POLL REDO: Best Film of the 21st Century - Year 2 - 2001

[The Dark Defender]

He can disagree all he wants and you can laugh all you want (I do the same whenever I hear someone say The Godfather or The Godfather Part II is "the greatest film ever made"), but regardless of how you or anyone else feels about the quality of the films, nothing he's done comes close to the scale of LOTR as an overral project.

 

[Episode29]

He can disagree all he wants and you can laugh all you want (I do the same whenever I hear someone say The Godfather or The Godfather Part II is "the greatest film ever made"), but regardless of how you or anyone else feels about the quality of the films, nothing he's done comes close to the scale of LOTR as an overral project.

Maybe. But I suspect the prospect of having to go through the production process of Apocalypse Now would send even Jackson screaming into the horizon.

 

[The Dark Defender]

No more so than having to blend all of the digital and practical elements from LOTR together at under $100 mill a piece and go from set to set filming scenes from different films completely out of order with one of the largest casts of characters ever in a film or series of films and having to edit it all together in one coherent story told over three coherent films that does justice to all of those characters (and considering that I cared more about the supporting ones in LOTR than I do the leads in most films, I'd say he did a fine job of it).

 

[Bunker]

At least Jackson had the luxury of CGI. All the while Coppola had to contend with hurricanes, a war going on just a short distance away from filming sites, and Martin Sheen nearly going bonkers.

 

[Episode29]

At least Jackson had the luxury of CGI. All the while Coppola had to contend with hurricanes, a war going on just a short distance away from filming sites, and Martin Sheen nearly going bonkers.

Not to mention dealing with Brando and Hopper.t:

Look, no one is arguing that LOTR wasn't tough to make. It no doubt was. But to call it the most gruelling production of all time is ridiculous. In terms of actual obstacles, the films weren't up against much in terms of out-of-control outside interferences or unsolvable problems. In fact, didn't the shoot actually stay on schedule and budget almost the entire time? And weren't they working with a relatively finished script? Other than replacing Townsend, what were the huge set-backs?

Do some research into the productions of Apocalypse Now, Jaws or Titanic and you'll see that the there have been far more tumultous and arduous shoots than LOTR.

...Or ask John Landis how the Twilight Zone shoot went. On second thought, probably a bad idea...

 

[Evil Twin]

Yeah, "arduous" and "grueling" are the wrong words to describe the production process for LotR. There are film productions that are legendary for their hardships and difficulties. I'll throw The Abyss, Fitzcarraldo, Cleopatra, and Waterworld on the pile. Go look up the history of Children of Paradise sometime, when they filmed the movie under the noses of the Nazis. Heck, you figure out how to shoot the chariot race from Ben-Hur without cgi. And, sometimes, I think we underestimate the problems with shooting on actual locations. What's tougher, shutting down Manhattan streets to film a chase during the day or building some castle sets out in the country?

Which is not to say that LotR wasn't an impressive feat of planning and logistics. It was and deserves a lot of credit for how smoothly it went. But, let's describe it accurately.

 

[Laderlappen]

Vote Mulholland Drive! Dont let Training Day take the 2nd place.

 

[Soapy]

I was originally going to vote for Fellowship of the Ring, but I knew that my second choice A.I. wouldn't get much love so I voted for that instead.

 

[Maximus One]

K-pax *****es!!!!!

 

[Evil Twin]

I'm surprised at some of the movies getting votes (K-PAX) and some not getting votes (Gosford Park, Ghost World, A Beautiful Mind). I do like seeing variety though.

 

[Doomed_hero]

I voted Donnie Dark, it ws a movie that was sad, inspiring, funny and made ya think. Training Day was ok however I feel it was over hyped.

 

[Episode29]

I'm surprised at some of the movies getting votes (K-PAX) and some not getting votes (Gosford Park, Ghost World, A Beautiful Mind). I do like seeing variety though.

Ghost World would have gotten my vote if not for Mulholland Drive...

I was also surprised by the K-PAX love. I must have watched a far different film than those who voted for it.

 

[Johnny Drama]

Haven't seen Ali, but the others? Yes, by a longshot.

Like LOTR or not it's one of the greatest accomplishment and the single most demanding task any filmmaker has ever undertaken.
A Beautiful Mind was a made for Lifetime movie with an all star cast, Training Day was a typical crime drama and few entries of that sub-genre ever did much for me, Monster's Ball was good...that's it.

You have no idea what you are talking about. It's sad.

Despite how much I love LOTR, I voted for Hannibal. Possibly the most underrated film I've ever seen, and since FOTR stops dead in the middle of nowhere and is really just act 1 of a whole, I'd give the edge to Hannibal. Definitely not a greater technical achievement, but as a stand alone film I think I find it a bit more fulfilling.

So let me get this strait.
According to you, A Beautiful Mind was no better than a made for TV movie, Training Day was just an average crime drama and Hannibal was the best movie of the year...

Hannibal. Are you ****ing kidding me?

 

[Mister H.]

The Fellowship Of The Ring

The Pledge and In The Bedroom were both in contention for me, and it is so tough not to vote for either of those films that I had to, at the very least, mention them. But if all three films are equal (in my eyes) then the edge goes to the film that was a worldwide phenomenon.

 

[Evil Twin]

I'll bump this back up for the last week of the poll.

 

[Sarge 2.0]

Mulholland Drive.

Not that I even need to say so, since my choice should be pretty obvious by now.

 

[Mdizzle]

You know, it was a close call between Jurassic Park III and The Fast and the Furious, but in the end, I think depth and quality won out over obvious sarcasm--voted Mulholland Drive.

 

[Marvolo]

Well, from what I've heard Blade Runner was a ***** of a shoot. So while LOTR is one of my favorite things and it was a great accomplishment and a struggle to make I don't believe it was as hard as some films that came before it.

 

[venom892]

Training Day.I love Denzel's Performance.

 

[Carmine Falcone]

So, only I voted for Sexy Beast? Where is the love?

 

[-Arya-]

I went with Mulholland Drive. Definitely the most intriguing film out of the list and I enjoyed it the most.