Listener Rankings

[tomspanks 9039]

How are you ranking the movies? Is it based on historical significance and technical achievement or just how much you enjoyed it?

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

How are you ranking the movies? Is it based on historical significance and technical achievement or just how much you enjoyed it?

Gut reaction, for me. Also rewatchability on the ones I'd already seen: I found 'Wizard' way slower than I remembered, for example. Technical achievement obviously bumps something like 'Titanic' up but I just can't get into it narrative-wise.

[Cam Bert 8145]

How are you ranking the movies? Is it based on historical significance and technical achievement or just how much you enjoyed it?

It's going to get harder as it goes along but for now I'm going with a combination of enjoyment and what I think is the better made movie.

[AlmostAGhost 2718]

How are you ranking the movies? Is it based on historical significance and technical achievement or just how much you enjoyed it?

 

I guess, mostly how much I enjoyed it. But I'm not immune to significance and the occasional technical achievement bonus points. I do focus on writing and broader scope of things when I rate -- I try not to get to focused on overly-specific moviemaking details or things like that.

 

Also something I rate on a gut level is sort of 'how well it sucks me in' - if I forget I'm watching a movie, or it makes me want to be in its world, that to me is an indicator of a movie that I love. It's why I have Citizen Kane lower than most of you so far: I never forget that I'm watching a movie with that one.

[Cameron H. 23786]

How are you ranking the movies? Is it based on historical significance and technical achievement or just how much you enjoyed it?

 

Like everyone else, I’m pretty much going by my gut, but I may look at that stuff for difficult decisions.

 

Right now, my picks are kind of divided into movies I feel deserve to be on the list (even if their positions eventually change), movies I can go either way with, and movies I don’t think belong there at all. Titanic kind of straddles that apathetic/needs to go line for me. It’s definitely above Swing Time, but is it above Ben-Hur? I’m not sure. And what makes it more difficult, is that have a lot in common. They are both epics; they both had a huge cultural impact; and they both suffer from poor acting (the dialogue is probably better in Ben-Hur, though)

 

If I’m being honest, I probably enjoyed watching Titanic more...but it was in kind of an ironic way. (I rolled my eyes A LOT). So I don’t know. I’ll probably have to listen to the episode and discuss it with you all before I make my final decision.

[taylor anne photo 11311]

How are you ranking the movies? Is it based on historical significance and technical achievement or just how much you enjoyed it?

Mostly also how I enjoy them but I definitely gave The French Connection a star higher than I may have just based on technical achievement alone.

[Cameron H. 23786]

I finally settled on Titanic after Ben-Hur. When it came down to it, if someone made me choose between the two, I feel like Ben-Hur has more to say, and is therefore, more deserving.

[EvRobert 1684]

Here is mine

 

https://letterboxd.com/_bloo_/list/unspooled-afi-top-100/

[Susan* 135]

I am going to try and wait and add movies to the list as they are talked about on the show and try not to look ahead to other movies on the list. But I see that Bonnie and Clyde is coming and that will be a relief. I can put that at the top of my list and then see if anything can knock it off.

 

It's nice to have a problem to focus on once in a while that isn't a real problem. I don't know what my criteria will be for making tough calls once they get to some of my sacred cows. I know it shouldn't be my favorite movie, which is why it's good that Citizen Kane came up early. I have never enjoyed the movie but I can see why everyone should see it. I'm considering going with "what movies would I most recommend to someone with the same taste as me." Though it's going to be tough not to go with which movies I like best, because there must be several on the list that I've seen more than 10 times. I don't know if Kane will stay in my top 50 once we get to more movies I love.

[themichaelwells 21]

Just started a Letterboxed list here.

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

 

So far we are the exact same. I'm curious now when our opinions will start to differ. Hint, I don't think it will be on Titanic.

 

We continue to be perfectly in sync

 

[Cam Bert 8145]

We continue to be perfectly in sync

 

We need to find a third Cameron and test whether our name dictates our taste

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

We need to find a third Cameron and test whether our name dictates our taste

 

Goddamn it, Cam! You liked the Wizard of Oz *that* much?

 

Everything is ruined forever!!!

[tomspanks 9039]

Goddamn it, Cam! You liked the Wizard of Oz *that* much?

 

Everything is ruined forever!!!

 

Is Cameron, Cameron, and Cameron Attorneys at Law ruined now?

[Cameron H. 23786]

Is Cameron, Cameron, and Cameron Attorneys at Law ruined now?

 

Who's the third Cameron? Why are we bringing on a third partner? Is that motherfucker, Cameron, thinking of replacing me?

[grudlian. 4725]

 

Who's the third Cameron? Why are we bringing on a third partner? Is that motherfucker, Cameron, thinking of replacing me?

James Cameron?

[Cam Bert 8145]

Goddamn it, Cam! You liked the Wizard of Oz *that* much?

 

Everything is ruined forever!!!

I really debated it. I'll probably echo some of this over in Platoon, but I like Platoon much more but I think culturally the Wizard of Oz just inches it out and puts it a bit higher. It could be convinced to flip them.

[Cameron H. 23786]

It could be convinced to flip them.

 

I'll pour the coffee...

 

[grudlian. 4725]

I really debated it. I'll probably echo some of this over in Platoon, but I like Platoon much more but I think culturally the Wizard of Oz just inches it out and puts it a bit higher. It could be convinced to flip them.

I didn't rewatch Platoon but Wizard Of Oz is the better movie.

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

I didn't rewatch Platoon but Wizard Of Oz is the better movie.

 

I respectfully disagree. You can like Wizard of Oz more, and it’s certainly more influential, but from a storytelling perspective, Platoon is the better movie.

 

(I’m not even an Oliver Stone fan)

[grudlian. 4725]

 

I respectfully disagree. You can like Wizard of Oz more, and it’s certainly more influential, but from a storytelling perspective, Platoon is the better movie.

 

(I’m not even an Oliver Stone fan)

Platoon is debatably better at storytelling. Wizard Of Oz doesn't have the depth of Platoon but it absolutely nails what it sets out to do. Platoon is muddled in parts and I remember the narration being really corny in parts. I'd also argue that storytelling is only one aspect of being great.

 

I think Wizard Of Oz excels are probably everything else. It's visually more impressive. I think the acting is honestly better (though it's hard to compare since they are very different types of roles). I like the music more. I think it's just better all around.

 

I also haven't seen Platoon in a long time. So, maybe I'm misremembering how much some of it turned me off but hearing Amy and Paul talk about mystical Indians and what not makes me think, no, I'm remembering its flaws just fine.

[Cameron H. 23786]

I also haven't seen Platoon in a long time. So, maybe I'm misremembering how much some of it turned me off but hearing Amy and Paul talk about mystical Indians and what not makes me think, no, I'm remembering its flaws just fine.

 

I mean, don't you think you should watch it again before you say one movie is better than the other? I assure you, there aren't any mystical Indians to be found. That was first draft stuff.

 

I'm not trying to say Wizard of Oz isn't impressive, but emotionally it leaves me cold. The story plods along. Character-wise it's pretty empty. There isn't any complexity. Dorothy' s just like, "Yep, I guess I'll go kill that witch because you told me to. I murdered her sister with my house so I guess she has it coming. Whatever I do, I won't think for myself. After all, I gotta get home to my dirt farm so I can be with my family that hates me and have my dog put down..." Granted, it's a kids' movie, but is that really an excuse? Wall-E is a kids' movie, and I'd argue it has more of an emotional core, and on a technical level, is almost as impressive.

 

Ultimately, in my opinion, outside of its obvious technical achievements, Wizard of Oz is a pleasant yarn, with a few good songs. And it's not like I'm saying Wizard is complete crap. It's still above the majority of my list.

 

And, look, I'm not saying Platoon' s in my Top Ten. Nor am I suggesting that it's not simplistic in its own way. But at least both sides are given a perspective. Both sides have an argument. And I'll take that over silly looking trees throwing apples at farm girls and Lollipop Guilds any day.

 

(As for the music, I'm not really sure how to argue that...I really like Smokey Robinson, though.)

[grudlian. 4725]

 

I mean, don't you think you should watch it again before you say one movie is better than the other? I assure you, there aren't any mystical Indians to be found. That was first draft stuff.

In theory, no, I don't need to rewatch every movie recently to confirm my opinions on it. With Platoon, yeah, maybe.

 

I know there aren't literal mystical Indians in the final movie but a lot of the characters felt like archetypes more than real people in places. They are archetypes in Wizard of Oz but they are very different movies doing very different things.

 

I'm honestly just kind of half heartedly defending my position because I'm not big on ranking things if there are more than a few items (hence having no list on letterboxd). I'm probably not watching Platoon ever again because ehhh I liked it okay and that's about it. Wizard Of Oz I will definitely watch again. Platoon didn't accomplish all of its goals while I think Wizard Of Oz did. I can get completely swept away in Oz but never did in Platoon.

 

Others are free to disagree with me. That's cool. I'm not trying to change anyone's mind just state my own thoughts on it.

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

Others are free to disagree with me. That's cool. I'm not trying to change anyone's mind just state my own thoughts on it.

 

That's cool. Cam and I were just talking about it and you chimed in. I have no problem if you - or anyone else - like' s Wizard more. I was just giving my rationale for my personal list. The only person's opinion that I'm interested in changing is Cam' s, but that's only because he fucked up our perfectly synchronized lists with his "free thinking." :)/>

[tomspanks 9039]

Who's the third Cameron? Why are we bringing on a third partner? Is that motherfucker, Cameron, thinking of replacing me?

 

Reserving the spot for when a third Cameron joins the forum. It's only a matter of time.