ANTHONY WILSON. TV JOURNALIST
LA STRADA
My favourite film should be Lu Srrudu. the ability of black and white images to sear. The ability of film. full stop. The ability of Federico Fellini. full stop. But I don't know whether I could watch it now. when all I crave is entertainment. I'm Hollywooded. Bloody shame.
JON RONSON, WRITER AND BROADCASTER
NASHVILLE
I love Put/1s ()/'(}/()I'_\' and (‘ulnm’l and Quit Show. but I think. on balance. my favourite movie is Robert Altman’s Nashville. 1 love the music. and Henry (iibson's slea/y right-winger. egotistic country singer is just so beautifully villainous. There is a great song in it ‘\\'e Must Be Doing Something Right To Last 3()() Years’ which brilliantly captures America's pomp. against all the odds. Altman's microcosm of [970s America seen through this weird Nashville society 7- gets the balance between cynicism and celebration just
perfectly.
NICK NAIRN. CHEF
AMERICAN BEAUTY
Why'.’ The atmosphere. It’s beautifully shot. has a brilliant performance by Kevin Spacey. and an
amazing scene in the garage when it‘s raining and you find
out the army guy is gay. The ending is tremendous.
DENISE MINA. AUTHOR
VIOLENT COP
I picked this up in the video shop by accident and expected a Japanese version of Manic (up. I was stunned. It's one of the most beautifully framed films I‘ve ever seen. and Beat Takeshi is so still. he‘s mesmerising. It shows how effective movie violence can be. Instead of getting the director into cool parties. here it's shocking and alienating.
ALISON WATT. ARTIST
NIGHT OF THE HUNTER
Pauline Kael said it was one of the most frightening films ever made. It is also one of the
most beautiful. (‘harles Laughton creates a dark surreal fairytale where tiny children flee
the murderous grasp of a psychopathic preacher (Robert Mitchum t. A scene which never
fails to astoniin me has the exquisite corpse of Shelley Winters. long golden hair hanging vertically in the water. sitting in her car at the bottom of a lake. Quite superb.
RODERICK BUCHANAN. ARTIST
appear further away on the sound to visual art.
NIGHT OF THE HUNTER
You've got to admire a director who hires a midget and a pony to
stage. That's a real commitment
I i“ ' t 9:: 2 .2
THE EXORCIST
Its use of sound as a tool to shock and disgust is exemplarv. The making of this masterpiece was apparently plagued by tragedy and misfortune at every turn but. as they say. you can't make an omelette without breaking a
few eggs. Perfect.
CASABLANCA
At the risk of sounding like an .-\ina/on.com review. no other film comes close to this. Tight
plotting. inimitable style and a script that glitters like a nightclub singer’s diamante brooch. Ingrid Bergman show s her mettle and Bogey reveals his vulnerable side. proving once again that when it
Comes to love. it‘s all in the eyes.
LABYRINTH
Why? Because it’s just the best film ever. [just think it‘s brilliant. I‘m a big fan of puppets. and there’s loads of puppets in it. It’s got everything really. it’s got all the elements you need in a film: it was written by Monty Python’s 'I'erry Jones. Bowie's in it. and (ieorge Lucas
produced it. [just love it.
(>31 .‘ THE LIST 11
The 100 Greatest Films is broadcast on Channel 4 in November.