One of the cool things about Netflix is a feature that lets you rate movies on a scale of one to five stars. Their computer makes recommendations for future rentals a member might like, based on the memberÂ’s ratings. i donÂ’t find the recommendations very helpful, but i do like rating things.
Five stars means “I loved it.” i reserve five stars for movies i love that are generally considered classics, or which deserve to be classics; also for movies that i don’t mind seeing again and again or from which i have memorized much of the dialogue.
A fine example of my thinking on five star movies is my list of such movies from A to C in alphabetical order. i just copied and pasted the list from my Netflix page, so you will notice that there are some TV shows in there, which are not technically movies, but otherwise fit my criteria.
The Netflix rating thing is an ongoing project, so donÂ’t be surprised if there are some omissions from my list. It might mean that the movie didnÂ’t come up as i was going through the recommendations (which i often did when i was bored at work) and clicking on the star ratings.
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A clockwork orange was a great movie with a really important message. Hard to think of hollyweird turning out anything like that today.
Of course your list includes a few movies that are rated much higher by chicks than by dudes. But I guess thats understandable.
Posted by: Kyle N at September 29, 2005 03:22 PM (CkwDS)
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Not that it matters, but I kinda disagree with Kyle on Annie's list. I don't see any gender influence in the picks. Aside from (maybe) Breakfast at Tiffany's, where are the decidedly female movies? Annie Hall is a classic comedy equally accessible to anybody, (who can handle Woody Allen). Cold Mountain was a fucking depressing movie (though a great read), so I'm not sure it fits the mold either. Does it get any more male than "Cool Hand Luke?" Great fucking movie!
Posted by: Blu at September 29, 2005 03:54 PM (j8oa6)
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Breakfast at Tiffany's proved that Capote was a genius. Believe it or not, he was friends with WFB. There's a new movie out about his research for In Cold Blood, "Capote". It's release date is tomorrow.
http://www.themoviebox.net/movies/2005/0-9ABC/Capote/main.php
I predict a Capote revival.
Posted by: Casca at September 29, 2005 04:13 PM (qBTBH)
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Blu u r obviously an unreconstructed cretin.
Posted by: Casca at September 29, 2005 04:15 PM (qBTBH)
Posted by: Blu at September 29, 2005 05:20 PM (cYHv/)
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I just think if we are talking five star movies, not four star mind you. Most men would not have Breakfast at tiffanies, All about Eve, Author, Annie Hall, or even Butch Cassidy (which dies not wear well and is not really such a good picture although it was all the rage in the early '70's.
A lot of her other pics though were fairly masculine leaning.
BTW while I am inflicting anger upon people let me slay another sacred cow. Cool Hand Luke also does not wear well, and after seeing it again last year I downrated it in my own movie list.
It was manipulative, tenditious, it steriotyped
people from the south (one of my pet peeves) and had a typical hollywood slam against religion.
Posted by: Kyle N at September 29, 2005 06:19 PM (CkwDS)
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"...it steriotyped people from the south", as what Kyle, illiterate mouth breathers? Breakfast at Tiffanys a chickflick? Clearly you've never seen it, or your opinions are...
Posted by: Casca at September 29, 2005 07:06 PM (qBTBH)
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Er... what? No
Back To The Future?
Posted by: Tuning Spork at September 29, 2005 07:23 PM (q3IVH)
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May I recommend 12 O'Clock High. It is a great management training film. The company I work for makes it's managers watch it every other year.
It is also a great war film. So it belongs on your list.
Posted by: Jake at September 29, 2005 07:59 PM (r/5D/)
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The Marine Corps has used 12 O'Clock High for the past fifty years to teach combat leadership to 2nd Lt's at The Basic School. Talk about testosterone, there isn't a single woman in the cast. It's a great study in human nature, relationships, and stress. Ya gotta love Dean Jagger. Before DOPMA, there used to be a guy like him on every staff.
Posted by: Casca at September 29, 2005 08:30 PM (qBTBH)
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Yes I saw Breakfast at Tiffanys, I stand by my comments, very few men would rate it a full five stars. Of course there are always the "sensitive" types out there.
Posted by: Kyle N at September 30, 2005 03:19 AM (UEnyt)
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Interesting list. I'd question your Ace Ventura inclusion, but we're all entitled to a not-so-secret shame. I also second your thoughts on guys and The Apt., Breaky, and Eve.
There is one huge omission in this list however that I'm sure you'll agree must be rectified. "The Blues Brothers" should be here. Quoatable, singable, danceable and amusing it is a wonderful movie that introduced a generation to the Blues when blues needed saving.
Posted by: Pursuit at September 30, 2005 06:24 AM (n/TNS)
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Ahem. There are many "C" movies you left out, annika. Allow me to remedy that:
Congo
Complex of Fear
Citizen Cohn
Cape Fear
The Children
Criminal Law
Checkered Flag or Crash
In addition, you forgot these "A" movies:
Adam at 6 A.M.
The Abduction of Kari Swenson
*Now* your list is complete!
Posted by: Victor at September 30, 2005 06:35 AM (L3qPK)
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Spork, BTTF is one of those movies that i didn't rate because the Netflix random recommender never suggested it. i will now search it out just so i can give it five stars.
i own 12 O'Clock High on DVD. i gave it three stars.
And Pursuit, my view on The Blues Brothers Movie was made public
over a year ago.
Posted by: annika at September 30, 2005 06:44 AM (qBVjN)
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Victor, the only one of those that i have seen is Cape Fear. The original was much better than the DeNiro remake.
Posted by: annika at September 30, 2005 06:46 AM (qBVjN)
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Kyle - FU.
More importantly, how can The Big Lebowski not be in the B's? Beverly Hills Cop?
Posted by: Casca at September 30, 2005 06:52 AM (qBTBH)
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That may be true, annie, but the DeNiro update also stars
Joe Don Baker! That simple fact automatically makes it Better Than
Citizen Kane.
Posted by: Victor at September 30, 2005 07:28 AM (L3qPK)
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i thought that was Fred Thompson.
Posted by: annika at September 30, 2005 07:50 AM (qBVjN)
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Joe Don Baker! I don't give one of my rat's asses about this so-called "Fred Thompson" guy!
Moving on--I clicked on the NEXT BLOG feature of BlogSnot and found
this guy who doesn't like Breakfast at Tiffany's. He also writes some pretty funny stuff, so he's OK in my book. His opinion just different from mine and from annika's.
Posted by: Victor at September 30, 2005 10:39 AM (L3qPK)
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Annie,
What is wrong with us? Nothing more than an appreciation for the greats! Aretha, Ray, Cab, John Lee Hooker....Songs from Shake Your Tail Feathers to Peter Gunn to Minnie the Moocher.....and quotes that have entered the cultural lexicon. Oh, today we weep for your incomplete education.
I guess that is why Sam and Dave titled their song Soul Man, not Soul Woman. Oh, did I mention it was performed in the movie too?
Posted by: Pursuit at September 30, 2005 10:44 AM (n/TNS)
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if by "Cab" you mean Cabernet, i'm with you.
Posted by: annika at September 30, 2005 11:01 AM (zAOEU)
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Well, that's not exactly what I meant, but then I must say that works too!
Posted by: Pursuit at September 30, 2005 11:55 AM (n/TNS)
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Speaking of Cab Calloway (
I'm not a Philistine!), I watched his (and his orchestra's) earliest filmed appearance during lunch today. It opened up a Betty Boop cartoon, and it was absa-fucking AWESOME! I'll blog about it over the weekend, if I find some time. Till then, you'll just have to feel shame that you haven't seen it.
Also featured in a Betty Boop cartoon: some dude named Louis Armstrong. It was waaay cool.
Posted by: Victor at September 30, 2005 12:54 PM (L3qPK)
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i loved your list. one movie you might not have seen but it's on my top ten list: The Scarlet Pimpernel -- the original, with leslie howard, made in the 1930's. outstanding!
Posted by: patrickhenry at September 30, 2005 01:17 PM (BXNL3)
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i saw Cab Calloway perform at the hollywood bowl when i was little. i don't remember much except it was fireworks night so it must have been july 4th.
Posted by: annika at September 30, 2005 02:19 PM (/+WOD)
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Amazing coincidence, this July 4th I drank a Cabernet.
Posted by: Pursuit at September 30, 2005 02:45 PM (n/TNS)
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funny, on July 4th I got drunk and fell off a cabinate.
Posted by: Kyle N at September 30, 2005 07:39 PM (9bm/9)
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I think I was there... both places.
Posted by: Casca at September 30, 2005 09:36 PM (qBTBH)
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you are the reason the star system on Net Flix is not helpful.
Posted by: kyle at October 03, 2005 01:29 PM (x7Ooa)
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Annika,
I was struck by a weird coincidence in your list between Breakfast at Tiffany's and Charlie Varrick. Walter Matthau, a former neighbor of mine, was married to Carol, who was supposedly the inspiration for Holly Golightly (and she was married to Saroyan before that). Meaningless trivia, to be sure . . .
Breakfast at Tiffany's and All About Eve(favorites of mine) and Annie Hall are chic flicks in the sense that the male roles therein are 'feminized', but that doesn't mean that men can't (and don't) enjoy the movies.
Posted by: Fred Jacobsen (San Fran) at October 03, 2005 07:27 PM (WxQ4l)
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George Peppard femininzed? I think the point is that they both became who they really were.
Posted by: Casca at October 03, 2005 08:24 PM (qBTBH)
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Patrickhenry: If you enjoyed the old 'Scarlet Pimpernel', you'd probably also enjoy 'Pimpernel Smith', which sets the story in the buildup to WWII and also stars Leslie Howard.
But we digress.
Posted by: SteveGW at October 05, 2005 12:22 AM (1La6f)
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