The Ten Films of Christmas

There are rumors that the 1001 Movies list is getting an update. I’ve seen a list of 15 or so additions, but I also haven’t actually seen a new edition of the book, so I’m not sure if this is a rumor, a fact, or just a cruel trick. That said, it’s a Christmas tradition to offer a list of 10 movies that should be added to the List. This year, I figured I’d go roughly chronologically...

Christmas Crackers

What I used to call The Tome of Knowledge hasn’t been updated for a couple of years now. It’s a tradition for me to suggest 10 new entries every Christmas, but because the last update on the 1001 Movies list (to my knowledge—correct me if I’m wrong!) contained movies from 2020, I’m going to focus a lot more heavily on the last few years—movies that legitimately could be added if The List ever resumes. With that said, here’s 10 that should show up if there’s any justice in the world. Also, since The List always includes Oscar’s Best Picture winner, I will not be including those movies—if the series starts up again, those are shoo-ins.

X Más

This has been a difficult year in a lot of respects. Over the past couple of months, I’ve had a hard time getting here, thanks to a lot of other things going on. Work has been a bit of a crusher, too—I’ve had three different managers in 2022, so it feels like constant upheaval and chaos. I’m hoping for some more normalcy in 2023. Lord, 2023—when I was a kid I never really though I would make it to a year with this number on it. It wasn’t that I thought I would die before I hit this age. It was more that a year with this number was just inconceivable. Anyway, it’s a tradition that I suggest 10 movies for the 1001 Movies list every year. I could say that since there was no new book this year I could skip it, but sometimes one tradition needs to keep going.

I'll Be Home for Christmas...

It’s been three weeks since I’ve posted here, which seems like an eternity. Work issues and other issues jumped up (nothing bad—just real life) and taken over for a bit. In a week or two, I’m moving in to a new position as the Chair of my local environmental commission, for instance. I’m going to be teaching a new class (completely new—never run before by anyone) class in January, which means creating new materials. And it’s the holidays, and while I have really wanted to not have my face buried in work and other things 24/7, it’s just not the case. I’m hoping things will calm down in the next week and we’ll go back to normal in January. That said, it’s a tradition to post 10 suggestions for the 1001 Movies list each Christmas, so here we go…

An Early Present

Christmas falls on an Oscar day this year (note the order there—Oscar day does not fall on Christmas), so I’m putting up my yearly list of ten suggestions for the 1001 Movies list a day early. I’ve done this before, so it’s not that strange, but it’s different enough that it’s worth noting. This has been a difficult year, but I've completed a milestone or two on this blog. I'm done (for now) with my Oscar movies and am almost done with the Oscar posts. And so, this yearly list of suggested films comes at an interesting moment in this blog's life.

I Saw Ten Ships Come Sailing In

While this blot has shifted in general away from the 1001 Movies list, that list is still at the heart of what I’ve done here. It’s still something I try to complete every year and still something that I think is important to this blog. For that reason, I think it’s worth considering another 10 movies that belong on the list and have never been there. Presented in no order are 10 movies I think belong here.

Open Your Gifts!

Every year I suggest a collection of ten films that I think deserve to be on the 1001 Movies list that have, for one reason or another, been overlooked. I take this seriously in the sense that I really want these to be movies that belong on The List for some reason. They aren’t just movies that I like or that I wish more people knew about. That can be a challenge—but not in the way you might expect. Heading into this post, I have a list of 37 possibles. Presented in no real order are the 10 that I think should have made the cut.

Last Minute Shopping

In the past, I’ve traditionally added 10 movies to The List on Christmas, but this year, Christmas falls on an Oscar day, and Oscar posts always take precedence. Because of that, this year, we get to open our presents early, and I’m going to suggest 10 movies that I think deserve to be on the 1001 Movies list that have for some reason been ignored.

This isn’t an ordered list. Instead, it’s more or less in the order I thought of them.

Ho, Ho, Ho!

I know that the Keepers of the List don’t pay attention to this site. Why the hell should they? But I do hope that every now and then one of them might wander here and see the suggestions I make on Christmas every year. I don’t ask for much. I want a mere input on 1% of the total each year. Is that too much to ask? Especially since the films I suggest I can justify?

As usual, there’s not any real order here. These are just the movies I think are worth considering for one reason or another.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Normally, I post my list of ten necessary additions to the 1001 Movies list on Christmas. Christmas falls on a Friday this year, though, and the Oscar Got It Wrong posts take precedence over everything else I do here. That being the case, Santa’s showing up a day early this year with some suggestions for the keepers of The List. I have a hope that one day one of them will deign to visit this humble site and perhaps consider my opinion when it comes to adding some sadly forgotten films for an upcoming edition.

So here’s this year’s 10, many of which I saw for the first time this year. There’s no order other than the order I decided to go in.

Christmas Comes but Once a Year

For the last few years, my traditional Christmas post has been to suggest 10 new additions to the 1001 Movies list. Sure, I’ve finished the list and finished it again this year (and let me tell you, having to watch 13 films was a lot easier than the first 1154). But I see no reason to change this tradition. There are plenty of films that should be on the 1001 Movies list that have never been there. There’s too much chaff and some wheat that’s been tossed out. While I know I have no pull with the editors and my opinions and a couple of dollars will get you a coffee at Starbucks, it makes me feel better to suggest some things that need more love.

The following films are offered in no specific order other than, more or less, the order that I thought of them.

Gifts for Everyone!

Every year since this blog has been around, I’ve posted a list of films that I think should be added. Except for the first year, before I actually posted reviews, it’s become a Christmas tradition.

This year, though, the Listmakers opted for a major overhaul, going back to the beginnings of film and adding a ton. Technically, they re-added three, switched out another 47, and stuffed two more Toy Story films into a single entry and called it 50 new films. In that spirit, I’m going to suggest a bunch.

Things Santa Should Bring

Every year around this time, I offer up a list of 10 films that belong on the 1001 Movies list. so why break with tradition now? There are plenty of films that are important in real ways of great in the way that almost everyone agrees that make them required viewing for anyone serious about film. So without further ado, here in no particular order is this year's model.

A Nod to the 1%

As I did last year, I'm going to nominate some films that should be on The List but that have been somehow overlooked. While I may well dip into personal favorite territory here, I'm going to try to stick with truly great films--films that are objectively great or important, or worth watching for a significant reason.

I will limit myself to 10 films, or roughly 1% of a given volume. I don't want to get greedy. As I did last year, I kept a running list of films that are strangely absent, and have decided on 10 that I think should make it on somehow. The following films are presented in no order, other than the order in which they came to me.

10 movies that should be added to the 1001 Movies list

1. Inherit the Wind: A great adaptation of what has proven to be an important piece of trial precedent in American history. This is a film that is still extremely relevant, and features great performances by all of the principle players. Run out and see this if you haven't already.

2. Roxanne: No film better proves that romantic comedies can be both truly romantic and truly funny. A stellar performance from Steve Martin helps sell it, and basing the tale on Cyrano de Bergerac seals the deal.

3. Stop Making Sense: The quintessential post-modern concert film. David Byrne in all his weird glory, a special appearance from The Tom Tom Club, and some funky-ass music.

4. Office Space: This film resonates with anyone who has ever worked a thankless, meaningless, mundane job. Or anyone who has worked in food service. Or anyone with a terrible boss. In other words, pretty much anyone older than 18. Oh, and it's drop-dead funny.

5. Kung Fu Hustle: Stephen Chow's best film is also his most accessible, his most entertaining, and his most frenetic. It's like Bugs Bunny snorted Vincent Vega.

6. Any film from the Harry Potter franchise: The Potterphiles can fight and argue about which one is the best, and I'd be happy to suggest Deathly Hallows parts 1 and 2 included as a single film. There are few cultural touchstones in the modern world as important as Harry Potter. That should be enough, but the film series deserves some love on its own merits.

7. The Nightmare Before Christmas: The only knock against this film is determining whether it's a Halloween film or a Christmas film. It's sort of both. It's also charming and fun, and just a touch scary for the little ones.

8. The Fugitive: If there's ever been an argument that television shows could successfully translate to the big screen, it's this rollicking action/suspense film. It's a great role for Harrison Ford and a break-out role for Tommy Lee Jones. Plus, the story is fantastic, and the camaraderie of the U.S. Marshals is surprisingly entertaining.

9. The Warriors: Somewhere between West Side Story and Boyz N the Hood came this nightmare, psychedelic vision of street gang life in New York City. Loosely based on an ancient Greek tale, the story of young criminals trying to get home when the entire city wants them dead is fun, has some great action sequences, and some of the most easily identifiable moments of the last 50 years.

10. Anything from William Castle: Castle was the master of goofy promotions, having moviegoers sign waivers against death from fright, for instance. One of his camp horror classics should be here, because there was no one quite like Castle. I'd go with The House on Haunted Hill, but the original 13 Ghosts or The Tingler would work, too.

And would you believe I've still got half a dozen for next year?

Merry Christmas to Hollywood

My plan yesterday was to watch a couple of holiday classics with my kids, but the day got away from us. Ultimately, we decided that we'd rather go to a candlelit church service than watch a movie, sacrilege of one sort to prevent sacrilege of another.

Today, I thought I'd revive something I did last year. Periodically over the last 12 months, I'd jot down a note to myself of a film that I thought belonged on the list that wasn't on it. Last year, I came up with 25 films that should be in the 1001 Movies list. This year, I'm limiting myself to nominating 10 films that should be added to future editions. While I'd love to repeat from last year, I won't; these 10 are ones I didn't suggest 12 months ago. Presented in no order...

10 movies that should be added to the 1001 Movies list

1. Amelie: I'm cheating a little here because Amelie was on the list and was removed this year. I find that decision depressing. There are so many lesser movies still on the list, and Amelie is a really special film. Put it back on.

2. Jason and the Argonauts: There are plenty of movies on the list that are there specifically because of their special effects. Ray Harryhausen was and should be a Hollywood icon no less revered than Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock, or Audrey Hepburn. This is his best work. It deserves to be seen, remembered, and cherished.

3. Wait Until Dark: This is without question one of the scariest movies ever made, and there's not a touch of the supernatural in it. The ending is one of the greats in Hollywood history. So why the snub?

4. The Prisoner: There's precedent for made-for-television films on the list like Riget and Dekalog. So is that reserved only for television made for non-English speaking countries? The Prisoner is arguably the most ambitious television production ever made. The whole series is worth watching.

5. Thriller: Yes, Thriller. Again, there is precedent for short films, and Thriller changed the music video game.

6. Either Chicken Run or Wallace and Grommit in The Wrong Trousers: As with special effects, there is some effort on the list to include a variety of animation styles, and no one has ever done claymation like Aardman Studios. Either of these would be an excellent and worthwhile choice.

7. Quadrophenia: The best example of a rock musical, including Pink Floyd's The Wall. This film is an excellent and compelling coming-of-age story and has a fantastic soundtrack to boot. Plus it's got Sting before anyone really knew who he was.

8. Talk Radio: I'm not a big Oliver Stone/conspiracy guy, but it occurs to me that Talk Radio gets more and more relevant every year. Show this film to a political polemicist in your life and see the reaction. I'd rather watch this than most of Stone's other films.

9. The Grifters: I don't know how this was left off. John Cusack grew up in this film and proved he could act. This is a gripping and involved tale all the way through with one of the greatest endings ever pulled. The first time I watched it, it took me five minutes to reel my jaw back in. Masterful.

and finally,

10. Iron Man: There has been a resurgence of superhero movies in the last few years, and Iron Man represents the best of them. It's fun, exciting, and intelligently made, and features a real, flawed human being at its center. Plus, there's lots of stuff blowing up.

There were others on my list. I guess that means I've got the start of a list for next year.

What's Missing

Any list like the 1001 Movies that claims to be definitive, by definition, is not definitive. It’s the nature of the beast. Everyone has a favorite movie or two that doesn’t make the list, and virtually every film on the list will have its detractors.

That goes without saying. I understand that, and while there are likely several hundred movies I could think of that I’d put on this list, I also understand that that’s reflective of my own personal bias. So, while I love films like Tremors and Slither, I also am fully aware as to why they didn’t show up on this list. I have a personal attachment to plenty of films that if I’m objective about things, I understand don’t belong anywhere within 100 feet of this list.

With any list like this, the temptation is always there to prove just how clever you are, and this list does have a number of entries that I find difficult to explain any other way. There are several films on this that smack of “I’ve seen obscure footage from Tanzania, and I’m including it here to show you how much I know.” I’ve got to track down Hold Me While I’m Naked and Korkarlen instead of watching something like Inherit the Wind or Field of Dreams.

I could easily come up with a few hundred films that I think have a legitimate shot at being on this list. But that could take forever, and would sound too much like sour grapes. I’ve limited myself to a spare 25 films that I believe are worthy of consideration for future volumes. Here they are, in no particular order:

1) The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse—It’s shocking to me that Rudolph Valentino, the first real screen idol, doesn’t appear anywhere in the 1001 films. This is his most iconic role and the one that made him a star, probably for the sexy close-ups and the dancing sequence. Valentino needs to be on this list, and this is the best choice.

2) Safety Last!—It’s great that, unlike Valentino, Harold Lloyd is on the list, but the exclusion of this film is damn near criminal. Aside from Chaplin’s Tramp, there is no more well-known still from the silent era than Lloyd hanging off a clock in this film. It’s funny and the stunts still hold up 90 years after the film was created.

3) 12 Monkeys—La Jette, the film that inspired 12 Monkeys is on the list, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out why this one isn’t. Complex and beautiful, this is one of the movies that proved Brad Pitt can act, and that Bruce Willis can act as well. As visionary a dystopia as Gilliam’s Brazil and far more accessible.

4) Leon The Professional—A touching film about an assassin, Leon is one of my favorite characters ever in a movie. It’s also the first real role for Natalie Portman, and features Gary Oldman as possibly the most corrupt law enforcement officer ever. A heartwrenching and gorgeous film that should have more people watching it.

5) Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan—Star Trek is one of America’s greatest culture exports, and Khan is hands-down the best of the Trek films.

6) A Few Good Men—Seriously, how many movie quotes are more memorable than, “You can’t handle the truth!” A fantastic film from start to finish, with an underrated performance by Kevin Pollack.

7) Mister Roberts—A war movie without war and with a truly stellar cast. James Cagney as Captain Morton is arguably the most hateful little martinet ever in film, but the real prize is Jack Lemmon as Ensign Pulver. You’ll never look at a potted plant the same way again.

8) Tron—I still can’t believe this isn’t on the list. Of all of these, in many ways this one bothers me the most. If a plotless piece of garbage like Independence Day gets on because of the awesome special effects, then a far better movie with just as groundbreaking effects should be on the list as well. A tragic miss by the compilers of this volume.

9) Evil Dead II—I love that The Evil Dead makes the list, but the sequel is its superior in all respects. Bloodier, funnier, gorier, it’s more a remake than a sequel, and it’s just as much a tribute to Moe, Larry, and Curly as it is a horror film. And speaking of sequels…

10) The Road Warrior—Again, this film is far better than its predecessor (Mad Max) in every respect. The wardrobe is iconic enough that other post-apocalyptic films are still compared with it, and there has never been a greater chase scene filmed than the last 20 minutes or so of this one.

11) Blood Simple—A complex film from the Coen brothers at the very start of their career. I am admittedly a Coen fan (although I’m leaving The Hudsucker Proxy off this list), which does taint my opinion here, but regardless of that, Blood Simple is tense, riveting, and wonderfully filmed.

12) Ed Wood—Perhaps the greatest bio film ever (and I’m including Gandhi and Lawrence of Arabia), and just as much a love song to film itself as an endearing look at a schlub who deserved better.

13) Scanners—If Videodrome is here, if Naked Lunch is here, so should this. I saw this movie referenced on The Colbert Report just a couple of weeks ago—it’s still that well known and well loved.

14) El Mariachi—Go look into the history of how this film was created—the extremes that Robert Rodriguez went through to generate the money to make the film. The guy couldn’t afford a shoestring budget, and he made one of the greatest revenge pictures ever.

15) The Incredibles—With this film, Pixar did something impossible: they created a perfect children’s movie that is equally entertaining for adults. It’s exciting and fun and funny and scary and never panders to a younger audience, rarely talks over their heads. Kids and adults laugh at the same stuff, often for the same reasons. Even better, the depiction of the family life of the Parrs makes them perhaps the most realistic family in film of the last 10 years. Director Brad Bird was doubly-shafted here, since his brilliant The Iron Giant didn’t make it, either.

16) Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner—Gutsy, interesting, and thought provoking, this film created a real dialogue about race relations. A smart film, and still relevant.

17) Shaun of the Dead—While I personally like Hot Fuzz better, this is perhaps the greatest real parody since Airplane! Filmmakers who produce what passes for parody these days need to sit down and take a lesson from Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost. And speaking of zombies…

18) …28 Days Later—This film single-handedly rewrote the zombie genre by make the zombies fast as hell and not really dead. One of my all time favorite movies, it still scares me after a dozen watches. And speaking of personal favorites…

19) The Devil’s Backbone—Guillermo del Toro got tons of deserved praise for Pan’s Labyrinth, but this one slipped under most people’s radar. I prefer this movie. The costuming and effects aren’t as good, but the story is better. This is a magical film that should be required viewing (as should the del Toro-produced El Orfanto).

20) Stalag 17—I used to wonder how someone could have possibly pitched the television show Hogan’s Heroes with a straight face. Then I saw this movie, and realized the pitch was “Stalag 17 without the insufferable bastard as a main character and focused more on the comic relief characters.” William Holden plays one of the greatest anti-heroes ever conceived.

21) Marathon Man—I don’t understand why this film never gets any love on lists like this. Dr. Szell is still one of the most terrifying movie creations ever. A nerve-wracking thriller with a torture scene that directors of films like Saw should be forced to watch. Only Misery’s hobbling scene (which should also be here) can top this level of viewer agony.

22) The Man with the Golden Arm—There was a time when Frank Sinatra cared about the roles he took, and this movie is the proof. One of Preminger’s best, and a movie that showed a lot of courage concerning its subject matter at the time in which it was made. Anything this gutsy deserves consideration.

23) Animal House—Really? Not on the list? The quintessential college comedy, and the first and best of the movies from former Saturday Night Live alums, this movie should be seen by everyone, as should…

24) Caddyshack—If you don’t laugh when watching this movie, you should check yourself for a pulse. Period.

25) Bullitt—If you like car chases, you owe this movie a debt of gratitude. The scene may not hold up compared with modern chases, but modern chases wouldn’t be what they are without Frank Bullitt. Neither would Popeye Doyle or Harry Callahan. The renegade cop on the loose started here, and has still never been equaled in terms of character.

So with that out of the way, let’s get rolling.