My favorite movies
I. American Cinema
American cinema with no doubts is my favorite cinema school. The following list is the list of 50 America`s best all time movies (in accordance with my own opinion). These movies are my favorite ones. Must watch for everyone!
Thrillers/Horror movies
1. Basic Instinct (1992, thriller, Paul Verhoeven)
2. The Silence Of The Lambs (1991, thriller, Jonathan Demme)
3. Falling Down (1992 ,thriller, Joel Shumacher)
4. Game (1997, thriller, David Fincher)
5. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987, horror, Chuck Russell)
6.A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: Dream Master (1988, horror, Renny Harlin)
7. A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: Dream Child (1989, horror, Stephen Hopkins)
8. A Nightmare on Elm Street 6: Freddy`s Dead (1991, horror, Rachel Talalay)
9. Sleepy Hollow (1999, horror, Tim Burton)
10. Seven/Se7en (1995, thriller, David Fincher)
11. Cape Fear (1991, thriller, Martin Scorsese)
12. Psycho (1960, thriller, Alfred Hitchcock)
13. Psycho II (1983, thriller, Richard Franklin)
14. Saboteur (1942, thriller, Alfred Hitchcock)
15. Vertigo (1958, thriller, Alfred Hitchcock)
16. The Stepfather (1987, thriller, Joseph Ruben)
17. Stepfather 2 (1989, thriller, Jeff Burr)
18. Rear Window (1954, thriller, Alfred Hitchcock)
19. The Vanishing (1993, thriller, George Sluizer)
20. A Kiss Before Dying (1990, thriller, James Dearden)
21. Intensity (1997, thriller, Yves Simoneau)
Dramas
1. The Thin Red Line (1998, anti-war drama, Terrence Malick)
2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994, drama, Frank Darabont)
3. Rain Man (1988, drama, Barry Levinson)
4. Awakenings (1990, drama, Penny Marshall)
5. Flatliners (1990, drama-thriller, Joel Schumacher)
6. The Midnight Express (1978, drama, Alan Parker)
7. Angel Heart (1987, drama, Alan Parker)
8. Pulp Fiction (1994, criminal drama, Quentin Tarantino)
9. Requiem For A Dream (2000, drama, Darren Aronofsky)
10. Moulin Rouge! (2001, musical, Baz Luhrmann)
11. Benny&Joon (1993, drama, Jeremiah Chechik)
12. Birdy (1984, drama, Alan Parker)
13. Braveheart (1995, historical drama, Mel Gibson)
14. Miami Blues (1990, crime drama, George Armitage)
15. Dead Man Walking (1995, drama, Tim Robbins)
Sci-Fi/action
1. Highlander (1986, fantasy, Russel Mulcahy)
2. Blade Runner (1982, Sci-Fi)
3. Terminator (1984, Sci-Fi, James Cameron)
4. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1992, Sci-Fi, James Cameron)
5. Predator (1987, Sci-Fi, John McTiernan)
6. Predator 2 (1992, Sci-Fi, Stephen Hopkins)
7. Face Off (1997, action, John Woo)
8. The Matrix (1999, Sci-Fi, Vachovsky Bros.)
Comedies
1. Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas (1998, comedy, Terry Gilliam)
2. The Hudsucker Proxy (1994, comedy, Joel Kohen)
3. Groundhog Day (1993, comedy, Harold Ramis)
4. The Sting (1973, comedy, George Roy Hill)
5. Four Rooms (1995, comedy, Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino etc.)
TV series
1. All "Columbo" series
II. European Cinema
I believe that best European cinematography schools are:
I presented these schools in particular order- the most unique shool is French at the moment, the least unique- German.
But it was not always so- we can recall 1920s when German cinematographt shool was world`s No.1 - such names as Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau with his "Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror " and Fritz Lang with his great "Metropolis"
Spanish cinems was of success during 1930s- this period is closely connected with Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali. "Andalusian Dog"!
1940-50s were the beginning of "French Wave" in cinematography. Jean-Luc Godard, Francois Truffaut, Claude Chabroll, Agnes Varda. 1940-1950s were also great for Italian movies industry. Rosselini, Visconti, De Sika, Antanioni, Fellini.
English cinematography was not traditionally No.1, but it gave Holliwood many outstanding actors (Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier) and movie-directors (Alfred Hitchcock, Alan Parker)
Danish cinema is called "1990s most progressive cinema" as it was Denmark where absolutely new film-making approach has been adopted- the so-called "Dogma" (Lars von Trier, Thomas Vintenberg).
Dutch cinema like English one also was people supplier for Hollywood- many promising directors (Paul Verhoeven, Georg Sluizer) and directors of cinematography (Jan De Bont, Jost Vacano) works for America now.
wavDespite all the geniuses like Andrzej Wajda ("Man of Marble") and Krzysztof Kieslowski ("Three colors") we cannot talk about Great Pollish cinema right now.
©Alex Konstantinov
My favorite European movies:
1. "Phenomena" by Dario Argento (Italy)
2. "Tanebrae" by Dario Argento (Italy)
3. "Horror At The Opera" by Dario Argento (Italy)
4. "Amelie" by Jean- Pierre Jeunet (France)
5. "Nikita" by Luc Besson (France)
6. "Leon" by Luc Besson (France)
7. "Deep Blue" by Luc Besson (France)
8. "Arizona Dream" by Emir Kusturica (France- USA)
9. "La Piovra" mini-series by Luigi Pirelli (Italy)
10. "Monsieur Hire " by Patrice Leconte (France)
11. "Les Truffes" by Bernard Nauer (France)
12. "Lola Rennt" by Tom Tykwer (Germany)
13. "Night Watch" by Ole Bornedal (Denmark)
14. "Crimes of Passion" by Ken Russell (Great Britain)
15. "Ten Days Wonder" by Claude Chabrol (France)
16. "Champaign murders" by Claude Chabrol (France)
17. "An Andalusian Dog" Luis Bunuel (Spain)
18. "A Bridge Too Far" by Richard Attenborough (Great Britain)
19. "Duelists" by Ridley Scott (Great Britain)
20. "The Vanishing" by George Sluizer (Netherlands)
21. "Subway" by Luc Besson (France)
22. "Life is beautiful" by Roberto Benigni (Italy)
23. "Head Above Water" by Nilce Gaup (Norway)
III. Russian Cinema
It is not of big interest for me. However here are my favorite Russian films:
1. "Polety vo sne i nayavu" by Roman Balayan
2. "Mesto vstrechi izmenit nelza" by Stanislav Govoruhin
3. "Semnadzat mgnoveniy vesny" by Tatiana Lioznova
4. "Briliantovaya Ruka" by Leonid Gayday
As for conteporary Russian cinema, I don`t like it at all although mini-series "Border. Romance in Taiga" directed by Alexander Mitta was not bad- thanks to main villain Nikita Golosheki brilliantly played by Alexei Guskov.
Forum about Cinema that I visit VERY often
Terrific website about Peter Falk/Columbo
