What are your favourite films? Ten optional.

[Monkey D. Lars]

Hitchock should be on your list Jimmy!!!

Great list though Jimmy boy!

[Jimmy]

The Birds is my favourite Hitchcock film. It'd probably crack like a 20/25. I really, really like all of his films I've seen (except Vertigo, but I think I just need to re-watch that) but I don't love many of them. The Birds is as close as it gets.

[GA!]

I didn't realise that none of Hitchcock's work made my top 10. Rear Window, Psycho, North by Northwest, and Vertigo are all amazing. Rope, too. I also loved Frenzy when I saw it years ago, but I've never revisited it.

Surprisingly: very indifferent to The Birds. A well made film, especially the famous attack scene in the attic, but the concept is basically a Guy N Smith novel.

[Jimmy]

I'm not sure why I like to so much. I think it's just because it's simple and effective, and there's some truly horrifying moments in there. It's just the way I think Horror/Thriller films should be made, where nothing supernatural happens for at least half an hour. In terms of Hitchcock films I've seen, mine would probably go something like this.

1. The Birds

2. Rear Window

3. Notorious

4. Psycho

5. Strangers on a Train

6. Rope

7. Vertigo

8. The 39 Steps

[Monkey D. Lars]

You should watch Shadows of a Doubt, Dial M for Murder and North by Northwest Jimmy, especially Northy by Northwest.

[Jimmy]

Oh I'll definitely watch 'em all. I'm trying to save North by Northwest for seeing it at the cinema.

[Benjamin]

Holy shit, let's try this. There'll probably be more than 10, though.

Toy Story - And basically the whole Toy Story trilogy, actually. I have never felt more alive, and I will never be more transfixed to watch a movie then I was whenever I watched Toy Story. The 2nd one was just as great, and the 3rd is signified the ending of my childhood. I have not seen the third since the two times I saw it in the cinema.

Lion King - Another childhood classic, and apparently the first film I ever watched in the cinema. I can recite everything in this film (including the Zulu chant at the start). I also the sequel, it's ruddy fantastic and a hell of a good time for me. Then there's the midquel (half-prequel?), which is weird as fuck, and I just saw it for the first time last week.

Dog Day Afternoon - I fucking, fucking, fucking love this. It has my favourite actor ever (John Cazale), and one of my favourite lines ever ("Wyoming"), and is just top to bottom an amazing film. Sidney Lumet is a god at making quality film.

Before Sunrise - And the whole Before trilogy, which is tied with the Toy Story one for my favourite trilogies / franchises ever. This one just had the 3rd one come out last year, and I had been waiting about eight years to see what Jesse and Céline were up to.

No Country For Old Men - My favourite Coens movie ever (though I'm still going through their filmography), but it is top notch all the way.

Children Of Men - I had this on my shelf for about 6 years before I finally watched it, and I realized how stupid I had been for those six years.

The next three are all made by my favourite director ever in Billy Wilder, who also wrote them.

Some Like It Hot - Favourite comedy ever. Jack Lemmon is amazing in this, as is Tony Curtis, who is so handsome I had my eyes watering.

Sunset Boulevard - Probably tied as my favourite film noir ever, along with Chinatown. I wasn't expecting anything like it going in. The best female performance ever by Gloria Swanson.

The Apartment - A lot of other people have already gushed about it, and they should. Fred MacMurray makes an excellent baddie, and Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine make an awesome pair as co-headliners. It's probably the pinnacle of rom com, and shows why the genre is totally worth exploring.

The Machinist - I love this movie to death. This is pre-Bruce Wayne Christian Bale, and he is amazing in this. Brad Anderson really made this a thrillride for me. It helped that the first time I ever saw it, I was alone, in a cinema with like four other people there.

The Last Picture Show - If you've never seen the Last Picture Show, stop whatever you're doing and go watch it now. It's the best coming-of-age film there is.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - My favourite epic movie, and although all three LOTR movies were great for being the epics they were meant to be, the middle one will always be the best, especially for the Battle at Helm's Deep.

Come and See - The best foreign film out there. You know those people say that a movie is an experience? Well, most of them aren't. Come and See, though, is. You'll never be the same again after watching this.

Dracula - Favourite horror film there is, and I just watched it recently too! Larz has been helping me find some proper scary movies (and not shit about the ghost moving my tupperware or some bollocks like that), and Dracula is so far at the top of the list. Bela Lugosi is just perfect for this.

Arthur Christmas - I'm the biggest Christmas fan there is, and this is definitely my favourite. It was weird when I was thinking it, and realized that I liked this more than Small One, and I've loved Small One since I could understand what a movie is.

Yeah, I think I should stop there. I could go on and on, though.

EDIT: Oh, and you need more Billy Wilder and Kubrick on your list, Jimmy. Gonna' be watching some Hitchcock this week, so really looking forward to that!

Edited May 11, 2014 by Benkid

[brenchill]

Sounds like a load of studenty artsy stuff to me. Any list without Die Hard is a bad one...

I know you're kidding, but it really isn't that bad. There's no Bunel, Tarkovsky, Godard, Hitchcock and only one Kubrick film.

I was only messing. Those Godard films are awful, not quite sure what the fuss is. Maybe I'm not artsy enough.

And also, can't believe I left off A Clockwork Orange. I dressed up as Alex for Halloween once!

[Jimmy]

I get why people might not like Godard, but I like him a lot. I love Breathless, Pierrot Le Fou & A Bande Apart, but he's definitely not for everyone. One of the first two would rank pretty high for me overall.

EDIT: Oh, and you need more Billy Wilder and Kubrick on your list, Jimmy. Gonna' be watching some Hitchcock this week, so really looking forward to that!

In place of what? I've already got two Wilder films and Paths of Glory only narrowly missed out.

[Liam]

The Dark Knight is hideously overrated, and negates any and all positivity generated by Jimmy's list

Plus he doesn't have Cinema Paradiso.....

[brenchill]

I do like TDK. It's like a Batman version of Heat, which is on my list. But I prefer Batman Begins. I love TDKR just for Bane really. The story isn't that great and messes with Bane's origin story.

[Monkey D. Lars]

Has there ever been a top 50 EWB's Action movies list?

[Benjamin]

I always wanted to try one, but I'm sure it'll get convoluted like the superhero one and there'll be a lot of discussion on what an action movie is.

Also, number one will be Die Hard.

I get why people might not like Godard, but I like him a lot. I love Breathless, Pierrot Le Fou & A Bande Apart, but he's definitely not for everyone. One of the first two would rank pretty high for me overall.

EDIT: Oh, and you need more Billy Wilder and Kubrick on your list, Jimmy. Gonna' be watching some Hitchcock this week, so really looking forward to that!

In place of what? I've already got two Wilder films and Paths of Glory only narrowly missed out.

I actually forgot you list was when I said that, but more mention of Billy Wilder should always be done! Sunset Boulevard! Stalag 17! Seven Year Itch! I could go on and on

EDIT: And Eyes Wide Shut, Jimmy! Eyes Wide Shut!

Edited May 11, 2014 by Benkid

[METALMAN]

I'm hopeless for films, but I'll try and give this a go...

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Vertigo

This Is Spinal Tap

12 Angry Men

Le diner de cons

Dr Strangelove

Gladiator

American Graffiti

The Shawshank Redemption

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

I dunno, something like that?

[GA!]

I get why people might not like Godard, but I like him a lot. I love Breathless, Pierrot Le Fou & A Bande Apart, but he's definitely not for everyone. One of the first two would rank pretty high for me overall.

I love Breathless, really like A Bande Apart, hate Pierrot Le Fou.

I also recommend Alphaville, but everything else of his I've seen is smug shite.

[Jimmy]

Yeah, of the New Wave filmmakers, I think Truffaut is a lot better in nearly every aspect, especially in terms of consistency and definitely not being as self-indulgent.

[Benjamin]

I'm hopeless for films, but I'll try and give this a go...

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Vertigo

This Is Spinal Tap

12 Angry Men

Le diner de cons

Dr Strangelove

Gladiator

American Graffiti

The Shawshank Redemption

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

I dunno, something like that?

This is actually a pretty fun list of films. Go metalman.

[GA!]

Yeah, of the New Wave filmmakers, I think Truffaut is a lot better in nearly every aspect, especially in terms of consistency and definitely not being as self-indulgent.

I love Truffaut, in the same way I love Wilder and Lumet - telling a great story was his primary goal. There was no ego there, or an overwhelming need to break technical limitations or push the envelope with arthouse-esque touches. All three appreciated the importance of a good script.

[Jimmy]

I think there was a little ego there. The whole New Wave thing is they believed in auteurism, which, in a sense, is egotistical. They wanted to draw attention to who was making the film. Godard just took to another level.

[Benjamin]

Oh man, I think I forgot to mention Lumet's films (well, besides DDA). 12 Angry Men, Serpico, Before The Devil Knows You're Dead, I just watched The Verdict which was excellent. I really need to watch The Network, though.