Top 100 Film Analysis: Part III
One of the most consistent remarks about my The List is "Man, this guys must be in love with Ethan Hawke or something" (and was actually best phrased by The Notorious KRS when she channeled sixth grade by proclaiming: The Dane + Ethan Hawke = BFF) and boasts the corollary remark, "Wait. Snow Falling on Cedars is his Number Two?"

The first part is intriguing because, yes, there are a disproportionate number of The Hawke's films on the list (Snow Falling on Cedars, Gatacca, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Waking Life). But the interesting part is that I don't really like The Hawke all that much. He looks like a rat. No, really. If I were to cast a life action remake of The Secret of NIHM, I would like to cast Ethan Hawke in the part of everybody. He'd be perfect for the roles. So really, what it is is that I like all these films in spite of The Hawke's involvement - though I do admit that he is probably a very capable actor (as all his roles are pretty straight and therefore do not offer the actor the kind of grandiose crutches that the roles of, say, The Pitt and The Depp take). Really, i think that nature balanced itself well here: though handicapping The Hawke with the features of vermin, she simultaneously gifted him with the uncanny ability to good roles in good films from good screenplays helmed by good directors.

Go figure, huh?

Top 100 Film Analysis: Part II
Eighteen films dropped off my list since two years ago. For something that's supposed to be stable (as a Top 100 list should be), this is a pretty large number. There are a couple three reasons for this: a mix of 1) seeing movies that I hadn't previously seen that genuinely deserved a spot on the list, and 2) realizing that movies I had on the previous list weren't amongst my favourites anymore, and 3) recognizing that several of the films, while dearly loved, would be better suited for a Guilty Pleasures list (as has been talked about). With that, here are the eighteen losers this time out (I'm sure some of you will be happy to see certain offerings go):

• Requiem for a Dream
• Pleasantville
• Se7en
• Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb
• Grave of the Fireflies
• P
• Nightmare Before Christmas
• Resevoir Dogs
• The Emperor and the Assassin
• Stalag 17
• The Hamster Factor
• Mallrats
• Apt Pupil
• Evil Dead II
• The Royal Tennebaums
• Moulin Rouge!
• The Cell
• Beautiful Girls

A couple of films were really hard to let go and I tried to find a way to keep them on the list, but for whater reason, The Emperor and the Assassin, Apt Pupil, and Beautiful Girls just fell off. Others were films that I thought were really good but just don't enjoy watching, which is why uncomfortable films like Requiem for a Dream and Grave of the Fireflies got the axe. Stalag 17, Pleasantville, Se7en, and The Royal Tennebaums were all great and I bear them no ill will, but... que sera, sera, eh? Tom Thumb became increasingly difficult to watch as there is so little actual dialogue (it seems to be more of a novelty for parties and stuf). Then there are the couple that I'm kind of embarrassed to have had on the list... The Cell was visually arresting, but little else and Moulin Rouge! was only cool because of the soundtrack and hyperactive staging.

Top 100 Film Analysis: Part I
Here's a statistical rundown of how my film tastes have changed since December 2002.

1	Seven Samurai
1	Snow Falling on Cedars
2	Fight Club
none	Casablanca
none	Citizen Kane
1	Gattaca
—	Before Sunrise
7	Cinema Paradiso
8	12 Angry Men
1	Brazil
5	Princess Mononoke
33	Once Upon a Time in the West
3	Schindler’s List
3	The Boat
2	12 Monkeys
4	The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
2	Double Indemnity
3	The Shawshank Redemption
7	The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
—	Lost in Translation
1	The Third Man
1	The Devil’s Backbone
17	Dark City
3	To Kill a Mockingbird
—	Punch Drunk Love
—	He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not
—	Ordinary People
20	City of Lost Children
5	Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
5	Lord of the Flies
5	The Empire Strikes Back
—	Red
3	O Brother Where Art Thou
3	High Fidelity
6	The Lord of the Rings
4	Amélie
9	Pulp Fiction
5	Edward Scissorhands
—	The Godfather
22	Memento
9	Touch of Evil
—	Before Sunset
5	It’s a Wonderful Life
5	Monty Python and the Holy Grail
3	Spirited Away
3	The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
18	Star Wars
—	Bridge on the River Kwai
15	The Empire of the Sun
3	The Princess and the Warrior
1	Waking Life
1	Gettysburg
1	Rashomon
1	Whisper of the Heart
—	Fog of War
5	L.A. Confidential
5	Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
5	Raiders of the Lost Ark
1	Eat Drink Man Woman
10	The Last of the Mohicans
10	The Matrix
10	The Day the Sun Turned Cold
11	In the Mood for Love
—	Big Fish
10	Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
—	Porco Rosso
13	Out of Sight
2	The Big Sleep
23	Die Hard
34	Say Anything
—	Stand By Me
—	Dogtown and Z-Boys
25	Red Beard
25	Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
8	The Usual Suspects
7	Léon: The Professional
19	Detour
14	The Princess Bride
none	Beauty and the Beast
none	Mother Night
13	Ran
38	The Graduate
22	Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
15	When Harry Met Sally
12	Saving Private Ryan
—	Blue
10	Invasion of the Body Snatchers
10	High and Low
6	Unforgiven
9	Aliens
4	The Importance of Being Earnest
—	The Vertical Ray of the Sun
5	Yojimbo
5	Iron Giant
5	Charade
82	Donnie Darko
60	Open Your Eyes
—	The Celebration
—	Voices from a Distant Star
18	The Road Home