Epic competition and great fun. I loved the earlier rounds where nominations were made and either praised, laughed at or treated with bemusement. Lot's of great discussion.

Well done Barry and thanks very much.

Touch and go at the end and I can't believe that it come down to one vote. I would have preferred LOB to win as it was one of my nominations and I haven't seen Pulp Fiction but lot's of folks seem to rate it and it seems to be liked by some of the critics as well so no doubt a worthy winner.

What's it going to be next year Barry?

As requested Fancy Dan. Yes, Rififi is a rare jewel of a film. The mother of all caper movies, it combines the hard edge of American Film Noir with the existential French touch to create a low budget masterpiece, dripping with icy atmosphere. There is so much to love. The masterfully filmed rain-drenched, shadow rich streets of Paris, where the sun never shines, the wonderful musical number of the title track in a Paris night club, and of course the jaw dropping, must be almost a half hour long, totally wordless scene in which the four professional thieves break into the jewelry store, disarm the alarm and extract the goods. Very, very classy. Makes far more expensive knockoffs like the Oceans 11 franchise look groping and amateurish by comparison. And I haven't even mentioned the honour among thieves theme, the kidnapping or the interaction between the heist crew. Then of course there are the stories about the gifted director, Jules Dassin, who plays the Italian safe cracker, and was blacklisted from Hollywood as a 'Communist' and for refusing to rat out his friends. Jobless for 5 years until hired to make this film on a measly $200,000 budget. Talk about VFM! I also enjoyed the first half of my double bill, the 2002 South African film Tsotsi, about the redemption of a young Soweto tough.

Here's the nightclub scene, sans subtitles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMp4WTBdKKg

Thanks for the recommendation, my friend, which I heartily second. I enjoyed the Criterion Collection extras, like the extended interview with Dassin 45 years afterwards, and plan to watch the film again before returning it to the library. Tonight's Pouzar summer international film fest features Vittorio De Sica's followup to the incomparable Bicycle Thieves, called Umberto D, the story of a lonely Italian pensioner in the post war years. Apaprently another jewel of Italian neorealism. Saturday's feature? The Romanian black comedy, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu. Courtesy once again of the Edmonton Public Library.

Thank you to Barry for a really entertaining competition. And to everyone who posted some prett yinteresting views/info on their own favoutrite movies.

I was one of the Pulp Fiction voters and championed it - I like LOB but when it came down to decision time I based it purely on which one i'd like to sit and watch right then if given the choice.

My own personal choice to top the lot would have been Seven.


Fitting the final result comes in to a fun competition just as John hughes dies.

RIP the man who peppered my youth with the brat pack movies and the genius 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'.

And of course later, never minding the commercial comic monster of Home Alone, he gave us one of the finest 'bloke' movies I can think of with 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles'. Tears in yer eyes at the end? You'd have to have a heart of granite to resist.

'Those aren't pillows...'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCqcMOB6STc

Are you suggesting that my nomination for "The Incredible Shrinking Man" was laughed at or treated with bemusement??


I find that hard to believe and I put it's failure down to a quiet day on FISO

Well played Bazza... I really enjoyed this slight distraction I would never have seen Pulp Fiction as the eventual winner when we started out on the long road to the final though.

A great set of threads run by a great bloke.


Cheers


Rich

i'm pleased Pulp Fiction was voted winner of the Fiso movies world cup as it's my favourite movie: urkiddingme-s-top-100-films-t60519.html. well done to barry for initiating, organising, and running this comp. this a momentous feat and he deserves kudos for it.

* clap clap encore *

Glad to be of assistance Mr P, I couldn't have put it better myself - great review.

would like to add another thank you to BAZ

cheers dude, you have truly outdone yourself.

i missed the final but happy to note that PF would have been my choice too