Pretend you have a ballot for the 2012 edition of Sight & Sound's top 10 movies of all time list

Histoire(s) surprising

where?

ok, see it. have reserved at library.

I missed Godfather II...81 votes combined, so it would have stayed in the Top 10, but by the looks of it closer to the bottom.

A little sad to see Barry Lyndon slip after a strong '02 showing.

xpost lol keep dreaming

I'm not looking to argue that yet again, Eric--it was just a numerical observation.

Gertrud -- feh

over Day of Wrath?

I tell you what wild conjecture I would be willing to entertain, tho: the possibility that some voters switched FFC allegiance over to Apocalypse Now rather than try to guess which Godfather movie they should throw their support behind. (I'm sure there are a couple ballots in there with both Godfathers, tho.)

Day of Wrath is way fustier than Gertrud.

yes but people are burned alive

Our difference of opinion here, tho, is the difference in our sex lives described in a nutshell.

as opposed to bored to death

One person is burned alive, iirc. And then the rest of the film involves hotsy-totsy working on a loom and making sexy cat eyes at the prude man.

Biggest fall = Touch of Evil? It was 15th last time.

Every time I think some big names are completely missing from the Top 50, I look closer and catch them--who's the most prominent director not there? (Didn't Rio Bravo do pretty well in this at one point?)

Hawks.

http://janetnewenham.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/beer.jpg

And then the rest of the film involves hotsy-totsy working on a loom and making sexy cat eyes at the prude man

I think you're confusing the film with the gay thread

(Oh, I see you already figured that one sorta.)

LOL, the gay thread is the MOST Gertrud.

Chaplin only just BARELY made the top 50.

Late Spring and Au hasard Balthazar helped by Criterion releases.

the possibility that some voters switched FFC allegiance over to Apocalypse Now rather than try to guess which Godfather movie they should throw their support behind

film critics now suck as much as US politics.

when you've made as many GREAT films in DIFFERENT genres as Hawks has, critics are at a loss.

Isn't that a big jump for Psycho? I don't remember it ever getting especially strong support.

I think that was roughly where it landed in '02.

when you've made as many GREAT INDISTINGUISHABLE films in DIFFERENT genres NOT HORROR as Hawks has, critics are at a loss.

Glenn Kenny's posted his ballot: http://somecamerunning.typepad.com/some_came_running/2012/08/my-sight-sound-50-greatest-films-of-all-time-ballot.html

eric, i'm on the verge of offering you a lifetime stipend never to mention hawks or screwball again

Eric, what is your #1 western? Serious question! You know what my favorite horrors are.

The Searchers -- this one must go away

Altman's not in the Top 50. Disappointed that Nashville couldn't generate 29 votes.

David Edelstein has never been invited to participate? How weird.

http://www.vulture.com/2012/08/david-edelstein-on-the-sight-sound-poll.html

That's bizarre. Naturally, I like his list a lot.

McCabe & Mrs. Miller probably.

Oh, and a lot of Ford's stuff from the '40s.

yeah, I don't think The Searchers is the best western any more than Singin' in the Rain is the best musical.

Would replace respectively with The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and Meet Me in St Louis.

Ambersons is all the way down at #81, as per introduction on the top 50 page. Not sure if that's above or below Touch of Evil, but maybe Kane backlash also turned into an overall Welles backlash?

My Darling Clementine & Xanadu

those are both pretty good showings for mangled movies.

I'm guessing that Touch of Evil greatly benefited in 2002 from the 1998 restored edition.

Can you explain what you actually find all that interesting about Lady from Shanghai?

mirrors iirc

Hilarious brogues. More movies should have them.

Seconding mirrors.

Can't wait for him to watch more Argento, then.

I find tLfS hilariously baroque, his most fun showoffy movie, even more than Kane. also "a bright guilty world"

and Gus Schilling

Well, maybe I'll watch it again in the spirit of rejoicing over irresponsibility.