Honourable mentions go to Lost Highway, Tron, Eraserhead, Anchorman, Clerks and Into the Wild for coming close to the list for many different reasons but not quite breaking the top 10.
Numbers 6-10
Number 10: Blue Velvet
No surprise that David Lynch features so heavily in my top 10 list, Blue Velvet came off the back of critical and commercial failue of Dune. Lynch said he wanted to get back to what he does best which is unsettling and completely different which in the case of Blue Velvet he certainly succeeds. Dennis Hopper is simply superb as violent psychopath Frank Booth as the dirty underside of an idyllic American town is uncovered by Jeffrey (Kyle MacLachlan).
Favourite scene: Frank psychologically intimidates Jeffrey to the song 'In Dreams' by Roy Orbison.
Number 9: Vanishing Point
For me, the ultimate road movie that sees Barry Newman star as Kowalski who is a car delivery driver who has to be in San Francisco by 3pm the next day even though the car he is delivering (White 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum) doesn't need to be there till Monday. The police are chasing him for speeding through numerous states which leads to some amazing tracking shots of the desert in Utah and Nevada.
Favourite scene: The final scene is a superb finale and yet slightly bewildering.
Number 8: 2001: A Space Odyssey
A cryptic and enigmatic movie showing different stories all based around a black monolith that has baffled viewers since it's release but also garnered huge praise. With an amazing score and superb visual effects it is a joy to watch, completely different from any other film I have seen. The character of HAL as the intelligent computer that controls the ship, Discovery One, is a complex and unsettling one.
Favourite scene: The final 20mins when Bowman leaves Discovery One and hurtles through space viewing many cosmological phenomena.
Number 7: Margin Call
Released in 2012, it charts the downfall of an investment bank due to the way the firm calculates risk on its securities and the excessive leverage it means if the prices drop it could take down the entire company and many others with it. Zachary Quinto turns in a star performance as the junior risk analyst who realises the issue they face and presents it to management. Intensely shot and incredibly ruthless, somebody finally made a fantastic film about financial collapse.
Favourite scene: Tuld (Irons) sits in a board meeting realising the extent of the problem they face from Sullivan (Quinto)
Number 6: Alien
As relevant as ever with the release and lukewarm reception to Prometheus, Alien is a tension filled and deeply unsettling film where you don't ever really see the creature that is killing off the crew. Not knowing or understanding what is happening adds to the nervousness of the film and the fact it all takes place on a small spaceship makes this a hugely claustrophobic experience. A classic horror movie that was the blueprint for so many movies that came after.
Favourite scene: Without a doubt, the chest busting scene.
Someone's a David Lynch fan! Alien is another one of my favourites. Blue Velvet would get an honourable mention from me. Great list!
ReplyDeleteI believe these links are backwards:
ReplyDeleteMy Favorite Movies 1-5
My Favorite Movies 6-10
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