IMDB Top 250: How many have you seen?

[Displaced Flames fan]

Infernal Affairs? Affairs of...raging fires?

OK.

Yeah, I knew it was an adaptation of an Asian film. Sorry for saying Japanese instead of Hong Kong...I'm just an idiot American.

I bow to your superiority.

[Displaced Flames fan]

You know what kills me Hack....I would've never hear about Infernal Affairs if The Departed hadn't been made. They just don't market those films here. Now, because of The Departed, I will probably try to watch it at some point.

How did you first learn of it out of curiosity?

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

How did you first learn of it out of curiosity?

Being awesome.

[BuzzardsWife]

147/250 but I managed video stores for 5 or 6 years so I got free movies all those years. Now I only watch maybe 20 a year.

[Mike F]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

That list is bull, the fact that the 3 Lord of the Rings movies are in the top 30 means this is just a popularist bs list dominated by average Americans. The Departed (#42) is on there while the original and superior film Infernal Affairs is #236??? Pirates of the Caribbean 3 is #250? That should be in the bottom 250 movies of all time!

I'm glad I haven't seen a lot of movies on this list because they are just mainstream, recent, commercial crap!!! What foreign films that are on there are just the popular ones most available in english. This list is HORRIBLE!

It's a list generated by a large cross-section of english speaking internet users, which sets out a ranking of the films that those people found have found most entertaining.

As I'm pretty sure the goal of the vast majority of the movies being made is to be entertaining and the goal of the vast majority of movie consumers is to be entetained, I think it's a damn fine list.

Now you apparently have different standards and/or have sampled from a different pool. And that's fine, but all it means is that the list isn't suited to your tastes. It doesn't make it a bad list, or compiled by morons, or inferior to a list you might draw up.

Every once in a while it's a good idea to review Objectivity vs. Subjectivity:

In philosophy, an objective fact means a truth that remains true everywhere, independently of human thought or feelings. For instance, it is true always and everywhere that '2 and 2 make 4'. A subjective fact is a truth that is only true in certain times, places or people. For instance, 'That painting is good' may be true for someone who likes it, but it is not necessarily true that it is a good painting pure and simple, and remains so always no matter what people think of it. If the painting could claim this, someone who thought the painting was bad would be completely wrong, in the same way someone who says the sun goes around the earth is wrong. So the reliability of mathematics is an objective truth, whereas the beauty of paintings is probably a subjective one.

[Stumptown]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

I'm glad I haven't seen a lot of movies on this list because they are just mainstream, recent, commercial crap!!! What foreign films that are on there are just the popular ones most available in english. This list is HORRIBLE!

Just think about who has rated these films. Most of them (on the recent movies) are either 12 years old or studio robots jacking up the ratings on their films. (The IMDb claims they filter those out, but I don't think it's that effective). I make sure to record my honest rating on every movie I see, in hopes that many more like me are doing the same, which eventually will average out the ratings.

And to your second point, a movie does have to have a certain number of votes in order to be counted for the top 250. So vote early, vote often.

[Rathji]

85 for me.

[Dan02]

44

[Stranger]

104

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

97
We should come up with the Calgary Puck top XXX list of movies or something.

Oh yeah, thats what this site needs. A top rated porn ranking. That'll go over real well I'd bet. See if Bingo is still in good with Molson and set up a contest.

[Rhetts_the_Best]

69/250

Definetley thought i had seen less!

[Hakan]

159

Alot of the movies on there are pretty damn questionable if not ridiculous.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Stumptown

And to your second point, a movie does have to have a certain number of votes in order to be counted for the top 250. So vote early, vote often.

Also because IMDB has a secret weighted algorithm (not a filter) to discourage people from doing a CP-Jihad on it. Voting often will actually have a higher chance of dropping the rating of your favorite movie depending on what rating you give it.

As for myself? Yep, I'm a movie (and TV and music) snob. So entertainment snob in general. I've always been since I was a kid I always hated all the stuff that all the other kids liked and always liked things nobody had ever heard about and nothing's going to change that. I guess my goal of movie watching is usually - not to be just entertained but rather make me think or feel something other than the fact that it's just a stupid cookie-cutter hollywood flick. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an art film/indie snob. Something some people would call stupid like Harold and Kumar or Superbad is actually entertaining (and makes you think about life). Pirates of the Caribbean is insulting to the intelligence. I wouldn't call watching movies like that (and there are a lot on the list) something of a life accomplishment that you can tick off (which is the point to something like this afterall isn't it???).

I guess that's why that list is not working for me.

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

You know what kills me Hack....I would've never hear about Infernal Affairs if The Departed hadn't been made. They just don't market those films here. Now, because of The Departed, I will probably try to watch it at some point.

How did you first learn of it out of curiosity?

Well my parents are from Hong Kong so I guess that's why I took offense to the Departed and the constant American media and even the Oscar gaffes people were making calling it a Japanese film on TV. They bloody announced the Departed as a Japanese adaptation during the Academy Awards! Scorcese was pretty embarassed and apologized in his acceptance. It's actually insulting...it's hard to describe. Asian people, countries, and even film industries don't take kindly to westerners mixing them up all the time or assuming they are all the same and look the same. Things like that are what makes foreigners see Americans as willfully lazy and ignorant. I also like credit being given where it's due. It's sort of like being British and hearing America is going to remake Shaun of the Dead and calling the original a French movie...

Also, because of that, I watched a lot of non-english movies growing up and just had a tendancy to watch foreign films alot whenever I got the chance...also obscure movies and anything that was on late-night television. Most of my favorite movies I've watched at like 3 AM over the years flipping channels on weekends. I like the process of discovering gems...

Whenever I see a list like this, to me it's one of those "before I die, I have to make sure to watch this and this and such and such" and seriously, a lot of that stuff just doesn't cut it. It also makes me sad that for a lot of people, they aren't going to go and watch a film or be aware of a TV show or music or anything unless it is commercialized and directly marketed to them.

[Hakan]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

97

I will never see the foreign language films, just can't do it.

Twelve Monkeys is NOT a stretch for this list at all!

Very glad to see some of the films on the list...Shaun of the Dead, Snatch, The Big Lebowski. Great comedies are often overlooked as great films....these 3 were both. We should come up with the Calgary Puck top XXX list of movies or something.

Never watch foreign language films?

Excuse me for sound like a jerk but wtf is your problem?

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Hakan

Never watch foreign language films?

Excuse me for sound like a jerk but wtf is your problem?

Indeed, DisplacedFlameFan, especially as you put Shaun of the Dead up there. At least you aren't trapped with American movies. Think of all the foreign language XXX you are missing too!

But really, why not foreign language films?

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by Hakan

Never watch foreign language films?

Excuse me for sound like a jerk but wtf is your problem?

I think you lose something in the subtitles, or at least I lose something. It's another level of focus that has to be applied. For someone who doesn't speak anything but English (I know, I'm just a stupid American) I find it difficult to concentrate on the other aspects of the movie when I'm reading subtitles.

It's not some racist or nationalist stand. Sheesh.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Also because IMDB has a secret weighted algorithm (not a filter) to discourage people from doing a CP-Jihad on it. Voting often will actually have a higher chance of dropping the rating of your favorite movie depending on what rating you give it.

As for myself? Yep, I'm a movie (and TV and music) snob. So entertainment snob in general. I've always been since I was a kid I always hated all the stuff that all the other kids liked and always liked things nobody had ever heard about and nothing's going to change that. I guess my goal of movie watching is usually - not to be just entertained but rather make me think or feel something other than the fact that it's just a stupid cookie-cutter hollywood flick. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an art film/indie snob. Something some people would call stupid like Harold and Kumar or Superbad is actually entertaining (and makes you think about life). Pirates of the Caribbean is insulting to the intelligence. I wouldn't call watching movies like that (and there are a lot on the list) something of a life accomplishment that you can tick off (which is the point to something like this afterall isn't it???).

I guess that's why that list is not working for me.



Well my parents are from Hong Kong so I guess that's why I took offense to the Departed and the constant American media and even the Oscar gaffes people were making calling it a Japanese film on TV. They bloody announced the Departed as a Japanese adaptation during the Academy Awards! Scorcese was pretty embarassed and apologized in his acceptance. It's actually insulting...it's hard to describe. Asian people, countries, and even film industries don't take kindly to westerners mixing them up all the time or assuming they are all the same and look the same. Things like that are what makes foreigners see Americans as willfully lazy and ignorant. I also like credit being given where it's due. It's sort of like being British and hearing America is going to remake Shaun of the Dead and calling the original a French movie...

Also, because of that, I watched a lot of non-english movies growing up and just had a tendancy to watch foreign films alot whenever I got the chance...also obscure movies and anything that was on late-night television. Most of my favorite movies I've watched at like 3 AM over the years flipping channels on weekends. I like the process of discovering gems...

Whenever I see a list like this, to me it's one of those "before I die, I have to make sure to watch this and this and such and such" and seriously, a lot of that stuff just doesn't cut it. It also makes me sad that for a lot of people, they aren't going to go and watch a film or be aware of a TV show or music or anything unless it is commercialized and directly marketed to them.

Unreal.

Again, how exactly was I supposed to know about the film without The Departed having been made? Seriously...put yourself in someone else's shoes and think....would you have known without the connection through your heritage?

There was no marketing of that film here. Take the commercial aspect out of that word and understand what it means for a second. If something is not marketed to me HTF am I supposed to know about it?

Really, you are blasting people for things they really have no control over.

I certainly meant no offense when I said 'Japanese film'. I know damn well where Japan and Hong Kong are. I'm no idiot. You continue to take shots at my Nationality though and you have no clue who I am other than that I live South of the 49th parallel. Maybe you are a people snob too?

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Unreal.

Again, how exactly was I supposed to know about the film without The Departed having been made? Seriously...put yourself in someone else's shoes and think....would you have known without the connection through your heritage?

There was no marketing of that film here. Take the commercial aspect out of that word and understand what it means for a second. If something is not marketed to me HTF am I supposed to know about it?

Really, you are blasting people for things they really have no control over.

I certainly meant no offense when I said 'Japanese film'. I know damn well where Japan and Hong Kong are. I'm no idiot. You continue to take shots at my Nationality though and you have no clue who I am other than that I live South of the 49th parallel. Maybe you are a people snob too?

I'm really really sorry! I don't mean any direct offense to you...more toward the Academy Awards and the American media - when the main worldwide awards ceremony for the film industry can't even do it's homework right and miscredits the number one film of that night, something just stinks. If your country and heritage only had a small film industry and Hollywood decides to remake your film and they credit it to another country or people, how would it make you feel? That just made me and a lot of fans of the original film very angry... Your mention of it just brought up that incident in my mind again.

Speaking of fans of the original film, how do you think it came to be remade in the first place? It had a lot of fans that didn't have it marketed to them. Brad Pitt was one, he bought it for his production company and that's how the Departed was made. It's just word of mouth (like on here). I guess the whole point is that things don't need to be marketed to you for you to discover. A lot of people do it. And if you never discover something - that's perfectly fine too. I know there are thousands of great films I will never learn about or know about and see. There's nothing wrong with that. I guess overall, (even without the commercial aspect) I've never trusted things that are marketed to me and I think that people would be better off if they avoided things that were marketed to them and spend their time searching out things and discovering things on their own or through other people.

As far a subtitles go, they actually help you to learn new languages, give them a chance. When I was in Europe, a lot of people told me they learned english by watching American movies and TV with subtitles. I learned a lot of german, french, japanese, etc. that way over the years. It makes for repeated viewings and if it slows down how fast you can watch a film, that makes it the better because it takes longer to appreciate it and you get to think about it more. It sort of becomes second nature.

You're right though, that you do lose something because no language can be translated perfectly from the original meaning but in my experience (when I can understand bits of both languages), most are done professionally and are very good and very close. Sometimes subtitles even add to the movie. But again, that's what works for me because I feel like I am gaining something from watching it. Sometimes it does get in the way of just having a good time. Admittedly, I haven't watched a movie with the sole intention of having a good time...in a very long time. I guess that's my loss.

[BlAcKNoVa]

73 for me.

[MickMcGeough]

98...

I hate that list though.