MovieChat Forums > The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) Discussion > Just fell out of the Top 100. Really??

Just fell out of the Top 100. Really??

posted 12 years ago by SpaceMonkey-Mafioso
17 replies | jump to latest

So I came across an old printout of the Top 250 I made ten years ago, (back when I thought the Top 250 meant something,) and decided to compare it to 2013's list. Wow. Things have changed and not for the better. Classics (pre 1980) really have suffered. Kwai was # 49 at the time. Now it's dropped out of the top 100. Lean's Lawrence of Arabia was #23 and now it's 69. I could list countless others, but I won't.

Can anyone guess why? Are 2013 audiences too impatient to watch the classics or is the IMDB voting system worthless now?

One classic that strangely did rise is "12 Angry Men." Was 22. Now top 10. I don't get that either. It certainly is a solid movie, but rather un-cinematic in comparison with Lean's work.

"Visions are worth fighting for. Why spend your life making someone else's dreams?"

[–] Degree7 12 years ago

Could you post a link to that top 250 printout you have? Maybe a picture?

Limit of the Willing Suspension of Disbelief: directly proportional to it's awesomeness.

[–] PuddinTaine 11 years ago

If you google 'top 250 history' you can find the awesome took.nl site which has databased the entire history of the top 250.

[–] bobcat41702 12 years ago

SpaceMonkey-Mafioso: "Can anyone guess why? Are 2013 audiences too impatient to watch the classics or is the IMDB voting system worthless now?"

Since anyone with internet access can get at least one IMDB account, and there is no accounting for sophistication or maturity, I do not place very much importance to the IMDB film ratings.

... there has been technological advancement, but how little man himself has changed.

[–] jhpen22 10 years ago

You are right, Bobcat. And so is everybody else who wrote of the youth and unsophistication of the users of this site. The top movies as voted here have no more validity than the Oscars Both are jokes for different reasons. The best policy is to forget the notion that these are important measures of any movie's worth and choose your own top 100 or 250.

[–] Jumbajookiba 11 years ago

The top 250 list is worthless now as most people who vote on this site are pobably under 40 and only watch the most recent releases, I know many who refuse to watch black and white movies and silents have no chance of being a position that truly reflects their greatness. I am surprised at '12 Angry Men' as it seems to be the exception to the rule and an odd one at that, yes, a good film, but, not that good, oh well modern youth.

I am a four eyed evil genius.

[–] JohnM_99 9 years ago

> I am surprised at '12 Angry Men'....

It's probably because EVERY SCHOOL in the US has a student production of it every year one way or another. Otherwise, very few of them would know. It's also a VERY EASY (and eminently feel-good) story to follow. I can see how it easily appeals the younger (and sadly a lot less patient, or dare I say, dumber) populations.

[–] MikePaul854 11 years ago

Probably by the same dolts who think 'Vertigo' is better than 'Citizen Kane'.

[–] Pbaumannjr-775-71695 11 years ago

I can't believe that either. This movie had everything...story, acting scenery, music..

That said I'm really starting to notice how the world has moved on and left me. I just noticed a list by VH1 of the 100 greatest child stars of all time. No Annette, Ron Howard, Hayley Mills, Jackie Cooper, Jackie Coogan, Patty Duke, Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple...No one before 1980. Hard to justify that someone that was the top box office star in the world for four straight years and saved her studio from bankruptcy didn't even make the top 100.

[–] Pierre_D 11 years ago

The Top 250 here is quite fluid. For example, I wouldn't be surprised to see Gravity or Wolf of Wall Street up there now but they might not make it in 5-10 years. The bigger issue is if you're looking for a movie like "Kwai", then it means you're a cinephile or you're in a cinema class or whatnot. It doesn't really play in theatres.

There's also a pretty big generation gap going on too. I know in my 20s (I'm mid-40s now) I would not have been caught dead watching Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? or Double Indemnity. But as I got older I wanted to get a beter baggage of movie knowledge so I go those on my view list. You're only exposed to what's exposed to you so...

[–] RickDVD 11 years ago

I've noticed a lot of movies which came out in the last decade or two have crept into the top 100, but they will quite possibly fall out after some time. People love the Batman trilogy and the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the last two James Cameron films, but other than those, most of the recent releases are going to fall out of the top 100 over time.

As for 12 Angry Men going up, I can only say it's a short black and white movie with a very good cast which moves it into the top ten. I also agree that the IMDB voting system is worthless, in a way. Unless a film is sitting in the theaters for 4 months, it really shouldn't even make the top 100. But, you see people voting these new releases a 10 the first week they are released. Hence, these new movies get high ratings and skew the top 100, but that is only for a few months.

"It's so hard having a good time. Even smiling makes my face ache." - Dr. Frank-N-Furter

[–] the-fearless-america 10 years ago

if you want an accurate and valid list of best movie of all time, go to american film institute website. not here.

imdb serving to us with another kind of condition. no age range, very fluid, easy to vote, user friendly website, forum shapped, communicative, social media shareable content, etc.
this website made for that purpose. it significantly depends on current world people's mod which can be categorized in many different way of thinking.