The PG Cooper List Thread: Gamer Days

MD2 ranks in the top tier of Joshua Jackson performances.

Nah it had a tartan pattern and the logo was small and located on one side of the chest.

Coming off a very strong year for animated movies, I've put together this list of the top ten best animated films of all time. Generally speaking, I’m limiting this list to only one film per director/studio, but I’m making an exception in the case of Studio Ghibli. Simply put, the filmmakers working under Ghibli have distinct enough auteurial styles that it would be unfair for to lump all of these directors under one label.

Top Ten Animated Films


10. Persepolis


Of all the films in this list, Persepolis is easily the one I’ve gone the longest without seeing. None the less, I still felt like it needed to be included as its one of the boldest examples of a work of animation made for adults. The fact that the film depicts a fascinating portion of Iran’s history which doesn’t get much representation in cinema alone gives the film a big edge and it also tells a young woman’s compelling coming of age story quite well. The film’s animation has a deliberately two-dimensional look which is interesting and the use of black and white is really striking. On a rewatch, this film might well climb a lot higher.

9. A Scanner Darkly


Richard Linklater is not a director you’d usually associate with science-fiction, but his adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s A Scanner Darkly turned out to be one of the more interesting sci-fi films of the 2000s. The film’s use of rotoscoping certainly gives it a unique look, but what really stands out with A Scanner Darkly is the film’s observations of surveillance societies. This isn’t a world defined by the overt oppression and tyranny these sort of dystopias typically depict. Rather, the film sees a society wherein surveillance is a lot more insidious and it’s only at the end when one realizes their freedoms have been stripped. A Scanner Darkly was highly relevant in the aftermath of the Patriot Act and it remains a key text in a post-Snowden world.

8. Heavy Metal


If there’s one film in this list whose placement is highly questionable, it’s this one. Heavy Metal is certainly a very schlocky movie and it’s also fairly sexist. I wouldn’t really argue with anyone who claims it has no business being placed ahead of weightier affair like Persepolis and A Scanner Darkly. All that said, I can’t deny that I think Heavy Metal is a total blast. The animation is very stylish and cool. There’s a lot of creativity to a lot of the sci-fi/fantasy worlds on display and the action scenes, while simplistic, work pretty well. The film also has some fun stories, a cool voice cast, and a pretty good sense of humour. Also, while the soundtrack is more classic rock than full on Metal, there’s definitely some great tracks from the likes of Blue Oyster Cult, Riggs, Sammy Hagar, Grand Funk Railroad, Nazareth, and the legendary Black Sabbath. Sabbath in particularly steal the show. Put simply, I can’t help but love a film which features a bunch of nomads who are mutated by toxic waste and lay siege to a city all set to “E5150/Mob Rules”. Awesome stuff.

7. Watership Down


“Animated movie about talking rabbits” conjures up certain images, but Watership Down is way more respectable and dignified than you’d expect. The cast of British character actors, led by the awesome John Hurt, certainly helps, but more than anything the film really takes itself seriously. At its core, this is a survival story about a group traversing through a dangerous environment and seeking a new home. There’s a real weight to this journey and the conflicts with others are more violent and graphic than you’d expect. A big part of this is the animation style, which is detailed and also does a great job conveying danger. The film also has a fairly interesting mythology and spiritual aspect. The film on the whole is a gem and I hope with the recent Criterion release more audiences discover its charms.

6. Fantasia


Disney has a wide catalogue of titles to choose from but I never had any doubt Fantasia would be representing the juggernaut here. Classic Disney animation is certainly beautiful and Fantasia allows it to be appreciated without the distractions of comic sidekicks or simplistic morals. Instead, Fantasia offers a collection of creative shorts which feature some stellar animation and are set to some amazing classical music. There’s also all sorts of variety in these various shorts. The Nutcracker Suite is an artistic expression of changing seasons, Rite of Spring is a history of evolution on Earth, The Pastoral Symphony is Greek myth, etc. The highlight is the climax; Night on Bald Mountain, which involves a demon unleashing all sorts of evil in a German expressionist inspired setting.

5. WALL-E


Unlike Disney, I had a harder time making my Pixar selection. The Toy Story movies mean a lot to me and The Incredibles is all kinds of awesome, but ultimately I settled on WALL-E, which is most certainly Pixar’s most daring and ambitious film. The very notion of a near $200 million family movie about excessive consumption and the near destruction of the human race is insanely bold and the fact that Pixar turned that into a $500 million smash hit that also received heaps of critical praise speaks a lot to the studio’s prowess. But there are other courageous choices here too, like the fact that the first 45 minutes of the film are completely devoid of dialogue. Beyond that, the film’s core themes are well-realized and its depiction of a barren Earth are pretty incredible.

4. Waltz with Bashir


The fact that Waltz with Bashir is an Israeli animated pseudo-documentary alone makes the film a unique artifact, but this is a lot more than just a novel curiosity. Rather, Waltz with Bashir is a fascinating exploration of identity and the consequences of war. The fact that the central war is the Lebanon War of 1982 also adds a lot to the proceedings as it’s a conflict that’s rarely been depicted on film. The animation is also really stylish and there are some strikingly surreal sequences which really stand out. All told the film is one of the most unique and powerful animated films you’ll ever see.

3. Princess Mononoke


Perhaps the biggest struggle I had when putting this list together was which Hayao Miyazaki film to include. Ultimately, it came to My Neighbor Totoro or Princess Mononoke. I love the former. It’s a wonderful movie which takes a story with virtually no conflict and turns it into a gripping cinematic experience through creativity and passion. However I decided to give the edge to Princess Mononoke, which is an amazing fantasy epic that delivers on everything you want from that genre. Badass heroes? Check. Exciting set-pieces? Check. Terrifying monsters? Check. Rousing music? Check. Visual creativity? Triple check. However I think what puts Princess Mononoke over the top is how smart and nuanced it is. The characters have a lot of layers, even the villains are sympathetic. The film also makes some very smart points about the environment and industrialism, and does so in a way which is a lot less preachy than one might expect. The film as a whole is a towering achievement and a great summation of all the things that makes Miyazaki’s films so great.

2. Akira


For a lot of people Akira served as a gateway drug to anime and it played a similar role for me. I had certainly seen a few anime shows when I was a little kid, but this was my first exposure to Japanese animation that was unambiguously for adults and I was completely blown away. The film presents a staggering vision of a future Japan with some really amazing animation. The third act in particular turns into visual mayhem which is all kinds of inspiring. The action scenes here are also transcendently awesome. Animation opens up all sorts of possibilities for creative action, but few films take advantage of this quite like Akira. We get giant lasers, machine gun battles, chases, and amazing uses of telekinetic powers. It’s an amazing blend of more traditional action with more surreal sci-fi violence and it’s very visceral. The plot itself is a really fascinating dive into government conspiracy and some really ambitious science-fiction. It’s a lot to take in and I don’t totally “get” everything, but it’s an absorbing ride all the same and an experience I’m always happy to take again.

1. Grave of the Fireflies


Animation is a license to do anything and that’s why the restraint Isao Takahata employs with Grave of the Fireflies is so striking. The film is set in Japan during the final stretch of World War II, but the visuals do not turn the devastation of war into spectacle. Rather, Takahata depicts the firebombings as horrific, but matter of fact. This is a crucial choice because while the war is important, Grave of the Fireflies is ultimately about a teenage boy and his younger sister simply trying to survive. The relationship between the two is where the heart of the film lies. The love between the pair feels very real, making the moments of joy all the more inspiring, and the moments of sorrow all the more painful. Indeed, Grave of the Fireflies has developed a reputation for being one of the most heart-wrenching movies you’ll ever see and with good reason. The suffering in the film is substantial, but there is also hope. Much of this hope stems from the warmth of the protagonists, but the film also suggests life beyond the horrors of war. The film can also be deconstructed regarding what it says about Japan circle World War II and that is crucial, but what makes Grave of the Fireflies so powerful is the love between the main characters. The film on the whole is one of the most moving I’ve ever seen, animated or otherwise.

What animated comedies should I have included?

A list I put together for Noirvember


Top Five Film Noirs


5. Touch of Evil


Much of noir is dedicated to creating a world which feels bleak and hopeless. I can’t think of any noir that nails this quite like Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil. This isn’t just a world without hope, it’s a full on nightmare where seemingly every goodness in the world is compromised. The film pushes the twisted angles and dark shadows of noir to the extreme and the characters are often bitter and hateful. This is most emphasized in Welles’ Police Captain Quiplan, a hardened bastard who has been made bitter after years of living in a dangerous place. That might sound like clichéd material, but Welles presents the material in such a way that it feels fresh while also being very personal in a sense.

4. Sunset Boulevard


Sunset Boulevard is interesting in the way it totally embraces certain noir aspects while also not feeling like a traditional noir. The film has the witty narration, stylized visuals, cynical worldview, a weak man, and a femme fatale. There’s are all checks in the Film Noir playbook but the particulars of the story turn Sunset Boulevard into something else. The fact that the film is an exploration of Hollywood culture and is something of a meta work, but more than anything it’s the Norma Desmond character that really shakes things up. She certainly is a dangerous woman, but she’s a lot more theatrical and grandiose than comparative femme fatales in the genre. She’s a fascinating villain, both hilarious and also highly threatening. All told, the film is maybe a bit too off-beat from the typical noirs to be considered the ultimate example of the genre, but the film is a masterpiece all the same and has enough noir elements to be among the genre’s best.

3. The Maltese Falcon


Is The Maltese Falcon the granddaddy of Film Noir? Possibly. I’m sure an argument could be made for some earlier films (there were even other adaptations of Dashiell Hammett’s novel) but for all intents and purposes this is the beginning of Film Noir. Humphrey Bogart’s Sam Spade is the ultimate Noir protagonist; a hard-boiled detective with a cynical edge who none the less tries to seek justice. It’s the role that made Bogart a star and while I’d argue he’d go on to better performances, this is probably the one he’ll be remembered for. The supporting cast is also great. Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, Elisha Cook Jr., and the always awesome Peter Lorre make for a really strong collection of characters. The plot presents a fun mystery full of intrigue and implausible twists which builds to an appropriate ending. The film inhabits a world of deviance and betrayal which would set the tone for noirs moving forward.

2. The Third Man


Part of what makes The Third Man such an amazing work is it applies the cynicism of noir to greater world issues. Made shortly after World War Two, The Third Man depicts a war torn Vienna and the people who carry the horrors of war in their minds. The fact that the hero Holly is an American writer of pulp westerns who can’t wrap his head around more complex moralities is a stroke of genius and the relationships between Holly, the villain Harry Lime, and Line’s girlfriend Anna are extremely interesting. Lime in particular is an amazing character and Orson Welles gives one of his best performances. The film is perhaps most famous for Carol Reed’s amazing visuals. Not only is war torn Vienna an extremely rich visual, but Reed further emphasizes this through his use of Dutch angles and masterful use of lighting. These elements are indeed awesome and are classic noir, but it’s the films complex moralities that are what truly propel The Third Man to masterpiece status.

1. Double Indemnity


Double Indemnity is probably not the best film on this list (that spot is probably reserved for either The Third Man or Sunset Boulevard), but in the realm of Film Noir, this is perfect. You’ve got themes of adultery, a murder scheme, a weak man, stylized lighting, snappy dialogue, and perhaps the greatest femme fatale of all time. Barbara Stanwyck’s Phyllis Dietrichson is a great character and Stanwyck plays the part perfectly. Also of note is Edward G. Robinson who has a great supporting performance and almost steals the show. The film is also an excellent exploration of flawed human beings. Much of the film deals with the planning of a murder, but it is the messy aftermath that is perhaps most interesting. It is here where the characters’ facades start to slip away and we see them for what they really are. The film culminates on an amazingly dark note which is the perfect conclusion for this kind of story.

How DARE you talk shit about Benny & Joon? That movie is amazing.

Nice noir list Coop, tough to argue against those 5. Maybe next do a neo noir list?

It's weird, but I actually like The Big Sleep more than The Maltese Falcon. I've seen Maltese several times, and I always think it's really, really good, but that The Big Sleep, despite being a true oddity, is the greater Bogart noir.

I'd like to watch The Big Sleep again. Trying to piece together the story on a first time viewing drove me nuts.

Yeah, I feel like knowing that going in will make for a better viewing experience. I definitely like the film, but I also think I can stand to get more out of it.

When I lost access to TCM I certainly started to miss it, but I am kind of happy that it forced me to stop chasing down forgotten Oscar nominees like Three Smart Girls and whatnot. I learned a lot by watching some of those, but yeah, enough was enough.

I liked Enchanted. Isn't there a sequel coming soon too?