"Singer"

When I started this project, a cursory glance told me there were a number of items on it that I had no interest in watching. Either having seen them before, or having heard about them and knowing what they were about or whatever, I knew I did not wish to see them. Still, I tried. I tried every single movie for at least a while (with the caveat that the Lord of the Rings picture"s" are one movie that you were fooled into purchasing three tickets for to see the entire thing. Search your heart, you know this to be true.) Weirdly enough there are a bunch of them in this top 9+1.

15. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - I've never known what to think of this movie. There are two camps, it seems. People either think this is the single greatest piece of science-fiction (or SyFy) ever lensed, or they think it's ungodly boring. I fall solidly into the second camp. No stars because I only made it to about the halfway point.

8. Schindler's List (1993) - This movie...god this movie. I'd seen it twice before this viewing, vowing ater both I would never watch it again. It's painful and depressing and just too much. Five Stars and this time I'm never watching it again for real.

7. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - Isn't this movie British? In, like, every way? I don't know why it's on this list, but I do know it's a damn good lullaby. Maybe I just hate "epics". I don't know. I do know this, too, I didn't finish. No stars

6. Gone with the Wind (1939) - And another one. What the hell? Even realizing the era it's set in I just can not take this movie. Every time a character darker than a sheer of notebook paper opens their mouth I either cringed (chicken chasing) or was filled with rage (everything Hattie McDaniel did). I'm not oversensitive, I don't think. I can forgive some things as being products of their era. Hell, I Love Lucy is one of my favourite TV shows and the only few black characters are the racist porter stereotype when they're in LA and I love those episodes. I can read Eisner's The Spirit even with Ebony White looking like a monkey and talking da jibe talk. But this movie just pissed me off. It should be noted I couldn't watch The Jazz Singer either.

5. Singin' in the Rain (1952) - I can not explain how much I love this movie–and how shocked by that even I was. I avoided this movie for years just because I thought the plot was ridiculous, and as a musical? Bah. I did not expect it to be fucking hilarious. Five Stars may not be enough considering the singing/dancing, humor, drama, and love story.

4. Raging Bull (1980) - And here's a little hypocrisy. Some of the first lines of dialogue in this movie are Joe Pesci yelling about moulinyans (as seems to be his wont) but god DAMN this is a fine movie. Brilliant, brilliant performance by Robert De Niro especially. Pesci & Cathy Moriarty ain't half bad, either. Scorsese's best film by a long shot. Five stars despite airy punches.

3. Casablanca (1942) - Oft called the most romantic movie ever. Hard to fight with. Not many, then or especially now, had or have the guts to end a movie in such a way. Even though you want it to go one way it HAS to go the other. Five Stars even with the myriad flaws

2. The Godfather (1972) - It's still not as good as II. II is amazing. But ya know what? The end (everything from the baptism to the credits) is about the best ending in the history of film. Five Stars, but that means II gets like...another 1/4 of a star.

1. Citizen Kane (1941) - Best. Greatest. Most amazing film ever. The first time I saw it I ended up watching it at least once a week for about two months. It still enraptures me when I watch. There's a scene in an episode of The Sopranos where Carmella & the girls watch it (doing what I just finished in reverse, as a matter of fact) and after are bored. This scene just bothered the hell out of me. I don't know how anyone can watch it and come to any such conclusion. Five Stars cos I can't give it ten. And, no, there's no "error" with the last words getting out; the majordomo is there.


And so, that's that. Lots of good, some bad, a few overrated, some I can't even watch. I'm very happy to have done this, though. Educational. I feel all cultured and shit. Classy fucker, right here. Got bunched and bunches of time on your hands and love movies? I recommend taking it–or similar–as your own challenge.

Unless you're these bitches here. Bitches.