I enjoy awards.

So today, instead of doing my work, I wrote down my winners for Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress from 1990-2006, and ranked them. Keep in mind, these are all subject to change and often, ranking these were extremely difficult - I mean, look at the Best Actor list. Jeremy Irons in last place??

Best Picture
1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
2. American Beauty (1999)
3. Angels in America (2003)
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
5. Schindler's List (1993)
6. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
7. Chicago (2002)
8. Goodfellas (1990)
9. The Departed (2006)
10. The Player (1992)
11. The Usual Suspects (1995)
12. Boogie Nights (1997)
13. Shakespeare in Love (1998)
14. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
15. The English Patient (1996)
16. A History of Violence (2005)
17. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Best Actor
1. Kevin Spacey in American Beauty (1999)
2. Ian McKellen in Gods and Monsters (1998)
3. Clive Owen in Closer (2004)
4. River Phoenix in My Own Private Idaho (1991)
5. Denzel Washington in Malcolm X (1992)
6. Jack Nicholson in About Schmidt (2002)
7. Bill Murray in Lost in Translation (2003)
8. Ian Holm in The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
9. Robert Downey Jr. in "I Want Love" (2001)
10. Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
11. Christian Bale in American Psycho (2000)
12. Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain (2005)
13. Liam Neeson in Schindler's List (1993)
14. Ryan Gosling in Half Nelson (2006)
15. Jeffrey Wright in Basquiat (1996)
16. Paul Newman in Nobody's Fool (1994)
17. Jeremy Irons in Reversal of Fortune (1990)

Best Actress
1. Elisabeth Shue in Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
2. Naomi Watts in Mulholland Dr. (2001)
3. Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
4. Jodie Foster in Silence of the Lambs (1991)
5. Emily Watson in Breaking the Waves (1996)
6. Holly Hunter in The Piano (1993)
7. Ellen Burstyn in Requiem for a Dream (2000)
8. Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
9. Hilary Swank in Boys Don't Cry (1999)
10. Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation and Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, Vol. 1 (2003)
11. Angelina Jolie in Gia (1998)
12. Samantha Morton in Morvern Callar (2002)
13. Jodie Foster in Contact (1997)
14. Emma Thompson in Howards End (1992)
15. Rachel Weisz in The Constant Gardener (2005)
16. Linda Fiorentino in The Last Seduction (1994)
17. Helen Mirren in The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover (1990)

Best Supporting Actor
1. Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction (1994)
2. Jeffrey Wright in Angels in America (2003)
3. Jack Lemmon in Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
4. Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
5. Ralph Fiennes in Schindler's List (1993)
6. Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects (1995)
7. Tom Cruise in Magnolia (1999)
8. Mark Ruffalo in You Can Count on Me (2000)
9. Edward Norton in Primal Fear (1996)
10. Chris Cooper in Adaptation. (2002)
11. Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast (2001)
12. Kevin Spacey in L.A. Confidential (1997)
13. Bill Murray in Rushmore (1998)
14. Joe Pesci in Goodfellas (1990)
15. Clive Owen in Inside Man (2006)
16. Jude Law in I Heart Huckabees (2004)
17. Michael Pena in Crash (2005)

Best Supporting Actress
1. Jennifer Connelly in Requiem for a Dream (2000)
2. Catherine Zeta-Jones in Chicago (2002)
3. Frances McDormand in Fargo (1996)
4. Sarah Polley in The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
5. Meryl Streep in Angels in America (2003)
6. Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction (1994)
7. Kate Winslet in Iris (2001)
8. Gong Li in Farewell, My Concubine (1993)
9. Kate Winslet in Sense and Sensibility (1995)
10. Mia Kirshner in The Black Dahlia (2006)
11. Nicole Kidman in Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
12. Laura Linney in The Truman Show (1998)
13. Maria Bello in A History of Violence (2005)
14. Virginia Madsen in Sideways (2004)
15. Lorraine Brocco in Goodfellas (1990)
16. Miranda Richardson in Damage (1992)
17. Diane Ladd in Rambling Rose (1991)

and that's that

happy birthday to the divisive ones.

First, Kirsten Dunst. Um...I actually really like her. I'm a big fan of her work in Interview with a Vampire, The Virgin Suicides, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Bring It On, crazy/beautiful, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and of course, last year's Marie-Antoinette (though she doesn't even make my top 10 for actress, that's more a comment on how strong the year is). Yeah, she can be really bad too (Elizabethtown) or really bland (the Spider-Man films...OMG Spider-Man 3 this weekend!!!! Maybe I'll actually see it!!!), but I don't hate her at all. Except she's a dumb slut that dumped Jake Gyllenhaal...

Person #2: Lars von Trier. Meh. Dogville was so awesome though

thanks, theater...

So basically, what I've learned from this show is that it doesn't matter how talented you are. If you are sleeping with the director (or the director wants to sleep with you...), you will be a very important lead. And no, I don't know why it took me this long to realize it.

pardon my french: what the fuck

is Julianne Moore doing in this? Basically, if it's Nic Cage in the 21st century, stay far far far away, unless it's with a respected director...

shockingly, another birthday post

Happy birthday to the godly Michael Corleone himself, Al Pacino! In honor of his birthday, watch any performance of his except the one for which he won the Oscar, which is, in my opinion, one of the worst decisions they ever made. It's a ridonkulously bad performance. That said, his work in The Godfather, Part II is my favorite. It's frightening how good he is. In an extremely competitive Best Actor year, I hand him the Oscar in a second. Panic in Needle Park, Serpico, The Godfather, Dog Day Afternoon, And Justice for All, Scarface, Dick Tracy, The Godfather Part III, Glengarry Glen Ross, Heat, Donnie Brasco, Insomnia, and ANGELS IN AMERICA!!!!, all spectacular as well. Heck, he's one of the best things about Gigli. Maybe, in honor of his birthday, I'll destroy all copies of Scent of a Woman (in case you didn't get it before: AWFUL MOVIE. I. HATE. THIS. MOVIE.) or finally get on seeing The Merchant of Venice. Happy birthday Al!

a great article

read this stuff. it's also like part of why i am head-over-heels in love with magnolia.

awww

Jonathan Rhys Myers is in rehab. Get better, hotstuff! And if you need someone to look after you, well, I suppose I'm always here. ;)

guh

I really don't care that the Blandshitt is playing Dylan. Do people realize there are like other actors in the film too? And why oh why did dumb Todd Haynes cast Blanchett as the only woman to play Dylan? Doesn't she get enough goddamn attention as is? Grr.

after years of trying, I can finally say it.

I am cool.

The soundtracks to Kill Bill are now on my computer.

happy freakin' birthday!!!

Jack Nicholson rocks. Please watch The Departed again in honor of this, or One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, for which he totally deservedly won the Oscar (Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon is fantastic but not in his league, frankly). I'm shocked he's still alive. Here's to another 70 years!

Annie Hall is 30 years old.

You should freakin' celebrate!

My only problem with the movie is that I just wish Manhattan was as well-known...which isn't even really a complaint about Annie Hall at all.

i don't get you, edward norton

You're just trying to drive us all crazy with your movie projects aren't you? It's all payback for how much you were robbed in '96 and '98 (you didn't deserve it in '98 really, but you were worlds better than Benigni) isn't it? I'm sorry.

theatrical pause

Ranking the songs of both the musicals I've been in this year.

The Rocky Horror Show (it's not "Picture" Show, thanks ;) )
---- love 'em ----
1. "Time Warp"
2. "Touch-a-touch-a-touch-a Touch Me"
3. "Dammit Janet"
---- great to good ----
4. "Sweet Transvestite"
5. "Science Fiction Double Feature"
6. "Rose Tint My World"
7. "Hot Patootie"
8. "Planet Schmanet Janet"
9. "Sword of Damocles"
10. "I'm Going Home"
11. "Super Heroes"
---- dumb / clearly filler songs ---
12. "Eddie's Teddy"
14. "Charles Atlas Song" / "Charles Atlas Song reprise"
15. "Over at the Frankenstein Place"
---- bad ----
16. "Once in a While"

Urinetown
---- love 'em ----
1. "Run Freedom Run!"
2. "Act One Finale"
3. "Don't Be the Bunny"
4. "Cop Song"
5. "Follow Your Heart"
6. "Snuff That Girl"
7. "What Is Urinetown?"
---- great to good ----
8. "Too Much Exposition / Urinetown"
9. "I See a River"
10. "Look at the Sky"
11. "We're Not Sorry / We're Not Sorry reprise"
12. "Why Did I Listen to That Man?"
13. "Mr. Cladwell"
---- dumb / clearly filler songs ----
14. "It's a Privilege to Pee"
15. "Tell Her I Love Her"

The better musical: Urinetown kicks Rocky Horror's ass in every way, shape, and form.
The more fun musical: Urinetown too, surprisingly. Both fun, though.

i might be a horrible person

So, I read the plays they posted of the guy who went on the rampage at Virginia Tech. They are, indeed, incredibly disturbing. But is it wrong that the only thing I could think when I read them was, "why do these remind me so much of Heathers?"

Virginia Tech

How the fuck did this happen?

Why the fuck don't more people here care?

It's so awful.

what the HELL

i don't even have words for this. some things don't exactly scream "musical!" spider-man is one of them.

happy birthday emma thompson!!

"the stiffening of your penis is of NO CONSEQUENCE!!!"

why the hell is she listed after emma watson on IMDb's daily birthdays? crazy motherfuckers.

random mood

let's do the time warp agaaaain

i always love when...

...bloggers are always calling out for all these very human causes, and then wank to Von Trier movies. Are his films (generally) quite good? Yes. Are they unbelievably cruel? You bet your ass. Dogville is the best of them by far; at least Grace gets her redemption. He used to be on my list of favorite directors because of his talent alone, but then I realized I couldn't, in any way, shape, or form, say he was a "favorite" of mine.

The only way Heathers could have been any worse: if it was co-directed by Lars Von Trier and Alejandro Gonzáles Iñarritu. shudder

oh goodness

not to go all personal life on ya'll, but it is hard to balance classes, being in a show, being sick, friends, and a relationship.

Sofia Coppola is amazing

"Highschool Lover" from The Virgin Suicides [Air]
"Just Like Honey" from Lost in Translation [The Jesus and Mary Chain]
"Pulling Our Weight" from Marie-Antoinette [The Radio Dept.]

Thanks, IMDb!

So a random post on IMDb asked to rank these actresses:
Jennifer Connelly
Nicole Kidman
Naomi Watts
Kate Winslet
Rachel Weisz
Reese Witherspoon
Winona Ryder
Halle Berry
Uma Thurman
Cate Blanchett
Toni Collette
Samantha Morton
Jodie Foster
Julianne Moore
Hilary Swank
Emily Watson
Audrey Tautou
Juliette Binoche
Helena Bonham Carter
(whew)

And well, who am I to say no?:
1. Kate Winslet (one of the best actresses ever. I cannot control my fangirly glee.)
2. Nicole Kidman (makes missteps but I still love her. Hard to ignore that run from like 01-04.)
3. Jodie Foster (despite 2 Oscars, still ridiculously underrated)
4. Julianne Moore (though not God as some will say, and makes missteps, but still brilliant)
5. Toni Collette (just brilliant; doesn't get the work she should because she's not beautiful)
6. Emily Watson (hasn't done enough for my liking but is often earth-shatteringly good, and never any less than great)
7. Samantha Morton (incredibly underrated. Check out Morvern Callar, please.)
8. Cate Blanchett (uncle! She's great, if too cold)
9. Reese Witherspoon (often does work that is below her but comedic genius. Quite good at drama too)
10. Uma Thurman (only Quentin knows what the fuck to do with her, basically, but when he's got her...watch out)
11. Juliette Binoche (Always quite good, never really earth-shattering)
12. Hilary Swank (not brilliant except in Boys Don't Cry but fuck the haters. Far from awful either.)
13. Rachel Weisz (she's good in crap like The Mummy and The Shape of Things, and her performance in The Constant Gardener is stunning, to say the least, but she does spend too much of her time in said crap.)
14. Naomi Watts (love her in Mulholland, Huckabees, and Veil, thought she was okay but far from brilliant/great in The Ring and We Don't Live..., despise her in everything else)
15. Jennifer Connelly (I'm still mad at her for that Oscar win in '01 when all the other nominees were ludicrously better... but hers in Requiem for a Dream is one of the finest performances ever. That said, other than that and House of Sand and Fog she is bland [I still need to see Dark Water; I've heard great things])
16. Halle Berry (undeserving of the bashing she constantly gets [I don't understand how she's that bad in the X-Men movies except for that one line about the toad in the original, but I doubt Daniel Day-Lewis could sell that dialogue], but still not terribly great in anything)
17. Helena Bonham Carter (her screen presence tends to irk me...but I guess that's what happens when you're married/engaged/whatevered to Tim Burton)
18. Winona Ryder (never much more than bland and my viewing of Heathers last night did nothing to endear her to me)
19. Audrey Tautou (ugh, useless, Amelie blows)

brilliant

gawd, i just remembered how fucking amazing this movie was (if unbelievably hard to watch). aronofsky is a genius.

I'm in shock.

I just watched Heathers for the very first time (yeah, I know).

It has a few funnyish bits ("lick it up baby! lick! it! up!"), but WHAT THE FUCK??? Did Alejandro Gonzales Iñarritu direct this film? It is nihilistic to the point in which it makes the viewer uncomfortable. While it was supposed to be dark, I don't think it was supposed to be like that. Add to that shitty acting, technicals, and '80s costumes with awful shoulder pads, and yeah... D

for the boy.

I never felt too good
But in this world, who would?
I was always thinking something wasn't right
But then you came along and
Helped me sing this song and
Now I feel okay
I hope this can stay -
This way.
You know we've got a good thing going
And I don't wanna see it end.

May 20.

this would rock.

grace says goodbye to dogville...or claire says hello to gullen?

The Visit done Dogville-style. Or rather, starting off all Dogville-style, but then eventually turning into a regular movie set. Holy shit, that would rock. Except we'd have to get rid of all the stupid things in that play that really try to be funny but aren't (the eunichs...err...).

Of course, most of you probably have no idea what I'm talking about, because you've probably never heard of/seen The Visit. Trust me, though, it's a faaantastic idea.

I don't hate Cate Blanchett.

like this dress, technically flawless but...

I do, however, hate that in every movie she's in, she fails to emotionally engage, no matter how technically precise she is (and she is frighteningly technically precise - probably even more so than even Meryl Streep). Katharine Hepburn or Pauline Kael or someone like that once said they hated Meryl Streep's acting because they "could see the wheels turning." I obviously don't find that's true...dude, Sophie's Choice alone. However, it is true for Cate. To be honest, her acting scares me a little. Bullet-point precision...with hardly an inch of room left for emotion. I don't understand how people can hate Meryl but love Cate (Meryl can actually cause emotion in the viewer too...).

In conclusion, I hope Kate, wherever she is, was utterly horrified by the premise that Cate was playing her. I guess.

sigh.

so very pretty.

I am terrified.

Grindhouse finished below Are We There Yet? at the box office. Seriously, people!!! I know, I didn't do my part to go see Grindhouse, but I haven't seen ANY 2007 movies so far save Epic Movie which doesn't fuckin' count. Sad, I know, but some of us thought it would be a good idea to take three writing intensive classes in one semester. But the real sad thing is that Grindhouse was #4 this weekend. Yeah yeah yeah, I know it was Easter weekend, but still. People. Rose McGowan with a machine gun for a leg. Bruce Willis as some kind of crazy zombie leader or something. A GODDAMN QUENTIN TARANTINO MOVIE!!! How do you NOT want to see that shit?!?!?!

Helen Mirren:

way cooler than you. But you knew that already.

I enjoy how she's apparently BFFL with Jamie Foxx (her husband did direct his Oscar-winning turn) and how Vince Vaughn looks like the fuckin' dead.

I love that woman! Seriously, way cooler than you.

I was a weird kid.

When I was like 11, I liked Tori Amos. A lot.

...gee, you think she was over my head a little

hysterical.

This is like, my family. Kind of.

Pretty people are overrated.

James McAvoy was great in Last King of Scotland. However...I've seen people giving him the award/nominating him over Forest Whitaker. WHAT?! And, not for anything, but these people are always straight women or gay men, who usually preface their awards by "he's so HOT!!!! ... and he's good too." Yes, I realize I have my biases too (Clive Owen much), but that's just...what? McAvoy was great but he can't touch Whitaker. Oh, and I like how one person was like "he stole the show from Whitaker!" Um, well, a. that's just not true and b. his role was meant to be THE lead. Whitaker stole it from him.

In conclusion, if Steve Buscemi or John C. Reilly were playing Nicholas Garrigan, and gave the exact same peformance, they would be totally ignored. But, because a hot guy does it, everyone is like "OMG HE'S BETTER THAN THE UGLY GUY!!!!"

...or maybe this entry was just an excuse to show a picture of McAvoy's sweet, sweet ass.

Es la verdad.

Madonna sucks, kind of a lot.

So does Bjork but if you don't realize that on your own you're just silly.

something just occurred to me.

still looking for that elusive oscar...from the academy, and me

So, I really like Julianne Moore. She's a fantastic actress, somewhere in my top 20. And much bitching has been done about how she doesn't have an Oscar. But today I realized something... she's never actually deserved an Oscar. There have been times when she is the best of the nominees, this is very true. But let's look at her performances...

1993: Short Cuts. Loves it. But not as much as Gong Li.
1994: Vanya on 42nd Street. Loves it. But not as much as Uma Thurman.
1995: Safe. Loves it. But not as much as Elisabeth Shue.
1997: Boogie Nights. Loves it. But not as much as Sarah Polley.
1998: The Big Lebowski. Loves it. But not as much as Laura Linney.
1999: The End of the Affair. Loves it. But not as much as Hilary Swank.
1999: Magnolia. Loves it. But not as much as Nicole Kidman.
2002: Far from Heaven. REALLY loves it. But not as much as Samantha Morton.*
2006: Children of Men. Loves it. But not as much as Mia Kirshner.

You see? Poor Juli. I still love you. The year distribution tends to be unfortunate for Juli: she would have won Best Actress with Safe in, well, quite a few years, but just not against Shue. She would have won Best Supporting Actress with Boogie Nights in quite a few years, but just not against Polley (whenever people have anyone winning but Polley I get extremely confused.). And just for talent alone, Julianne deserve an Oscar more than some people who have one, coughannapaquincough. I hope she is amazing in Savage Grace and, if she deserves it, gets an Oscar.

* This is extremely close. One day I might just be like "fuck it, TIE!"

this man scares me.

seriously. does he ever look the same in two pictures?!?! eek!

just because he scares me, though, doesn't mean he's not a frighteningly brilliant actor. like, he's in a movie once every 500 years or so, but he has literally never given a bad performance. hell, he's never even given a good-but-not-quite-nomination-worthy performance. and, if gangs of new york is any sign, he's just getting frighteningly better (haven't seen the ballad of jack and rose, i should probably get on that). he might be the best actor we have. goooo there will be blood! though i still don't see it getting oscar love. they haven't exactly gone crazy over p.t.'s other work.

something that pisses me off

winning something she probably deserved, as millions protest

serious question: would people hate Hilary Swank so much if she was beautiful? Nope. I actually hate feminism, but it makes me angry when, why asked to explain their Swank hatred, people say stuff like, "She looks like a horse" and "She's a man." Oh my God, a celebrity that's not stunningly beautiful! We have enough of those. More Hilarys, please (especially if they keep giving us performances like Boys Don't Cry and Million Dollar Baby).

an actual movie review

I watched Girl with a Pearl Earring last night (for the second or third time) with one of my classes. The movie has a lot of strengths.
For one thing, and perhaps most importantly, despite being a practically dialogue-free movie (that's an exaggeration, but it is, to say the least, hardly a gabfest), it is never boring. This is probably due to the movie's other two biggest boons: its fantastic lead actress and its cinematography. Scarlett Johansson is incredible in this film, full of unspoken nuance (though I still think those who say she's better here than in Lost in Translation are nuts), fascinating even before she was the major star she is today. Secondly, the cinematography is UHHHMAZING. Maybe because I'm an Art History major, but I can't help but be crazy for a movie when every shot looks like a Vermeer painting, through its use of light and compositions. It's the best cinematographic job of the new decade.
Still, the film does have its flaws. Every character save Griet seems to be kind of one-dimensional or be there only as a plot point (and it might only be by the grace of Scarlett that Griet is not). I'm all for unsympathetic characters, but the extreme bile that the screenwriter and director create toward Vermeer's daughter (and his wife and patron, but to a lesser extent) is excessive, and pointless.
Nevertheless, it is a smart, respectable, and GORGEOUS movie. B+, #7 of 2003

I love my best friend.

As a very belated birthday present, he got me Marie-Antoinette. Hawt.

it's fitting that something this random would be my 200th post

stephAn jenkins, you are hot!

Was Third Eye Blind a great band? No, not really.

Was Third Eye Blind a terrible band? Nowhere near it.

Was Third Eye Blind a band with one of the hottest lead singers I've ever seen? Yup.

Was Third Eye Blind, despite their just-above-mediocrity, able to come up with one of the best songs ever written with "Semi-Charmed Life?" You bet your ass.

this might be the funniest thing i've ever seen.

enough said? enough said

hooray!!

it seems all I have time to do nowadays are these birthday posts - but who cares when the birthday posts are dedicated to geniuses such as Robert Downey Jr.? Happy birthday, Robert! I adore you, as you can tell from several other posts. Here's to staying clean and kicking ass in more movies. Even in crap - A Scanner Darkly, Natural Born Killers (one of the worst movies I've ever seen in my life) - he is fantastic. Hell, he can even elevate a music video to a work of art. Love ya, Robert.

ummmmmmmmm..........

for obvious reasons, he's not very happy

...why are Alec Baldwin and Eddie Murphy listed before Marlon Brando on IMDb's birthdays today? I'm practically offended. Baldwin and Murphy are, you know, fine and all, but Marlon Brando is only the best actor that ever lived. That said, all three can be brilliant. Revisit two of the best movies of 2006, The Departed and Dreamgirls, to revisit two of the best performances of 2006 (Baldwin's and Murphy's), and then watch any number of Brando's brilliant performances. Last Tango in Paris (probably the best performance I've ever seen in my life), A Streetcar Named Desire, On the Waterfront, The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, The Wild One, Viva Zapata!...

why have i not seen this picture before?!

Clive Owen is HOT! HOT! HOT! God, he's so hot he makes me want to see that stupid Elizabeth sequel with whatsherface. I think I'm the only one that doesn't think that'll get Best Picture love (hopefully it'll get some Best Supporting? Actor love ;) ). I mean, a sequel nominated for Best Picture? Yeah, it's a historical drama, but assloads of those will be coming out this year and it doesn't have the "OMG, that actress we've never heard of is really good in this!!!" shock that Elizabeth had. Let's not kid ourselves into thinking that this is another Godfather or Lord of the Rings.

... of course I am probably totally wrong, but that's the fun of the Oscars a year in advance. ;) And going back to the original point: CLIVE OWEN IS HOT!

happy birthday hot stuff! (again)

ugh, gorgeous! DON'T watch Harold and Kumar or Wet Hot American Summer today in honor of his gorgeousness. (I like those movies, but if you've seen them, you'll understand why I say that)

...oh and Alec Guinness, only, you know, one of the best actors who ever lived. But who cares when there's the Hotness of Christopher Meloni? ;)

i have problems...

...with people who say shit like "oh Persona is my favorite movie" (or Passion of Joan of Arc, or Au hasard Balthazar or however you spell it because I can't be bothered to look it up). Especially if these people are younger than I am. Like, on IMDb there's a sixteen-year-old girl with the following as her top 10 movies ever:

1. Taxi Driver
2. Apocolypse Now
3. The Third Man
4. The 400 Blows
5. Aguirre, the Wrath of God
6. Tokyo Story (!)
7. On the Waterfront
8. Chinatown
9. Sunset Boulevard
10. Persona
also on her top 100 list: Solaris (the '72 version), Scenes from a Marriage, The Nights of Cabiria, The Bicycle Thief, The Passion of Joan of Arc, Andrei Rubelev, Fitzcarraldo, The Battle of Algiers, All Quiet on the Western Front, Koyaanisqatsi (this was the one that REALLY pissed me off), Hiroshima Mon Amour, and Battleship Potemkin, among others

Seriously? Yeah, film is meant to enlighten us and be intelligent and all that. I'm not saying it's not. But my God, it's meant to entertain us too. Quite frankly, I'd rather watch Mean Girls again than any Bergman (save maybe Smiles of a Summer Night but even there, the pacing drags). Is Mean Girls a better movie than The Seventh Seal, or Scenes from a Marriage, or Cries and Whispers? Of course not. But I still enjoy it more.

of course, occasionally we get the film that combines great insight/excellent filmmaking with a great time (thank you, any Quentin Tarantino movie...though I guess the "great insight" thing doesn't apply there), and that's the best of both worlds, but these are pathetically rare, especially, and it's sad for me to say this, in all the "classics" we're all supposed to see. What to do, what to do.

Tommy Plympton should have known.

if you wanna be happy for the rest of your life,
never make a pretty woman your wife.
from my own personal point of view,
get an ugly girl to marry you.