38. Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Stanley Kubrick gets a lot of attention for films such as “2001”, “The Shining” and “Eyes Wide Shut”. While I’m not saying those are bad films, I am saying they all pale compared to the over-the-top insane juggernaut of a motion picture that is Dr. Strangelove. The absurdity of superpower posturing is never more focrefully – and hilariously – brought home. The inestimable Peter Sellers plays not one, not two, but three roles, to which I say: More! As the films escalates in suspense and parody through its 93 minutes, it only gets more and more and more nutty, culminating in what is quite likely the ultimate trigger-happy male’s fantasy…which I won’t give away for those who haven’t seen this flick.
Why not rate this higher? It’s a one-trick pony, to put it gently. The film suceeds because it know when to end, but it still could use a little more depth.
37. Schindler’s List (1993)
Steven Spielberg gets a lot of attention for, well, everything he ever touches. But for “Schindler’s List”, he really deserves the accolades this time. The layered picture immediately drops the viewer in the panic of the moment in history that was Nazi Germany. The black-and-white graniness and the hand-held shots lend an immediacy and chaos that instantly compliments and enhances the storyline. I found myself gasping in horror at the senseless murders, the lack of human rights and the fight for every life that so many good people had to go through on a daily basis.
Why not rate this higher? Okay, it’s a little long. In comparison to the book of the same title, it just doesn’t hold up as well. Worst of all, Spielberg seems to be beating us over the head with an over-glorification of Schindler himself during the final 15 minutes of the film. Chill out, Stevie, I get the picture: Schindler did a great thing.
36. The Abyss (1989)
James Cameron gets a lot of attention for Titanic and the Terminator movies. But in between the chick-flick and the testosterone-driven action movies, there’s one that stands above the others: The Abyss. I didn’t expect much when I first sat down to watch this picture, and it more than made up for my low expectations. Great suspense, great story, great special effects. There are so many great scenes in this film, especially the scene depicting the ship’s accidnetal fall into the (what else?) abyss and the drowning of Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio’s character. Oops, have I said too much? Guess I” stop there.
Why not rate this higher? The dialogue in The Abyss? Like every Cameron picture it’s very very very corny. It’s about an 8 on the cringe-worthy scale, with 1 being “not cringe-worthy at all” and 10 being “The Phantom Menace”.
I really like “The Abyss”, but was introduced it with the dirctor’s cut and so can’t picture going back to the theatrical release. If you’ve seen both, which do you prefer?
I agree with you – the Director’s cut is better. I first saw the theatrical cut and really liked it. When I finally bought the Director’s cut, I loved how it enhanced the storyline about the aliens. It had some cool special effects, too, that weren’t in the original.
This is one of the few times I preferred the Director’s to the original.