The best films of all time

  • Breaking
  • 01/04/2015

Over the course of Firstline's four-year lifespan, reviewers Kate Rodger and Daniel Rutledge have critiqued hundreds of films.

They've both loved some, both hated some and disagreed on many. But what about their favourite films ever?

For Firstline's final episode, Kate and Daniel talk about their top three films of all time.

Once Upon a Time in the West (Kate)
If there is one film I can quite literally watch every single day of my life and never ever tire of, it's this Sergio Leone masterpiece. An epic revenge tale set against the backdrop of the rapidly modernising Wild West, a mysterious harmonica-playing stranger arrives in a thriving railroad town, his mission at first unclear, but not for long. With an outstanding, memorable Ennio Morricone soundtrack gluing it all together, cinema doesn't get any better than this.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Daniel)
That unmistakable Sergio Leone style is put to its ultimate use in this film. It follows three outlaws who, against the backdrop of the American Civil War, are each hunting for a buried fortune of gold. This Old West is a presented as a harsh, cruel setting and although the film is occasionally moving, it's also a wildly entertaining romp. The climactic three-way shootout in the graveyard is the greatest scene of all time.

Star Wars (Kate)
There are two Star Wars camps, and I remain steadfast and true to my love of the first, the original, the seminal, A New Hope. Nothing will ever compare to Darth Vader imposingly, menacingly striding through the haze of blaster fire on his mission to find Princess Leia, or R2D2 trundling through the rocky barren wasteland of Tatooine before being zapped by the scavenging Jawas. It changed my life, and my loyalty to this film will never waver.

Aliens (Daniel)
A fantastic mix of action, sci-fi and horror, this is a relentlessly intense survival story about a small group of humans fighting a terrifying army of aliens on a distant planet. James Cameron's '80s films have a very special place in my heart and this is the best of the bunch. There's a gang of memorable characters delivering a load of quotable lines, ingenious special effects and of course the epic showdown between Ripley and the Xenomorph Queen.

Point Break (Kate)
Keanu, Swayze, Gary Busey – a story full of bromance, extreme sports, surfing and bank robbing. I have watched this too many times to count, and love it each of those times just a little bit more. I just adore watching Keanu run, is that weird? And Swayze's Bodhi? I almost named my first-born after him. Too good to be the bad guy, too cool to be anything other than an anti-hero, he created a cinematic character for the ages.

The Shining (Daniel)
What I love the most about this film is how it makes you feel uneasy and tense as soon as it starts, then just cranks that tension up mercilessly and steadily until it's a crescendo of terror. Kubrick is truly one of the greats and his take on horror, anchored by Jack Nicholson's brilliant and disturbing performance, is a master class of the genre.

Watch the final Firstline Film3 video.

3 News

source: newshub archive