cptgaio

Phew... Finished :-D

The movie is all a flash-back). Simply genius!
Best Scene: the dialogue between Travolta and Jackson before entering the thieves' apartment.
03) Unbreakable, The Chosen One (Unbreakable) by M. Night Shyamalan, 2000 (USA)
For a comic book lover like me, the ideal film, it collects all the archetypes without ever falling into the trivial, mixes them elegantly, and flows smoothly to a truly touching finale. (Here too, I almost always get a little teary...) Moreover, a truly on-point Willis!
Best Scene: "The children called me the Glass Man."
02) A Clockwork Orange by Stanley Kubrick, 1971 (GBR)
In my opinion, Kubrick's masterpiece, an ironic film, a social critique, fiercely aggressive in its really sharp dialogues.
The evil that justifies evil, the violence that justifies violence, and a being redeemed without wishing for it, leading to a final absolution that is merely a pretext to start again with ultra-violence.
Edifying!
Best Scene: McDowell's monologue during the car ride.
01) Wild at Heart by David Lynch, 1990 (USA)
A practically perfect film, a mix of soap opera and road movie with many spritzes of ironic violence and three actors in top form: a moody Cage, a str...g...h...ish Dern, and an absolutely irresistible Dafoe in one of the best roles of his already brilliant career, all directed by the visionary genius of Lynch.
When it was released, I was 16 years old and it was rated R, but I snuck into the cinema anyway, and it was a revelation... that continues to this day with each viewing.
Best Scene: the first dialogue between Dafoe and Dern.

courteous and unobtrusive.
Best Scene: the plastic bag flying disorderly.
14) American History X by Tony Kaye, 1998 (USA)
How much I like a certain use of black and white, also here violence to criticize violence and a fantastic actor (Norton)
Best Scene: Norton's expression after killing the black man on the sidewalk.
13) Eraserhead by David Lynch, 1977
Beautiful and inexplicable film...
Best Scene: the woman in the radiator.
12) Blade Runner by Ridley Scott, 1982 (USA)
I’ll just say that I agree with A...
Best Scene: Hauer's monologue.
11) Fight Club by David Fincher, 1999 (USA)
A film that is never banal even after the hundredth viewing, grotesque and far-sighted, Fincher confirms himself as an excellent director, though inconsistent, and the Norton-Pitt duo makes sparks.
Best Scene: at the end when Norton tells his girlfriend (Bonham Carter): "you met me at a rather particular time in my life."
10) Contact by Robert Zemeckis, 1997 (USA).
It is definitely not the most beautiful science fiction film of all time, but let me say that the vision it offers of life beyond Earth is not only poetic but always leaves me with the certainty that we are not alone, and this does not frighten me, they talk about Aliens but it is a pretext.
Best Scene: when they manage to decode the first alien message.
09) Amelie (Le Fabuleux destin d'Amèlie Poulain) by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001 (FRA)
I am in love with this little film that, in the end, is a tribute to Paris and its sky, and then all the characters that wonderfully intertwine in a story of truly unique lightness. Beautiful!
Best Scene: the photographs of the gnome.
08) Signs by M. Night Shyamalan, 2002 (USA)
Again, they talk about aliens only as a pretext to tell a story about Destiny and its unpredictability.
A tension almost reminiscent of 1950s films accompanies the entire movie, and in the end one realizes they have been pleasantly deceived.
Also, a couple of "scary!" scenes, not bad.
Best Scene: the tin foil cones used by the protagonists to protect themselves.
07) Magnolia by Paul Thomas Anderson, 1999 (USA)
L. finds it boring, but I find it poetic and fascinating, and the soundtrack by Aimee Mann is simply unmissable!
Best Scene: the beginning of Cruise's "show."
06) Profondo Rosso by Dario Argento, 1975 (ITA)
The Italian thriller that made an impact abroad, cleverly intertwines a yellow plot with true Grand Guignol horrors, plus a superb soundtrack with one of the most famous themes in cinema history.
Every time I watch it, a shiver runs down my spine, and I eagerly await the ending that always leaves me breathless.
Best Scene: when Hemmings realizes the figure seen inside the apartment of the first murder is not a painting...
05) The Silence of the Lambs by Jonathan Demme, 1991 (USA)
It's the film that revitalized the Serial Killer genre, claustrophobic even in outdoor scenes, it always pushes you deeper into a vortex from which you cannot escape, and above all, it forces you to love a madman like Dr. Lecter, with essential and effective direction and two marvelous actors (Hopkins and Foster).
Best Scene: the final dialogue between Foster and Hopkins in prison.
04) Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino, 1994 (USA)
Like everyone who followed cinema in the '90s, I am also culturally a "child" of this film that changed the way many directors shoot, how many screenwriters write, and how audiences evaluate films...
Not so much for the story, which is little more than a noir, but for the dialogues (truly witty) and for the deliberately disordered script that allows already-dead characters to appear later in the film without using flashback (or maybe because the film is all one big flashback). Simply genius!
Best Scene: the dialogue between Travolta and Jackson before entering the robbers' apartment.
03) Unbreakable by M. Night Shyamalan, 2000 (USA)
For a comic book lover like me, the ideal film, it collects all the archetypes without

Best Scene: shortly after the beginning when Trinity and Neo meet.
26) The Usual Suspects by Bryan Singer, 1995 (USA)
It's one of the few films where, despite countless viewings, I always notice new details. Worth revisiting for centuries to come...
Best Scene: the ending where we find out who Kaiser Soze is.
25) Braveheart by Mel Gibson, 1995 (USA)
I know it's not exactly a film for refined tastes, but I found it incredibly engaging and I have an unhealthy passion for Marceau.
Best Scene: when Gibson, on the brink of death, sees his great love in the crowd.
24) The Exorcist by William Friedkin, 1973 (USA)
The first time I saw it, I was in fifth grade, and the teacher and parents had expressly forbidden us from watching it (it was premiering on Canale 5, I think). In fact, that night I didn't watch it, but the next day at a friend's house, who had managed to sneakily record it, I experienced the first moments of terror in my life… that night I couldn't sleep; Captain Howdy was haunting me…
Best Scene: when the evil spirit, in response to the priest's request to telepathically open a drawer, replies, "That would be a vulgar display of power."
23) The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly by Sergio Leone, 1966 (ITA)
A classic; I watched it with my grandfather every time it was on and, years later, it hasn’t lost any of its charm.
Best Scene: the three-way duel towards the end.
22) Bread and Tulips by Silvio Soldini, 2000 (ITA)
Much more than a romantic comedy, it's an invitation to not lose heart and to start over… invigorating!
Best Scene: "I’m sorry to disagree, but the Chinese are the best restaurateurs in the world."
21) The Royal Tenenbaums by Wes Anderson, 2001 (USA)
I have a soft spot for dark humor and this film is packed with it, as it is with brilliant actors.
Best Scene: Stiller conducting the fire drill with his kids.
20) The Terminator by James Cameron, 1984 (USA)
I may sound a bit cliché, but this film has the perfect arc of the battle between good and evil, and I'm crazy about the ending, which isn’t entirely reassuring.
Best Scene: The Terminator dying under a press.
19) The Shining by Stanley Kubrick, 1980 (USA)
The greatest director with the greatest actor (Nicholson) of our times, no need to say more, except that even after seeing it as a kid, I never had peaceful sleep again…
Best Scene: the tricycle scene, definitely...
18) Seven by David Fincher, 1995 (USA)
Chilling, one of those thrillers you shouldn't watch if you're a bit squeamish, but more than the images, the terror comes from the concept: intellectually horrifying.
Best Scene: the dialogues between Spacey, Pitt, and Freeman in the car just before the ending.
17) Memento by Christopher Nolan, 2000 (USA)
I consider it the most innovative film of recent years, minimal budget for a well-shot story and a screenplay at times genius... and then all that dark flavor that lingers over this film!
Best Scene: when Moss undresses Pearce in front of the mirror and sees all those strange tattoos…
16) La Haine by Matthieu Kassovitz, 1995 (FRA)
A violent film against violence, it talks about the banlieues at least ten years before certain events, shot and performed by young people aimed at a young but not stupid audience. A kick against clichés and a certain rhetoric, and a remarkable and almost cathartic use of black and white.
Best Scene: "So far, so good, so far, so good."
15) American Beauty by Sam Mendes, 1999 (USA)
It moves me every time I watch it, the whispered and not shouted style, the elegance of the direction, the protagonist's voiceover, the irony in addressing certain taboo subjects in American society, all in a very courteous and non-invasive manner.
Best Scene: the plastic bag flying chaotically.
14) American History X by Tony Kaye, 1998 (USA)
How much I love a certain use of black and white, also here violence to criticize violence and a brilliant actor (Norton).
Best Scene: Norton's expression after killing the black man on the side

38) Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki, 1984
I don't know if it's the most beautiful animated film ever (probably not), but every time I watch it, I fall in love with her all over again.
Best Scene: Nausicaä in the toxic forest.
37) Interceptor 2, The Road Warrior (Mad Max 2) by George Miller, 1981 (AUS)
The first time I saw it, I was very young, so certain images have remained in my imagination... and then that Gibson has remained for many years the icon of the tormented hero for me.
Best Scene: the final chase.
36) An American Werewolf in London by John Landis, 1981 (USA)
Funny and scary, what more could you want?
In my opinion, it revolutionized a genre.
Best Scene: the first transformation into a werewolf.
35) Dracula by Francis Ford Coppola, 1992 (USA)
When I saw it, I thought that finally someone had understood the essence of the story of the most famous vampire of all time, which is that fundamentally his is a love story, and fourteen years later, I still think the same way. Then if you add a great director and a great Oldman, the result can only be a masterpiece.
Best Scene: the dance between Oldman and Ryder.
34) Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock, 1960 (USA)
I first saw it on the Uncle Tibia Show on Italia 1 when I was quite young (with the remote control always in hand because my mother didn't want me to watch certain things) and I remember it terrified me much more than other, more recent films that aired on that program, and since then, at least once a year I watch it again, and it has never stopped scaring me.
Best Scene: the shower scene, of course!
33) Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back by Irvin Kershner, 1980 (USA)
Many think it’s the least successful episode of the trilogy (I’m not talking about the three most recent ones out of pity), but I’ve always been very taken by the dark atmosphere that reigns throughout the film.
Best Scene: the duel between Luke and Darth Vader where the latter reveals himself as the father.
32) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind by Michel Gondry, 2004 (USA)
Unlike A., I included the title in Italian, but I think the same way he does... What to say, a revealing and revelatory film, a small gem of creativity in an increasingly idea-starved film industry, both Carrey and Winslet are amazing (yes, the one from Titanic), and I especially liked it because throughout its duration, poetry is in the air.
Best Scene: Carrey under the table...
31) Good Night and Good Luck by George Clooney, 2005 (USA)
Usually, I don’t like political films much, but this one is truly engaging (also because of the historical period) and courageous, and then the use of black and white...
Best Scene: McCarthy captured in original sequences from that era.
30) Palombella Rossa by Nanni Moretti, 1989 (ITA)
Another political film but told with a poetry that has little or nothing to do with politics.
Best Scene: "And I'll come to find you," sung during the water polo match.
29) The Elephant Man by David Lynch, 1980 (USA)
I cry every time I watch it again...
Best Scene: the ending, and I won't talk about it because otherwise, I'll end up crying again.
28) Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb by Stanley Kubrick, 1964 (USA)
Simply brilliant, the humorous take by the immense Kubrick on a drama like nuclear proliferation takes your breath away (even from laughter) even more than forty years later. Also, Seller's performance in three different roles is phenomenal.
Best Scene: Dr. Strangelove talking about the "Doomsday Device."
27) They Called Him Trinity by E.B. Clucher (pseudonym of Enzo Barboni), 1970 (ITA)
Bud Spencer was one of my heroes during childhood, and this is definitely his best film, not artistically very important, but so much nostalgia...
Best Scene: shortly after the beginning when Trinity and Bambino meet.
26) The Usual Suspects by Bryan Singer, 1995 (USA)
It's one of the fe

50) The Last Temptation of Christ by Martin Scorsese, 1988 (USA)
Certainly not Scorsese's most known film but one of the most controversial: a reinterpretation of Christ's life not according to the gospels but in light of the question "what if he had succumbed to the temptation to save himself?" A disturbing modernity for a Jesus (played by a phenomenal Willem Dafoe) who, at 14, was finally presented to me as a man. Best scene: the temptation on the cross.
49) When Harry Met Sally by Rob Reiner, 1989 (USA)
A beautiful romantic comedy, I really like how effortlessly it convinces you that love eventually arrives. Best scene: Meg Ryan's fake orgasm in the fast-food restaurant.
48) The Texas Chain Saw Massacre by Tobe Hooper, 1974 (USA)
In my opinion, the horror by definition, violent, grim and grotesque, a cry of accusation against an America that neglected (and still does) its own provinces. Best scene: the ending with Leatherface and the chainsaw dancing to the dawn lights.
47) Inferno by Dario Argento, 1980 (ITA)
An homage to the absurd, the evil does not come from a common murderer but from Evil itself; I was fascinated by the substantial lack of motive from which the atrocities arose or perhaps, to quote Sclavi, "the motive is Hell itself." Best scene: the murder of the bookseller.
46) Arizona Dream by Emir Kusturica, 1993 (USA)
A daydream! A story where finally nothing is taken for granted, it just happens... At one point I began to believe in flying fish... Best scene: Vincent Gallo reinterpreting Cary Grant's plane scene in "North by Northwest."
45) Gone with the Wind by Victor Fleming, 1939 (USA)
When I was little, every TV airing was an event, so I am still under the spell of this romantic epic. Unlike A., I rooted for Gable... Best scene: "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."
44) 8 1/2 by Federico Fellini, 1963 (ITA)
It's in the top 50 at the expense of other Fellini works because it represents a sort of autobiography and I loved this "uncovering" of the great director. Best scene: more than a scene, a line – "Who said that we come into the world to be happy?"
43) Novecento by Bernardo Bertolucci, 1976 (ITA)
A grand fresco with wonderful cinematography (especially in the first part). I find it one of the films that comes closest to painting. Best scene: the child lying on the tracks, waiting for the train.
42) Twelve Monkeys by Terry Gilliam, 1995 (USA)
Crazy, and in '95 it was an essential requirement for me to like it, plus the Willis-Pitt pairing is just trippy enough... Best scene: Willis thrown into the second (or first? I don't remember well) World War.
41) The Ninth Configuration by William Peter Blatty, 1980 (USA)
Passed to me by someone I was in love with (and I won't say more), directed by the screenwriter (and writer) of "The Exorcist," it's not a horror film but a refined psychological drama about the fear of loneliness. Best scene: the astronaut's monologue.
40) Nothing Left to Do But Cry by Roberto Benigni and Massimo Troisi, 1985 (ITA)
An incredibly funny film with an epic Benigni and a finally understandable Troisi (it’s not racism, it’s a bitter truth). Pure entertainment but intelligent... Best scene: Benigni and Troisi trying to teach Leonardo da Vinci how to play Tresette (I think...).
39) Young Frankenstein by Mel Brooks, 1974 (USA)
If "Don't Open That Door..." is horror for me by definition, this masterpiece is comedy in a nonsensical way with an abundance of puns featuring the unbeatable Wilder and Feldman, directed by a truly inspired Brooks. Best scene: "Put the candle back!"
38) Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki, 1984
I don't know if it's the most beautiful animated film ever (probably not), but every time I watch it, I fall in love with Nausicaä again. Best scene: her in the toxic forest...
37) Mad Max 2 by George Miller, 1981 (AUS)
The first time I saw it I was very young, so some of its images have stayed in my imagination... and that Gibson

What I will do in the next post is yet another attempt to become a human case study, (the next one will be the online petition "Cptgaio, human case study now on Deb!") and that is I will put together the list of my 50 all-time favorite movies (according to my personal and subjective criteria), thus exposing myself to public ridicule, as it is copy-pasted from an email (done for fun with friends). In the justifications, there are references to people (nothing personal so it's publishable), so don't overthink it... ;-)

Actually, I was missing "Sunrise" by Murnau, but I saw it last night at the Centenario dell'Odeon in Vicenza ;-)

I've seen them all, Marco. You have no idea how many films I've watched. You're really annoying when you act so pretentious...

P.S.: of course the writing is one of the strong points, he is an excellent screenwriter and dialogist, I've already said it, but the rest is pure quoting, there are those who like it and those who don't this way of making films, it has started to tire me precisely since "Jackie Brown."