15 films

Madam Miaow tagged me regarding this. Fifteen films you’ve seen that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. It took me longer that 15 mins

1. Snow White – first film I believe I ever saw at the cinema with my mother. What I do vaguely recall is wandering about the cinema as I got bored, couldn’t keep still. Don’t remember anything about the film.
2. Grease – first film I saw at the cinema I actually remember, I was around 8 or 9 when I saw it. It was ‘the film’ to see ‘78/79 really enjoyed it, loved the songs and it’s kinda iconic and kitch.
3. Psycho – it is such an iconic & powerful film, the infamous shower scene filmed in black and white which adds potency along with the psychologically disturbing shrillness and screeching of the string instruments composed by Hitchcock favourite, Bernard Hermann, building up to a crashing crescendo the tempo descending and then silence with the only noise of the shower and running water. The scene is part of horror history along with being ingrained in movie going collective consciousness.
4. The Apartment – I love this Wilder film, the sharp and wisecracking script (Wilder and I.A.L Diamond), the wonderful bittersweet relationship between Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine) and C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon),
5. If – well, I had a crush on Malcolm McDowell, other than that I have seen this film many times, the cinematography, the direction, the actors and also the spirit of the time. Great.
6. Night of the Hunter - primarily due to the “painterly style” of the late and great cinematographer Stanley Cortez and a shame that Charles Laughton never directed again). it is a kinda modern Grim fairy tale, and Robert Mitchum is scary bad.
7. Camille Claudel – film I saw in the very late 1980s at the local indie Brighton cinema. It’s a powerful portrayal of an artist reduced to muse/mistress of Rodin as opposed to being seen as a sculptor in her own right. Isabelle Adjani is stunning and powerful in the role as Claudel.
8. Memento – a real concentrate – hard – as – this – is – not – a- linear narrative, clever neo-noir style film. Great start to the noughties and it starred Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity from The Matrix)
9. Harry un ami qui vous veut du bien (Harry, he’s here to help) – another brilliant piece of neo-noir and psychological twisty thriller Inventive script and Sergi López as Harry…. excellent as the chameleon-like charmer.
10. Donnie Darko - honest and sensitive account of mental distress, alienation and the impact of heavy-duty meds while functioning in the world. I could relate to the “mad world” of Donnie Darko.
11. Spoorloos (The Vanishing) – I never ever saw the ending coming. The original is so superior to the rotten Hollywood remake (same director though). Twisty unnerving chiller of a film.
12. The Matrix - breaking new ground. So fasten your seat belt cos Kansas is going bye-bye for this  rollar coaster sci-fi action-adventure ride, slick, fun, engaging storytelling, innovative, smart, original and creative (Wachowski Brothers inspired use of bullet time)…and cool soundtrack! Shame about the sequels………
13. Battle of Algiers – it is one of most powerful political films I have ever seen. Also the film heavily influenced political cinema.
14. Election - the wonderful satire on student politics which introduced the world to ….the iconic Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon), scarily ambitious while her teacher Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick) plotting her downfall…..Splendid…and have to say one of my favourite films of the ’90s.
15. Anything by Michael Haneke -just because…..

That’s all folks! And dammit I forgot the Marx Brothers. Spent a many evening/early morning medicated up to my eyeballs in my late teens watching  them. Good memories.

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