Here are my 20 favourites (in no particular order) at this particular time

1. What's Up Doc?

Favourite film of all time. Very funny film which really shows off San Francisco and includes a great car chase.

2. Amelie

Pure poetry on film. Could never be remade by Americans.

3. The Good the Bad and the Ugly

Arguably the best western ever made by Italians in Spain.

4. Dirty Harry

Eastwood is menacing in this great police film.

5. Delicatessen

A funny, surreal and great film about cannibalism.

6. La Cage Aux Folles

Serrault and Tognazzi star in this Italo-French co-produced comedy. Much better than the Birdcage.

7. Grosse Fatigue

Quite funny and stunningly filmed comedy/satire about the French movie industry.

8. Seven Samurai

Arguably the best western ever made by anybody (yes that includes Americans)

9. La Vengeance D'une Blonde

Hilarious comedy about a tv reporter who is too focussed on his work . Needs to be seen and understood in its original language for maximum impact.

10. Brazil

Gilliam's film is both scary and humerous at the same time but undoubtably a classic.

11. Police Story 3: Supercop

One of the best action films you will ever see. Michelle Khan's stunt of landing a motorcycle on a moving train has to be seen to be believed.

12. The Young Master

Worth seeing just for the classic 12 minute fight at the climax of the film.

13. Taxi

Great French action/comedy film which has an edge that many American films lack. And the Peugeot looks great.

14. Magnum Force

The second Dirty Harry film addreses the issue of vigilantism directly. A great action film to be seen with the original.

15. Sudden Impact

The fourth Dirty Harry film - a very entertaining sequel.

16. Blues Brothers

Great music.

17. Blues Brothers 2000

More great music.

18. Grease

Great music and dancing. Cheesy but memorable.

19. Saturday Night Fever

The ultimate dance film.

20. Le Placard

Very funny french film with many of France's comedic actors. Depardieu's performance is oscar material.

So with brad's blessing, I will head that up. After all, I have nothing better to do with my time.

Having said that, I'll list 20 of my personal favorites (in alphabetical order) that I've seen in 35mm and/or 70mm over the past ten years or so. This is a tough list to make and I am necessarily leaving out some great titles. Don't think of this as a "best ever" list; think of it as a "films Scott has seen recently and likes" list.

2001: A Space Odyssey - probably Kubrick's greatest achievement; I am a very visual person and I love the eye candy provided by a good 70mm print of this title

32 Short Films About Glenn Gould - this is the film which got me interested in both art-house films and classical music; it deserves repeated viewings

Alphaville - probably Godard's finest; the voice of Alpha-60 is one of the greatest "computer" voices ever recorded

Ben-Hur - lots of eye and ear candy for any fan of classical history; a great roadshow picture - looks and sounds great in IB tech with 4-track mag

Bonnie and Clyde - great performances by Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway; looks great in IB tech

Citizen Kane - do I need to say anything here?

Dr. Strangelove - one of the film films which I have seen which is successful at being both funny and serious at the same time

General, The - very fun silent feature; this one holds up very well for modern audience

Graduate, The - great performances and soundtrack; one of the best films from the '60s -- and it's scope, too!

La Promesse - a terrific example of documentary-style feature filmmaking, shot in 16mm with no music or sound effects, but with highly effective results; probably the only film which has ever made me cry

Lawrence of Arabia - great score, great direction, great performances, great film; the restoration is probably one of the greatest film "experiences" that can be had in the multiplex era -- catch the reissue in 70mm!

M - the first sound film directed by Fritz Lang; the track is very minimal and highly effective

Metropolis - go see the reissue -- now!

Napoleon - the 1920s version of 3-strip Cinerama! this is essentially the French counterpart to "Birth of a Nation," but much less offensive to most viewers' sensibilities

Rebel Without a Cause - terrific performances and shot in scope!

Requiem for a Dream - I didn't sleep for two nights after seeing this; it really is that good; should be required viewing for anyone who has ever even considered drug use; also a good example of a failure of the MPAA ratings system

SLC Punk - one of the most under-rated films of the '90s; amazing direction and performances and beautifully shot in scope!

Schindler's List - one of the best of the '90s; shot in beautiful black-and-white

Wings of Desire - Wim Wenders' finest; one of the first foreign films I ever saw

Wizard of Oz - great eye- and ear-candy; one of the best films ever and worthy of repeated viewings

i'm sure i'm leaving out one or two, but thats my list for now..

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3% Body Fat. 1% Brain Activity.

Lawrence Of Arabia -- The pinnacle of grand epic-scale moviemaking. Pure film magic. I dare anyone to watch LoA on the big screen and not realize "This is something unique and special that will probably never be duplicated". Anyone who loves movies should thank Robert Harris et al for restoring this to its original glory so new audiences can discover what movies can be when everything comes together.

2001: A Space Oddyssey -- Same comments as LoA, only in the science-fiction genre. A masterpiece.

Unforgiven -- The best western since the days of the spaghetti westerns. Speaking of which...

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- For all the reasons Peter & others stated.

The Ten Commandments -- Best Hollywood Biblical epic.

The Shining (1980) -- I don't care whether it was true to the novel. The film stands on its own as a weirded-out creep-fest, with Jack Nicholson so over-the-top that he's fascinating to watch. Shelly Duvall too.

Full Metal Jacket -- Gee, the 3rd Stanley Kubrick film on my list. This is the definitive Vietnam war movie with horrific events reflected through a distorted funhouse mirror.

Apocalypse Now -- Coppola's accidental genius.

Airplane! -- One of the funniest comedies ever made.

The Naked Gun -- Another one of the funniest comedies ever made.

Kung Pow: Enter The Fist -- Shoot me or sue me, but I love this movie and I can watch it repeatedly without getting tired of it.

X-Men -- I had extremely low expectations for this, but liked it a whole lot, bought the DVD, and can watch it over and over. Looking forward to the sequel.

Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship Of The Ring -- Stands out as a great achievement in modern filmmaking.

I'll probably add more to this list as the day drags on...

Schindler's List -- Spielberg's finest achievement and a film of great historical importance.

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You could have the usual "best film, best director, best actor, best actress, etc." awards categories. Out of films released in 2002 thus far, shows like "Insomnia," "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," "Punch Drunk Love" and perhaps "Minority Report" could weigh in.

Considering this is Film-Tech, some importance would have to be stressed on "best film image" "best film soundtrack" "best music score" "best surround effects" etc. The big enchilada tech award could be "Best Film Print." And that one might actually get real press quotes, considering some of the esteemed professional company participating in this forum.

I'm not too sure about early possibilities on the technical categories. "Episode II" --as disappointed as I was in the film, did have an excellent surround bed. I wouldn't vote for its videotaped image though.

1. "Citizen Kane" (1941)
This is the film that literally created the modern language of filmmaking. Watch any good movie today, and you'll see homages to "Kane" whether they were intentional or not. Some people can actually come away from seeing this movie for the first time with a ho-hum reaction. But I cannot think of any other movie that pioneered more firsts than this. The film and the happenings surrounding its production are pure legend. Orsen Wells was either a genius or complete fool in daring to make this film. Watch the WGBH 2 hour documentary on "Kane" and "Rosebud" will take on a whole new meaning.

2. "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962)
To me, it is the most beautiful film ever made. When it comes to the term "epic sweep" often used by critics, I think of "LOA" in razor sharp 70mm when I see the term.

3. "Star Wars" (1977)
This is the first film I ever saw that gave me that "great movie high" where I was sorry it was over and could not wait to see it again. One could say "Jaws" gave birth to the Summer Movie Blockbuster release model. "Star Wars" is really the movie that cemented the idea into a release model going on its 3rd decade of use.

4. "Casablanca" (1942)
This might have been just a throw-away "B" movie. But everything came together just right. I have a hard time thinking of any film that has as many great one-liner quotes as this one.

5. "The Godfather" (1972)
Some hail it as the greatest modern American drama, although it has now been over 30 years since its release. This movie paved much of the road for every mob movie and TV show made since then.

6. "High Noon" (1952)
I think this is the best Western-genre flick ever made. Very simple in concept, but the morality tale is just bone crushing. Which character in film history had the biggest balls? Answer: Marshal Will Kane played by Gary Cooper. He had the balls to do what was right when no one else would and the odds were totally against him. Westerns are often allegories in morality. And you can't get any better than this one.

7. "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981)
My favorite Spielberg film. When I was 14, I was into movies with spaceships and wasn't looking forward to watching a film that took place in the 1930s --because I thought all period movies were boring. I wound up watching this one 6 or 7 times the summer it came out and was extremely pissed off when "Chariots of Fire" stole the Best Picture Oscar from it.

8. "Himmel über Berlin" ("Wings of Desire") (1987)
You might have seen the remake "City of Angels," but the original is far better. Really, it is one of the best movies from the 1980s and Wim Wenders finest work. I really wish this was available on DVD.

9. "The Searchers" (1956)
John Ford and John Wayne both in top form, and in VistaVision! As colorful as this western is, it is a pretty dark film in terms of subject matter. Daring for the 1950's.

10. "Nuovo cinema Paradiso" ("Cinema Paradiso") (1988)
If any film deserves a "Film-Tech Award" this should be it. It is a film about the magic of movies and watching movies in real movie theaters! Giuseppe Tornatore does an excellent job on delivering the story. In the context of Film-Tech, I thought about putting this in the number one ranking.

11. "Das Boot" (1981)
I think this is the best anti-war movie ever made. It scared the hell out of me when I saw it for the first time. More has been made over films like "Platoon" and "Saving Private Ryan" for their depictions of the horrors of war. However, this is the movie I think about concerning the danger of war.

12. "The Crowd" (1928)
This is my favorite silent movie. And I think it is one of the first truly great achievements in cinematography and graphical shot composition. Other silent classics like "City Lights" may rank higher on critics lists. But I think this movie about an every-man obscured in the crowd is pretty special.

13. "Raging Bull" (1980)
Martin Scorsese's best film. Probably Robert DeNiro's best work. I loved "Goodfellas" as well. But I kept thinking of "Raging Bull" when I watched it.

14. "The Usual Suspects" (1995)
This is probably my favorite movie made in the 1990s. I had great fun watching the story unfold and really got a kick out of the ending. Kevin Spacey should have taken a Best Actor Oscar rather than a Support Actor Oscar on this one.

15. "L.A. Confidential" (1997)
I was pleased to see James Cameron get awarded an Oscar for "Titanic." But, to be quite honest, "L.A. Confidential" should have won the Oscar that year. All around it was a better film, and the best movie made in 1997. When I watch it repeatedly on DVD, the whole thing plays like good music.

16. "Fargo" (1996)
I can sit through "Raising Arizona" again and again, and "Miller's Crossing" is great (and still not on DVD). But "Fargo" is the Coen brothers' best film.

17. "Unforgiven" (1992)
I think this is the best modern Western (or "anti-western") genre movie made in at least the last 30 years. Only "The Wild Bunch" comes close to beating it. I never saw a western, or any other movie involving gun-play, that really dealt with the long lasting consequences of taking human life. You see it in the demons chasing Will Munny and you see it on the face of The Kid when he sees death for the first time.

18. "Die Hard" (1988)
I thought this would just be "Moonlighting in Panavison". Literally, friends from Merrill Lynch dragged me up to midtown Manhattan to catch a 70mm showing at the Cineplex Odeon Baronet. It wound up being one of my favorite action movies. I even have two different versions of it on DVD. The famous Fox Fanfare intro has never sounded better on any other film than this.

19. "Dark City" (1998)
Alex Proyas created, what I feel, is the best of the current mind-bender science fiction movies. "The Matrix" may be more popular, but it quite arguably rips off a good bit from this film. And "Dark City" has a theme that runs far deeper with its concentration on the importence of memories and emotions that make up our souls.

20. "Das Kabinett of Doktor Caligari" (1920)
I saw this movie the first time in Gene Stavis' film history class at School of Visual Arts. The movie really creeped me out. The Cure and Nine Inch Nails may have thought they came up with something new in all their dark, goth vision. But I am sure this movie had to have been an influence.

I thought about other movies like "2001," "Sid and Nancy," "Trainspotting," "Magnolia," "The Road Warrior" and others both fairly recent and classic. There are just so many good films out there that could wind up in a top 10 or top 20 list.

Almost Famous
Amelie
Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys
Dish, The
Kid Stays in the Picture
Lord of the Rings - FOTR
Million Dollar Hotel (I think I am the only one who liked this)
Minority Report
Monsters, Inc.
Nine Queens
Ocean's 11
Requiem for a Dream
Run Lola Run
Shadow of a Vampire
State and Main
U-571
Y Tu Mama Tambien

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The Silence of the Lambs
I have never before or after been so frightened by a movie.

Alien
With the sole exception of this one.

Raiders of the Lost Ark
Who wouldn`t want to go out to buy a bull whip after seeing this movie?

The 5th Element
I love everything about this film, especially the design and the music. And the humour.

The Meaning of Life
The only film which deals with the subject successfully.

Das Boot
Indeed the best war, or anti-war movie and one of the very few good German movies. I wouldn`t include "Lola rennt" in this list of top 20, as I think it was a very cool movie which stood out from the usual dullness of German productions. But I would include

Metropolis
Of course.

Nosferatu - Eine Symphonie des Grauens ("A Symphony of Horror")
A very dark vampire movie by Murnau.

Apocalypse Now
Well, Das Boot is not the best war-movie if you think about this.

Gladiator
Yes. One of my all time favourites. I even wept a little at the end.

Ilya Muromez
A 60s Soviet large-scale production about a legendary Russian hero.

Ivan Groznyi ("Ivan the Terrible")
Classic Soviet movie by Eisenstein with music by Prokofiev. Actually, "Grosnyi", doesn`t mean the Terrible, but the Thunderbolt.

Mutiny on the Bounty
Because I love movies with big sailing ships.

Shichinin no Samurai ("The Seven Samurai")
Not a minute too long. Without Kurosawa, there would be no "Star Wars". Or there might have been one, but we wouldn`t remember it.

A Chinese Ghost Story
It is just that. With stunning visuals.

Le Pacte des Loups ("The Brotherhood of the Wolf")
Probably surprising for many, but I think this is one of the best and most original action movies I have seen.

The Jungle Book
I can sing all the songs, especially Baloo`s.

I would find it very difficult to compile a '20 best' list, but several films from Scott's list would probably also be on mine, including:

2001: A Space Odyssey

The General

Schindler's List

I have never seen 'Metropolis' I never seem to be free when it is playing in London.

There is a very good print of 'The General' which runs from time at the NFT, the quality is absolutely stunning, it really looks as if it could have been shot yesterday.

What is 'SLC Punk', I've never heard of it.

Other films which would be on my list, but nobody else seems to have chosen:

Dr. Zhivago, in some ways I prefer it to LOA, but what a pity it wasn't shot in 65mm.

The Third Man, though there are a few scenes in it which I would rather had not made it to the final cut.

To kill a Mockingbird. Probably my favorite American film.

Show Boat, the 1936 one, not the '50s remake.

The Proud Valley, another Paul Robeson film.

Vertigo.

Romeo and Juliet, Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 version.

There are very few recent films which I would include,

Amadeus

Topsy Turvy

Are two which spring to mind. Let's not have everything too serious, how about some animation,

The 'Wallace and Gromet' trio, I mean trilogy, couldn't think of the right word.

I am going to choose a television production, I think it should count, because I've seen it twice on the big screen, recently on video, but I'm pretty sure I remember it being on 16mm the first time. The BBC's production of Jeanette Winterson's 'Oranges are not the Only Fruit'. Being made as a three-part series, it's rather long when shown in one go, but that does tend to be the case with television material. Sadly, I recently learned that Charlotte Coleman, the actress who played Jess, died some months ago, in her early '30s, a sad loss to her profession. She was also in 'Four Weddings and a Funeral, but I haven't seen that, so I don't know what part she played.

Let's have another television one, over twelve hours this time, Ken Burns 'The American Civil War'

I make that fifteen, if you count the animations as one, I'll leave it there for now, so I can add some more later, when I've had time to think about it.

Who is leading so far?

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