Independent Lists

The Independent has come up with an nice article on HMV Britain's poll to find out the top 50 British movies of all time. Excerpt:

It's official. The people have spoken, and they have decreed that the best British film of all time is The Italian Job. Not the remake, but the original 1969 heist movie, directed by Peter Collinson, starring Michael Caine, Noël Coward, Benny Hill, three customised Minis, some unconvincing "dolly birds" and a deeply irritating song called "The Self-Preservation Society".

We'll give you a minute to digest that information, before hitting you with the news that Bridget Jones's Diary is the third-best British movie of all time (beaten to the runner-up slot by Trainspotting); that last year's mildly amusing rom-zom-com hybrid Shaun of the Dead is fourth; and the Hugh-Grant-gets-cute-with-Julia-Roberts vehicle, Notting Hill, is fifth.

John Walsh has given his alternative list, both of which I've detailed below. In the ubiquitous LJ meme style, of course.


THE TOP 50 FAVOURITE BRITISH FILMS
Chosen by HMV customers

1. The Italian Job (1969, Peter Collinson)
2. Trainspotting (1995, Danny Boyle)
3. Bridget Jones' Diary (2001, Sharon Maguire)
4. Shaun of the Dead (2004, Edgar Wright)
5. Notting Hill (1999, Roger Michell)
6. Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (1998, Guy Ritchie)
7. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994, Mike Newell)
8. Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979, Terry Jones)
9. Snatch (2000, Guy Ritchie)
10. The Full Monty (1997, Peter Cattaneo)
11. Lawrence of Arabia (1962, David Lean)
12. Withnail & I (1995, Bruce Robinson)
13. Love Actually (2003, Richard Curtis)
14. Zulu (1964, Cy Endfield)
15. The Great Escape (1963, John Sturges)
16. Get Carter (1971, Mike Hodges)
17. Monty Python & The Holy Grail (1975, Terry Gilliam/Terry Jones)
18. Layer Cake (2004, Matthew Vaughn)
19. The Wicker Man (1973, Robin Hardy)
20. The Ladykillers (1955, Alexander Mackendrick)
21. 28 Days Later (2002, Danny Boyle)
22. A Clockwork Orange (1971, Stanley Kubrick)
23. The Third Man (1949, Carol Reed)
24. The Long Good Friday (1980, John Mackenzie)
25. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957, David Lean)
26. A Matter of Life and Death (1946, Powell/Pressburger)
27. Quadrophenia (1979, Franc Roddam)
28. Billy Elliot (2000, Stephen Daldry)
29. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949, Robert Hamer)
30. Brief Encounter (1945, David Lean)
31. Dog Soldiers (2002, Neil Marshall)
32. Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone (2001, Chris Columbus)
33. Shallow Grave (1994, Danny Boyle)
34. Chariots of Fire (1981, Hugh Hudson)
35. Kes (1969, Ken Loach)
36. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004, Beeban Kidron)
37. Gandhi (1982, Richard Attenborough)
38. The 39 Steps (1935, Alfred Hitchcock)
39. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964, Stanley Kubrick)
40. Oliver! (1968, Carol Reed)
41. Goodbye Mr. Chips (1939, Sam Wood)
42. Alfie (1966, Lewis Gilbert)
43. A Fish Called Wanda (1988, Charles Chrichton)
44. Bend It Like Beckham (2002, Gurinder Chadha)
45. Battle of Britain (1969, Guy Hamilton)
46. Doctor Zhivago (1965, David Lean)
47. Passport to Pimlico (1949, Henry Cornelius)
48. The Railway Children (1970, Lionel Jeffries)
49. A Bridge Too Far (1977, Richard Attenborough)
50. Sense & Sensibility (1995, Ang Lee)



THE ALTERNATIVE TOP 50
Chosen by John Walsh

1. Great Expectations (1946, David Lean)
2. Oliver Twist (1948, David Lean)
3. Darling (1965, John Schlesinger)
4. Billy Liar (1963, John Schlesinger)
5. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962, Tony Richardson)
6. if... (1968, Lindsay Anderson)
7. O Lucky Man! (1973, Lindsay Anderson)
8. Women In Love (1969, Ken Russell)
9. Whistle Down the Wind (1961, Bryan Forbes)
10. Naked (1993, Mike Leigh)
11. Secrets and Lies (1996, Mike Leigh)
12. In Which We Serve (1942, Noel Coward/David Lean)
13. Topsy-Turvy (1999, Mike Leigh)
14. Room at the Top (1959, Jack Clayton)
15. The Innocents (1961, Jack Clayton)
16. The Trilogy (1972-78, Bill Douglas)
17. My Name is Joe (1998, Ken Loach)
18. Gregory's Girl (1981, Bill Forsyth)
19. The English Patient (1996, Anthony Minghella)
20. The Talented Mr Ripley (1999, Anthony Minghella)
21. Local Hero (1983, Bill Forsyth)
22. Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers (1993, Nick Park)
23. Hope and Glory (1987, John Boorman)
24. The Draughtsman's Contract (1982, Peter Greenaway)
25. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1989, Peter Greenaway)
26. The Commitments (1991, Alan Parker)
27. The Butcher Boy (1997, Neil Jordan)
28. Henry V (1989, Kenneth Branagh)
29. The Lady Vanishes (1938, Alfred Hitchcock)
30. Brighton Rock (1947, John Boulting)
31. The Red Shoes (1948, Michael Powell/Emeric Pressburger)
32. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960, Karel Reisz)
33. The Lavender Hill Mob (1951, Charles Chrichton)
34. The Servant (1963, Joseph Losey)
35. The Crying Game (1992, Neil Jordan)
36. Dr No (1962, Terence Young)
37. A Man for all Seasons (1966, Fred Zinnemann)
38. The Madness of King George (1994, Nicholas Hytner)
39. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943, Michael Powell/Emeric Pressburger)
40. I'm All Right Jack (1959, John Boulting)
41. Shakespeare in Love (1998, John Madden)
42. Tom Jones (1963, Tony Richardson)
43. This Sporting Life (1963, Lindsay Anderson)
44. My Left Foot (1989, Jim Sheridan)
45. The Go-Between (1970, Joseph Losey)
46. The Man in the White Suit (1951, Alexander Mackendrick)
47. Blow-Up (1966, Michelangelo Antonioni)
48. The Remains of the Day (1993, James Ivory)
49. Goldfinger (1964, Guy Hamilton)
50. Peeping Tom (1960, Michael Powell)

I clearly have a lot of catching up to do.