Top Ten Tuesdays

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

It's a sight more impressive anyhow

Thank you!

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Thanks to everyone who contributed a list of their favourite adaptations of literary material, especially those who gave a little explanation as to what they liked and have made me aware of some books to buy!

For no other reason than I'm currently watching 24, a TV series set in real time, this week's topic is films with that as a plot device, those which put the characters and the viewer in exactly the same timeframe and, usually, where every second counts.

REAL-TIME FILMS

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

I genuinely can't do this as the only ones i could place in any top 10 would be Rope, 12 Angry Men, Run Lola Run and Nick of Time.

High Noon's okay but not a film i'd place in any top 10.

I find this subject very limited as i've only seen around 25 films listed at the most that fit the subject and of those 25 i've watched around half.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

If finding a Top Ten of real-time films is going to be difficult, then you can have a second topic for this week, one influenced by Crimson Blade's comment that "Any film that stars the legend, Peter Cushing, is well worth watching."

PETER CUSHING FILMS

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

REAL-TIME FILMS

1. 12 Angry Men – an all-time great and compelling no matter how many times I watch it. It's something I'd very much like to see at the cinema in a remastered form and also at the theatre to see how a stage play compares to Sidney Lumet's directorial debut.
2. Run Lola Run – a film I haven't seen in a while, but remember laughing and really want to rewatch it in light of compelling this list. The blend of filmmaking styles (incorporating animation) and telling the story with different outcomes makes it very interesting and Franka Potente's breakthrough performance still impresses.
3. Locke – I know Tom Hardy doesn't have the greatest Welsh accent in the world, but this film throws up all sorts of 'what would you do' scenarios and is one I really enjoy.
4. High Noon – I'm not sure if this would make my top 10 Westerns, but it's a really good film and benefits from the 'real-time' plot device. The fact is referenced in Die Hard is an added bonus!
5. Rope – a groundbreaking piece of cinema with Hitchcock seemingly doing the entire thing in one take. However, after one viewing, you can see where the cuts are, something which doesn't diminish from its tension and atmosphere.
6. Before Sunset – probably my favourite of Linklater's 'Before' trilogy and a film that feels less like a movie and more like a real conversation between a real couple.
7. Buried – I wasn't too thrilled with this at the cinema, but it's grown on me over time and Ryan Reynolds' performance is utterly convincing and the claustrophobic element means it can be extremely uncomfortable viewing.
8. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu – one of the gems from Eastern Europe this century along with 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days and (from Turkey) Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, this is a weekly comic look at the crumbling Romanian healthcare system and, though it's not the happiest films, it's a masterpiece.
9. United 93 – another great film which is tough watching because of the knowledge it's based on real events and many of those portrayed in the film died. It is superbly directed and I remember watching it in the cinema and having to remember to breathe!
10. The Silent House (2010) – I prefer this Uruguayan film to the American remake with Elizabeth Olsen, though that is not without its merits, and the ideas of everything taking place not only in real-time, but also (like Rope) in one shot and one continuous take makes this a remarkable piece of filmmaking and something which is not only technically brilliant, but engrossing.

[Prince_Vajda]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

High Noon's okay but not a film i'd place in any top 10.

[MrBarlow]

Real Time Movies

12 Angry Men
16 Blocks
High Noon
Crank
Nick of Time
Dog Day afternoon
Silent House (original version)

Peter Cushing Movies

Horror of Dracula
The Hound of the Baskerville
Dr Terror's House Of Horror
The Beast Mist Die
From Beyond The Grave
Asylum
Tales from The Crypt
The Mummy
The Gorgon
Twins of Evil

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Prince_Vajda

I take it you would then?

It's certainly not in a top ten of westerns. For me at least.

[Crimson Blade]

My top 10 Peter Cushing films..

1. Curse of Frankenstein (1957).
2. Dracula (1958).
3. The Mummy (1959).
4. Hound of The Baskervilles (1959).
5. Brides of Dracula (1960).
6. The Gorgon (1964)
7. Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969).
8. Twins of Evil (1971).
9. The Creeping Flesh (1973).
10. From Beyond The Grave (1974).

[Prince_Vajda]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I take it you would then?

It's certainly not in a top ten of westerns. For me at least.

I really don't think it's one of the best (or most typical) westerns... but I definitely think it's a brilliant film.