A delightful list of my buddy Alan’s fave films, this is interesting to me in a number of ways. As a friend, I can see certain themes and characteristics in films on this list and understand why they would appeal to him (loss, desperation, the inevitability of things turning to shit, outsize personalities with fatal flaws). It’s also another reminder of something we were discussing recently, which is that I am much, much less likely to revisit comics and films—even ones I greatly enjoy—because I feel like there are so many others to experience. That said, I’ve seen Pulp Fiction, Citizen Kane, Fargo, Synecdoche, New York and The Royal Tenenbaums many times and will undoubtedly see them many more.
As another writer, I admire the list because I always find it difficult to encapsulate why I like one film and then have to do it for another film, and another, without wanting to just stop writing and watch one of those films and forget about a list entirely.
And as just another film lover, it’s gratifying that all the films on this list that I’ve seen, I totally agree with their inclusion (even Neighbors, maybe his only real outlier) while there are a few I’ve yet to experience, like Dark City and The Station Agent. And to be honest, I don’t think I saw all of Donnie Darko. Blasphemy, I’m sure. Then again, would they knock Raging Bull, A Bout de Souffle, Boogie Nights, Angel Heart, Ikiru or 8 1/2 off my list? And why do we discount comedy? Does Caddyshack or National Lampoon’s Vacation or Ferris Bueller’s Day Off ever fail to bring a smile when we find them on TV?
