Top 5

Top 5 black and white movies made after 1970

What are your favorite black and white films made after a time when color had become the norm?  Since I'm not sure exactly when that was (that could be an interesting thing to discuss here as well), I'm going to say 1970.

I can actually think of a lot more than 5, so I'm going to say more than that, but I think that's fair and allowable.

1.  I'm clumping all of Jim Jarmusch's B&W films together, which is nearly half of them I think: Stranger Than Paradise, Down by Law, Dead Man, Coffee and Cigarettes.

2.  The Man Who Wasn't There.  The Coen brothers' tribute to film noir.

3.  The Elephant Man.  My favorite Lynch film (even though I've only seen three).

4.  Ed Wood.  It HAD to be in B&W.

5.  OK, I can't pick 5, so these all tie for 5th.  Clerks, Pi, Young Frankenstein, Raging Bull, Following, Good Night, and Good Luck.

Ok, I have a few more I'd like to mention, but I'll hold off for some discussion.  There are several that I'm expecting a lot of people to list.

Re: Top 5 black and white movies made after 1970

Re: Top 5 black and white movies made after 1970

tmoney:

What, you mean besides Pleasantville? 1. The Elephant Man 2. Pi 3. Man Bites Dog 4. Dark Days 5. Sin City But I have to admit, I can probably count on two hands how many black and white films since 1970 that I have seen.

Hey, me too about counting on two hands.  That's why I am having trouble with this list.

Does Pleasantville count?  I was totally going to put that on my list, if so.

Re: Top 5 black and white movies made after 1970

tmoney:

What, you mean besides Pleasantville? 1. The Elephant Man 2. Pi 3. Man Bites Dog 4. Dark Days 5. Sin City But I have to admit, I can probably count on two hands how many black and white films since 1970 that I have seen.

Mand Bites Dog and Dark Days are ones I thought of as well.

No, I wouldn't count Pleasantville because there is color in it.  I'm actually surpised you guys mentioned that one.  I've never sat down and watched it, but I put it in one time when I was working at a video store and caught a lot of it.  It seemed pretty horrible to me.

I also wouldn't count Sin City for the same reason.  It has color in it.  Even though I wished I could count it.

I guess technically The Man Who Wasn't There was shot in color, but the final product is all in B&W, so I would count that.

Re: Top 5 black and white movies made after 1970

Re: Top 5 black and white movies made after 1970

I'm going to respectfully disagree, but then again, I tend to relax my critical eye when it comes to movies that remotely resemble teen flicks.  Please see the Forever Young group to verify that position. Pleasantville isn't the greatest cinematic masterpiece, but it is not horrible.  At least, I don't think it's horrible.  It's sort of quirky and charming and satirical, though I will say that I only reached that conclusion after I sat down and actually paid attention to it.  It's not dark and brooding like some of these other choices.  It's a thoughtful movie about hope, belief, and illusion.  And the visual effects are actually quite stunning.

I wasn't fond of Sin City.  Lots of style.  I think the story gets lost in the style.

I haven't seen enough post-70 b&w's to make a list of 5, I've decided.  I would put Clerks and Good Night, and Good Luck on my list, though.

Re: Top 5 black and white movies made after 1970

1.  Schindler's List (except for that bit with the red coat)

2.  Dead Man

3.  Good Night & Good Luck

4.  Ed Wood

...I'm also having trouble with this... but it's a good discussion topic, Risselada

Re: Top 5 black and white movies made after 1970

Here's a few other's that are pretty good, maybe worth mentioning.

Eraserhead

Tales from the Gimli Hospital

Le Final Combat

The General, 1998.

Re: Top 5 black and white movies made after 1970

Man, it's hard to think of them isn't it? These are the 5 I liked the most (where the style served te story and didn't just call attention to itself)

1. Young Frankenstein - A parody so good that it has become part of the legend. I still chuckle when I think of Peter Boyle singin' "Puttin on the Riz". How did Mel Brooks make this comaedy masterpiece and then make such lackluster comedy later on? What knockers! ....Oh, thank you doctor.

2. The General - John Boorman's best film since Point Plank and the film that should have got Brendan Gleeson an Oscar

3. The Last Picture Show - What a great farewell for the wonderful Ben Johnson

4. Veronika Voss - This Fassbinder is my favorite from his trilogy - lots of experiments with shading

5. Kafka - I know it had some color scenes at the end and I know it bombed, but it stayed with me and I liked it.

Re: Top 5 black and white movies made after 1970

Curse this 1970 cutoff!!!  Were there really that many above-average B&W flicks make after 65?  Can I be a smartass and include half of Memento?

1. The Man Who Wasn't There

2. Ed Wood

3. Following

4. Young Frankenstein

5. [...brain fart...]