Rating - Perfect 10 Movies

[Dimwhit]

So my wife and I just watched Thirteen Ghosts. Let me tell you...it's no 10.

 

[Thanee]

I am really amazed at how many people have put Fight Club on their list as being a perfect 10 movie though...

Fight Club is just an amazing movie.

Bye
Thanee

 

[barsoomcore]

I can think of movies which meet all your criteria (if they applied to me, of course) that I do not consider 10s.

I own fun movies that I watch often that I didn't rate a 10, either. These are exclusionary criteria -- that is, they provide reasons to exclude candidates. Anything that doesn't fit those criteria does not get the 10. That's not the same thing as saying EVERYTHING that fits those criteria DOES get the 10.

In my case, they often do. I can think of many, many things I would change about Major League, but then I neither own it nor watch it repeatedly, so it fails on all three criteria for me.

I'll say this: I watch films repeatedly for two reasons: because I want to relive the enjoyment I felt the first time I watched it, or because I feel like there's more for me to get out of the film. If it's only the first reason, then the film is unlikely to garner a 10 rating from me. It's the latter reason that distinguishes the 10 films.

Would a movie like Schindler's List, which I have a great opinion of, but would find hard to watch many times, make your list? Do you have to be able to watch it repeatedly for it to be worthy in your opinion?

Schindler's List is not a very good film, as far as I'm concerned.

But for example, there's a couple of films that I haven't watched repeatedly that are indeed NOT on my list. All About Eve, for one. Great film, but I only watched it once. I intend to watch it again, but I just haven't. Likewise Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?

I tried to come up with criteria I could actually apply in some sort of organized fashion. I'll admit that they aren't perfect criteria, but I could never really generate a list of "perfect" films. How do you define "perfect"? Perfect for who? I could list off hundreds of films that might fit some definition of "perfect". Instead, I thought to lay out a straightforward set of criteria that I could then use to include or exclude films from my list.

Because I'm that sort of anal-retentive dork who does things like that.

It was an interesting exercise. It made me look at my shelf and say, "Why HAVEN'T I watched this film more often?" Or, "Why on earth do I watch that stinker over and over again?" There's films I used to watch compulsively that I now no longer look at twice.

Also the addendum to criteria 1, would that allow you to simply sit there and think of how well constructed a movie is and pass it?

As I said, you need to be finding NEW things in the movie each time you watch it.

Watched Hard-Boiled again last night. It DEFINITELY goes on my list. Good grief I'd actually forgotten how amazing that movie is.

 

[Krael]

Along with most of the ones that have previously been listed, I'll add...

A Christmas Story!

 

[Particle_Man]

Some that have not been mentioned yet.

Big Night (Italian film)
The Imposters (a tribute to earlier forms of comedy film)
that buster keaton film about the civil war

and more recently...

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, dammit!

 

[barsoomcore]

A Christmas Story!!!!?

How the heck did I miss that one?

Yes, obviously.

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

Watched Hard-Boiled again last night. It DEFINITELY goes on my list. Good grief I'd actually forgotten how amazing that movie is.

That is a great one. I have GOT to acquire that one on DVD.

btw- I really like your criteria. Not exactly the same system I used, but similar.

 

[Mog Elffoe]

Because you can't believe that so many other people have the same exquisite taste as you, or because you can't believe that so many other people disagree with your exquisite taste?

Something like that. I thought Fight Club was a great looking movie, and overall I did enjoy it. It's when it tries to explain itself that it loses (IMO, of course) any chance of reaching that 'Perfect 10' plateau. Any time I watch a movie and say to myself, "Yeah, right...!" (the scene where the two guys watch Ed Norton beat himself up and then ask where they can sign up) it loses my vote.

I have no problem with anyone liking ANY movie (except Freddy Got Fingered--anybody who likes that one's got a good punchin' comin' to them.) I'm not surprised that Fight Club would be someone's favorite movie. I'm just amazed that so many folks would list it as a 'Perfect 10'.

I'm also amazed that Home Alone is one the top grossing comedies. I found it be painfully UNfunny. I also don't understand why so many women love Pretty Woman, a film that I find to be incredibly misogynistic (exactly WHY is Julia Roberts' character a hooker? How is Richard Gere paying her for sex romantic?).

Thanks, though, for admitting my taste was exquisite--judging by your posts I'd say that our DVD shelves are almost interchangeable.

 

[Mog Elffoe]

That is a great one. I have GOT to acquire that one on DVD.

btw- I really like your criteria. Not exactly the same system I used, but similar.

Concerning Hard Boiled:

Good luck with finding it on DVD. It's been out of print here in the States for ages. Your best bet is to order an imported version online. You could probably get a pretty decent price that way, too.

That's another movie that I just love, and I do mean LOVE, but I wouldn't rate as a 'Perfect 10'.

 

[Kai Lord]

Concerning Hard Boiled:

Good luck with finding it on DVD. It's been out of print here in the States for ages.

How ironic. Just a few days ago I took the Criterion Edition DVD out of my collection and set it aside because I'm planning to trade it in to get a discount on Return of the King this Tuesday. So if you're in the Pacific Northwest next week, you might want to check a few Wherehouse stores, you just might find a copy available for purchase.