Okay, not the greatest list of all time, and also not by the greatest critic of all time, but it’s a list, and we all have lists, we already have about a zillion lists.We all know that lists are shit, but we must have them, for I believe, if everybody’s a king then who is the king. Eh? Critics will give you all kinds of reasons why such movie is the greatest, now that reason will be basically based on their ideologies, interests, understanding, taste and state of mind. So we should not compare movies, especially of different generations, but that isn’t going to stop me. Is it ?
So I am going to present to you my very own biased list of top movies, no, it’s not biased, it’s not the list of my favorite movies but the list of best movies.
I would like to thank Rohan Dave for introducing me to the classics, and Rishi Ondhia for giving me all the horror flick DVD’s, and Deepak Soni with whom I saw all the dude movies and also to all the girls who accompanied me to romantic comedies and animation movies, and a special thanks to my dad who took me to a play called ‘Muawza’ by Bhism Sahini when I was 15..
My apologies to these movies, for I haven’t seen them, Lawrence of Arabia, Citizen Cane, Benhur, Apocalypso Now, Space odysy 2001, Dr Strangelove, Rear Window. They couldn’t make the list.
Top ten movies of all time
10. The lord of the rings. The return of the kings
Dir: Peter Jackson
One of my favorite director, who also gave us king kong that nobody talks about which I think was as good a Avatar if not better. This movies won 11 oscars and is a classic. This movie is what I call doing the impossible. The books were too huge and too complex to be made into a movie unlike Harry Potter which is more screenplay and less writing. Peter Jackson take a bow.
9. Vertigo
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
There was a big fight among Psycho, Vertigo and North and northwest. I am still not sure if I have made the right choice. He is known as the king of suspense and mystery. I’ll tell you what he should be known as king of drama and intrigue. I am yet to see rear window. I’ve heard a lot about it. What’s remarkable in vertigo is that it doesn’t take you by surprise and nothing is hid from the audience. ‘I don’t believe in suspense like a mystery novel where the reader gets to the last page out of curiosity and does not go through emotions.’- Hitchcock
8. Inception/The dark knight
Dir:Christopher Nolan
'Don't talk like you're one of them! You're not... even if you'd like to be. To them you're just a freak, like me. They need you right now, but when they don't, they'll cast you out. Like a leper. See, their morals, their "code"... it's a bad joke, dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you. When the chips are down, these uh, these "civilized people", they'll eat each other. See, I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve'
Excuse me people, I’d like to direct your attention towards the most original, and innovative, and probably the best director of modern times. Mr. Christopher Nolan.
The dark Knight or Inception, The dark Knight or Inception. These were the thought going into my head, although I agree that dark knight was more complete movie than inception. With breath taking performances from Heath Ledger
7. Forest Gump
Directed By Robert Zemeckis
A man who’s IQ is 75, doesn’t understand war but becomes a part of it, wins medal of honour, all of a sudden realizes he has tremendous running skills, enters white house 3 times, becomes a major shareholder, and not for a single moment you would ask for justification. Tom hanks plays the most endearing character, so much so that I am tempted to say it’s a godly performance from him.
6. Raging bull
Dir: Martin Scorsese
Here comes the dude of all time, Robert Deniro. And another dude of all time Joe Pesci and another dude of all time Martin Scorsese. They get together and create Raging Bull, Casino and goodfellas. Raging bull is a cult classic directed by my favorite. Its an incredible movie. It’s a story of a boxer who is raw and talented but then turns into a self obsessed, paranoid man who loses everything but his pride. The depiction of boxer LaMotta and then of a retired corpulent boxer is amazingly portrayed by Robert Deniro. Since films release varying interpretations have been made of the way it’s been shot and it symbolism. Here the monologue by deniro sitting in front of the mirror.
5. Schindler’s list
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Dark, sobering and also invigoratingly dramatic,’Schindler’s list’ will make terrifying sense to anyone, anywhere.-N.Y.Times. That sort of sums it up. I have personally liked everything that the man has made The Jurassic series, jaws, minority report, Indiana jones, the terminal. There is no doubt that he is best director in the industry. A businessman comes to war spoiled Poland and becomes a super hero. It’s haunting and heroic at the same time. Tremendous camara angles, the real looks even more real. Spielberg’s best work till date.
4. Annie hall
Dir: Woody Allen
Annie: ‘That’s so clean out here.’
Alvy: ‘that’s because they don’t throw their garbage away, they turn it into Television shows.’
‘Don’t you see the rest of the country looks upon New-York like, we are left wing, communists, jewish, homosexuals, pornographers? I think of us that way sometimes and I live here.’
Clever and classic, I read it’s screenplay before I saw the movie, and I was blown away. What’s extraordinary is that how your cheeks and stomach hurt out of laughing so much. Its satirical, irreverent and real. Alvy singer played by Allen says, ‘I’d never belong to a club that would have me as member.’ Which simply means, how you can expect the society to accept you when you cannot accept yourself ?
3. The godfather
Dir: Francis Ford Coppola
One day Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola and Marlon Brando got together to indulge in a project that will keep multitudes of filmmakers intrigued and fascinated over generations at the greatness of their work. In the movie nothing is what it seems. War of mafia families, double crosses, standing by your family, standing by your word. That’s the heart of the movie. It’s innovative and riveting the way the killing have been shot. It sets a benchmark for compelling storytelling. It’s needless to say it’s more than a mafia film.
If you want to learn film-making, watch it, and watch it again, and watch it over and over again.
2. China town
Dir: Roman Polanski
Why is china town rated better than godfather, you want to ask? Because china town is original, that’s your answer. Flawless. Flaw-less, I have to say it again.. Not even a singe error. Thrilling, intriguing, shocking, high voltage drama. Roman Polanski takes a detective story and turns into brilliance. Mr. J.J. Gittes, played magnificently by Jack Nicholson is a detective trying to solve infidelity cases and stumbles on a case where drinking water is going to be drawn out of LA and then as plot reveals itself, turns into much more complex drama, as the major conflicts grow deeper, a more darker secret would unveils, that will be as shocking a the word. The controversial climax is an act of bravery and takes the movie to a insurmountable heights.
1. The Shawshank Redemption
Written and directed by : Frank Darabont
Rating: Beyond 5 stars
‘Remember, Red, hope is a good thing, may be the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.’
‘I have no idea to this day what they were
Aah… can’t say a word. It’s beyond words. Beyond description. A triumph . . . Ineffable . . . Hope, our biggest strength, which give us faith and belief , hope, that makes you wake up every morning, with a belief that you can be what you can to be… Beautifully written, perhaps the best written scripts ever. A masterpiece that captures the drama of friendship, resilience and hope.
Screw Oscars for not voting for it. The movie has encapsulating moments. When red, Morgan freeman searches the fields for Andy’s, Tim Robbins, and what he finds under the stone, that scene will make your blood scream into your veins, and your body will explode with emotion, and your heart will be filled with joy.
'I have no idea to this day what those two Italian ladies were singing about. Truth is, I don't wanna know. Some things are best left unsaid. I'd like to think they were singing about something so beautiful it can't be expressed in words, and it makes your heart ache because of it. I tell you those voices soared, higher and farther than anybody in a grey place dares to dream. It was like some beautiful bird flapped into our drab little cage and made these walls dissolve away, and for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free.'
‘Fear can hold you prisoner, hope can set you free.’
My favorites but missed my list
10. Closer
9. King Kong
8. Tropic thuder
7. Pulp fiction
6. Rainman
5. The Aviator,
4. The Pursuit of Happiness
3. Philadelphia
2. Little miss sunshine
1. Taxi driver
Top ten Horror movies of all time
It’s a genre that hasn’t hat too much respect from the Industry nor from festivals and awards, But I believe it’s the most exiting genre of movies. No body likes being scared but we still want to do things that scare us, we want to get out adrenalin pumping. It’s such a rush, I tell you. Two weeks ago I saw 40 minutes of The Shining and it was chilling, I couldn’t see it because my friend was too scared to watch anymore, so it couldn’t make the list.
10. Friday the 13
9. The omen
8. The Texas chainsaw massacare
7. Hellraiser
6. The exorcism of Emily rose
5. A nightmare of Elm Street
4. Grudge
3. The silence of the lambs
2. The sixth sense
1. Paranormal Activities
My favorites but missed my list
5. The ring
4. Jeepers creepers
3. The exorcist
2. SAW
1. The orphan
Top 10 super hero movies
10.The incredable hulk
9.Batman returns
8.X-men origins
7.Superman returns
6.Batman begins
5.X-2
4.Batman
3.Iron Man
2.King kong
1.The dark night
My favorite movies but missed my list
My favorites are in the list, so to speak. Sorry guys. Spiderman is not a movie. It’s something you do when you have nothing else to do.
Top ten animation movies of all time
It all started with Ducktales and Mowgali, story that had griiping storyline and tremendous fun, and all the following movies are equally good as any non-animation movies, if not better. How some animated characters have the ability to make you cry laugh and wonder at genius.
10. Shrek
9. Cars
8. Kung Fu Panda
7. Finding Nemo
6. The Incredibles
5. Wall-E
4. Madagascar
3. Toy Story 1
2. Toy story 2
1. Toy story 3
Top ten Romcoms
My apologies to Mr. woody allen for not having seen Hannah and her sisters and Manhattan and also to My big fat Greek wedding, As good as it gets, and Scent of a woman. I am pretty sure some of them would have made it to the list.
10. One fine day
9. Along came polly
8. The break up
7. P.S. I love you
6. Bridget jones diary
5. love actually
4. Serendipity
4. Moulin rouge
3. Shakespeare in love
2. Pretty woman
1. Sleepless in Seatle
My favorite movies but missed my list
10. tom cruise canaroon diaz
9. Emma
8. The Duke
7. No stings attached
6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
5. Four wedding a and a funeral
4. Runaway bride
3. 50 first dates
2. French kiss
1. When harry met sally
Top 10 bollywood movies of all time
Every attempt that I made to get to the ‘best’ movies of all time and not ‘my’ favorite movies of all time has endeavored to arrive at modification and thereafter some more modifications until I came to a point where I couldn’t decide, because how can I make the list without having seen Pyasa, Kagaz ke phool, Sahib bibi aur ghulam, Madhumati, Awaara, Salaam Bombay, Satyakam and Ardhsatya. What’s worse is that I have seen bits of each and they are brilliant.
My apologies to Mr. Ray, I know you’ve won an Oscar but I can’t include your movies in the hindi language category, which makes my job easier. It really pains not to include Mother India, Pakeezah, Mera Naam Joker. It’s a pity that Bollywood cinema is still known as just song and dance, let’s send them this list. Shall we?
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10. lage raho munnabhai
Dir: Raj Kumar Hirani
Remove the songs and I’ll put you couple of steps further. Coming From the best Director of modern time Raju Hirani. This really transpired that you don’t need big complex, intriguing drama to become a cult classic. He is possibly the worst director as far as cinematography is concerned, but who’s complaining. If your movies grosses 450 crores in four weeks(recall 3 Idiots), you’ve got to have talent. I call him the Hrishikesh Mukhejee of modern time. In this movie he maks you laugh and cry every 5 minutes. This surpassed it’s prequel that in itself was a cult.
9. Dil Chahta hai
Dir: Farhaan Akhtar
Brave. Path-breaking. Revolutionary, World cinema . . . I have seen it seven times and now after ten years I have even more respect for it because lot of directors tried to re-create the same effect but failed miserably. And it still continues to inspire filmmakers. An actor who had zero style content, Aamir khan, became a school of cool. Saf ali khan made a living out of that movie, and India accepted a beautiful love story between a young boy and a middle aged lady. That was what Farhan Akhtar created with his first movie.
8. Masoom
Dir : Shekhar Kapoor
His first movie and possibly the worse as far a technicality is concerned. But after this he would go on to make Mr India and Elizabeth. With great music by R.D. Burman. It is one of the most loving movies of all time. It’s a sweet movie revolving around a boy rahul played by jugal hansraj. There are heart wrenching scenes in the movie. It has awe-inspiring performances by Naseer and Shabana. It’s a movie with a heart and a soul. All the actors have done an outstanding role in movie.
7. Maqbool
Dir: Vishal Bhardwaj
Pure magic.... In every sense of the word . . . Vishal Bhardwaz is india’s tarrentino, screw tarentino, he is way better than tarrentino. Best adapted screenplay ever written in india. He is a director of class, and a brilliant dialogue writer. Adapted from Macbeth, the story is put into an Indian mafia family. Vishal bhardwaz does a brilliant job at the Back ground score of the movie. It has legendary performance by Tabbu . I can’t believe the same guy made 7 Khoon Maaf, his worst effort till date. Here is the first scene of Omkara, where langda tyagi says….
‘Chutia aur bewkoof me dhaage bhar ke farak, dhaage ke engee chutia aur ongee bewkoof. Aur jo dhaaga khench lo toh kon chutia aur kon bewkoof sau karor ka prasan. Par tu toh bewkoof hega, chutia toh aadmi shaadi ke baad howe hai, aur teri toh shaadi honi ni.’
6. Guide
Dir: Vijay Anand
Guide has beaten Sisila, Lamhe, Choti si baat, and arth to get this place. A story written by india’s greatest writer ever R K Narayan. This movie is a masterpiece. ‘Man does not die it is only the body that dies the soul remains forever.’ This is the last dialogue of the movie. It was set to be partly english and partly hindi movie to be produced by an indo-american venture but due to differences it was postponed and later dropped then vijay anand stepped in to direct.
5. Black Friday
Dir: Anuraag Kasyap
2006, enter Anurag kashyap to change Bollywood cinema forever. You send this movie to Oscars and it will win an award straight away. Bsed on 93 bomb blast in Mumbai, this was banned for 2 years because the case was under litigation, and they though this movie will influence people or perhaps cause riots or something. Mature as our governments are this is not surprising. A real story told in the most gripping style possible. Woderful performance from K.K Menon and other less renowned actors. This movie is a gem, better than Satya, and Parzania.
4. Jaane bhi do yaroon
Dir: Kundan Shah
‘Kisi desh ki unnati ki pehchan agar kisi cheeze se hoti hai toh wo hai gutter, wo gutter ke liye jiye aur gutter kr liye mare. Marte Marte unke Akhari shabd the, ‘gutter.’
‘mujhe pata hai aapki aankho me kya hai…ek model banane ka sapna…aur inko dekho ye jab hamare studio me aayi thi toh burqa pehen ke aayi thi’
Innovative, satirical, intriguing, sharp, breathless, and hillarios. When I first saw this I couldn’t stop laughing. But on a broader sense, I realized it was much more than a laugh riot, death of morality, succumbing to hunger, This is, one of those movies that’s weak in every department of film-making and yet never ceases to amaze you. . . A god of cult.
‘Theher papi!! theher! Mein teri zubaam khich lunga!!
‘Abe shaant! Gadadhari bhim!shaant!’
‘adharmi papi tera satyanash ho!’
‘maine vastraharan ka idea drop kar diya hai’
‘abe kaun hai be tu?’
‘aankho se agyaan ki patti utaar ke dekh!’
‘oye dhitarastra ke putar! Dropadi ko wasp kar vo mere saath jayegi!’
‘oye dropadi tere akele ki nai hai!ham sab shareholders hai!’
‘oye chal oye, paalan toh hamne kabhi apne baap ki agya ka bhi nai kiya!’
‘oye chup oye arjun singh!, ye le, tere dhanush ban ki toh!’
‘shaant! gadadhari bhim shaant!’
‘Thehro! Thehro! Thehro!’
‘nalayak!adharmi!durachari!somethingchaari!brashtachaari!bolo sorry! Apne sasur ko nahi jaanta main hu dropadi ka baap!’
‘jai ho! Jai ho ! jai ho !’
3. Lagaan
Dir: Ashutosh gawarikar
Do I really need to say anything about it? Cinema that changed the way west looked at us. A movie that gave way to new ideologies, new beliefs . I love the treatment of the movie. What’s amazing is that you knew the villagers’ are goanna win it, you knew no matter what? Bhuwan’s gonna hit that six of the last ball. You knew it will be another underdog story with a triumphant climax, but still the journey of 3.5 hours was worth it. Probably the best movie in last 25 years. I really think it should have won in the foreign language category, all A-listers of Hollywood voted for it, except the jury.Ha.
2. Anand
Dir: Hrishikesh Mukerjee
'Life should be big not long.'
‘ babumoshay, jindaga aur maut uparwale ke hath hai jahapana, jise na aap badalsakte hai na mein. hum sab to rangmanch ki katputlia hai, jiski door uparwale ke haath bandhi hai KAB KAUN KAISE UTHEGA YE KOI NAHI JANTA.'
Sometimes cost of happiness costs us happiness. It doesn’t always help to know it all, have it all, because you are as happy as you want to be. And the best way to be happy is to share it, just as Hrishikesh Mukerjee shared it then, as I am sharing it now.
Here is our response to ‘It’s a wonderful life.’ I was heartbroken when I first saw this. But this movie teaches you a lesson that life is beautiful and it is for living. Without a shadow of a doubt hrishikesh Mukherjee is one of the finest storytellers of all time, with movies like Chupke chupke, Golmaal, Abhimaan, Bawarchi and Satyakam, But as far as I am concerned Anand is his best film.
1. Mughl-E-Azam
Year: 1960
Dir: k. Asif
Budget: 1,50,00,000($3,000,000)
In the year 1960, something incredible happened, an eccentric man made the Eight wonder of the world, a movie that will break all the records in movies costs and also set the box office on fire, making it worth every minute of the nine years it took to make it.
It brought grandeur on the screen, lavish sets, renowned craftsmen from delhi and surat came to stitch costumes for the movie, jewelry that Madhubala wore were made of pure gold and diamonds, a battle sequence was shot with 2000 camels, 4000 horses, and 8000 troops, soldiers were taken on loan from Indian army. It had meticulous performances form Dilip Kumar, Prithviraj Kapoor and Madhubala.
The greatest Mughal Emreror, Akbar would pray for his successor and on hearing the birth of his son promise his maid who brought the news, a wish, whose daughter, Anarkali and his son, Salim would fall hopelessly in love which the empreror will despise, however, despite his protestations salim, in order to get his love, would fight a colossal battle with his father, only to lose and to be death sentenced along with Anarkali. That is when the maid, Anarkali’s mother will exercise her wish to save her daughters life, who will be secretly transported outside the kingdom. The Emperor out of love for his son would tell him that Anarkali has been killed to get his son back. And both the lovers will live a life of longing and separation. A tale of jealousy, love, honour, trust, betrayal and a promise.
My favorite movies but missed my list
1. Don (Amitabh Bachhan)
2. Rang de basanti
3. Andaaz apna apna
4. Arth
5. Omkara
6. Swades
7. Silsila
8. Satya
9. Deewar
10. Sholey
Epilogue: What are movies ? A way to tell stories Or an Ambiguity ? Why do we like movies? Is what played before us real ? Of course, it’s not ? The actors are, but the behavior isn’t ? There are explosions, people are getting killed, there’s a boy in love with the girl, men turn into lovers and psychos. It’s all fiction, and we know it, then why do we go through pain, and anger, and happiness and fear while watching them . . . Because it’s us, and when we watch it, we become part of it, the real we, not the one living in the society but the one that is only known to us. The one who feels bad when goodness is tormented, ideologies are killed, righteousness is played, and feels good when the good wins over the evil. That’s why we love movies, as Hitchcock said, when a painter draws a painting of apples and trees, he is not interested in the apples or trees but he wants the audience to go through certain emotions while seeing them, that’s what cinemas do.
A simple act of pretence becomes real, that’s the power of movies.
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