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Tarantino Picks His 20 Favorite Flicks of the Past 17 Years

(Some serious gourmet shit)

A A A Comments (15) By Quentin Tarantino Wednesday, Aug 19 2009

When Ella Taylor asked me to rename my top five films of all time, I rattled off the obvious titles. She then asked, “Any since the last 17 years?”

Kevin Scanlon

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“In my top five?” I asked incredulously.

“Well, okay, top 10,” she relented.

“Well, let me think about that.”

And upon later reflection, I realized there was one movie released in the last 17 years that I love so much that, yes indeed, it could find its way onto that tough 10 list that constitutes the history of cinema.

That film would be the late Kinji Fukasaku’s Japanese masterpiece, Battle Royale.

But upon singling out Battle Royale for all-time honor, I decided to list my top 20 films that came out in the last 17 years, 1992 to 2009. The only limitation I put on the films was they had to be able to withstand many viewings. So some great movies, like Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto didn’t make it because I’ve only seen them once, and once was enough. Except for Battle Royale at the top spot, the others are listed alphabetically:

Battle Royale (Kinji Fukasaku)

Anything Else (Woody Allen)

Audition (Takashi Miike)

The Blade (Tsui Hark)

Boogie Nights (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Dazed and Confused (Richard Linklater)

Dogville (Lars von Trier)

Fight Club (David Fincher)

Friday (F. Gary Gray)

The Host (Joon-ho Bong)

The Insider (Michael Mann)

Joint Security Area (Chan-wook Park)

Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola)

The Matrix (Andy Wachowski & Larry Wachowski)

Memories of Murder (Joon-ho Bong)

Police Story III(Supercop) (Stanley Tong)

Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright)

Speed (Jan de Bont)

Team America: World Police (Trey Parker)

Unbreakable (M. Night Shyamalan)

After I created this list for L.A. Weekly, I included it in my intro
to a Sky Movies TV program in the U.K. Click here to view it.

Click here for Ella Taylor’s interview with Quentin Tarantino.

Click here for J. Hoberman’s review ofInglourious Basterds.

Click here for Scott Foundas’ interview with Christoph Waltz.

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thom 09/06/2009 6:58:00 AM

Exactly the kind of films I would expect this sick individual to list. We'll be reading about him soon, dying like David Carradine in some s&m practice. Twenty-five years ago, his like wouldn't be allowed in the business.

Jay 09/06/2009 12:42:00 AM

QT passed on some of the best: U-turn, Freeway, City of Lost Children, Wild at Heart, No Country for Old Men, Goodfellas, Short Cuts. Jackie Brown is still his best!

Cody 09/05/2009 11:39:00 PM

Battle Royale is so fucking overrated. The whole concept was handled so much better in the book, the movie was just hung up on glorifying the whole "Kill your friends, it's fun!" aspect. Oh, and Fight Club is shit.

Andy 09/05/2009 2:54:00 PM

I watch a lot of movies and when people ask my favourites there are a few key ones that always appear and others change from day to day depending on mood. I�m sure Tarantino watches even more than me and does the same. Having said that I was surprised (as someone else mentioned) that he didn�t include Oldboy. In a list of films from recent years that would certainly be in my top 10 along with Run Lola Run and City of God.

Maarten 09/05/2009 2:41:00 PM

In the past mr. Tarantino has served well to channel movie buffs like me to some of the most interesting of overlooked, forgotten and/or underappreciated film history, to name a few: Butt Boeticher, Jack Hill, 36th chamber of Shaolin, Lady Snowblood and the Japanese Samurai genre, the three Sergio�s (Leone, Corbucci, Solima), George A. Romero, Elmore Leonard, Richard Fleischer, John Carpenter. But, like the friends he chooses, he seems to prefer only moderate contemporary cinema: out of joint holiday movies (Lost in translation), nihilistic pseudo-social commentary (Team America), bad insider�s practical jokes (Shaun of the dead), stupid mindfuckers (Unbreakable, Fight club), it�s all good when it�s from Asia, and for God�s sake: Anything else? Well, I dare say these aren�t modern classics: The insider, Friday, Speed. And I�m from Holland! It seems to me mr. Tarantino does not throw his real cards on the table, when he pulls up a list like this in a whim.

JAB 09/05/2009 4:06:00 AM

When I see "Unbreakable" & "The Insider" on this list I have to take it seriously. Nice going Mr. Tarantino! Now I'll have to check out the films I haven't seen that are on the list (which is most of them).

Alex 09/05/2009 2:50:00 AM

Yeah surprised Chungking Express isn't on here, but pleased to see Lost in Translation is

Brianne 09/05/2009 2:31:00 AM

I thought he really liked Rob Zombie's "The Devil's Rejects". I'm surprised he didn't mention that.

Blair Leggett 09/05/2009 2:09:00 AM

I would also include the following: Being John Malkovitch (Spike Jones) The Dancer Upstairs (John Malkovitch) Run Lola Run (Tom Tykwer) American Beauty (Sam Mendes) Just my 2 cents.

maestro 09/04/2009 9:48:00 PM

What a lame list. And I've all lost interest in seeing QTs gimmicky movies. Could there be a connection? Lavishing that much praise on BR (that it was the only movie that stood out in his mind in the last 17 years) is shockingly absurd. The only great thing about that film and the hype that surrounds it is that it might introduce viewers to some of Fukasaku's far superior earlier body of work. Likewise with Audition. Over-rated. From a director who pumps out 3-4 movies a year. Such prolificness does not translate into a high rate of success, and Audition, though far from Miike's worst, is certainly not his best, and is featured on far too many "Best of" lists by people trying to show how non-mainstream their tastes are. I'm very surprised too, that Oldboy did not make the list. Not because I feel it deserves to be on anyone's "Best" list, but because QT, as a Cannes festival judge, forced that film to prominence by unjustly awarding it the Grand Prize. Best film of Cannes, but not good enough for inclusion in the Top 20 of the last 17 years? I wonder if anyone else tires of this loudmouth?

joe 09/04/2009 9:12:00 PM

Can't believe HEAT and BRAVEHEART didn't make the list. Those are definitely movies that you can watch over and over.

J. Williams 09/04/2009 7:26:00 PM

What, no Wong Kar Wai?

Classic Steve 09/04/2009 5:48:00 PM

Nice to know that not all his faves are violent. "Lost in Translation" stands out in that regard.

Lisa Bolekaja 09/04/2009 2:38:00 PM

I love "Battle Royale"! I watch it at least twice a year, although the sequel was not as good, although well made. There's just something about 8th graders offing themselves that is both perverse, absurd, and funny. Great choice Quenten. I'ma watch that movie right now. Someone was selling a Battle Royale jacket at the Fangoria convention this summer. I almost bought it. I tell people about this movie all the time.