TSPDT - The 1,000 Greatest Films


	The 1,000 Greatest Films
	As voted by 2,041 critics, filmmakers, reviewers, scholars and other likely film types.
	Current Version: January 2010

	• The 1,000 Greatest Films Home • The Top 400 Films • The Full List • The Top 200 Directors • PDF Companion • Links
	The Top 400 Films: • 1-25 • 26-50 • 51-75 • 76-100 • 101-150 • 151-200 • 201-250 • 251-300 • 301-350 • 351-400




	The highest-ranked newbie in this year's 1,000 list... Albert Lamorisse's "The Red Balloon".

	new THE TOP 200 DIRECTORS
	We've expanded our list of the most acclaimed filmmakers of all-time from 100 to 200. But heck, there's still no Michael Haneke, or Monte Hellman, or Seijun Suzuki, or Jerry Lewis, or Terence Davies, or Maurice Pialat, or Jia Zhangke, and so on, and so forth.

	new DOUBLING THE CANON 2010 Update: Call for Nominations
	Link for this year's process-: http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000010/thread/155899192?d=155899192&p=1#155899192

Th	The IMDB "Classic Film" board folks (led by Lee Price, with sturdy assistance from Angel Gonzalez Garcia) are once again getting together to update their complementary list of 1,000 essential movies, entitled "Doubling the Canon". Many extremely astute, passionate and knowledgeable film lovers have contributed in the past and will continue to do so again this year. I'm in the process of throwing in my ten cents worth, so don't be shy, head on over and give it a try. It's a terrific exercise, and has brought to our attention many film titles that are well and truly outside the acclaimed-film square. So, if you are interested in participating in this year's voting and/or want to have your say, you can link to the rules and results by following the above link.

	Introduction to current version
	By Bill Georgaris

	Dear Film Lovers,

	Welcome aboard again as we roll out, with much pleasure (and a smidgeon of pain), our annual update of the 1,000 Greatest Films. This is - as far as our own record books are concerned - the 4th version of this list (following on from the December 2006, December 2007, and December 2008 versions). As you may know, we did publish some 1,000 lists prior to December 2006, however, due to our lack of housekeeping skills (call it negligence, if you must) these efforts have now faded into oblivion. We honestly didn't think anyone would care!

	We received a tremendous amount of feedback regarding last year's list, and we hope for the same again this year. I must say this (for the most part) is pretty rewarding, and your collective patronage makes our efforts easy to justify and enjoy. Additionally, the pleasant (though still modest) level of coverage TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films venture has garnered on the film-side of the internet jungle has been surprising and much appreciated. Many film-bloggers in particular have not only taken on the challenge of watching all 1,000 films but have, more importantly, brought to the attention of their readers a range of films (from our 1,000 list) deserving of everybody's time. This is what it is all about at the end of the day, and it is basically TSPDT's modus operandi. We're in the 'business' of bringing to the fore as many worthwhile films as we can, and the 1,000 Greatest Films list works as a decent enough place to start.

	So what have we been up to since December 2008's edition? Well, to quote directly from last year's introduction, "we've spent another baffling year sifting (sometimes aimlessly) through film polls and best-of film ballots, collating them, weighting them and, hey presto, here are the goddamn results."

	The most significant highlight of this update has probably been the inclusion in this year's calculations of many best-of-decade lists for 2000-2009. This has seen a sharp rise in films from the 21st Century entering the 1,000 Greatest Films listing, which I know for a fact, will please many 1,000 Greatest films followers. Who doesn't like a happy face? Of course, you can see a more comprehensive list of the 21st Century's most acclaimed films (to date) by going here.

	Now, lets' talk statistics. The January 2010 list of the 1,000 Greatest Films of all-time has primarily been compiled by using 2,041 individual critics' and filmmakers' personal lists/ballots of their favourite/best films. That's 216 more ballots than our December 2008 list. A very warm thank you to everyone that has contributed lists and/or lent their support towards the current version. In particular, thanks to Angel Gonzalez Garcia, Aaron Dumont and Rob Sheehy for their steady supply of lists throughout 2009.

	In summary, here is the exact breakdown of individual ballots used, or if you like, from where we have begged, borrowed and stolen:

	Sight & Sound's 1952-2002 polls (524 ballots)
	Senses of Cinema's 2000-2007 Top Tens (147 ballots)
	Time Out's 1995 poll (107 ballots)
	Nickel Odeon's 1994-1998 polls (100 ballots)
	Steadycam's 1995 & 2007 polls (80 ballots)
	El Mundo's 1995 poll (72 ballots)
	Your Movie Database's (YMDB) Critics Corner (71 ballots)
	Rotten Tomatoes' lists from 2003-2009 (70 ballots) New
	Facets’ polls (69 ballots)
	One-Line Review's 2009 poll (66 ballots) New
	Positif’s 1991 poll (63 ballots)
	The Cinematheque's Top 10 Project (62 ballots)
	PBS's Independent Lens lists (59 ballots)
	Cinematheque Belgique's 1952 poll (52 ballots)
	Libre Journal du Cinéma's 2009 poll (50 ballots) New
	John Kobal Presents the Top 100 Movies (44 ballots)
	PopCornQ's 1997 poll (39 ballots)
	The Village Voice's 1999 poll (37 ballots)
	Epoca Online’s 2000 poll (28 ballots)
	Kinema Junpo lists from 1999-2002 (25 ballots) New
	BBC's Calling the Shots series (25 ballots)
	Plus 251 more ballots from a variety of other sources.



	As per previous versions, we have also factored in (although to a much lesser degree than the aforementioned individual ballots) over 1,100 magazine polls, film institute polls, individual polls from 'esteemed' critics or filmmakers, specialty polls of note, and other polls of interest. As mentioned above, many best -of-the-decade lists (2000-2009) have been incorporated for the first time. Some 2009 polls included are: indieWIRE's Best of the Decade Critics Survey, Time Out's 101 Films of the Decade, One-Line Review's Beyond the Canon: 100 Films Deserving of Greater Attention, Quentin Tarantino's Top 20 Movies To Have Been Released Since He Became A Filmmaker, David Ehrenstein's Most Beautiful Films in Color, and many, many more. You can view all the sources used by clicking on the 'Sources' tab on this page.

	This time round, a total of 68 films have come and gone (that's 28 less changes than the December 2008 version). As we say each year, I'm sure you will be - as we are - both delighted and disappointed with many of the comings and goings. To view all the films that fell off the list please go here, and click on the 'Ex-Top1000' tab.

	There has also been some noteworthy movements at the top end of the 1,000 list. Here is a handful-:
	• Just one change to the top-10 (Donen & Kelly dislodge Ozu), and no change to the top 7.
	• La Dolce vita is the only new entry into the top-25 (at the expense of Carol Reed's The Third Man). That makes (along with 8½) two films for Fellini in the top-25 (he joins Ford, Coppola, Kurosawa, Renoir and Welles on that number - elite company indeed).
	• Ugetsu monogatari and Lang's M are the only two films that moved into the top 50 (at the expense of Modern Times and North by Northwest).
	• In terms of the top 100, some sharp risers include Once Upon a Time in the West (up 11 spots), Jaws (up 17 spots, and into the top 100 for the first time - this may surprise some - it certainly surprised us), and On the Waterfront (back into the top 100, jumping from 104 to 94).

	Directors with 2-plus new films in the 1,000 Greatest Films listing are Stan Brakhage (Mothlight and Dog Star Man), Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.), John Landis (National Lampoon's Animal House and The Blues Brothers), Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan and A.I. Artificial Intelligence), and Gus Van Sant (Elephant and My Own Private Idaho).


	You can't keep a good hobbit down... The entire Lord of the Rings trilogy is now part of TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films listing.

	Directors with 2-plus films that dropped off the 1,000 Greatest Films listing are Bernardo Bertolucci (The Sheltering Sky and Luna), Frank Capra (Lost Horizon and Arsenic and Old Lace), Werner Herzog (Land of Silence and Darkness and Lessons of Darkness), Masaki Kobayashi (Harakiri and Kwaidan), Jerry Lewis (The Bellboy and The Ladies' Man), Joseph Losey (The Go-Between and Accident), Nikita Mikhalkov (Dark Eyes and Burnt by the Sun), and Kenji Mizoguchi (Utamaro and His Five Women and My Love Has Been Burning),

	Where is the love? Some notable directors still without a film in the 1,000 Greatest Films listing include: Aleksandr Sokurov, Michael Haneke, Chuck Jones, Stephen Frears, Abel Ferrara, James Ivory, Frederick Wiseman, Ernie Gehr, Peter Watkins, Peter Kubelka, Ettore Scola, Steven Soderbergh, Cameron Crowe, Jules Dassin, Jonas Mekas, Raul Ruiz, Tex Avery, Yvonne Rainer, Derek Jarman, Aki Kaurismäki, Richard Donner, Tsai Ming-Liang, Jan Svankmajer, Alan Parker, Frank Tashlin, Jean Epstein, and so on, and so on.

	Narrowed down from a starting list of over 8,800 films, utilizing some rather tricky formulas, we believe that this is quite possibly the most definitive guide to the most-acclaimed movies of all-time. At the very least, it is a rather spiffy place for all budding/established film buffs to commence/enhance their cinematic experiences. So what are you waiting for? Start that Checklist now!

	*See the TSPDT* starting list of over 8,800 films (Amazon, Google and IMDB links included). File size: 9.2MB.**

	Please take a look at the updated 402-page PDF Companion to the 1,000 Greatest Films (file size: 3.4MB). This document contains every critic's pick that contributed to TSPDT's current 1,000 Greatest Films. Whilst perusing this document please keep in mind that we use a reasonably complicated set of formulas to come up with the Top-1000, from a starting list of over 8,800 films. These formulas take into account, amongst other things, the quality/reputation of the critic, the quality/reputation of the poll, the age of the poll (e.g., the 2002 Sight and Sound poll is weighted higher than the 1992 poll), whether a film has stood the test of time (yes, as you may have suspected, we do mark recent films harder), etc, etc.

	As per previous updates, we've provided a selection of PDF's and Excel files (including the two files mentioned above) for your enjoyment and statistical pleasure. These can be viewed here on the full list page, under 'additional resources.'



	Credits
	Many thanks to to Bill Spiby who kindly lent us his 1952, 1962 and 1982 Sight and Sound magazines. Thanks also to Harold Wexler for providing us with the 1972 Sight and Sound lists and many others. Thanks also to Lee Price (who is curating the "Doubling the Canon" project on the IMDB Classic Film Board) for his enthusiasm and support, and indeed, to everybody else who has provided us with more lists to reference and/or contacted us (either negatively or positively) with regards to this venture. Thanks-a-plenty to Angel Gonzalez Garcia who has provided us with more lists than we can poke a stick at (and continues to do so), and who also contributes heavily to the "Doubling the Canon" project. Aaron Dumont and Rob Sheehy have also been important contributors over the last year or so. And, finally thanks also to Kevin B. Lee and Kevyn Knox for the terrific support they have given to this project, and for their promotion of it on their own terrific websites found here and here. It must be said that Kevin B. Lee's detailed articles (sometimes with accompanying video essays) on many of the 1,000 Greatest Films cannot afford to be missed. Thanks also to all the TSPDT-friendly bloggers who have helped promote this venture, via their own endeavours.

	You can help
	If you have access to any additional film lists from critics and/or filmmakers that you think we may have missed, then of course we'd love to see them. Please send all lists to bill@theyshootpictures.com. And, as always, we would love to read any feedback (good, bad, or otherwise) you have on this ongoing project.


	A big fish catches us by surprise... "Jaws" enters the TSPDT Top 100.

	Reactions
	• Cinematical "As a confessed list junkie, one of my regular web haunts is They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?, which collects all kinds of movie lists and, using some kind of complex mathematical formula, sorts them into an all-time, weighted, ranked consensus of the 1,000 greatest films."
	• Shooting Down Pictures Shuffling the Deck (& Losing Cards): Thoughts on the Latest Update to the TSPDT 1,000.
	• The Auteurs (forum) "I don’t mind the canon, because it supplies a gateway into good cinema, or at least it did for me when I was younger. However I agree that it is very important to wander out of the canon much more than every once in awhile."
	• IMDB Classic Film Board "I consider this to be the best list of great movies available anywhere. Yes, it's far from perfect -- and not necessarily getting better! -- but no other list of its kind is prepared with more intelligence and thoroughness."
	• IMDB Film General Board "But by far and away the greatest addition is one of my all time favorites, which i'm glad to see get the recognition and hopefully much more people will see it, and that is The Red and the White. Has the best cinematograph yi've ever seen."
	• Rotten Tomatoes (forum) "Please tell me they removed Heaven's Gate. I always think I'm hallucinating when I come across that."


	• The 1,000 Greatest Films Home • The Top 400 Films • The Full List • The Top 200 Directors • PDF Companion • Links
	The Top 400 Films: • 1-25 • 26-50 • 51-75 • 76-100 • 101-150 • 151-200 • 201-250 • 251-300 • 301-350 • 351-400