IMDB Top 250 (includes spoilers)

[Soubhagya]

I was seeing that there's no thread discussing IMDB 250. So, i started one. Discuss anything with respect to this list.

http://www.imdb.com/chart/top

[Soubhagya]

I don't give any importance to IMDB or such online audience metrics like Rotten Tomatoes audience scores. They are unreliable. But this list is interesting. There are some all time great films here. Godfather, Citizen Kane, Seven Samurai, etc. would make any list stellar by their presence. Yes, its a popular poll. So, its not a true indicator of any real ranking. But people can recognize masterpieces. The list is definitely a good one for film recommendations.

[JBatmanFan05]

The Dark Knight (2008) placement does a good job of discrediting the list and showing it to be a popularity thing (where the popular vote for it likely happens while everyone is gawking in the theater over it thanks to marketing).

But if you're not a big film buff and are looking to see more better films...the list has some utility there I suppose.

[AndrewCrossett]

I didn't see any bad movies on that list, at least among the ones I'm familiar with. I'm not sure why The Shawshank Redemption is at #1... it is a great movie, but the best of all time? Seems like there must be some kind of organized campaign at work there. Which, of course, is the main reason a list like this can't be taken as an accurate measure of the most liked movies.

There's also a lot of recency bias there. There are some old titles on the list, but more 21st century ones than warranted.

[JBatmanFan05]

There's also a lot of recency bias there. There are some old titles on the list, but more 21st century ones than warranted.

Oh yes, big time.

[Soubhagya]

I didn't see any bad movies on that list, at least among the ones I'm familiar with. I'm not sure why The Shawshank Redemption is at #1... it is a great movie, but the best of all time? Seems like there must be some kind of organized campaign at work there. Which, of course, is the main reason a list like this can't be taken as an accurate measure of the most liked movies.

There's also a lot of recency bias there. There are some old titles on the list, but more 21st century ones than warranted.

Yes, any kind of poll of this nature will have this. Its about what is most popular, not the best. Or to put it differently the popular opinion about what is best. Yet, i can see something like Metropolis. A 1927 silent film. And the list suddenly has some value for film fans. No one is going to organize a campaign for 12 Angry Men. Its from 1957. Yet its at a high #5.

Its not a useless one like say a list where Black Panther is at #1, followed by Deadpool at #2 and so on. Don't get me wrong i love and enjoy these films. But they are nowhere near films like Godfather. It definitely is a good list but a faulty one.

The Dark Knight (2008) placement does a good job of discrediting the list and showing it to be a popularity thing (where the popular vote for it likely happens while everyone is gawking in the theater over it thanks to marketing).

But if you're not a big film buff and are looking to see more better films...the list has some utility there I suppose.

Yep. I think Dark Knight is a great film. But in no list can it follow only three films in history. I would not put Dark Knight over the likes of Lawrence of Arabia, 2001, Citizen Kane, etc. Heck, Dark Knight Rises is above Citizen Kane! The list is laughable.

Yet, i think the list has value. The rank being unimportant the list can be good for film fans looking for recommendations. There's Wild Strawberries (#151) in this list. I don't see a Swedish film from 1957 here, if this list is only about popularity. That was among the favorite films of Stanley Kubrick and i have heard about Ingmar Bergman as an all time great director. He actually has three films in this list.

[Soubhagya]

Speaking about Bergman, there's a list of directors with most number of entries in IMDB Top 250. A link with most number of films for a director with at least three entries.

http://www.imdb.com/list/ls000739004/

If you ask me that's a very solid list. Kubrick, Scorsese, Coppola, Spielberg, Chaplin, Kurosawa, Hitchcock, Fincher, Coen, Nolan, etc.

[AndrewCrossett]

I really like Edgar Wright's list of his 1000 favorite films. He leaves off a handful of films (but only a handful) that I would have included, and I don't agree with mixing cartoon shorts in with feature films, but if you watched every movie on his list you'd have a hell of an education in filmmaking.

[Soubhagya]

I really like Edgar Wright's list of his 1000 favorite films. He leaves off a handful of films (but only a handful) that I would have included, and I don't agree with mixing cartoon shorts in with feature films, but if you watched every movie on his list you'd have a hell of an education in filmmaking.

Its one awesome recommendation list. 1000! Thanks for sharing.

Edit: Batman(1966)! Its a fun list.

[Soubhagya]

Another reason why i started this thread. I wanted a thread where i can discuss any film i love. That's one reason i started one thread for Stanley Kubrick. But when desiring to talk about Godfather where would i go? I can start a thread for Francis Ford Coppola. But i happen to love only three of his films. All three are giants for sure. But i felt it would be better for a bigger Coppola fan. Same with the likes of Hitchcock or Scorsese. (Still looking for a thread on them).

That's why i said one can discuss 'anything'. Don't limit yourself to rankings only.