Is There Such Thing As A Perfect Film?

[Gojirosan]

Originally Posted by James Morton

you forgot VERTIGO!

Shadow Of A Doubt!

[James Morton]

Originally Posted by Gojirosan

Shadow Of A Doubt!

i agree
another classic from Hitchcock

[arkhamdarling]

For me personally,

American Beauty is perfect. It hits me on a level not many other films do.
I also love The Warriors, for me, that film is perfect because I can't see any way to make it any better.

Unfortunately, for such a horror orientated person, I have never foudn the perfect horror.... Although Friday 13th Part Six is pretty close....

[arkhamdarling]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

In regards to horror, Alien, The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, The Devil Rides Out, Peeping Tom, Psycho, Videodrome, and The Wicker Man would all be approaching perfection, for me.

That's the interesting thing about this thread, though: so many differing opinions.

Alien!!! yes!

[Wes]

The perfect film is a rarity - even my all-time favourite film Apocalypse Now isn't one, but I think The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is perfect, there isn't a single element of that film I would change. I love the story of Ridley Scott running a print of TCM in preparation for making Alien, trying to figure out what makes a great Horror film.

It's pure pop cinema, and all, but Jaws, is a film Spielberg has never and will never improve on. I think that film is flawless.

[wongfeihung62]

SEVEN SAMURAI. Over 3 hours long, B&W and subtitled, yet it passes so quickly when watching it. Kurosawa's masterpiece needs to be seen by anyone who considers themselves a movie fan.
If I had to take one film to a desert island this would be it. (Now if I can only find a power supply to plug the DVD player into).

[Daemonia]

The perfect film? Now that's a tricky one to pin down, because in most films there's at least one moment where you think 'Urgh! That doesn't quite work.' Not enough to make you dislike the whole film but enough for it not to be the perfect film.

But, for me, as close to perfection as you can get is Leone's Once Upon a Time in America. I can't think of a single misstep in the entire movie, it's flawless from start-to-finish. Scarface comes close, but it's not quite as good.

As far as horror goes, that's even trickier, because genre cinema is so reliant on FX. That being the case, you just know there's going to be at least one dodgy FX that doesn't quite work. TCM is a prime example of brilliance, but it seems too rough to be perfect. Perfectly rough, maybe?

But for horror, my perfrect example would be Herzog's Nosferatu. It's poetic, haunting and devastatingly chilling all at the same time. Probably more authentically Gothic than anything before or since. It perfectly captures the decadence and decay of Dracula's world. He inhabits a lonely, shadowy world where the modern world has not yet intruded. He's almost a relic of a bygone age, and Kinski captures his essence perfectly. Absolutely brilliant and a film I never tire of watching.

[g053584398]

Perfection exists in no medium: there are no absolutes when it comes to the realm of subjectivity.

[gag]

Totaly agree on people comment on the warriors and tcm,
Both films are perfect in every way possible and cant be betterd also scum as well these are type of films you can never get tired of and no matter how often you give a list of your favourite all time films these will always be in there somewhere in my opinion..

[James Morton]

Originally Posted by gag

Totaly agree on people comment on the warriors and tcm,
Both films are perfect in every way possible and cant be betterd also scum as well these are type of films you can never get tired of and no matter how often you give a list of your favourite all time films these will always be in there somewhere in my opinion..

both THE WARRIORS and TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (not a fan of former, but like the latter) but TCM isn't in my top 20, TCM2 was better imo