can't be proven one way or another. So, there are this lists. This could get interesting.

The intention is to discuss the lists, not put up our own list of top 10. If this is not the appropriate forum mods, just send it to where you think it should be.

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Alright, Terrell, I will play
Best Film
1. Star Wars
2. Empire Strikes Back
3. The Shawshank Redemption
4. The Godfather
5. The Matrix
6. Fight Club
7. Gladiator
8. Goodfellas
9. Breakfast At Tiffany's
10. Pulp Fiction
Obviously way too skewed towards males under 40, and as you said fan-favorites. One Star Wars film (either works) is fine. But way too much recent stuff, and most of it violent. No real dramas, no comedies? Too "hip."
Best Actress
1. Julia Roberts
2. Jodie Foster
3. Sigourney Weaver
4. Julianne Moore
5. Katherine Hepburn
6. Angelina Jolie
7. Meryl Streep
8. Cameron Diaz
9. Audrey Hepburn
10. Natalie Portman
Again, skewed too recent. Julia Roberts is beloved by People and Entertainment Weekly. And she can act. But she isn't quite #1. I have no problems with Jodie...she's a goddess to me. Weaver should be at the bottom of the list. Moore is very talented, but has had awful choices recently. Her body of work doesn't support. Hepburn (both) can move on up. Jolie? Streep can move way up as well. Diaz is a star, and can act as well. But it's a bit too soon. NP is there for the SW fanboys, but those films are easily her worst work. She's stunningly beautiful, but little else.
Best Director
1. Steven Spielberg
2. Martin Scorsese
3. Alfred Hitchcock
4. Tim Burton
5. Stanley Kubrick
6. Ridley Scott
7. David Fincher
8. George Lucas
9. James Cameron
10. Joel Coen
Yet again, too recent. 1-3 are fine, but I might rearrange them. Burton, goodbye. Kubrick, move up. Scott, near the bottom, but still there. Fincher is one of my favorite directors, and I could buy him at 9 or 10, just for Se7en and Fight Club, but his body of work is too narrow right now. Lucas, a few good ideas, but he really lacks some directorial skills, and recent outings have not been kind. It says something that the top two films were his, but 7 directors are on the list before him (even in this worthless poll). As Terrell said, visionary: yes, great director: no. Coen, narrow body of work, but he has a huge following, won't argue. Cameron is another favorite of mine, and I like his inclusion. However, at the expense of so many great directors in the past, I can't buy it. Too bad.
Best Screenwriter
1. Quentin Tarantino(get out of here)
2. Coen Bros(nada)
3. Billy Wilder
4. Woody Allen
5. Kevin Smith
6. David Mamet
7. William Goldman
8. Paul Schrader
9. Robert Towne
10. Lawrence Kasdan
I am fine with #'s 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, and 10. 6 and 9 aren't bad either. But I like Smith and Tarantino...they don't belong here. Yet. Too much of the same material.
Best Soundtrack
1. Pulp Fiction
2. Star Wars
3. Gladiator
4. The Crow
5. The Matrix
6. The Empire Strikes Back
7. Reservoir Dogs
8. Trainspotting
9. Jaws
10. Fight Club
Figured everone would be happy...no James Horner. They are mixing orchestral and musical, which is stupid. I love all CD's of Moulin Rouge. I think The Crow was a very influential soundtrack. I love Fight Club. Can't get my head around the list. Moving on...
Best Ensemble Cast
1. Pulp Fiction
2. Magnolia
3. The Godfather
4. The Usual Suspects
5. Traffic
6. Star Wars
7. LA Confidential
8. Boogie Nights
9. Reservoir Dogs
10. Heat
I'd dump Star Wars, and maybe one of the 90's Tarantino/Singer crime films. LA Confidential and Heat should be much higher. I'd dump Boogie Nights as well.
Best Trailer
1. Lord of the Rings
2. Star Wars Episode I
3. The Matrix
4. Planet of the Apes
5. Harry Potter
6. Gladiator
7. Spider-Man
8. Jurassic Park
9. Fight Club
10. ID4
Take ID4 and JP away, and they are all less than 4 years old. It's fanboy heaven in there. Lose 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Rearrange the rest. My personal favorite is the unfindable full Pearl Harbor Trailer with Journey to the Line by HZ. Better by far than the film...it was beautiful. TPM's teaser was brilliant. LOTR had great trailers as well. I also loved JP's trailers. Beyond that, fanboy stuff. Yet again, no comedies (FC doesn't count), no real dramas.
Best Effects
1. The Matrix
2. Jurassic Park
3. Star Wars
4. Terminator 2
5. Star Wars Episode I
6. King Kong
7. ID4
8. Titanic
9. 2001
10. Aliens
Good list except for 7. I might rearrange it and put T2 at #1. Where's The Abyss? No Harryhausen?
Interesting, but WAY too skewed to be of any value. Popularity contest, no more.

Chuck

 

[george kaplan]

What's the average age of those poll-takers? 14??
I find these list to be inconsistent. They lean very heavily towards recent films (or big blockbusters), but with the occasional film you wouldn't think these voters had ever even heard of.
Did the voters that made up that list actually see Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) or is there some recent remake I'm not aware of?
I could make similar comments on all these lists, but find them way too recent-skewed to really be of any interest. :frowning:

 

[Terrell]

Yeah, Breakfast Club did stick out like a sore thumb on that list. Chuck is right, these are pretty much fan favorites and blockbusters. As for the age, I don't know what the demographic for Empire magazine is. There is an obvious lack of films older than 25 years of age.