tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post3546538709382973500..comments2024-03-19T02:27:08.584-05:00Comments on Ghibli Blog: Studio Ghibli, Animation and the Movies: Ghibli Blog Rankings - The 50 Greatest MoviesDaniel Thomas MacInneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01406180871529775448noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-10066714966478978932018-08-12T13:32:12.747-05:002018-08-12T13:32:12.747-05:00Disney's Fantasia ? What a big joke...Disney's Fantasia ? What a big joke...ThomasGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07938999768598488581noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-78263149785779087962015-03-17T17:34:37.080-05:002015-03-17T17:34:37.080-05:00Nice list. Personally, I don't much care for m...Nice list. Personally, I don't much care for making "best films of all time" lists; the subject of what makes a film great is so subjective. I've heard Casablanca called both a great classic and campy schlock. I've heard The Passion of Joan of Arc called both the greatest portrayal of faith on film and painfully pretentious, Star Wars called both a modern myth and shallow drek. I don't agree with any of the negative assessments, but it shows you how diverse the broadness of what people consider great or not so great.<br /><br />I think personal favorite lists are much more interesting; it shows a lot about that person, their tastes, their worldview. I'm assuming this list isn't necessarily your personal favorites one. Could we ever see that?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-46163307510361000632015-01-24T15:43:06.125-06:002015-01-24T15:43:06.125-06:00I would have wanted to see at least one or two of ...I would have wanted to see at least one or two of the British 'Angry Young Men' films of the 50's and 60's, such as the Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, The Leather Boys, Dark at the Top of the Stairs, The L-Shaped Room, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, etc., and I applaud your effort. Taxing at best.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18074864737749876851noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-17689838507610962992015-01-20T08:53:03.848-06:002015-01-20T08:53:03.848-06:00Nice Blog<a href="www.way2homejobs.in" rel="nofollow">Nice Blog</a>harikahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11907020510077515969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-63091595577935065662013-01-31T05:21:11.357-06:002013-01-31T05:21:11.357-06:00Out with the old classics, in with the new masterp...Out with the old classics, in with the new masterpieces: belatedly, my Top 25 films solely from the last 25 years, arbitrarily limiting each director to one movie (not that any such list isn't entirely arbitrary anyway):<br /><br />The Big Lebowski (1998)<br />Casino (1995)<br />Chungking Express (1994)<br />The English Patient (1996)<br />Ed Wood (1994)<br />Flags of Our Fathers (2006)<br />Hard Boiled (1992)<br />Heat (1995)<br />The Ice Storm (1998)<br />Jackie Brown (1997)<br />The Last Days of Disco (1998)<br />Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989)<br />The Lion King (1994)<br />Magnolia (1999)<br />Mystery Train (1989)<br />The Player (1992)<br />Quiz Show (1994)<br />Terminator 2 (1991)<br />Trainspotting (1995)<br />Shaun of the Dead (2004)<br />Spirited Away (2001)<br />Wings of Desire (1987)<br />Yi Yi (A One and A Two) (2000)<br />Zatoichi (2003)<br />Zodiac (2007) C_Oliverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17816922541525017016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-55501336587961635312013-01-05T09:29:34.845-06:002013-01-05T09:29:34.845-06:00I have to agree with the supporters of SPIRITED AW...I have to agree with the supporters of SPIRITED AWAY, especially when FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF makes the list (even as a tie.) I'd probably add more of Kurosawa's brilliant films.<br /><br />But it's all personal. I am amazed at how many I agree with on your list.<br /><br />By the way, it's taken so long to comment here, because it is all personal, isn't it. Why should I criticize any of your favorites!?Michael Spornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02018522723674960270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-10837873097399141182012-12-04T19:37:00.683-06:002012-12-04T19:37:00.683-06:00My top 50 personal list of the greatest films:
1 ...My top 50 personal list of the greatest films:<br /><br />1 - Spirited Away<br />2 - The Mirror<br />3 - 2001<br />4 - Seven Samurai<br />5 - 8 1/2<br />6 - Nausicaa<br />7 - Apocalypse Now<br />8 - Andrei Rublev<br />9 - Rashomon<br />10 - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly<br />11 - Princess Mononoke<br />12 - Barry Lyndon<br />13 - There Will Be Blood<br />14 - My Neighbor Totoro<br />15 - Yojimbo<br />16 - Persona<br />17 - Dr. Strangelove<br />18 - Aguirre The Wrath of God<br />19 - Citizen Kane<br />20 - Grave of the Fireflies<br />21 - Wild Strawberries<br />22 - Only Yesterday<br />23 - The Godfather I and II<br />24 - Kiki's Delivery Service<br />25 - The Empire Strikes Back<br />26 - Ran<br />27 - Blade Runner<br />28 - Vertigo<br />29 - The Seventh Seal<br />30 - Once Upon a Time in the West<br />31 - Clockwork Orange<br />32 - Star Wars<br />33 - Alien<br />34 - Tokyo Story<br />35 - Pulp Fiction<br />36 - M<br />37 - North by the Northwest<br />38 - Taxi Driver<br />39 - Whisper of the Heart<br />40 - The Shining<br />41 - The Lord of the Rings<br />42 - Back to the Future<br />43 - Mulholland Drive<br />44 - Porco Rosso<br />45 - Psycho<br />46 - The 400 Blows<br />47 - The Terminator<br />48 - Kagemusha<br />49 - Wall-E<br />50 - Ranging BullAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-50197775147950681952012-11-27T20:36:43.705-06:002012-11-27T20:36:43.705-06:00Citizen Kane? Really? Does your number one really ...Citizen Kane? Really? Does your number one really have to be the same number one AS EVERY OTHER CRITIC. It's bad enough your favorite anime is everything Ghibli makes. So bland and predictable. Cowboy Devhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11212688688173272026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-59206476967335338782012-11-19T00:07:09.190-06:002012-11-19T00:07:09.190-06:00If you want to understand Citizen Kane, here's...If you want to understand Citizen Kane, here's what I'd recommend: the Criterion Collection CAV laserdisc, the Roger Ebert commentary on the Kane DVD/Blu-Ray, and Pauline Kael's "Raising Kane." That should be a good start. As always, these things are only a matter of personal opinion. It's alright, ma, it's life and life only.Daniel Thomas MacInneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01406180871529775448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-23387917982787606172012-11-18T23:46:49.166-06:002012-11-18T23:46:49.166-06:00"Spirited Away is a terrific movie, visually ..."Spirited Away is a terrific movie, visually spectacular and endlessly creative, but I don't believe it is Miyazaki's best film. It's an escapist picture at heart, one that lacks the more complex and serious themes of the director's work. A great movie, but a little light."<br /><br />I can't agree with this, and it seems to be a disagreement about basic undercurrents of Miyazaki-movies. Nothing about this movie as far as I can see is escapist in any strict, negative sense of the word. Surely you can draw this logical conclusion, but it would be accidental, a mere "reservation" depending on the context of your viewing as far as I can see, but not a lasting judgement.<br />For one, the altering of Chihiro is certainly not the effect of an escape from her issues, but a "finding of herself". I think this is quintessential in judging the whole "positive" outlook of Miyazaki per se, or else it would be hard to distinguish him from any other "pretty" entertainment, or it becomes a pure intellectual argument of the ideology that his movies present.<br />Then, Chihiro is emotionally challenged throughout the movie, and it is mostly frightening and dangerous, and the ending is not "sweet" but kind of regretful, which is not a nod to the wish to escape again (as maybe could be seen in the Peter Pan "mythos"), but a major element of life - but Miyazaki would probably say (as I've seen him do) that she will come to deal with it.<br />Also there are aesthetic elements which I think make it unique among his movies. There is this almost overly lush bathing house, but also this Zen-like, minimalist trainride and water landscape.<br />The infinite imagination that some refer to, on the other hand, and that may be seen as one element of escapism, I do simply do not recognize. I don't think it is very inventive at all, if I would look only for this, I would be very bored and could point probably to an endless list of more "inventive" or "visually stunning" examples. The lush invention that I see serves merely to create a certain atmosphere of life and the overfilled environs, but not much to marvel at.<br /><br />A couple more things could be said, but that should be the essence of my view.mathiashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04936865674329335292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-26732379743066148802012-11-18T23:00:20.599-06:002012-11-18T23:00:20.599-06:00Citizen Kane a great movie, maybe one of the most ...Citizen Kane a great movie, maybe one of the most important, even of the top 5. But number one? Could anyone possibly explain this coherently? A common few with such dedication should have some argumentative backing of almost apodictic status. But when I watch it, I see next to the greatness many parts, elements and aspects that, clearly, don't exceed every movie ever made...<br /><br />What's with the singer-farce? Apart from its painfulness and length to watch, what makes it such a remarkable, transcendental drama? Etc. mathiashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04936865674329335292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-8330317953239412852012-08-31T15:43:39.572-05:002012-08-31T15:43:39.572-05:00Well, time to get into the swing of things. I'...Well, time to get into the swing of things. I'm perhaps younger than most people making these lists; undoubtedly it will have grown by college. Here its is, My Top Movie List as of August 31, 2012:<br />1. Alien (1979, Ridley Scott)<br />2. Aliens (James Cameron, 1986)<br />3. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)<br />4. Fargo (Coen Brothers, 1996)<br />5. Field of Dreams (Phil Alden Robinson, 1989)<br />6. The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972)<br />7. The Iron Giant (Brad Bird, 1999)<br />8. Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975)<br />9. King Kong (Merian C. Cooper, 1933; Peter Jackson, 2005)<br />10. Let Me In (Matt Reeves, 2010)<br />11. Let the Right One In (Tomas Alfredson)<br />12. The Lion King (Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff, 1994)<br />13. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (Peter Jackson, 2001-3)<br />14. Princess Mononoke (Hayao Miyazaki, 1997)<br />15. Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954)<br />16. Sanjuro (Akria Kurosawa, 1962)<br />17. Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa, 1954)<br />18. The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme, 1991)<br />19. Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001)<br />20. Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977)<br />And many runner-ups, and upcoming entries. :)Njordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12517760174309412006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-39349389508462436322012-08-20T10:31:57.430-05:002012-08-20T10:31:57.430-05:00Hi again Daniel --
"Speaking of which, where...Hi again Daniel --<br /><br />"Speaking of which, where are everyone's "top movies" lists?"<br /><br />This is my top 100 list from four years ago:-<br />http://webs-of-significance.blogspot.hk/2008/07/100-movies.html<br /><br />Although looking at it recently, it shocked me that I forgot the Japanese "Shall We Dance?" because I do love it so.<br /><br />(And yes, my list is very Hong Kong movie heavy, as befits my interest. But I've got 9 Japanese films in my top 100 movies list -- and of those, two are Studio Ghibli films.)YTSLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-67810770167542891442012-08-14T17:25:39.950-05:002012-08-14T17:25:39.950-05:00If you're able to play region B Blu-ray Discs ...If you're able to play region B Blu-ray Discs (which they'll almost inevitably be, in order to deter Japanese reverse-importing) and/or region 2 DVDs the 1959 <i>Floating Weeds</i> is getting a dual format from Eureka in the UK (who also already have one of Kobayashi's 1962 <i>Harakiri</i> come to mention it), who do "probably the best" home video treatments with English subtitles other than Criterion (and without their ignorance of animation and region codes other than their own).J.R.D.S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07449581460363034306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-32460879432217513722012-08-13T19:47:16.845-05:002012-08-13T19:47:16.845-05:00Grave of the Fireflies and My Neighbor Totoro were...Grave of the Fireflies and My Neighbor Totoro were on earlier drafts of my Top 50 list. I debated every one of the Ghibli movies before deciding on my favorites. One by Takahata and Miyazaki? Fine. How about two? Hmm, worth considering. Anything more would be needless indulgence.<br /><br />I was keen to have a varied and diverse list of movies. This is, after all, a reflection of my own tastes and my education in the cinema. Should there be more Hitchcock, or Ford, or Welles, or Truffaut, or Ozu? <br /><br />We must conclude, at the end, that "greatest movie" lists are little more than parlor games, food for happy debates and an excuse for film lovers to come together. These things are always arbitrary, and we certainly love more than the ten or fifty movies that we rank and debate.<br /><br />Animated movies were criminally overlooked by the 2012 Sight & Sound poll, and one of my goals was to highlight what I consider some of my personal favorites. Seven animated features, including six anime and five Ghibli titles, is highly impressive.<br /><br />Speaking of which, where are everyone's "top movies" lists?Daniel Thomas MacInneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01406180871529775448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-59513106884258377612012-08-12T07:54:19.782-05:002012-08-12T07:54:19.782-05:00Did I miss seeing "My Neighbor Totoro" o...Did I miss seeing "My Neighbor Totoro" on your list or is it really not there? No offence meant but I have to say that I'm pretty surprised that there are not more Studio Ghibli movies in the list since this has been posted on the Ghibli blog.YTSLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09930487923185001591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-43786462923985329052012-08-10T00:51:59.356-05:002012-08-10T00:51:59.356-05:00Guess I'm a sucker for the fanciful. Hmmm, a l...Guess I'm a sucker for the fanciful. Hmmm, a lot of movies on there I've been looking for. The Royal Tenenbaums is a Wes Anderson I have not seen yet. The DVD+BD selection around here is the pits and it's getting worse...Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04286088823031110064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-21107284313274977902012-08-10T00:30:41.831-05:002012-08-10T00:30:41.831-05:00I'm curious if you have seen Harakiri by Masak...I'm curious if you have seen Harakiri by Masaki Kobayashi. I think that might be the first perfect film I've ever seen. The screenplay by the prolific Shinobu Hashimoto, is brilliant and Masaki Kobayashi's some of the best sword fights I've seen in a chambara film. Tatsuya Nakadai, gives one of the most captivating performances I've ever seen in a film. Honestly I can't find a single flaw or nitpick in the film on either a writing or technical level, everything just shines. <br /><br />I agree with everything you said about Only Yesterday and Princess Mononoke. I enjoy all of Miyazaki's films one way or another, but Princess Mononoke is really something else. I've watched it countless times and I have never gotten sick of it, I just keep finding new: more layers,more subtle nuances, and a greater emotional connection to the characters. Plus I just love the artwork and animation. Later Ghibli films would be more visually eye popping, but Princess Mononoke(and the rest of the early Ghibli films) has an organic painterly look to it that I'm missing from the later Ghibli films(or any modern day animated film for that matter). It also has my favorite Joe Hisashi soundtrack, it's so beautiful yet so sad at the same time. Only Yesterday is my favorite Takahata film and a film that resonates with me deeply on a very personal level. I'll be honest I never really got into Ozu films, while I can appreciate them on an artistic level, I just can't connect to any of the characters on any personal level. Only Yesterday's different, Taeko is probably the most realistic protagonist I've ever seen in a animated feature and I can identify a lot with feeling trapped in your life and not being able to move forward. It's a movie that inspires me to take chances and not be content to live in a dull colorless life. I also really love the realistic animation, Takahata makes great use of the prerecord method of recording the voices first and animating around them. I love this because the performances and the dialog come out very natural this way, it really sounds and feels like real people talking. I also think this the best Ghibli movie in terms of facial expressions. You really get into the thoughts of Taeko not just through her dialog(which is also the most natural and realistic I've seen an animated film) but through the subtle facial expression. I always used to say that live action is the best way to go when it comes to expressing subtle emotions, but Only Yesterday proved me that a skilled animator can be just as effective if not more. I'm defiantly importing both when they come to Blu Ray.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-13077933481520033862012-08-09T19:41:51.436-05:002012-08-09T19:41:51.436-05:00Neat list, I'll have to get ahold of Floating ...Neat list, I'll have to get ahold of Floating Weeds, most Ozu's the seasons in the title.<br /><br />If I had to compile my own personal top-whatever, I'd have to give precedent to Takahara's work, it just echoes in my memory a lot more than Miyazaki's work. Perhaps 'cause he's more concerned with the mundane? (Whisper of The Heart has that inclination too, and Miyazaki's partially responsible for that.) I don't know...<br /><br />Night on The Galactic Railroad is probably my favorite animated film. Haunting.<br /><br />Gotta acknowledge The Third Man as my favorite movie, though. It's the kind of stuff that lingers.ivan adamehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00977206364671284636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-45177985855298233712012-08-09T01:50:03.330-05:002012-08-09T01:50:03.330-05:00I don't understand why you placed Only Yesterd...I don't understand why you placed Only Yesterday (Great Film) and Whisper of the Heart (Great Film) above Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke (the best animated film ever made). Princess Mononoke is the better film in my opinion hands down. but everyone has a different opinion I just find it interesting.Blood Muffinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09439558720285920207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-89969585455790268262012-08-08T16:46:05.420-05:002012-08-08T16:46:05.420-05:00Nice list, though the top ten kinda resembles one ...Nice list, though the top ten kinda resembles one of those lists assembled via critical consensus. Good pick on those top two Ghiblis.llamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01450265644382148742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-90366136595217154702012-08-08T14:18:11.293-05:002012-08-08T14:18:11.293-05:00Ah, the part where everyone asks, "Why didn&#...Ah, the part where everyone asks, "Why didn't you choose X?" As always, these things are subjective, and come down to how many different movies I could fit into the Top 50. It wouldn't be fun if I crammed in every film by Kurosawa, Kubrick and Miyazaki. Diversity and variety are far more interesting and fun to me.<br /><br />Spirited Away is a terrific movie, visually spectacular and endlessly creative, but I don't believe it is Miyazaki's best film. It's an escapist picture at heart, one that lacks the more complex and serious themes of the director's work. A great movie, but a little light.<br /><br />After much consideration, I chose Mononoke Hime as Miyazaki's greatest work. It's a richly complex story, full of nuance and unanswered questions, looks fantastic on the big screen, and defines "anime cool" better than just about anyone - dark, violent, passionate, honest. This movie could never be made in the West. It's the true successor to Kurosawa's bloody epics.<br /><br />So Mononoke gets my vote.<br /><br />My thoughts on Ozu's Tokyo Story are more or less the same. It's a wonderfully haunting and quiet film, deserving of all its success. But I'd much rather watch Floating Weeds, which has its wonderfully rich color palette and wistfully sorrowful clowns. The look of the buildings, the falling rain, the rose petals...ah, Ozu's rose petals!<br /><br />I'd also prefer to watch Takahata's Omohide Poro Poro, with its documentary elements, pop-culture commentary, and romantic surrealism. Like Miyazaki, Takahata has earned the mantle of a Japanese master, and should be honored for it.<br /><br />Brazil is a really good movie. One of the nearby shops has the Criterion laserdisc box, and I'm strongly tempted to grab it. I haven't seen Stalker, but I'm really not a big Tarkovsky fan (too sloooow). Sam Hiti also mentioned Rififi, but I haven't seen that yet. I'll work on that.Daniel Thomas MacInneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01406180871529775448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-29004294946646482142012-08-08T10:16:44.715-05:002012-08-08T10:16:44.715-05:00No Tokyo Story? That does surprise me.
If you hav...No Tokyo Story? That does surprise me.<br /><br />If you haven't seen it, definitely do so.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24969765.post-15777851072994706372012-08-07T21:31:37.952-05:002012-08-07T21:31:37.952-05:00Daniel, did you forget Spirited Away? Really?
Lov...Daniel, did you forget Spirited Away? Really?<br /><br />Loving the list, though I love Brazil way over Star Wars. And yes, love Vertigo too.<br />Have you seen Stalker, by Tarkovsky?Pablo Calcullihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06128813964953670086noreply@blogger.com