It’s time to partake in one of my favorite aspects of the 50 Movies Project: the final countdown! Last year’s project was full of stimulating films, all of which I am glad I finally watched, even if I have little to no desire to see some of them again (I’m looking at you, #50). I am dividing my rankings into two posts simply because they are going to be so image-heavy. Today’s rankings include the bottom half of the project, and I will link to every full-length post individually. For reference sake, you can also view the full project here. Let’s begin!
![Pink Flamingos [1972]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/pink-flamingos-divine.jpg)
50) Pink Flamingos [1972]
Yeah, this is trash alright. I get the cult appeal, I guess, but it’s not for me.
![Dead Man [1995]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/dead-man-1995.png)
49) Dead Man [1995]
This psychedelic western has an amazing ensemble cast. Too bad it started to lose me during the surreal spiritual journey.
![Rita Hayworth in Gilda [1946]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/rita-hayworth-gilda.jpg)
48) Gilda [1946]
Rita Hayworth is as stunning as I imagined, but without her this is a middling noir.
![Chicago [2002]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/chicago-zeta-jones.jpg)
47) Chicago [2002]
Not much substance, just a lot of glitz and glamour in this musical.
![The Nightmare Before Christmas [1993]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/the-nightmare-before-christmas.jpg)
46) The Nightmare Before Christmas [1993]
The stop-motion animation and Tim Burton’s visual style are still remarkable, yet I wasn’t as enamored with this as most.
![Shadows [1959]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/shadows-19591.jpg)
45) Shadows [1959]
A landmark in independent filmmaking. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have as much bite today.
![All About Eve [1950]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/all-about-eve-screen.jpg)
44) All About Eve [1950]
This film’s dialogue is razor sharp — has there ever been a screenplay this catty?
![Ringu [1998]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/ringu-girl.jpg)
43) Ringu [1998]
Ringu‘s payoff makes the slow buildup worthwhile. Still not sure if I prefer this or the American remake.
![Marilyn Monroe in Some Like It Hot [1959]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/some-like-it-hot-marilyn-monroe.jpg)
42) Some Like It Hot [1959]
Not even close to being my favorite Billy Wilder film, but this is still good fun with one of the greatest closing lines in cinema.
![Lady Vengeance [2005]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/lady-vengeance.jpg)
41) Lady Vengeance [2005]
The weakest of Park Chan-wook’s Vengeance trilogy, but this is easily the most stylish of the three.
![The Bourne Identity [2002]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/the-bourne-identity-2002.jpg)
40) The Bourne Identity [2002]
This is a damn fun ride (still need to see the sequels though!). Easy to see why it spawned a successful franchise.
![Rushmore [1998]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/rushmore-schwartzman.jpg)
39) Rushmore [1998]
I’m glad I gave Wes Anderson another chance — this is a close second behind Moonrise Kingdom for my favorite from him.
![The Philadelphia Story [1940]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/the-philadelphia-story.jpg)
38) The Philadelphia Story [1940]
Katharine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant. Need I say more?
![Aguirre, the Wrath of God [1972]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/aguirre-monkey.png)
37) Aguirre, the Wrath of God [1972]
This Werner Herzog film is batshit insane. Even more so if you know the story behind it.
![Enter the Dragon [1973]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/enter-the-dragon-19731.jpg)
36) Enter the Dragon [1973]
Wildly entertaining (and influential) martial arts romp. Had a lot of fun with this one.
![Kiss Kiss Bang Bang [2005]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/kiss-kiss-bang-bang-2005.jpg)
35) Kiss Kiss Bang Bang [2005]
A satirical spin on film noir that also manages to be a hilarious dark comedy.
![The Pianist [2002]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/the-pianist.jpg)
34) The Pianist [2002]
Painfully hard to watch, but Roman Polanski’s attention to detail here is nothing short of phenomenal.
![The Blues Brothers [1980]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/blues-brothers-ray-charles.jpg)
33) The Blues Brothers [1980]
A rambunctious ode to my favorite city. Impossible to pick a favorite scene.
![The Searchers [1956]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/the-searchers-john-wayne.jpg)
32) The Searchers [1956]
Beautiful Western with more depth than I expected.
![The Fly [1986]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/the-fly-1986.jpg)
31) The Fly [1986]
My new favorite David Cronenberg film. The special effects look just as good today as they did back then.
![The Treasure of the Sierra Madre [1948]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/the-treasure-of-the-sierra-madre-bogart.png)
30) The Treasure of the Sierra Madre [1948]
I can’t think of a better film that portrays greed, and the mental and physical deteriorations caused by this.
![Paris, Texas [1986]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/paris-texas-harry-dean-stanton-desert.jpg)
29) Paris, Texas [1986]
A slow, brooding film that culminates with one of the most heartbreaking scenes I have ever seen. Harry Dean Stanton gives the performance of a lifetime.
![Cinema Paradiso [1988]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/cinema-paradiso.jpg)
28) Cinema Paradiso [1988]
A wonderful love letter to cinema, even if it gets a bit melodramatic at times.
![The Truman Show [1998]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/the-truman-show-1998.jpg)
27) The Truman Show [1998]
Let’s get some more dramatic performances out of Jim Carrey, please.
![All About My Mother [1999]](http://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/all-about-my-mother.jpg)
26) All About My Mother [1999]
Can’t say I have ever seen a film like this. A dedication to women that also proves that we are all human, regardless of gender or race.
Keep an eye out tomorrow for numbers 25-1!
Great post, you sure watched some amazing movies.
Thanks, Vinnie. It was another successful project.
Damn that is some serious film project. What’s your take on the supposed remake of Lady Vengeance?
I didn’t even know that was happening. Guess they might as well do Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance now while they’re at it..
Some select films here. I personally love Dead Man though. But kudos on Paris, Texas – another personal favorite for me.
I would like to give Dead Man another shot someday. It seems like the type of film that would get better with additional viewings.
You’re not a fan of a poop eating transvestite?
I haven’t watched all the films on your list, but of the ones I have I agree with your placement. I also wasn’t the biggest fan of “Some Like it Hot”, and don’t understand what all the hub-bub was about. I guess two guys in drag for the majority of the movie was a really big deal.
Hah, nope, can’t say I am a fan of that at all. Yet I don’t think that was the scene that even repulsed me the most.
I liked Some Like It Hot well enough, but I think a lot of its appeal is that it was pretty groundbreaking stuff when it was released. A significant cut below Wilder’s best work, in my opinion.
I love “Lady Vengeance”! That scene where the parents take revenge on the pedophile is brutal. Plus I enjoyed the lead actress in the Korean drama Jewel In The Palace as well.
Yeah, the payoff in Lady Vengeance was amazing. Will never forget that scene.
LOL. I dont envy you, man, I know how hard it is to rank stuff.
So I wont rank on the few cases where you patently screw the pooch. LOL
Haha, you should never be afraid to air your grievances here! I know there will be plenty of disagreements, especially when I post the next part tonight.
Afraid? Nooooo, I’m not afraid, man. LOL. I’m just… empathisizing, that’s all LOL.
Haha. I hear ya loud and clear, buddy.
Cinema Paradiso is one of my favorite films ever. It truly captures the love of film like few others. This is really fun and I’m glad your rolling it out over two days since I’m excited to come back and see the top films later!
Thanks Max! I’ll have the rest of the list up tonight.
Nice to see Sierra Madre & Cinema Paradiso on there, and you’ve reminded me I should rewatch Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
I’m not usually into martial arts, but I must say I’m curious about Enter the Dragon, because of Bruce Lee’s reputation-never did see a movie with him.
Look forward to numbers 25-1!
Enter the Dragon is a lot of fun, Chris. I think you’ll enjoy it. Make sure to keep an eye out for a young Jackie Chan, too.
I love John Waters but Pink Flamingos is the only movie of his I’ve only been able to watch once.
Yeah. I’m curious to see some of his later work, but Pink Flamingos was a one-and-done for me.
You’re doing a great job of ranking your films. Some excellent choices in there, especially The Truman Show. Adore that film.
Urge you to watch the next two Bourne films. Paul Greengrass takes control and things get amazing.
Looking forward to the next set of films that get ranked!
Thanks Jaina! I’m going to try to catch up with the rest of the Bourne series this year.
Hi, Eric and company:
Some interesting and intriguing choices here!
Never got the hang of early John Waters films.
Rita Hayworth does make ‘Gilda’. Silk and chiffon never looked better!
“All About Eve”: One of the great soap opera/show business films.
Bette Davis at her cattiest. With George Sanders keeping her in place.
John Landis, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and select Chicagoans versus The Second City in one the great comedies of the 1980s.
Harrison Ford wishes his Stetson or Fedora looked as sweat stained and beat up as Bogey’s in “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”.
Solidly agree with your take on master character actor, Harry Dean Stanton in “Paris, Texas”!
Hi Jack, some great observations there. I think I was most pleased with seeing Harry Dean Stanton in Paris, Texas, especially since I can only recall ever seeing him in supporting roles.
Glad to hear I’m not alone on Waters. Pink Flamingos just has little to no appeal for me.
Wow, that must be tough to rank these, Eric. Bummer I still haven’t got around to seeing Enter The Dragon. I really wanted to after seeing the biopic on Bruce Lee. I do love Cinema Paradiso, though I fell in love with its music first before seeing the film.
Yeah, it’s never an easy feat to rank a list of films, especially when there are so many. I kept a running list with every one I watched, so that made it a little easier to keep up with at the end. I still found myself adjusting the rankings quite a bit, though.
I’m definitely writing some of these down that I have not managed to watch yet. A good example of that is Rushmore which I’ve continuously managed to overlook. Moonrise Kingdom should be enough of a reason to get to it.
I don’t necessarily agree with some of the order as I’d definitely rank All About Eve a bit higher and, even though I did not watch every film in your project, it would be hard for me to think I could put The Truman Show out of the top 20. The best Jim Carrey film out there, even superior to Eternal Sunshine in my modest opinion.
Kuddos for covering such a great assortment of films!
Thanks, Niels. Moonrise Kingdom was what made me interested in seeing more of Wes Anderson, and Rushmore did not disappoint.
I think I might prefer The Truman Show over Eternal Sunshine as well, actually. Both are great, great films though.