to rapturous cheers of "Thank EFF for that!" this'll be the final poll of this ill-thought out wee poser of mine - "just what is the best film ever?"

Well, we still don't know....

but hey, what's going to win the Fiso Movies World Cup 2009* ???


Pulp Fiction




or


The Life of Brian




1 vote, 1 champion, 1 love.


thanks to all who played along, nominated films, debated, discussed, disgusted, enlightened, embarrassed and voted, it's been fun

bazza out

* in case we do it again next year

By World Cup terms this is like Andorra vs Costa Rica in the World Cup final, so I will go for Costa Rica (Pulp Fiction) a decent, World Cup quality side, with a shot at making the final 16, and with a miracle the QFs.

I'll tell you one thing, it's been reletively easy to find good clips for both these films on you tube, maybe due to the style of PF and the fact that LOF is a comedy I don't know, but it has seemed to be easier that all the others...... trainspotting would have been another one suited to this I reckon.

anyhoo - cheers for sticking with it Pouzar, despite all your fav's going out earlier.

Cheer for running this Barry - best part was the early rounds getting tips on films I'd never heard of, and hopefully passing on some of my favs to others. I love both these films, for what its worth I think I'll go for LOB. but I'm not sure there really is a best film ever. If we stick with the football analogy I think its more Rene Higuita vs Eric Cantona

More like Italy (top drawer - Life of Brian) v Australia (minor regional champion - Pulp Fiction) in my book.

Go the Pythons - their films have probably given me more laughs than all the remaining movies combined - and always look on the bright side of life.

Barry - did you have any idea what you were taking on when you started this monster off?!

I take my hat off to you for keeping it going.

A true FISO legend and a legendary film walking off with the cup - Go Brian!
(Can't wait for next year's competition....!! )




Barry - not the messiah, just a very naughty boy!

i voted for life of brian...

just to be cheeky.

Of course I love the Pythons and got my share of chuckles out of Life of Brian, but as someone posted earlier it is largely little more than a series of sketches, some of which are admittedly hilarious. I have affection for it but don't think for a second it belongs in the top 1,000, let alone the best ever. I do prefer it to Shawshank though. But hey, that's just my view.
Pulp Fiction would not be in my Top 100 but a reasonable argument could be made for it. What the Hell. Yes, Barry, I always assumed my picks would be crushed like bugs, although I had hopes for The Godfather and Goodfellas, two terrific and popular films.
Now I can turn my attention to good old TFFO.

Thanks Barry - I'll be getting around to watching some of the recommended movies I haven't seen - maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of my life.
If Life of Brian wins I reckon Fiso should send Monty Python an award - don't think the film has ever won anything before although a healthy 419th in Halliwell's all time list.
Just shows you what critics know

Nice one.

Fantsastic stuff Barry. I'm just so relieved that there is a film that I have seen to vote for in the final, not only that but a film that I nominated.

So it's The Life Of Brian For Me.

As soon as I saw the first posts on the Movies World Cup, I said to myself "I bet Life of Brian will walk it". And lo it has come to pass. Blessed are the cheesemakers!

So who will claim the Pouzar Award ??

(most intellectual film)

Agreed. England v USA??

Quentin Tarantino is not the messiah, he is just a naughty boy.

It's like when Denmark won the Euro's.

Of course the real winner is the competition itself.

What's next Barry - best Album of all time perhaps across a number of Genres? Cannot see that polarizing opinion at all.

ooh interesting!






I am the messiah, now EFF OFF!

No. What's next is .... another season of fantasy football. This isn't Rotten Tomatoes. This is FISO. Time for Razor and I to worry about how to cover all the big sides in TFFO and forget about The Godfather and Shawshank!

I have to agree with Pouzar that the FISO award is not going to a 'great' film in terms of emotional/intellectual depth, acting, directing, scriptwriting and camerawork quality, groundbreakingness, etc - ie all the qualities that film critics would use in marking the candidates. If it was, Citizen Kane would be up there, along with some other classics that weren't even mentioned. (Personally, I love Truffaut's films and think Jules et Jim is right up there). But the FISO vote is really refreshing, in that it simply reflects the well-made films that people find most entertaining. The reality is, that, if they were going to go out to the cinema tonight, and one of the last few films in the FISO vote was showing in one cinema, and Citizen Kane was showing next door (and none of their intellectual acquaintances were watching), even people who pride themselves on being film buffs would be quite likely to sneak into the well crafted but entertaining one. It's a bit like a choice between going to a Mahler symphony and a Bruce Springsteen gig. Or a few years ago watching the 'great' Italian sides who never let a goal in as opposed to teams that enjoyed their football. When you are in the right mood you will go to the technically and artistically class act, really concentrate and get a huge amount out of it. But many other times (perhaps the majority) you will go for the immediately enjoyable night out.

Anyhow, in this general spirit, I'm trying to decide who to vote for in the final. if I was going out tonight, would I go to Pulp Fiction or LoB? PF is clearly a 'better' film (though nowhere near a classic) and is very entertaining too. But LoB is very funny. I'm trying to be very honest with myself, which one would I go to? Hmmmn, not as clearcut as i first thought.

Actually, you could argue that LoB is one of the most influential and groundbreaking films there is - it was banned all over the place (and apparently this month for the first time will be shown in Glasgow ). Its gentle satire led the way to many in how to poke a bit of fun, ask a few questions without being offensive or rude (compare for example with Borat). I think it has become part of the collective unconscious in a way that few other films are, at least in this country.

As far as the other criteria on your list, yes I'd probably have to agree.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/gla ... 126490.stm

What do you mean *** The Final!*** ?

Have I missed something?

Are there any movies about the World Cup (or even the qualifying rounds of the World Cup)?

Are we allowed to vote?

Is it too late?

Was there a long list we could choose from?

Can we start again so I can vote?

Don't let Barry hear you saying that or he'll be after you with a pitchfork!

BTW - to Doogal above - well put. I was trying to express the same feelings of 'entertainment vs art' during the semis but couldn't quite find the right words. I think you did!

Just did a google for 'best ever films' and heres some results....IMBd and Empire understandably the first film related brand/website most people would think of

Channel 4's top 100 - Pulp Fiction 4th - Life of Brian 23rd - 1st Star Wars Empire Strikes Back
IMDb top 250 - Pulp Fiction 5th - Life of Brian 153rd - 1st The Shawshank Redemption
Amazons best films ever (top 25) - Pulp Fiction 3rd - Life of Brian unplaced - 1st The Godfather Trilogy
Empires 500 greatest movies - Pulp Fiction 9th - Life of Brian 203rd - 1st The Godfather

Pulp Fiction ever present in the top 10
LOB 153rd and 203rd in the two main polls!

Theres only one great film in this final but the Fiso majority think differently.....shame

Just goes to show that FISO folks know a lot more about films than all of those "movie expert" types.

What these two films have in common is that they are both episodic. Life of Brian is series of hilarious sketches loosely connected by a silly plot, and Pulp Fiction is three interconnecting stories brought together by, well, the skill of the director. I don't think Life of Brian is any more than the sum of its parts, whereas I think Pulp Ficiton is, which is one of the reasons it gets my vote here. I don't want to talk down Life of Brian because it is very funny, but it's not as funny as half a dozen other films I could mention. I also don't think it's particularly "influential and groundbreaking", as Steph said - the ground was broken by Monty Python's Flying Circus in the Sixties.

Well done Barry!

My vote goes to Pulp Fiction, though only just as I could watch them both many times over and still enjoy them.

I think I saw a voting anomaly in an earlier round so it's best if we start over

Baz will be left with nothing to do otherwise

Pulp Fiction seems to be somewhat iconic as even I recognise some bits of it and I've never seen it. Bits of The Life Of Brian spring into my mind on a weekly basis even if it's only the daft song at the end. I'll also never forget when it opened, I have never seen a picture house in such uproar. Wonderful stuff.

One vote in it , they thought it was all over...

Here are a couple of top critics top 100 lists, if anyone cares.

http://www.filmdetail.com/archives/2008 ... est-films/

http://www.filmsite.org/villvoice.html

And

http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/top ... -long.html

I can see why you like those lists Pouzar! Pretty much what I'd expect from Village Voice and an agglomeration of French critics. But good to get a different perspective.

Interesting that the Village Voice list contains what's claimed to be the most watched film of all time, yet as far as I can recall didn't even get a nomination by the good folk of fiso.

Know what I'm talking about?

Gone with the Wind?
Hmmmn - that's not there.... Psycho?
Edit
Or Wizard of Oz?