Sunday, July 14, 2013

FORGET IT JAKE, IT'S ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY


Continuing my survey of ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY's list of 100 greatest films, here are numbers thirty-one through forty.

31. CHINATOWN (1974). No argument here. Roman Polanski's brilliant retro-noir is one of the best American films of the 1970s. A truly great film.

32. DUCK SOUP (1933).
 "I'm looking for a new minister of finance."
"You just hired one last week."
"That's the one I'm looking for!"
Hands down, one of the funniest movies ever made. This madcap farce definitely belongs on this list. Hail Fredonia!

33. THE GRADUATE (1967). A groundbreaking, landmark film. No quibbles here.

34. ADAM'S RIB (1949). Perhaps the best of the Spencer Tracy-Katharine Hepburn romantic comedies. I have no problem with putting it on the list but I don't think it should be ranked this high considering what films still haven't shown up here.

35. APOCALYPSE NOW (1979). The first war film on the list. Francis Ford Coppola's flawed Vietnam war epic is certainly one for the ages but there are better war movies that should be listed ahead of this one.

36. ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968). A truly great horror film but the case could be made to place some other significant fright films ahead of this one.

37. MANHATTAN (1979). As I stated in a previous post, MANHATTAN should switch places with ANNIE HALL on this list.

38. VERTIGO (1958). Four Alfred Hitchcock films (all good ones) rank higher than this? VERTIGO is a top five film in my estimation.

39. THE RULES OF THE GAME (1939). Another film I've never seen. According to everything I've ever read about this film it probably deserves a place on this list but probably not this high. There are still some major works missing in action.

40. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944). The second Billy Wilder film to make the list, this classic film noir is a bonafide masterpiece but where's Norma Desmond? I'm still waiting.

More to come. Stay tuned

 

 




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