Flawless Celluloid

Here are a few movies I find to be flawless in every way.

I'm not saying these are the best movies ever made; I'm not saying these movies are better than any other movies as far as content; but what I am saying is that these movies are flawless. They are exactly what they are supposed to be. Written exactly right, acted magically, pacing, timing, from opening title to credits - perfection.

I've decided upon these titles in the last five years. These are all films I've seen many, many, MANY times, but only in the last five years have I come to understand that these movies are what movies should be. If you make a movie but you have to admit, "Well, it wasn't as good as THAT," then you should just scrap it and try again.

This list will grow, I'm sure, but it will never shrink. You ready?...

1 -- Evil Dead 2
Now, I know there's no comparison between it and Evil Dead, and it's bizarrely comedic at certain moments and some of the effects are laughable, but... that's the way it's supposed to be. This movie is exactly right. Campbell's flawless rubberface delivery, the laughing room scene, the hand - it's perfect.

2 -- Young Frankenstein
If you've never seen any of the original Frankenstein movies you should watch them and then watch this movie, and then you'll realize that it manages to somehow capture the exact mood and even continuity of all the previous "serious" preceding titles. The names are all right, the characters, and hell, even the inspector is the same! It's amazing the things they did for this film, even to the point of using the original laboratory equipment from in the original movie. And if that weren't already above and beyond what this movie should have been, the comedic timing can never be duplicated. Every line is perfection, and I bubble with unbidden laughter every time it's on. "Sedagive?!!"

3 -- Demon Knight
This movie made me love Billy Zane and William Sadler. The pacing of this film is better than it has any right to be, and the dialogue between those two actors gets me every time. I'd stick in a quote here, but there are just too damned many for me to choose from. This is on TV right now, and it's about the millionth time I've seen it, but I have only just been inspired to write about it. Perfection. I would not be able to feel joy without this movie.

Anyway... there's my list as of right now. I am filled with movie love. Mmmm... tasty, tasty celluloid.


(Originally posted on June 30th, 2008)