As expected during my family’s Thanksgiving get-together this past week, our debates turned to Dallas Cowboys quarterback and local sports punching bag Tony Romo. I am a Romo supporter and my cousin thinks he is awful. During the discussion it was brought up about where Romo would rank in the current list of quarterbacks in the National Football League. I said easily top ten, Clint didn’t give a number but made it clear he isn’t even average (meaning he is ranked less than 16th as there are 32 starting quarterbacks; for the purpose of our discussion Peyton Manning is still considered the Indianapolis Colts quarterback), and my brother said he probably wouldn’t put Romo in the top ten (making it sound as if he is right outside of that group).
Realistically, Romo is certainly behind Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Drew Brees. After those four QBs the list will start to become more personal for every fan. The rest of the pack that is even in discussion to be among the top ten in the league include (in no particular order) Romo, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan, Matthew Stafford, Matt Schaub, Michael Vick, Jay Cutler, and Joe Flacco. That's a total of 14 quarterbacks and three of those have to be grouped with Romo to be among the ones not good enough to be considered the top third in the sport if my brother and cousin are correct.
I have compiled some statistics from this year’s season that will show how Romo is faring among his peers. Obviously, stats alone don’t make an argument for an athlete’s merits. There are other intangibles that can’t be put onto paper that weigh in favor and against a player in the minds of the public, but this will give you an idea of how Romo’s year is going. The numbers listed include passing yardage, yards per attempt, completion percentage, touchdowns, interceptions, sacks, and QB rating, both by the NFL’s standard system and ESPN’s new QBR system.
Because Peyton Manning has not played this year due to a neck injury, no stats are available for him. It should also be noted that some players like Vick, Schaub, and Cutler have missed a few games due to injury and rookie Cam Newton has been omitted from the discussion despite putting up some impressive numbers, but he has to be around for more than half a season to be considered for best in the league. After 11 games this will be a good litmus test for Romo.
Passing Yardage
Romo ranks ninth in yards with the Elite 3 (Rodgers, Brady, and Brees) taking the top three spots:
Brees – 3,689
Brady – 3,627
Rodgers – 3,475
Manning – 3,358 (4th)
Rivers – 3,211 (5th)
Stafford – 3,119 (6th)
Roethlisberger – 3,070 (8th)
Romo – 3,026
Ryan – 2,887 (10th)
Flacco – 2,737 (11th)
Schaub – 2,479 (17th)
Cutler – 2,319 (19th)
Vick – 2,193 (20th)
Yards Per Attempt
Romo is seventh in passing yardage per attempted throw:
Rodgers – 9.6 (1st)
Brady – 8.62 (2nd)
Schaub – 8.49 (3rd)
Manning – 8.35 (4th)
Brees – 8.02 (5th)
Roethlisberger – 7.97 (6th)
Romo – 7.96
Rivers – 7.66 (9th)
Cutler – 7.39 (11th)
Ryan – 7.33 (13th)
Vick – 7.31 (14th)
Stafford – 7.04 (18th)
Flacco – 6.66 (25th)
Completion Percentage
Ranked behind the Elite 3, Romo comes in at fourth:
Rodgers – 71.8%
Brees – 70.2%
Brady – 65.8%
Romo – 64.5%
Roethlisberger – 63.6% (6th)
Manning – 62.9% (8th)
Ryan – 62.4% (9th)
Stafford – 62.3% (11th)
Rivers – 61.1% (13th)
Schaub – 61% (15th)
Vick – 60.3% (19th)
Cutler – 58% (26th)
Flacco – 56% (29th)
Touchdowns
Again trailing the Elite 3, Romo is ranked fifth:
Rodgers – 33
Brady – 28
Brees – 27
Stafford – 26 (4th)
Romo – 21
Manning – 20 (6th)
Ryan – 18 (tied for 8th)
Roethlisberger – 17 (10th)
Rivers – 16 (tied for 11th)
Schaub – 15 (tied for 13th)
Cutler – 13 (tied for 15th)
Flacco – 13 (tied for 15th)
Vick – 11 (21st)
Interceptions
Despite a reputation for coughing up the ball too much, Romo has kept his picks down to only nine thus far, which is good enough for tied at 17th (a lower ranking is better):
Rivers – 17 in 419 attempts (1st)
Stafford – 13 in 443 attempts (6th)
Vick – 11 in 300 attempts (tied for 9th)
Brees – 11 in 460 attempts (tied for 9th)
Brady – 10 in 421 attempts (tied for 12th)
Manning – 10 in 402 attempts (tied for 12th)
Roethlisberger – 10 in 385 attempts (tied for 12th)
Ryan – 10 in 394 attempts (tied for 12th)
Romo – 9 in 380 attempts
Flacco – 8 in 411 attempts (tied for 20th)
Cutler – 7 in 314 attempts (tied for 24th)
Schaub – 6 in 292 attempts (tied for 27th)
Rodgers – 4 in 362 attempts (tied for 35th)
Sacks
Romo’s scrambling gets him out of a few hits every game, giving him a lower ranking at tied for 18th than other immobile quarterbacks (again, low rank is preferred):
Roethlisberger – 32 (2nd)
Rivers – 28 (tied for 4th)
Rodgers – 27 (7th)
Cutler – 23 (tied for 12th)
Ryan – 22 (tied for 14th)
Flacco – 21 (tied for 16th)
Stafford – 21 (tied for 16th)
Brady – 20 (tied for 18th)
Romo – 20
Manning – 20 (tied for 18th)
Brees – 19 (21st)
Schaub – 16 (tied for 24th)
Vick – 15 (tied for 30th)
NFL QB Rating
Romo is right behind the Elite 3 at fourth:
Rodgers – 127.7
Brady – 105.1
Brees – 103.6
Romo – 97.5
Schaub – 96.8 (5th)
Manning – 95.5 (6th)
Roethlisberger – 92.2 (7th)
Stafford – 90.7 (9th)
Ryan – 89.3 (10th)
Cutler – 85.7 (12th)
Rivers – 80.8 (20th)
Vick – 79.8 (21st)
Flacco – 78.9 (22nd)
ESPN QBR
Again, Romo comes in fourth behind the Elite 3:
Rodgers – 85.6
Brees – 79.1
Brady – 74.7
Romo – 73.1
Schaub – 66.7 (5th)
Ryan – 66.2 (6th)
Roethlisberger – 65.8 (8th)
Manning – 64 (9th)
Cutler – 59.5 (11th)
Vick – 58.1 (14th)
Flacco – 55.6 (16th)
Stafford – 54.5 (17th)
Rivers – 49.6 (19th)
In total, Romo’s rankings include three fourths, a fifth, a seventh, and a ninth, excluding the interceptions and sack rankings due to being inverted.
If you exclude all quarterbacks who have attempted less than 250 passes and rank by fewest interceptions thrown, Romo would be considered tied for ninth, with only Rodgers, Cutler, Schaub, and Flacco (listed in order of best to worst) being the quarterbacks included in this discussion of best in the league throwing fewer picks.
Utilizing the same criteria of 250 pass attempts or more and inverting the rankings of sacks taken, Romo would come in at a tie with Brady and Manning at ninth. The quarterbacks ahead of these three and in the top 10 discussion include Vick, Schaub, and Brees (listed from best to worst).
Looking at all of the information above, Romo consistently falls in the top ten. He makes the top five of more than half those rankings.
So let’s consider all the information above and find a reasonable spot for Romo to be placed among NFL quarterbacks. Obviously, Rodgers, Brady, and Brees make out the top three. Even without playing a single down this season, Peyton Manning is included in the most elite of quarterbacks. This leaves six spots left.
Roethlisberger is considered a bus driver for his offense and many don’t give him much credit for the Steelers success. I think he is a bit overrated, but two Super Bowl rings and a third trip to the championship game is one of those things you cannot rank. I would put Roethlisberger ahead of Romo at least until Romo shows more postseason success. We are down to five spots left.
Philip Rivers is having an awful season. I don’t know what is going on in San Diego, but Rivers has not lived up to the expectations his talent level gives the Chargers fan base. If Rivers continues to tank the rest of this year and shows no sign of turning things around in 2012, I will move Romo up, but for now I have to give Rivers the nod. That leaves four spots.
With a Super Bowl win on his resume, many would position Eli Manning ahead of Romo. I think Manning has a lot of skill, but like Romo, his mistakes are given the biggest headlines due to where he plays, and Manning has some really awful stinkers throughout any given season. Among the quarterbacks left in the pool, I think little Manning is the closest in competition with Romo.
Schaub is a gifted quarterback who shows signs of brilliance in a season, but those signs usually are short-lived as he is always injured. Since 2005, in the seven seasons he has been the starting quarterback of the Houston Texans, he has only stayed healthy for 16 games in four of those. His shortened seasons include 2007 (11 games played), 2008 (11), and 2011 (10). Other than a three-game absence in 2008 and last year’s season-ending injury after only six games, Romo has been a gamer, working on his sixth complete season this year and even having to tough it out through broken ribs and a punctured lung to do so. Even if Schaub is the better quarterback in mechanics, I can’t put the fragile Texan ahead of the tough Cowboy.
Like Schaub, Stafford isn’t reliable enough to complete an entire season. Stafford was put on injured reserve in both his rookie and sophomore seasons. His talent is obvious, but until he starts contributing for an entire season it is impossible to rank him higher.
I would like my team’s future if Ryan were the Cowboys quarterback. He is young, has a lot of the key components it takes to be a winner in the NFL, and seems to be improving as each season concludes. There isn’t a lot to dislike about Ryan, but when it comes down to it, I think Romo right now is the better player.
Vick isn’t a great quarterback. He is a great athlete who plays quarterback. He can make some big plays, but he also performs with reckless abandon which can result in costly mistakes. His style of play is also a recipe for injury, much like this season is showing.
Flacco, Flacco, Flacco. He isn’t flashy. He doesn’t put up gaudy numbers. He just goes and gets the job done. If he were the recipient of Super Bowl championships like Roethlisberger I might rank him above Romo, but without the skins on the wall he just isn’t good enough to be counted among the greats in the league right now.
I see a lot of Romo in what Cutler does every Sunday. You take the good with the bad. But it seems like Cutler’s bad is so much worse. He turns the ball over at a rate that would make Brett Favre proud. He was actually looking very good for the start of this season, but his injury has put things on hiatus for now. Until he shows better decision making, Cutler doesn’t crack the top 10 for me.
So my list looks something like this:
1a. Tom Brady
1b. Aaron Rodgers
3. Drew Brees
4. Peyton Manning
5. Ben Roethlisberger
6. Philip Rivers
7. Tony Romo
8. Eli Manning
9. Matt Schaub
10. Matthew Stafford
11. Mat Ryan
12. Michael Vick
13. Joe Flacco
14. Jay Cutler
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Top Movies By Decade: Part 1 - "You ain't heard nothing yet!"
As many of my friends know, I am a movie freak. I have seen thousands of movies numerous times and love all genres of film. While bored at work today, I decided to rank my favorite movies by decade and post them in a series.
To compile this list, I took all of the ranked films from my IMDb account, which I grade after every movie I see, and sorted them from highest to lowest. I then looked at every movie in each decade and came up with my favorite ten.
I have included some honorable mentions for each decade to show what the top ten were up against. We will begin with the 1920s.
1920s
Honorable Mention: The Kid (1921), The Navigator (1924), and Wings (1927)
10. The Jazz Singer (1927) – While finding the first movie to be filmed in color is a bit muddled, the beginning of sound pictures can be pinpointed to the Al Jolson musical The Jazz Singer. Featuring synchronized dialogue sequences, The Jazz Singer had such an immediate impact on the film industry, eccentric aviator and film producer/director Howard Hughes incorporated the new technology into his half-completed silent movie, Hell’s Angels, and converted the movie into a talkie at an increased cost. Another memorable footnote from The Jazz Singer is Jolson’s performance in blackface, which in today’s society almost always is looked upon as racist. The Jazz Singer received Academy Award nominations for Writing Adapted Screenplay and Engineering Effects and Warner Bros. production chief Darryl F. Zanuck received a special Academy Award for producing “the pioneer outstanding talking picture, which has revolutionized the industry.” It is included among the group of films preserved in the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress.
9. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) – This French silent film chronicles the imprisonment, trial, and execution of the controversial religious warrioress. What makes The Passion of Joan of Arc such a historically important film, both in regard to textbooks and moviemaking, is how closely the script follows the trial records and the camera-work that highlights the actors facial expressions through close-ups. Richard Einhorn’s soundtrack to the film, titled Voices of Light, is also a powerfully chilling score that accentuates the gripping performances, which are made even more eerie by actors with no makeup applied. The Passion of Joan of Arc has consistently made it on (credible) top ten lists, including Sight & Sound magazine and the Village Voice, and is considered to contain one of the greatest performances on film of any era from Renée Jeanne Falconetti.
8. Safety Last! (1923) – The most lasting image from this silent romantic comedy is star Harold Lloyd hanging from a clock several stories up on a skyscraper. Besides the impressive stunts Lloyd does throughout the final sequence climbing a 12-story building, the comedic bits are also a hoot-and-a-half. Unlike some movies in this list that were panned by critics to begin with and later found a cult following that grew to become sincere appreciation, Safety Last! was a critical and financial success and is still a hit at revivals. It was selected in 1994 to the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
7. Battleship Potemkin (1925) – This is a dramatization of the 1905 mutiny by the crew of the Russian Battleship Potemkin against its czarist regime. However, it is not simply a propaganda film from Sergei Eisenstein, but an experiment in the art of montage. Eisenstein wanted to edit the film in such a way as to invoke sympathy for the rebels and abhorrence for the upper class. Even if you haven’t seen the movie, you might have seen its most famous scene, which is of the czar’s soldiers marching in unison down the Odessa Steps and firing into the crowd, killing men, women, and children at random. Eisenstein’s montage theory is executed flawlessly in the Odessa Steps scene, creating some today to believe the made-for-film scene was a historically accurate event. Along with being one of the finest propaganda films ever, The Battleship Potemkin has garnered praise for more than 85 years as one of the greatest films of all time. Empire magazine listed it at #3 in its 100 Best Films of World Cinema in 2010.
6. The General (1926) – Originally panned by critics and a flop at the box office, The General has gone on to become one of the greatest silent-era films of all time. Both thrilling and comedic, Buster Keaton’s stunts and direction are still compelling, even in today’s action-heavy movie world. Keaton was not only the star, but also contributed to writing, editing, producing, and directing the picture as well. Despite its poor financial run, thus resulting in Keaton having to abandon his dream to be an independent filmmaker and enter into a restrictive contract deal with MGM, it has since gained much favor with both critics and audiences. The American Film Institute celebrated The General on both its 100 Laughs and 100 Films 10th Anniversary Edition lists. The National Congress included it among the first selections in 1989 to the National Film Registry.
5. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) – The first ever Academy Award winner for Unique and Artistic Production, which the next year would be combined with another category to become the Best Picture award, Sunrise was an American production from director F.W. Murnau in the style of German Expressionism, which features distorted art design for symbolic effect. The silent film used few title cards and experimented in long tracking shots, with the longest ever being filmed up to that point at more than four minutes for one take. Sunrise was immediately loved and was nominated in four categories at the Academy Awards, winning three Oscars for best actress, best cinematography, and best picture. It was also among the original films included in the National Film Registry, Sight & Sound magazine’s critics’ poll for Top 10 best films ever made, and the American Film Industry’s Top 100 Passions film list.
4. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) – Being one of the most influential German Expressionist movies and among the earliest examples of executing the frame story in film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari also introduced another aspect of film that is highly common today, which I am not going to state here as it will spoil some of the movie for those who have yet to see it. The art design of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is unique in that shadows and light were painted directly on the sets’ walls, floors, and backgrounds. This movie inspired directors for decades afterward, is considered to be among the first horror films, and had a great influence on the genre film noir.
3. Nosferatu (1922) – Another exceptional example of German Expressionism in the 1920s, Nosferatu is an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, resulting in the bankruptcy of the company as Stoker’s estate sued the filmmakers for copyright infringement. Even to this day, Max Schrek’s Count Orlock, substituting for the more famous Count Dracula, is one of the most horrifying and iconic portrayals of a vampire. In a time where vampires are written to be sexy, misunderstood creatures who only want to find true love among the humans instead of utilizing our species like cattle for their unending bloodlust, it is Schrek’s ghastly makeup and eerie performance that reminds us vampires were originally created to be our enemy. In 2010, Empire magazine listed Nosferatu at number 21 among its 100 Best Films of World Cinema.
2. The Gold Rush (1925) – Any list of early cinema is not complete without a Charlie Chaplin film, and this one isn’t going to be the last in my rankings. Not only starring as his Little Tramp character, who debuted in 1914 and continued to star in silent movies until 1936’s Modern Times, but also writing, producing, and directing, some of Chaplin’s most memorable sequences can be found in The Gold Rush, including the roll dance. The Gold Rush is the fifth highest grossing silent film and the most successful silent comedy in cinema history. The American Film Institute includes The Gold Rush among its 100 Movies (at #74), 100 Laughs (#25), and 100 Movies 10th Anniversary Edition list (#58). It was also selected to the National Film Registry for preservation in 1992.
1. Metropolis (1927) – German filmmakers knew what they were doing in the 20s as this is the fourth Expressionist film to be in the top four of my best of the decade list. A dystopian study of social upheaval between the workers and owners of capitalism set in a science-fiction world, Metropolis is the most expensive silent film ever made, and its lavishness can be appreciated in each viewing. The film is still impressive, even by today’s standards, in its art direction and special effects. Following its premiere in Germany, Metropolis was drastically altered and many never saw the same footage or at the correct speed (as not all movies were filmed at 24 frames per second like they are today) that director Fritz Lang intended. Until 2008, a portion of the film was believed lost, but a copy of the original film was discovered in Argentina. Despite being a classic today, when it was initially released Metropolis was not the darling of the silent era like it is now. Ranked 12th in Empire magazine’s list of the Best 100 Films of World Cinema, it came in second in a list of the greatest movies of the silent era.
The 1920s is easily one of the weaker decades in film history, but that is not really the fault of the filmmakers of the era. As technology improved, so did the movies. People today find it very hard to sit through silent movies that don’t explain everything to them through dialogue. In the 20s, movies were still learning what could and couldn’t be done, and with the discovery of sound on film with 1927’s The Jazz Singer the medium changed forever. While this decade is probably my least favorite when it comes to all movies made during that time period, the ones on this list are among some of the best and most iconic in all of film history.
To compile this list, I took all of the ranked films from my IMDb account, which I grade after every movie I see, and sorted them from highest to lowest. I then looked at every movie in each decade and came up with my favorite ten.
I have included some honorable mentions for each decade to show what the top ten were up against. We will begin with the 1920s.
1920s
Honorable Mention: The Kid (1921), The Navigator (1924), and Wings (1927)
10. The Jazz Singer (1927) – While finding the first movie to be filmed in color is a bit muddled, the beginning of sound pictures can be pinpointed to the Al Jolson musical The Jazz Singer. Featuring synchronized dialogue sequences, The Jazz Singer had such an immediate impact on the film industry, eccentric aviator and film producer/director Howard Hughes incorporated the new technology into his half-completed silent movie, Hell’s Angels, and converted the movie into a talkie at an increased cost. Another memorable footnote from The Jazz Singer is Jolson’s performance in blackface, which in today’s society almost always is looked upon as racist. The Jazz Singer received Academy Award nominations for Writing Adapted Screenplay and Engineering Effects and Warner Bros. production chief Darryl F. Zanuck received a special Academy Award for producing “the pioneer outstanding talking picture, which has revolutionized the industry.” It is included among the group of films preserved in the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress.
9. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) – This French silent film chronicles the imprisonment, trial, and execution of the controversial religious warrioress. What makes The Passion of Joan of Arc such a historically important film, both in regard to textbooks and moviemaking, is how closely the script follows the trial records and the camera-work that highlights the actors facial expressions through close-ups. Richard Einhorn’s soundtrack to the film, titled Voices of Light, is also a powerfully chilling score that accentuates the gripping performances, which are made even more eerie by actors with no makeup applied. The Passion of Joan of Arc has consistently made it on (credible) top ten lists, including Sight & Sound magazine and the Village Voice, and is considered to contain one of the greatest performances on film of any era from Renée Jeanne Falconetti.
8. Safety Last! (1923) – The most lasting image from this silent romantic comedy is star Harold Lloyd hanging from a clock several stories up on a skyscraper. Besides the impressive stunts Lloyd does throughout the final sequence climbing a 12-story building, the comedic bits are also a hoot-and-a-half. Unlike some movies in this list that were panned by critics to begin with and later found a cult following that grew to become sincere appreciation, Safety Last! was a critical and financial success and is still a hit at revivals. It was selected in 1994 to the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
7. Battleship Potemkin (1925) – This is a dramatization of the 1905 mutiny by the crew of the Russian Battleship Potemkin against its czarist regime. However, it is not simply a propaganda film from Sergei Eisenstein, but an experiment in the art of montage. Eisenstein wanted to edit the film in such a way as to invoke sympathy for the rebels and abhorrence for the upper class. Even if you haven’t seen the movie, you might have seen its most famous scene, which is of the czar’s soldiers marching in unison down the Odessa Steps and firing into the crowd, killing men, women, and children at random. Eisenstein’s montage theory is executed flawlessly in the Odessa Steps scene, creating some today to believe the made-for-film scene was a historically accurate event. Along with being one of the finest propaganda films ever, The Battleship Potemkin has garnered praise for more than 85 years as one of the greatest films of all time. Empire magazine listed it at #3 in its 100 Best Films of World Cinema in 2010.
6. The General (1926) – Originally panned by critics and a flop at the box office, The General has gone on to become one of the greatest silent-era films of all time. Both thrilling and comedic, Buster Keaton’s stunts and direction are still compelling, even in today’s action-heavy movie world. Keaton was not only the star, but also contributed to writing, editing, producing, and directing the picture as well. Despite its poor financial run, thus resulting in Keaton having to abandon his dream to be an independent filmmaker and enter into a restrictive contract deal with MGM, it has since gained much favor with both critics and audiences. The American Film Institute celebrated The General on both its 100 Laughs and 100 Films 10th Anniversary Edition lists. The National Congress included it among the first selections in 1989 to the National Film Registry.
5. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) – The first ever Academy Award winner for Unique and Artistic Production, which the next year would be combined with another category to become the Best Picture award, Sunrise was an American production from director F.W. Murnau in the style of German Expressionism, which features distorted art design for symbolic effect. The silent film used few title cards and experimented in long tracking shots, with the longest ever being filmed up to that point at more than four minutes for one take. Sunrise was immediately loved and was nominated in four categories at the Academy Awards, winning three Oscars for best actress, best cinematography, and best picture. It was also among the original films included in the National Film Registry, Sight & Sound magazine’s critics’ poll for Top 10 best films ever made, and the American Film Industry’s Top 100 Passions film list.
4. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) – Being one of the most influential German Expressionist movies and among the earliest examples of executing the frame story in film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari also introduced another aspect of film that is highly common today, which I am not going to state here as it will spoil some of the movie for those who have yet to see it. The art design of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is unique in that shadows and light were painted directly on the sets’ walls, floors, and backgrounds. This movie inspired directors for decades afterward, is considered to be among the first horror films, and had a great influence on the genre film noir.
3. Nosferatu (1922) – Another exceptional example of German Expressionism in the 1920s, Nosferatu is an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, resulting in the bankruptcy of the company as Stoker’s estate sued the filmmakers for copyright infringement. Even to this day, Max Schrek’s Count Orlock, substituting for the more famous Count Dracula, is one of the most horrifying and iconic portrayals of a vampire. In a time where vampires are written to be sexy, misunderstood creatures who only want to find true love among the humans instead of utilizing our species like cattle for their unending bloodlust, it is Schrek’s ghastly makeup and eerie performance that reminds us vampires were originally created to be our enemy. In 2010, Empire magazine listed Nosferatu at number 21 among its 100 Best Films of World Cinema.
2. The Gold Rush (1925) – Any list of early cinema is not complete without a Charlie Chaplin film, and this one isn’t going to be the last in my rankings. Not only starring as his Little Tramp character, who debuted in 1914 and continued to star in silent movies until 1936’s Modern Times, but also writing, producing, and directing, some of Chaplin’s most memorable sequences can be found in The Gold Rush, including the roll dance. The Gold Rush is the fifth highest grossing silent film and the most successful silent comedy in cinema history. The American Film Institute includes The Gold Rush among its 100 Movies (at #74), 100 Laughs (#25), and 100 Movies 10th Anniversary Edition list (#58). It was also selected to the National Film Registry for preservation in 1992.
1. Metropolis (1927) – German filmmakers knew what they were doing in the 20s as this is the fourth Expressionist film to be in the top four of my best of the decade list. A dystopian study of social upheaval between the workers and owners of capitalism set in a science-fiction world, Metropolis is the most expensive silent film ever made, and its lavishness can be appreciated in each viewing. The film is still impressive, even by today’s standards, in its art direction and special effects. Following its premiere in Germany, Metropolis was drastically altered and many never saw the same footage or at the correct speed (as not all movies were filmed at 24 frames per second like they are today) that director Fritz Lang intended. Until 2008, a portion of the film was believed lost, but a copy of the original film was discovered in Argentina. Despite being a classic today, when it was initially released Metropolis was not the darling of the silent era like it is now. Ranked 12th in Empire magazine’s list of the Best 100 Films of World Cinema, it came in second in a list of the greatest movies of the silent era.
The 1920s is easily one of the weaker decades in film history, but that is not really the fault of the filmmakers of the era. As technology improved, so did the movies. People today find it very hard to sit through silent movies that don’t explain everything to them through dialogue. In the 20s, movies were still learning what could and couldn’t be done, and with the discovery of sound on film with 1927’s The Jazz Singer the medium changed forever. While this decade is probably my least favorite when it comes to all movies made during that time period, the ones on this list are among some of the best and most iconic in all of film history.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Stanley Kubrick: A Life Of Films
Recently I watched Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory and with how much I enjoy that film I realized there were at least three others off the top of my head that I liked even more from director Kubrick (and it ends up it is really four). I then considered how few feature films Kubrick made in his career (13 total; a miniscule amount compared to other legendary filmmakers like John Ford [140], Alfred Hitchcock [53], Woody Allen [45 thus far], and Steven Spielberg [32 thus far]) and how vast the genres were. His filmography includes war, history epic, dark comedy, science fiction, period piece drama, and horror.
Listed below is my ranking from worst to best of Kubrick's films.
13. Fear and Desire (1953)
12. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
11. Barry Lyndon (1975)
10. Killer's Kiss (1955)
9. Lolita (1962)
8. Spartacus (1960)
7. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
6. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
5. Paths of Glory (1957)
4. The Shining (1980)
3. The Killing (1956)
2. Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Listed below is my ranking from worst to best of Kubrick's films.
13. Fear and Desire (1953)
12. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
11. Barry Lyndon (1975)
10. Killer's Kiss (1955)
9. Lolita (1962)
8. Spartacus (1960)
7. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
6. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
5. Paths of Glory (1957)
4. The Shining (1980)
3. The Killing (1956)
2. Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Thursday, November 03, 2011
Official Press Release Held For Bond 23
The new title and additional cast and crew information was released today for what has been known as Bond 23. The following is the official press release from the regular Bond team:
Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli today presented the cast of the 23rd James Bond adventure, titled Skyfall. The film, from Albert R. Broccoli's Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, is directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes and stars Daniel Craig, who returns for his third film as James Bond 007. The screenplay is written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan. Skyfall, which goes into production on Monday, November 7, will begin its worldwide roll-out in the United Kingdom and Ireland on October 26, 2012, and in North America on November 9, 2012.
Joining Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli and Director Sam Mendes were members of the cast of Skyfall, including: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, and Berenice Marlohe. The filmmakers also announced Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney, and Ben Whishaw.
In Skyfall, Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.
"We're so delighted to have Sam Mendes direct Skyfall and be working once again with Daniel Craig. We've a great script, an extraordinary cast and an incredibly talented creative team for this latest James Bond adventure," said Wilson and Broccoli.
The director of photography is Roger Deakins, a nine-time Oscar nominee who previously shot the films Jarhead and Revolutionary Road for Mendes. The production designer is Oscar winner Dennis Gassner, who previously designed Quantum of Solace and collaborated with Mendes on the films Road to Perdition and Jarhead. The editor is Stuart Baird, A.C.E., whose many credits include Casino Royale. Jany Temime, whose many credits include the Harry Potter series, In Bruges, and Children of Men, is the costume designer. Action specialist Alexander Witt is the second unit director. Gary Powell is stunt co-ordinator, Chris Corbould is SFX supervisor and Steve Begg is visual effects supervisor, all of whom have worked on previous Bond films.
Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli today presented the cast of the 23rd James Bond adventure, titled Skyfall. The film, from Albert R. Broccoli's Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, is directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes and stars Daniel Craig, who returns for his third film as James Bond 007. The screenplay is written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan. Skyfall, which goes into production on Monday, November 7, will begin its worldwide roll-out in the United Kingdom and Ireland on October 26, 2012, and in North America on November 9, 2012.
Joining Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli and Director Sam Mendes were members of the cast of Skyfall, including: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, and Berenice Marlohe. The filmmakers also announced Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney, and Ben Whishaw.
In Skyfall, Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.
"We're so delighted to have Sam Mendes direct Skyfall and be working once again with Daniel Craig. We've a great script, an extraordinary cast and an incredibly talented creative team for this latest James Bond adventure," said Wilson and Broccoli.
The director of photography is Roger Deakins, a nine-time Oscar nominee who previously shot the films Jarhead and Revolutionary Road for Mendes. The production designer is Oscar winner Dennis Gassner, who previously designed Quantum of Solace and collaborated with Mendes on the films Road to Perdition and Jarhead. The editor is Stuart Baird, A.C.E., whose many credits include Casino Royale. Jany Temime, whose many credits include the Harry Potter series, In Bruges, and Children of Men, is the costume designer. Action specialist Alexander Witt is the second unit director. Gary Powell is stunt co-ordinator, Chris Corbould is SFX supervisor and Steve Begg is visual effects supervisor, all of whom have worked on previous Bond films.
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