Today is my birthday. Well, technically, as I’m writing this, tomorrow is my birthday, but I’m scheduling this post ahead of time, so I’m not wrestling with WordPress on my actual birthday. It’s all pointless anyway, because by the time you’re even reading this it could be the day after my birthday, or the week, or even next year, in which case it’s my birthday again, doesn’t time fly? Anyway, I thought I’d use this day as a mini-announcement for a List I’ve aided to my many projects upon this site.
Empire magazine recently celebrated their 301st issue my taking a poll amongst their readers, and compiling the best 301 movies of all time. They did something similar a few years ago, resulting in the top 500 movies of all time, which is a list I’ve already been working my way through, so I thought it only right that this list be added in too. I made this decision before actually checking through the list, assuming that not many films would be added on that I wasn’t due to watch and review at some point anyway. As it turns out, there’s a total of 40 new movies, 12 of which I’ve already reviewed:
12 Years A Slave
Avengers Assemble
Captain Phillips
The Dark Knight Rises
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Home Alone
Iron Man 3
Man of Steel
Prometheus
Star Trek Into Darkness
The World’s End
These are all new releases (since the last Empire list), and I believe at least one of them (12 Years A Slave) will be added to the 1001 Movies list in the next edition, although I still think Avengers Assemble should be added on too.
As for the rest of the new editions, there’s a mixture of movies I’ve seen several times:
The Fifth Element
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
How to Train Your Dragon
In Bruges
Love Actually
Moon
Star Trek
Up
Watchmen
Some recent ones I’ve just seen the once:
Frozen
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Gravity
Her
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Moonrise Kingdom
The Raid
Silver Linings Playbook
The Wolf of Wall Street
Some that I’ve never seen at all:
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Conan the Barbarian
The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
The Master
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
And some unexpected choices I clearly need to re-evaluate:
(500) Days of Summer
Beetlejuice
The Little Mermaid
You can see the entire list here. I won’t be diverting my full attention to this list – it’ll take very much a back seat to the 1001 List – but I may divert and cross one of it from time to time. As you can see, the films on it are a lot more commercial and family friendly than the 1001 List, which will make for a nice break I think. Look out for a few reviews from this list in the next week or so.
Also, I’ve added a few names to the lists of Film-Makers I’m working through. This was inspired by my review of The Color Purple recently, which I’d have voted as the Steven Spielberg film I was most dreading watching, so now I’ve crossed it off I can consider the rest of his filmography as up for grabs. Joining Spielberg are some of my other favourite directors – Edgar Wright, David Fincher, Quentin Tarantino and Stanley Kubrick, along with Paul Newman because, like Steve McQueen, he’s just so damn cool. This makes 11 film-makers I’m currently working through (alongside Kate Winslet, Alfred Hitchcock, George Clooney, the Coen brothers and Steve McQueen), and I’d really like to round that out to a dozen. Suggestions will be gratefully received. Again, this will be a back-burner project that I dip into from time to time, and it helps that most of the people chosen have large portions of their filmographies that also coincide with my various lists.
Anyway, happy birthday to me.
Life Vs Film 
Happy birthday!
Thanks man!
One more trip around the Sun, congratulations.
Cheers Richard.
Beetlejuice unexpected? Get re-evaluating. That film is awesome.
I’ve only seen it the once, and that was a very long time ago, so clearly I’m in need of a re-watch. The same goes for The Little Mermaid and 500 Days of Summer, both of which didn’t exactly jump out at me as being worthy of this list.
It’s great fun, you won’t regret it. Little Mermaid was the film which brought Disney animation back from the dead after a steady decline through the 70’s and 80’s, so it has a lot of love. I’ve not seen it since the cinema though. Personally I think 500 Days of Summer is overrated. I’d be very surprised if it continues to show up in lists like this in 5 years time. The same goes for a few of those recent additions to the list (is Star Trek Into Darkness really one of the greatest films of all time?!?).
I saw Mermaid for the first time last year for a Disney renaissance franchise look-back episode of the Lambcast. I enjoyed it, especially the songs (for some reason Under the Sea has been stuck in my head since I posted this), but wasn’t blown away. I completely agree about Into Darkness too. I liked it, but it doesn’t deserve a place on this list.
First, Happy Birthday.
Second, I took a look at the list, figuring I’d make my own checklist out of it someday, and it turned out I’ve already seen all but four of them – Zulu, The Assassination of Jesse James, Synecdoche New York, and The Grand Budapest Hotel. The first is on other lists So I will see it eventually and the third I actually own on DVD, but have never gotten around to watching. The last is in my Netflix queue. Only the second film is one I didn’t have much interest in seeing.
Third, (500) Days of Summer is a great film. Give it a chance if you’ve never seen it.
I’ve seen 500 Days of Summer and remember liking it, but not really understanding all the love for it. Clearly I need to give it another shot.
Happy belated birthday…or early for next year. Haven’t taken a close look at this list yet, but judging from what’s in this post, it seems awfully friendly to recent box office hits.
It is, which is disappointing. I can’t understand people who, when asked what their favourite movies are, opt for something released in theatres a matter of weeks or months ago. For something to be amongst my Top 10, I need to have seen many times – at least 3 – which I’ve never done with something in a cinema. I remember a friend of mine going to see Juno and declaring it her new favourite film after just one viewing. Impossible (I told her this, she couldn’t understand why).
I agree. I’ve absolutely loved some old classics which I’ve watched for the first time recently which many regard as all time greats, but I still wouldn’t plonk them in my personal top ten because I’ve not given them the breathing room required. You don’t really ‘know’ a film until you’ve seen it at least a couple of times.
Happy birthday man! My birthday is the day after yours so, you know, go us!
Happy belated birthday to you too Alex, thanks man.
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