1001 Movies

So, I'm about half way through 1955's Guys and Dolls. I was 20 minutes into it and really couldn't be bothered watching the rest, but it's in the 1001 Movies You must See Before You Die (this is in there, but two other 1955 masterpieces, East of Eden and The Man with the Golden Arm are not? Weird) so I figured I should watch it just so I could cross it off my list.

And then I was thinking: If they released a new edition of that book right now, what films from 2006 would be on there? There's an average of about 14 titles per year, so here are 14 films from 2006 that I think they would put in. Some of them I like, some of them I don't. Some I haven't even seen, but they just feel like movies that would be in that book.

Babel (Inarritu) - These seemingly important multi-narative films are well-liked by the editors.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (Charles) - The definition of pop culturally relevant. Plus, one of the funniest movies ever made.

Casino Royale (Campbell) - Considering stuff like Goldfinger is in there, I have no doubt this would make it, considering it's one of the most acclaimed Bond movies ever.

Children of Men (Cuaron) - Obvious. Technical marvel, thinking-man's science fiction. They love that stuff.

The Departed (Scorsese) - Pretty much anything by Scorsese get's attention. That it's popular and acclaimed means it would be in.

The Descent (Marshall) - They like effective, classy horror. This is in.

The Fountain (Aronofsky) - See Children of Men.

An Inconvenient Truth (Guggenheim) - Cause it broke barriers and was socially and critically relevant.

INLAND EMPIRE (Lynch) - Just cause.

The Last King of Scotland (Macdonald) - Cause this seems more up their alley than The Queen.

Letters from Iwo Jima (Eastwood) - It's, as they would say, "a lock"

The Lives of Others (Donnershmarck) - They need some foreign language in there and this seems as good as any.

Pan's Labyrinth (Del Toro) - One of a few definites. This one's a no-brainer to appear.

The Proposition (Hillcoat) - This is a film that lots of film buffs relished in, and it's got hardcore arthouse cred. This would go down as a 2005 release though.

Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story (Winterbottom) - British comedy is popular.

United 93 (Greengrass) - The critics film, and a landmark of sorts.

Alternates: Brick (Johnson - culty, up their alley), Volver (Might be seen as "lesser Almodovar" like it was at the oscars), Sweet Land (Selim - I'd have actually put this on the list if it picked up any steam with American audiences), A Prairie Home Companion (Altman - eulogy), Happy Feet (Miller - seems logical), The Dead Girl and Half Nelson (Moncrieff, Fleck - The smallish ensemble movies that they would probably like), Little Children (just because), Deliver Us From Evil (Berg - For those who didn't like An Inconvenient Truth, this is apparently the doco to get angry about), Dreamgirls (Condon - It'll be an important moment in relation to race in movies), The Devil Wears Prada (Frankel - sometimes they honour popcorn movies than transcend), Shortbus (Mitchell - arty stuff, up their alley).

I'd also like to imagine they'd see fit to honour Look Both Ways.

I would also put Ten Canoes in, but I'm not sure if they include movies that didn't get an American distribution.

(I don't know why I did this entry)