51 replies to this topic

[Greg Wolfe]

There is certainly enough feeling in the community that the top 100 list could be improved to justify doing it again in 2011.

Maybe after that we go to every two years?

[Ryan H.]

Greg Wolfe, on 01 November 2010 - 01:41 PM, said:

There is certainly enough feeling in the community that the top 100 list could be improved to justify doing it again in 2011.

Very much agreed.

Greg Wolfe, on 01 November 2010 - 01:41 PM, said:

Maybe after that we go to every two years?

Sounds good to me.

[Darryl A. Armstrong]

I like the idea of the top 100 list being updated every 2-3 years. I think a revised list of 100 films every year will be a little overwhelming and also waters down the list itself - if we're presenting a top 100 list, why would it change so often?

How often are the AFI lists updated?

I'm not saying it shouldn't be tweaked, but I don't think it's a great idea to do so yearly.

[Darrel Manson]

Horror would be good, but I'd probably abstain since I don't have a great appreciation of the genre.

Other suggestions: Top 4 Jesus movies (since there are 4 canonical gospels). On this I think the debate over Last Temptation and/or TPOTC would be worth the price. I'd be willing to say if one gets in the other gets it as a balance.

Top Kid movies. Which one Miyazaki would we include? What are the criteria for a good kid's movie.

Best films for All Saints Day.

Best Buddhist Films (I really want to find a place where we recognize Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter . . . and Spring.)

Best Films about Aging

[Andrew]

Darrel Manson, on 08 November 2010 - 11:28 AM, said:

Horror would be good, but I'd probably abstain since I don't have a great appreciation of the genre.

Other suggestions: Top 4 Jesus movies (since there are 4 canonical gospels). On this I think the debate over Last Temptation and/or TPOTC would be worth the price. I'd be willing to say if one gets in the other gets it as a balance.

Top Kid movies. Which one Miyazaki would we include? What are the criteria for a good kid's movie.

Best films for All Saints Day.

Best Buddhist Films (I really want to find a place where we recognize Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter . . . and Spring.)

Best Films about Aging

I really like your suggestions.

'Best Buddhist Films' - I really need to see 'Spring...' It would be great, too, if a list such as this got more people to see Juzo Itami's 'Diabyonin (Last Dance).'

[Ryan H.]

Darrel Manson, on 08 November 2010 - 11:28 AM, said:

Horror would be good, but I'd probably abstain since I don't have a great appreciation of the genre.

I would hope, though, that you would nevertheless participate in the discussion. Part of the benefit in doing such a list would be to cultivate an appreciation for the genre, or rather, to decide what's worth appreciating in that genre. I'm interested in exploring the tension between what is a genuinely rich, compelling horror film and one that's really just an exercise in exploitation. Which horror films genuinely pull us into a conversation? That there are very many well-made horror films, in the sense that they're made with remarkable craft and effectively elicit a feeling of terror, cannot necessarily be argued. But even so, is REPULSION, a work of very fine craftsmanship, genuinely a film worth celebrating? What about PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK? It is perhaps easier to support those horror films that have clear, discernible moral cores; FRANKENSTEIN, for example, has at its center moral and philosophical questions that continue to resonate very loudly today, but there are many horror films that are murkier affairs that are more exercises in mood than with ideas. Can we, as a community of faith, claim those as valuable? What is the place of the nightmare in a Christian conception of art, if we can even say there is one?

Darrel Manson, on 08 November 2010 - 11:28 AM, said:

Best Buddhist Films (I really want to find a place where we recognize Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter . . . and Spring.)

Quite intriguing, but I don't know that I've seen any films that I would genuinely qualify as "Buddhist" (I haven't seen SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, WINTER . . . AND SPRING).

Edited by Ryan H., 08 November 2010 - 05:03 PM.

[Cunningham]

I'm pretty interested in getting this thing going. I see Darrel's comment about not really knowing enough about it to "contribute," but you know if we take some time with this, than I wonder if some members who aren't really horror enthusiasts might find some discussions that would kindle an interest in a film or two on the list. Is there another step we need to take to make the discussion of a Top 10 Horror Films list "official"?

[Greg Wolfe]

Seems like a consensus for doing the Top 100 list in 2011 and every two years after that.

Should we get more nominations for Top 10/20/25 lists out before voting on which of those lists we like best?

Darrel had some new list possibilities that sounded interesting and I'm not sure we've tossed out enough possibilities yet.

[yank_eh]

Darrel Manson, on 30 October 2010 - 08:49 PM, said:

I think every year is too much. Even if I'm not that fond of the current edition, how much has changed (either in the films available or the makeup of the voters)? Any real change would probably come from tweaking the process.

Top 10's in some category could make a nice filler in the in between years.

wholeheartedly agree with the above.

List ideas:

I like the Horror idea.

And Children's films...in fact I think there was a thread about that a year or so ago and people got pretty into it.
I'd love to see Sci-Fi too.

Best (timeless) Political Films
Top Ten Films as Parables
Top Ten Directors (of spiritually significant film)
Best Documentaries
Top Ten Films about Marriage
Top Ten Films by Continent (especially Africa, Asia, South America)

[Ryan H.]

yank_eh, on 11 November 2010 - 06:55 AM, said:

I like the Horror idea.

Cheers.

yank_eh, on 11 November 2010 - 06:55 AM, said:

And Children's films...in fact I think there was a thread about that a year or so ago and people got pretty into it.

My only fear would be that Pixar would dominate. And that might not be a problem in other folks' eyes, but I don't think Pixar is God's gift to children's cinema, so it's a problem in my eyes.

yank_eh, on 11 November 2010 - 06:55 AM, said:

I'd love to see Sci-Fi too.

Not a bad idea by any stretch. It would be interesting to see if we could get beyond the usual suspects and dig up some genuine gems. The sci-fi genre hasn't received the best treatment on film, but there are certainly some worthy ideas.

yank_eh, on 11 November 2010 - 06:55 AM, said:

Best (timeless) Political Films

How would we define "political" films?

yank_eh, on 11 November 2010 - 06:55 AM, said:

Top Ten Directors (of spiritually significant film)

Couldn't this just be extrapolated from the A&F 100?

yank_eh, on 11 November 2010 - 06:55 AM, said:

Top Ten Films about Marriage

Oh, I really like this suggestion.

[Darrel Manson]

Ryan H., on 11 November 2010 - 12:04 PM, said:

yank_eh, on 11 November 2010 - 06:55 AM, said:

And Children's films...in fact I think there was a thread about that a year or so ago and people got pretty into it.

My only fear would be that Pixar would dominate. And that might not be a problem in other folks' eyes, but I don't think Pixar is God's gift to children's cinema, so it's a problem in my eyes.

Pixar makes children's films?

[Ryan H.]

Darrel Manson, on 11 November 2010 - 01:12 PM, said:

Ryan H., on 11 November 2010 - 12:04 PM, said:

yank_eh, on 11 November 2010 - 06:55 AM, said:

And Children's films...in fact I think there was a thread about that a year or so ago and people got pretty into it.

My only fear would be that Pixar would dominate. And that might not be a problem in other folks' eyes, but I don't think Pixar is God's gift to children's cinema, so it's a problem in my eyes.

Pixar makes children's films?

If I hadn't already used the tongue smiley, I'd use it again right now.

[yank_eh]

Ryan H., on 11 November 2010 - 12:04 PM, said:

yank_eh, on 11 November 2010 - 06:55 AM, said:

And Children's films...in fact I think there was a thread about that a year or so ago and people got pretty into it.

My only fear would be that Pixar would dominate. And that might not be a problem in other folks' eyes, but I don't think Pixar is God's gift to children's cinema, so it's a problem in my eyes.

Making it a top 25 would add some balance. But even if it were just a top 10 we might be surprised. I'm sure Miyazaki would find his way on there and there are plenty of non-animated films to challenge Pixar. For example, The Red Balloon.

Ryan H., on 11 November 2010 - 12:04 PM, said:

yank_eh, on 11 November 2010 - 06:55 AM, said:

Best (timeless) Political Films

How would we define "political" films?

You're right, this one would probably get bogged down in debates about definition. I'm just brainstorming here, throwing out ideas.

Ryan H., on 11 November 2010 - 12:04 PM, said:

yank_eh, on 11 November 2010 - 06:55 AM, said:

Top Ten Directors (of spiritually significant film)

Couldn't this just be extrapolated from the A&F 100?

Yep, you're right. Not the best idea.

[Ryan H.]

yank_eh, on 12 November 2010 - 04:02 PM, said:

Making it a top 25 would add some balance. But even if it were just a top 10 we might be surprised. I'm sure Miyazaki would find his way on there and there are plenty of non-animated films to challenge Pixar. For example, The Red Balloon.

True, true. It might even out.

yank_eh, on 12 November 2010 - 04:02 PM, said:

I'm just brainstorming here, throwing out ideas.

Of course. And, as I said, I really like the "Best Films About Marriage" idea, which could go in many directions.

[J.A.A. Purves]

Arts & Faith's making a number of official Top 10/25 lists on different important topics sounds fantastic.

If we do do this, in the spirit of C.S. Lewis, I'd suggest we make a Top 10 list of films on Sehnsucht.

[yank_eh]

Persiflage, on 15 November 2010 - 12:57 PM, said:

If we do do this, in the spirit of C.S. Lewis, I'd suggest we make a Top 10 list of films on Sehnsucht.

I second the motion.

[Ryan H.]

Persiflage, on 15 November 2010 - 12:57 PM, said:

If we do do this, in the spirit of C.S. Lewis, I'd suggest we make a Top 10 list of films on Sehnsucht.

I daresay it would definitely suit the A&F community sensibilities.

Edited by Ryan H., 16 November 2010 - 06:36 AM.

[Persona]

Persiflage, on 15 November 2010 - 12:57 PM, said:

Arts & Faith's making a number of official Top 10/25 lists on different important topics sounds fantastic.

If we do do this, in the spirit of C.S. Lewis, I'd suggest we make a Top 10 list of films on Sehnsucht.

I love this idea, but I think we already do it.

[yank_eh]

Persona, on 16 November 2010 - 08:30 PM, said:

Persiflage, on 15 November 2010 - 12:57 PM, said:

Arts & Faith's making a number of official Top 10/25 lists on different important topics sounds fantastic.

If we do do this, in the spirit of C.S. Lewis, I'd suggest we make a Top 10 list of films on Sehnsucht.

I love this idea, but I think we already do it.

Are you saying that everything on the A+F Top 100 list is about Sehnsucht? If not, how do we already do it? If you're saying that the idea of Sehnsucht permeates most conversations around here, I'll agree but part of the benefit of list-making is the crystallization process that leaves something definite and concise for others to see.

[Persona]

yank_eh, on 16 November 2010 - 11:15 PM, said:

Are you saying that everything on the A+F Top 100 list is about Sehnsucht?

Yeah, that is what I'm saying. Certain films in particular, but most of the Top 20 (three or four of which I still need to see). I didn't look at your link and it's been years since I've used the word, but from what I remember it seems that this is a high qualifier that goes along with words like "mystery" and "spiritual." I like your word a lot better than "spiritual" though, in terms of how I think of the list.