Top 10 Films of the 50's/60's/70's

Back in November I posted lists of my Top 10 Films from the 80's, 90's and 00's - influenced by Sam Fragoso at his site Duke and the Movies, who collaborates the rankings his readers send in and compiles an ultimate Top 10 from each decade. We are now up to the 60's, but I thought I would recap my selections from the 70's and 60's and jump ahead to the 50's. In addition to my Top 10, I am also going to include five honourable mentions. Honestly, how tough is this?

So, here we go:

1970's

Honourable Mentions: Dirty Harry, Aguirre: The Wrath of God, Deliverance, Jaws and Manhattan.

10. McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971)

9. The Conversation (1974)

8. The Wicker Man (1973)

7. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

6. Chinatown (1974)

5. Star Wars (1977)

4. Taxi Driver (1976)

3. Life of Brian (1979)

2. The Godfather/The Godfather Part II (1972/4)

1. Apocalypse Now (1976)

1960's

Honourable Mentions: Midnight Cowboy, Masculin Feminin, Peeping Tom, The Apartment, Au Hasard Balthazar

10. La Dolce Vita (1960)

9. Dr Strangelove (1964)

8. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

7. Andrei Rublev (1960)

6. 8 1/2 (1963)

5. The Conformist (1969)

4. The Great Escape (1963)

3. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

2. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

1. The Graduate (1967)

1950's

Honourable Mentions: Rashomon, Sunset Blvd., Rear Window, Wild Strawberries, All About Eve

10. Mon Oncle (1958)
9. Pickpocket (1959)
8. The 400 Blows (1959)
7. The Seven Samurai (1954)
6. North By Northwest (1959)
5. Vertigo (1958)
4. Paths of Glory (1957)
3. Wages of Fear (1953)
2. 12 Angry Men (1957)
1. The Seventh Seal (1957)

Have Your Say: Best Original Score

Listed are the five nominees for Best Original Score, with a sample of their score. Who do you think will win, and perhaps more importantly, who would you vote for?

Ludovic Bource - The Artist

Howard Shore - Hugo

John Williams - War Horse

John Williams - The Adventures of Tintin

Alberto Iglesias - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Expectations and Repeat Viewings

Have you noticed recently that your expectations going into a film have impacted on how much you enjoy that film? Sadly, I have noticed that it plays a big role. Take The Artist for instance. Scheduled for a release on February 2, 2012, months after it has screened at Cannes and Toronto, months after a wide release in the United States, and on the wave of buzz following ten Oscar nominations (and unchallenged favouritism) and wins at the PGA, DGA and SAG. As a film buff who has been trying to keep up with the awards coverage, and constantly seeing the film praised and honoured, it is pretty difficult to go into this film with an open mind. Hugo was another example, though it was released here before the Oscar nominations. I had quite high expectations - and though I warmed to the film in the end - I was initially underwhelmed. It is quite difficult to cull all knowledge about the film's potential and watch it with neutral expectations.

The Artist is a very good film, and I was immensely entertained - but I did feel like there were some pacing issues. Ultimately, I was not blown away. I didn't walk out of the cinema and have nothing negative to say about the film. But say I had seen it back at Toronto, before the buzz started, would I have felt the same way? Would I have been blown away? I think my experience of the Sydney Film Festival from June last year tells a lot. Most of the films I watched, I went in knowing very little. I had seen a recommendation, knew a little about some Berlinale or Cannes success, but had seen no trailers, and my knowledge of the film was slim. I enjoyed almost all of the films I saw at the festival, and many of them have since had theatrical releases, but months later and aboard the Sydney Film Festival hype. Seeing them before the hype no doubt enhanced the experience.

Anne Fontaine's "The Grandmothers" Set to Film In Sydney in February

Hopscotch Features, Cine-@, Mon Voisin Productions, Gaumont and France 2 Cinema are delighted to announce the Australian support cast on The Grandmothers, which is due to commence filming in Sydney on Monday 6 February 2012.

Ben Mendolsohn (Animal Kingdom), Sophie Lowe (Beautiful Kate) and Gary Sweet (Gettin' Square) have joined the exciting principal cast consisting of: Naomi Watts, Robin Wright, Xavier Samuel and James Frecheville. Alongside this impressive list of actors, Jessica Tovey (Underbelly) will make her feature film debut.

The eight-week shoot will take place around Sydney and will be directed by Anne Fontaine (Coco avant Chanel) and produced by a team of French and Australian producers, headed by Hopscotch Productions' Andrew Mason and Fontaine's long-time collaborator, Philippe Carcassonne. Together Fontaine and Carcassonne have made over 12 films. Completing the producing group are Mon Voisin's Michel Ferrer, and Dominique Besnehard. Troy Lum of Hopscotch and Francis Boespflug of Gaumont will act as Executive Producers.

Nobel Prize for Literature winner Doris Lessing has created this beautiful and heart-wrenching story of two lifelong friends who fall in love with each other's teenaged sons. Adapted for the screen by Academy Award winning writer Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liasons, Atonement), The Grandmothers is a tale of misguided love and a celebration of the enduring nature of female friendship.

Anticipated for a 2013 release, the film will be distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Hopscotch Films/eOne and international sales will be managed by Gaumont.

Icon Film Distribution to Release Sundance Hit 'Beasts of the Southern Wild'

Icon Film Distribution is very proud to announce that it will release the triumph of this year's Sundance Film Festival, Beasts of the Southern Wild, in Australian cinemas later this year. Directed and co-written by first-time filmmaker Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild continues to garner critical acclaim after winning the Grand Jury Prize for Drama at Sundance.

There has been no official release date, but Icon have announced that that it will be in the second half of 2012. Can we also expect it to play at the Sydney and Melbourne International Film Festivals?

Beasts of the Southern Wild tells the story of Hushpuppy, an intrepid six-year-old girl, who lives with her father, Wink, in "the bathtub", a southern Delta community at the edge of the world. Wink's tough love prepares Hushpuppy for the unravelling of the Universe; for a time when he's no longer there to protect her - and when he is struck by a mysterious illness and mildly apocalyptic events begin to play havoc on nature - Hushpuppy goes in search of her lost mother, and is forced to comprehend her place in the universe.

New Release Review: Chronicle (Josh Trank, 2012)

I think it is safe to call Chronicle, the ‘first-person footage’ sci-fi fantasy, written by Max Landis and directed by Josh Trank, a very pleasant surprise. The real-world superhero plot feels like it has been done to death, but watching three high school classmates come-to-terms with super powers (documented almost-completely through the camera skills of one of the gang) is smart, unique, engaging and technically innovative.

Three high-school classmates: Andrew (Dan DeHaan), a shy, unpopular and socially alienated outcast, his psychology-infatuated cousin, Matt (Alex Russell, Wasted on the Young), and School President candidate, Steve (Michael B. Jordan), investigate a suspicious hole in the ground at a rave party. Exposed to a mysterious substance, they find themselves in the possession of inexplicable super powers. Sure enough, as they learn the extent of their abilities, their ordinary lives take on an extraordinary turn.

Monthly Round Up - The Best Films I Saw in January 2012

Well, January is all-but over and 2012 already feels like it is flying by. It is always a busy month, January, and though I have had a few more days off work over the last couple of weeks than those preceding, I don't feel any more refreshed, and still desire an extended break from...everything. No time for that though, considering what I have scheduled for the next few weeks - and what I hope to do later in the year.

January brought us the Critics Choice Awards and the Golden Globe Awards, and just the other day, the nominations for the 84th Academy Awards. The awards season is nearing its climax, and it really hasn't been an interesting year at all. This is very unfortunate because 2011 was a remarkable year for cinema. Thankfully, some of the fine January/February releases will feature on Oscar Day. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Descendants, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Artist and Hugo all received multiple Oscar nominations - and as a result, immediately attracted increased crowds. Well, The Artist comes out tomorrow, and I suspect it will be huge.

I also saw some great films at home - purchasing three Palme d'Or winners (Paris, Texas, Taste of Cherry and The Tree of Life) and a pair of Bresson masterpieces (Pickpocket and Au Hasard Balthazar). Completely by accident, I ticked off two of my 2012 Blind Spot Series (Paris, Texas and Balthazar). I also re-watched Animal Kingdom, one of the finest Australian dramas I have ever seen, and Sofia Coppola's Somewhere. I appreciated both films more on this repeat viewing. One I thought I would give another go in the hopes of enjoying it more, was Bridesmaids. I still don't get the love for that film - and I am truly shocked by its dual Oscar nominations.

As many of you might have noticed, with the exception of one early in the month, I haven't been posting a regular 'Monday Links' post. I have simply not had time since. I feel bad, because my visits to other blogs have been infrequent, and I love to spread the word about great articles I have come across each week. I hope to find the time to continue this regular column. I thank everyone for continuing to stop by (almost 40, 000 page views this month) and leaving comments. I greatly appreciate the feedback and support. It remains a pleasure and a privilege to be amongst such a great community of film enthusiasts.

After the jump, check out my January viewing (with links to my reviews). I watched a total of 31 films...

AACTA Awards: 'Snowtown' Wins Four, 'Red Dog' Takes Best Film

Red Dog has won Best Film at last night's AACTA Awards, announced at the Sydney Opera House.

Samsung AACTA Award for Best Film: Red Dog (Nelson Woss, Julie Ryan)

AACTA Award for Best Direction: Justin Kurzel (Snowtown)

AACTA Award for Best Original Screenplay: Leon Ford (Griff the Invisible)

AACTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay: Shaun Grant (Snowtown)

AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor: Daniel Henshall (Snowtown)

AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress: Judy Davis (Eye of the Storm)

AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor: Hugo Weaving (Oranges and Sunshine)

AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress: Louise Harris (Snowtown)

The full list of winners can be found here.

With the exception of Best Film, it is hard to argue with any of these selections. It seems odd that Red Dog (and I really enjoyed Red Dog) would be voted Best Film, considering that Snowtown was much more favoured in the other categories, beating out Red Dog in the Adapted Screenplay and Direction categories. Judy Davis was the best feature of the otherwise unappealing Eye of the Storm and Hugo Weaving was excellent in Oranges and Sunshine. They would have got my vote. It was almost a year ago that I saw Griff the Invisible, and while better Aussie films came out later in the year, it is great to see Leon Ford receive an award. NOTE: Burning Man was not eligible for consideration this year. It might have taken out Best Original Screenplay if that was the case.