Sight and Sound Playlist - The McClure

1.  2001: a space odyssey (1968 dir. Stanley Kubrick)
2.  Sunshine (1999 dir. Istvan Szabo)
3.  A.I. (2001 dir. Steven Spielberg)
4.  The Maxx (1995 John Andrews - supervising producer)
5.  Weekend (1967 dir. Jean-Luc Godard)
6.  Natural Born Killers (1994 dir. Oliver Stone)
7.  The Lion in Winter (1968 dir. Anthony Harvey)
8.  Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1989 dir. Robert Zemeckis)
9.  Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1967 dir. Russ Meyer)
10.  Aliens (1986 dir. James Cameron)

1.  If I must create a list of 10 favorite/best films of all time, a strange thing happens after my 3rd or 4th listing.  I can't seem to find equal footing between 10 films.  It may be genetic, like color blindness.  Certainly my top 3 films have similar criteria, that they deal with the infinite, the inevitable, insights granted to the audience that are beyond any individual.  To me this is one of the greatest achievements of film.  2001, is an original idea, performed with near perfection.  A necessary vision of space, and purpose.  A mystery; where are we headed, and where are we going?

2.  Not the Danny Boyle sci fi film.  A 1999 film, that follows a family of Hungarian Jews through the transition of the 19th and 20th century.  Pitch perfect study on man' infidelities:  wars betrayal of humanity, brother' betrayal of brother, father of son, son of father, religion and politics failing its people.  Sex and fencing.

3.  As I said in the 2001 review, A.I. Is a film that shows us the inevitable.  A day would come where the creations of man will out live them, and excavate earth in the attempt to know their origins, and the nature of humans.  They will find a robot, who was built to be a boy, built to love his host parents.  As part of the movies brilliance, and part of my inabilities, I can't find any better way to describe this film without simply telling you everything that happens.

4.  The Maxx, you may remember, was an animated series for MTV in the 90's.  It was collected and sewn into a movie at the series completion.  Before this point in my own I life, I didn't empathize with cartoon people, except the ugly duckling from an old Disney short.  The Maxx is inventive with all it has to work with; story, landscape, color, voice acting, and edit.  The movie goes metaphysical faster than you can say, EVAN TUCKER DOESN'T LIKE CARTOONS BECAUSE THAT'S NOT EVAN TUCKER'S KIND OF THING....

5.  Weekend is a foreign film by Jean Luc Godard, made in 1967.  I think there is something special about a movie that can be so serious about its comedy that it slits your throat with winking-sincerety.  That's all I have to say about that.

6.  Natural Born Killers.  I do everything in my power to offend a brand of director who is beyond irresponsible:  Lars Von Trier, Gaspar Noe, etc.  Oliver Stone shows incredible talent in this film, to be crass, amoral, drug induced psycho rock and roll damn the hatches sort of person, and not be irresponsible.  The 90's has a few necessary films to see and understand, but I don't think anyone else will say, Natural Born Killers.

7.  Peter Otoole, Katherine Hepburn, Anthony Hopkins, Timothy Dalton.  The lion in Winter is a 1968 film, 1183 C.E. period piece about King Henry 2nd and his family.  With a stellar cast of soon to be known's and has been's, this film is like the Outsiders, but with more gay love, incest, and yelling.  And castles.

8.  Who Framed Roger Rabbit?  A 1988 film produced by touchstone pictures.  They make films for Disney when they are too smart, dark, and sexy.  Very funny, imaginative, smart.  The original story was simply perfect for a Spielberg-Zemeckis collaboration; just poured right into their hands.  Some people worked very hard to do this movie right.

9.  Roger Ebert wrote the part elizabethan, part hippy dialogue for this Russ Meyer picture.  If you can count to the number 10, you will have an erection while laughing aloud when watching this movie.  It's conclusion will make you explode like the bite victims of Cloverfield.  Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.  Do it.

10.  James Cameron made Aliens in 1986.  I think it is the best action/horror/sci-fi film ever made.  The design, the drama, and frightening scenarios are unique, happening that year, and never again.  It raises important questions, like WHY DOES EVAN TUCKER NOT LIKE ACTION/HORROR/SCI-Fi MOVIES?
   I don't really know Evan yet, so this is very enjoyable for me.  Potentially how men bond these days....


(Editor's note: The McClure is one of the two very talented percussionists in the new gypsy jazz band in which I now play violin: Orchester Prazevica. And in response to these horrific accusations of his, the answer can be summed up all too simply: Evan Tucker is a snob.)