August 31, 2008

LA Times Top 25 LA films in the Last 25 Years

the LA times recently posted what they think are the top 25 LA films in the last 25 years. there were only two ground rules, "The movie had to communicate some inherent truth about the L.A. experience, and only one film per director was allowed on the list". I thought it was a pretty interesting list. choices that i agreed on: #1 L.A. Confidential (1997) - just a flat out good flick. #4 Boyz N the Hood (1991) - ice cube's jerry curl. the first time i ever felt proud of living next to the fox hills mall was after seeing this film. and who didn't cry when they saw this scene, slow motion fo' ya: did you ever notice that the gunman's car has a "local motion" sticker on the window? gangsta ass shit! #5 Beverly Hills Cop (1984) - cameo by balki bartokomous from perfect strangers. one of the best theme songs ever:Beverly Hills Cop Theme - Beverly Hills Cop #16 Friday - should have been higher on the list, no pun intended. i saw this film for the first time on a bootleg VHS with no sound! too many classic lines to mention. underrated cinematography. #24 Mi Vida Loca (1993) - the article puts it best: "The film is also a snapshot of a neighborhood pre-gentrification, before the coffee shops, boutiques and hip nightspots move in, forever changing the local feel and sense of place." aqua net aesthetics. and dialogue like this: choices i didn't agree with: #25 Crash (2004) - even though it barely made the list, it shouldn't have even been on it. i probably had the most arguments about this film more than any other, mainly because so many people who i respect and usually agree with actually liked this film! i still don't get it. why wasn't Colors on the list??? -tadillac