Jordan Hoffman
Critic
USA
Voted for
| Film | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2001: A Space Odyssey | 1968 | Stanley Kubrick |
| A Serious Man | 2009 | Joel Coen, Ethan Coen |
| Annie Hall | 1977 | Woody Allen |
| Do the Right Thing | 1989 | Spike Lee |
| Duck Soup | 1933 | Leo McCarey |
| HORÍ, MÁ PANENKO | 1967 | Milos Forman |
| Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of Balance | 1983 | Godfrey Reggio |
| Star Trek The Wrath of Khan | 1982 | Nicholas Meyer |
| Woodstock 3 Days of Peace & Music | 1970 | Michael Wadleigh |
| Zorns Lemma | 1970 | Hollis Frampton |
Comments
2001: A Space Odyssey
I've read Michael Benson's marvelous book about this film's production, but I believe it is part of the elaborate hoax. "2001" was not made by people of Earth. This is only movie where if I just watch it another time, I may finally uncover a hidden truth that could enlighten us all.
A Serious Man
None of us have ordered Santana "Abraxas," really.
Annie Hall
I could have picked "Hannah and Her Sisters" or "The Purple Rose of Cairo" or "Crimes and Misdemeanors" or "Zelig" or even "Sleeper," but maybe "Annie Hall" is the most beloved because it is, in the end, Woody Allen's best.
Do the Right Thing
Beyond being a landmark concerning race in America, this is also a hilarious and endlessly quotable New York City movie.
Duck Soup
The comedy lodestar that will never get old.
HORÍ, MÁ PANENKO
If one must expose systemic corruption and the selfish attitudes shared by all the moment they attain a modicum of power, there should at least be some jokes along the way.
Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of Balance
Almost feels reductive to call this merely a "film."
Star Trek The Wrath of Khan
The finest swashbuckler of them all, except for "Raiders of the Lost Ark," but while I love Indy and the whip, Spock in the warp core chamber just means more to me.
Woodstock 3 Days of Peace & Music
If you cut all the music out, this is still a spectacular film. If you watch only the music, this is still a spectacular film. Put the two together, you have a masterpiece that has never been topped.
Zorns Lemma
Playful and pleasing one minute, inexplicably frustrating the next. Just like life.
Further remarks
These selections, at least in my mind, fulfill different aspects of what I love about cinema. Most could, of course, be easily swapped for something else. I'll allow myself an "honorable mention ten" with "Casablanca," "Closely Watched Trains," Jan Svankmajer's version of "Faust," "GoodFellas," "One, Two, Three,""Paterson," "Persona," "Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," and maybe one of the Hope and Crosby "Road" pictures. There are a lot of great movies out there!