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I thought Sicario was great, but I agree that Arrival was hugely overrated and self indulgent. If Villeneuve directs Craig in Bond 25, get ready for more of the same. Prisoners was decent.

I think "Polytechnique" was the best movie ever made about a spree killing.

Stripped down and thus far more impactful than say, Gus Van Sant's "Elephant".

FieldsMan wrote:

I thought Sicario was great, but I agree that Arrival was hugely overrated and self indulgent. If Villeneuve directs Craig in Bond 25, get ready for more of the same. Prisoners was decent.

"Prisoners" includes some of Deakins best work.

The night time scenes at the gas station are masterful.

Maybe. I saw it in cinemas when it came out, and can barely remember it.

Some notable absentees and the nineties were difficult.



2017 - BLADE RUNNER 2049
2016 - THE HANDMAIDEN
2015 - EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT
2014 - GONE GIRL
2013 - IDA
2012 - THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES
2011 - THE TREE OF LIFE
2010 - FOUR LIONS
2009 - A PROPHET
2008 - WALTZ WITH BASHIR
2007 - THERE WILL BE BLOOD
2006 - CHILDREN OF MEN
2005 - SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE
2004 - DOWNFALL
2003 - OLDBOY
2002 - CITY OF GOD
2001 - DONNIE DARKO
2000 - IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE
1999 - EYES WIDE SHUT
1998 - RONIN
1997 - HANA-BI
1996 - HAMLET
1995 - LA HAINE
1994 - NATURAL BORN KILLERS
1993 - WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE?
1992 - BARAKA
1991 -
1990 - GOODFELLAS
1989 -
1988 - GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES
1987 - FULL METAL JACKET
1986 - DEAD MAN'S LETTERS
1985 - COME AND SEE
1984 - ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA
1983 - VIDEODROME
1982 - BLADE RUNNER
1981 - DAS BOOT
1980 - RAGING BULL
1979 - APOCALYPSE NOW
1978 - THE DEER HUNTER
1977 - ERASERHEAD
1976 - TAXI DRIVER
1975 - THE PASSENGER
1974 - THE GODFATHER: PART II
1973 - DON'T LOOK NOW
1972 - SOLARIS
1971 - A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
1970 - PERFORMANCE
1969 - EASY RIDER
1968 - 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
1967 - BONNIE AND CLYDE
1966 - THE FACE OF ANOTHER
1965 - REPULSION
1964 - KWAIDAN
1963 - EIGHT AND A HALF
1962 - IVAN'S CHILDHOOD
1961 - THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY
1960 - EYES WITHOUT A FACE
1959 - THE HUMAN CONDITION
1958 - VERTIGO
1957 - THE SEVENTH SEAL
1956 - THE RED BALLOON
1955 - I LIVE IN FEAR
1954 - ON THE WATERFRONT
1953 - THE WAGES OF FEAR
1952 - IKIRU
1951 - STRANGERS ON A TRAIN
1950 - SUNSET BOULEVARD
1949 - LATE SPRING
1948 - BICYCLE THIEVES
1947 - BRIGHTON ROCK
1946 - IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
1945 - SPELLBOUND
1944 - LIFEBOAT
1943 - SHADOW OF A DOUBT
1942 - CASABLANCA
1941 - CITIZEN KANE
1940 - REBECCA
1939 - GUNGA DIN
1938 -
1937 -
1936 - SABOTAGE
1935 - THE 39 STEPS
1934 - THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
1933 - KING KONG
1932 - FREAKS
1931 - M
1930 - MURDER!
1929 - AN ANDALUSIAN DOG
1928 -
1927 - METROPOLIS
1926 -
1925 - BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN

Not a Bond in sight, G Section. Not sure I could do a list like this, let alone without at least 8 Bond films mentioned.

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Good list, Ambler, although I haven't seen THE NEON DEMON yet. Rewatchability is now a factor that I always consider. Not sure if I could redo THE REVENANT, but it was a great experience the first time around.

My list:

2017: PHANTOM THREAD (P.T. Anderson)
2016: MOONLIGHT (Jenkins) (Jenkins/McCraney)
2015: SON OF SAUL (Nemes) (Nemes/Royer)
2014: THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (W. Anderson)
2013: PRISONERS (Villeneuve) (Guzikowski)
2012: SKYFALL (Mendes) (Logan/Purvis/Wade)
2011: TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (Alfredson) (Straughan)

SKYFALL would rank as a top rewatchable film for me. Aside from being a great Bond flick, it's downright entertaining and has some brains behind it, too.

I thought "The Revenant" was incredibly beautifully shot, but I found its narrative a bit too meager. If you are going the "man vs. nature" route, I think you need to be less self-indulgent with your movie's run-time. Also, Inarritu was getting into Tarantino territory with the degree to which he was ripping off Tarkovsky.

Still, a movie worth seeing (especially on the big screen).

Erica Ambler wrote:

The film degenerates into the usual repetitive chase, but I can't say I saw a better film made in 2015 so ...

I'm curious, have you seen "The Witch"?

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Erica Ambler wrote:

Salomé wrote:

Erica Ambler wrote:

The film degenerates into the usual repetitive chase, but I can't say I saw a better film made in 2015 so ...

I'm curious, have you seen "The Witch"?

I haven't. My knowledge of film post-2010 is somewhat poor, which of course nullifies this exercise. I need to catch up.

Not sure if you'll find "The Witch" superior to any other 2015 release you might have seen, but it is certainly a movie worth seeing from that year.

I last tried to watch The Witch back on Hallowe'en night, but the bloody concentration-breaking fireworks being set off in the locality led to me giving up in frustration. I will get back around to it at some stage.

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I was attempting to watch the DVD, like the dinosaur I am.

Missed this discussion completely but, by pure coincidence, watched The Witch yesterday.

Probably my favourite film of the genre in years. Genuinely unsettling without resorting to "jump scares" every five minutes. Particularly remarkable for a directorial debut.

My money will next go, perhaps if it's shown near me, to Sir Michael Caine.

CJB wrote:

Missed this discussion completely but, by pure coincidence, watched The Witch yesterday.

Probably my favourite film of the genre in years. Genuinely unsettling without resorting to "jump scares" every five minutes. Particularly remarkable for a directorial debut.

Unsettling is the right word. Very well-acted too. Especially by Anya Taylor-Joy, in what was basically her first real screen-credit, not counting an episode of "Endeavor" and a cameo appearance in another film.

She was good in Split too. Other bird was hotter though.

Erica Ambler wrote:

Hmmm, finally saw The Revenant. An excellent and overlooked score from Sakamoto. The film degenerates into the usual repetitive chase, but I can't say I saw a better film made in 2015 so ...

2017 Blade Runner 2049 (Villeneuve/Fancher)
2016 The Neon Demon (Refn) (Refn, Laws and Stenham)
2015 The Revenant (Iñárritu) (Smith and Iñárritu)
2014 Fury (Ayer)
2013 Under the Skin (Glazer) (Campbell/Glazer)
2012 Skyfall (Mendes) (Logan/Purvis/Wade)
2011 Tinker Tailor Solder Spy (Alfredson) (Straughan)

I don't think I'll watch The Revenant again. Maybe rewatchability should be a factor in these things ...

Surprised but pleased to see THE NEON DEMON here. However, why FURY, Ambler?

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Erica Ambler wrote:

G section wrote:

why FURY, Ambler?

I can't think of a better film I saw that was made in 2015. Which is not to say it's any good.

What else was there?

Admittedly, it wasn't a great year for film, but other 2015 releases that I would deem worth seeing, at the very least:

"The Evil That Men Do"
"Green Room"
"The Witch"
"The Revenant"
"The Hateful Eight"
"In the Heart of the Sea"
"Maryland"
"Sicario"
"The Man from U.N.C.L.E."
"Bone Tomahawk"
"Crimson Peak"
"Youth"
"Ant-Man"

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