Best Movie Ever Made.

[Wiseman]

I would put The Dark Knight in the 50 greatest movies of all time. So would most professional critics.

I didn't say it didn't belong in the top 50........I'm saying number 1 all time. No way, I don't know any critic that would do that and I know you wouldn't

 

[Hound55]

I would put The Dark Knight in the 50 greatest movies of all time. So would most professional critics.

I don't know about that...

I think an Empire or publically voted poll on it would probably wind up with it in the Top 50 but I don't know too many credible critics who'd say top 50 ever.

 

[Evil Twin]

How many professional critics even had TDK as their #1 film of the year? TDK is a very good movie, but you're not going to find very many critics calling it one of the top 50 of all time. Probably not even one of the top 250. As of yet, it has no influence.

I selected other. The Seven Samurai is my choice for best movie ever. If you're just limiting it to English language films, I suppose Casablanca is my choice.

 

[Laderlappen]

I really dont think its a good idea to put a poll for best movie of all time. Its better to not have a poll and let people leave their favorites.

 

[Johnny Drama]

I don't know about that...

I think an Empire or publically voted poll on it would probably wind up with it in the Top 50 but I don't know too many credible critics who'd say top 50 ever.

It was considered by many critics to be the best film last year, and every critic across the board was calling it the best comic book based movie all time

 

[Laderlappen]

It was considered by many critics to be the best film last year, and every critic across the board was calling it the best comic book based movie all time

Yes but not top 50 of all time.

 

[CBGB]

Right. No movie from the past 5 years would ever make the Top 50 list. I can name 50 movies off the top of my head that are way better than the Dark Knight.

 

[Johnny Drama]

Yes but not top 50 of all time.

Maybe, Maybe not. But if I think we agree that Die Hard, X2, Pirates and Spider-Man hold no place on this list as well. A poll was a poor choice, when AFI does a list of the 100 greatest movies and still gives like 20 honorable mentions, why limit this to 39 choices?

 

[patrickbateman]

Apollo 11?

 

[Evil Twin]

It was considered by many critics to be the best film last year, and every critic across the board was calling it the best comic book based movie all time

Which critics? Roger Ebert is a lot more credible than anybody at AICN, for example.

And calling it the best comic book based movie of all time, is setting the bar awfully low. Are there any critics who called TDK "one of the best movies ever." in their reviews, without the caveat of genre?

FWIW, I think Roger Ebert has a good essay on Greatest Films lists at the following link, spurred on by the latest list from Spectator. (Note: TDK nowhere on the list.)

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/07/the_greatest_movies_ever_made.html

 

[Warhammer]

If you want to put superhero movies in your top ten that's fine, but can you really say that a superhero movie is the best movie ever made?

First of all, there are no superhero movies in my top 10. I didn't even say anything that alluded to that, so I don't know where that came from. Secondly, I didn't even mention The Dark Knight being the best movie ever made. All I said was that what you said was debatable.

Anyways, when I quoted you and said what you said was debatable, I was saying that if someone (in this case, BloodyWolverine) were to pick a top 39 movies that he considered the best ever, The Dark Knight has enough credibility to be on that list from a critical standpoint. The movie was acclaimed/hailed by critics and regarded as one of the best films of 2008. Some critics even hailed it as the best film of 2008. The movie transcended the genre of "superhero/comic book movies." The fact that there was even outcry (not just from comic book fans or action junkies) that the movie wasn't nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards says something about the quality of the film. It was not only just a fine superhero film, but a fine crime-drama as well. It's amazing to think the latter because it was Batman movie, but that's what happens when you have a great script, performances, production, and director.

So basically, my point is that if BloodyWolverine picks a top 39 best films and The Dark Knight is one of those choices, I don't see what the problem is.

 

[Soapy]

This looks like less of a best movies of all time list and more of a BloodyWolverine's favorite movies list to me.

 

[Wiseman]

So basically, my point is that if BloodyWolverine picks a top 39 best films and The Dark Knight is one of those choices, I don't see what the problem is.

The point is that this thread was made to pick the best movie of all time, and no film should be on this list that isn't universally known as one of the top 10 of all time. I just singled out the comic book movies, there are plenty of other movies on this list that shouldn't even be in consideration. The thread says "best movie ever made" not "movies that were entertaining at the time I saw them so I'll put them on this list"

 

[Angeloz]

Apollo 11?

Look at page 1.

Angeloz

 

[Warhammer]

The point is that this thread was made to pick the best movie of all time, and no film should be on this list that isn't universally known as one of the top 10 of all time. I just singled out the comic book movies, there are plenty of other movies on this list that shouldn't even be in consideration. The thread says "best movie ever made" not "movies that were entertaining at the time I saw them so I'll put them on this list"

You're exactly right. BloodyWolverine's choice of The Dark Knight is fine because the movie has enough credibility. Out of 39 choices, that movie was one of the better choices. You're not going to please everyone when you can only have a poll of 40.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I don't agree with many films on that are listed, but at least there is an other option.

 

[Evil Twin]

Errr......first of all, there are no superhero movies in my top 10. I didn't even say anything that alluded to that, so I don't know where that came from. Secondly, I didn't even mention The Dark Knight being the best movie ever made. All I said was that what you said was debatable.

Anyways, when I quoted you and said what you said was debatable, I was saying that if someone (in this case, BloodyWolverine) were to pick a top 39 movies that he considered the best ever, The Dark Knight has enough credibility to be on that list from a critical standpoint. The movie was acclaimed/hailed by critics and regarded as one of the best films of 2008. Some critics even hailed it as the best film of 2008. The movie transcended the genre of "superhero/comic book movies." The fact that there was even outcry (not just from comic book fans or action junkies) that the movie wasn't nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards says something about the quality of the film. It was not only just a fine superhero film, but a fine crime-drama as well. It's amazing to think the latter because it was Batman movie, but that's what happens when you have a great script, performances, production, and director.

So basically, my point is that if BloodyWolverine picks a top 39 best films and The Dark Knight is one of those choices, I don't see what the problem is.

Again, if you want superherohype to vote on the "greatest movies of all time" that's one thing. But, a quick search has no credible critic calling TDK one of the greatest movies of all time. (Heck, it didn't even beat out Twilight at the MTV awards.) There was an outcry, certainly, but I say that much of that was from the TDK geek crowd and a sizable portion outside that were basically playing the "it would be good for the Oscars to nominate a movie as popular as TDK", not many critics were calling TDK one of the all time snubs. Certainly there's zero evidence that even a minority would put TDK in the top 50 all time, much less most. At the very least, it hasn't passed the test of time. Nor, has it given birth, nor is it likely, to any influential movement like French New Wave, Italian Neo-Realism, German Expressionism, etc. I don't know if I'd even call it as influential as The Matrix, which certainly has influenced 21st century action films. Other than more films being shot in IMAX, which TDK wasn't even the first at, what's TDK's influence likely to be?

Heck, I suspect Heat and Blade Runner, which are significant influences on TDK, would outpoll TDK among critics.

FWIW, I really don't object to it being on the list. It's high on IMDB's site and that's probably more representative of the average reader here. But, I really doubt that TDK would do all that well among acadamia and critics.

The Sight and Sound polls that are done at the beginning of the decade are pretty much the definitive critics poll. Does TDK really look like it would fit in with those choices. See http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/topten/

 

[-Arya-]

The best movie ever made is mostly subjective. I don't think anyone could make a statement claiming "______, is the best movie," without someone disagreeing.

My top 5 favorite films aren't even mentioned on that list.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I don't think anyone is saying there is a definitive "best movie ever," but that doesn't mean the question can't be asked and polled. My poll of options would have been different personally, but at least there is an other option and you can look at posts (if they posted in here) on what that other choice was.

 

[Spider-Fan]

What is up with the double posts on the hype lately

 

[Mee]

Snakes On A Plane.

 

[Warhammer]

Again, if you want superherohype to vote on the "greatest movies of all time" that's one thing. But, a quick search has no credible critic calling TDK one of the greatest movies of all time. (Heck, it didn't even beat out Twilight at the MTV awards.) There was an outcry, certainly, but I say that much of that was from the TDK geek crowd and a sizable portion outside that were basically playing the "it would be good for the Oscars to nominate a movie as popular as TDK", not many critics were calling TDK one of the all time snubs. Certainly there's zero evidence that even a minority would put TDK in the top 50 all time, much less most. At the very least, it hasn't passed the test of time. Nor, has it given birth, nor is it likely, to any influential movement like French New Wave, Italian Neo-Realism, German Expressionism, etc. I don't know if I'd even call it as influential as The Matrix, which certainly has influenced 21st century action films. Other than more films being shot in IMAX, which TDK wasn't even the first at, what's TDK's influence likely to be?

Heck, I suspect Heat and Blade Runner, which are significant influences on TDK, would outpoll TDK among critics.

FWIW, I really don't object to it being on the list. It's high on IMDB's site and that's probably more representative of the average reader here. But, I really doubt that TDK would do all that well among acadamia and critics.

The Sight and Sound polls that are done at the beginning of the decade are pretty much the definitive critics poll. Does TDK really look like it would fit in with those choices. See http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/topten/

All that doesn't matter. I'm just defending BloodyWolverine's opinion but pretty much saying "why not?" But hey, he can debate his reason for putting it on there from now on. Like I've said before, with 39 choices on the poll, you aren't going to please everyone as we can all obviously see from your post as well as others. The Dark Knight was a hell of a better choice than Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl on his poll. Like I've said before, what Wiseman said was debatable. It still is. Six billion people on this planet have differing opinions.

Oh well.

 

[Laderlappen]

Maybe, Maybe not. But if I think we agree that Die Hard, X2, Pirates and Spider-Man hold no place on this list as well. A poll was a poor choice, when AFI does a list of the 100 greatest movies and still gives like 20 honorable mentions, why limit this to 39 choices?

Die Hard is pretty F great. Its not top 40, but really not that far from it.

Right. No movie from the past 5 years would ever make the Top 50 list. I can name 50 movies off the top of my head that are way better than the Dark Knight.

I completely disagree.

 

[Jack O Lantern]

This poll lacks Sleepless in Seattle

 

[Evil Twin]

Well enough about the shortcomings of a poll. Frankly, for the history of film, you could have 500 choices and not catch all of the all time greats.

I want to explain what I see in my pick.

The Seven Samurai

The basis of the modern action film and the modern epic are in this film. Pretty much every "team on a mission" film owes at least some debt to it. It's part of the chain of Kurosawa films that lead to Yojimbo which in turn helped create the spaghetti westerns which made Clint Eastwood a star. You can spot it's influences in Lord of the Rings. You see a shot of riders cresting a hill and then descending to attack, know that The Seven Samurai did it first. You see someone pull out a map to orient the characters and audience, see The Seven Samurai. You see someone die in slow motion, see The Seven Samurai again.

It's a logistical tour de force. Kurosawa uses deep focus in some remarkable ways. In some ways when you know everything had to go perfectly in one take, as actors talk in the foreground while buildings burn in the distance, in perfect focus, in the background. Kurosawa, through wind and rain machines, commands the elements, fire, wind, rain, and earth. Expert archers fire real arrows into blocks of wood on extras backs. People get run down by horses. The final battle is filmed in a torrential downpour and mud. No cgi trickery, here.

Kurosawa also manages to juggle a large ensemble. But even the most minor characters reveal hidden depths through the course of the film. And, right in the center is Toshiro Mifune who starts as a broad buffoon, but is peeled back to reveal a man of real depth and emotion.

If a test of a film is that you can watch it again and again and discover something new, then The Seven Samurai is right up there. Deep, exciting, influential, entertaining, and expertly crafted.