Listal's big alphabet of films.

Here's something that might work. How about we put forward a film that we really love starting with each letter of the alphabet? What I propose is that we go through the letters in order and people submit a film starting with that letter, until we have 10 films beginning with A, then 10 beginning with B etc and so on.

I would ask that people try to restrict their nominations to at MOST just two films per letter, unless things get slow, or we get stuck on a problem letter (Q, X, V, Z...). In which case, we might just come up with 5 of each! There will be no backing of these films, so make sure you choose something that reflects your tastes! The final results, as with the Top 100 listal films, will make a new list:

www.listal.com/list/listals-z-library-films

Please don't move on to the next letter until we've got ten for the current letter.

The format should be as follows:

A

1. Insert Film Title:
Insert description why you love this movie. Description-less nominations will not be included.

Please only choose movies you really do like! Let's hope this works.

NB: Films like 'The Firm' will come under the letter F, Films starting with a number eg 8 Mile, come under the number category that we'll have at the end UNLESS the number is spelt out in the film title.

I'll get the ball rolling:

A.

1. Akira

Akira is a post-apocalyptic masterpiece. A definite benchmark in top-drawer animation which still effortlessly holds its own today. A story that is very much about survival as well as protecting what is dear to you in a city that has officially folded in on itself. The ending scenes are somewhat surreal and definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but the rest of the film is just superb action accompanied by an awesome soundtrack!

2. American Psycho

A lovely tale of yuppies. Christian Bale plays this crazy @55 mofo in this darkly humorous, quite possibly social commentary, tale about yuppies. Most probably won't appreciate it seeing as it quite delves in the socially unacceptable, but maybe that's why I think this movie is so amazing. And surprisingly enough it's toned down compared to the book.


Oh and what about films with numeric titles or starting with "the" or "a"? Where would those be under?

What a great idea ...

5. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

An Australian road movie that features two drag queens and a transsexual. An absolute riot of a film that features a storming performance by Terence Stamp.

One of the few films I can watch over and over again as you always find an outlandish line that you missed the last time round. In my opinion one of the greatest comedy films ever.

7. American Beauty
One of the more riveting films I've ever watched. If I hadn't already loved Kevin Spacey, this movie would definitely have done it for me.

On to B now!

1. Blade Runner
Ridley Scott's dystopian masterpiece is easily one of my favourite films of all time. Based on a Philip K. Dick novel, Blade Runner focuses on Harrison Ford in what was, for me, his finest role, the reluctant and vulnerable bounty hunter Rick Deckard. A legendary performance from Rutger Hauer and some of the finest desolate and depressing scenery I've witnessed in cinema later and you have a staple favourite of mine. Thank God it came out on DVD again after all these years!

3. Billy Elliot

Set against the backdrop of the bitter miners strike in 1980's Britain in a tough Northern town, this is a tale of a young lad following his dream to be a ballet dancer. Overcoming all sorts of obstacles he realises his dream & wins over his doubters. One of the best British made films ever with excellent acting performances throughout.

4. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
This movie gives hope to idiots around the world that they too can like be most triumphant and stuff. Plus some history is involved and it taught me the important lesson of "be excellent to each other." This movie not only instills moral values and hope for idiots around the world but it's most enjoyable.

10. The Boondock Saints

Seriously, Irish boys with guns a'blazin'? There's nothing else in the world that can make a girl's heart pitter-patter so. Plus, it helped instill a massive crush on Norman Reedus... But seriously, comedy and intersting re-creations of shots from different views makes for such a great movie.

2. Chronicles of Riddick

A great plot, superb special effects & an excellent performance from Vin Diesel potraying to my mind one of the best anti-heroes of contemporary sci-fi. An all action adrenaline soaked powerhouse of a film.

5. Commando

The archetypal action film which is filled with hilarious one-liners, cheesy family bonding scenes and more importantly, catastrophic body counts. Arnie pits his wits against a completely non-threatening villain in this 80s action masterpiece.

6. The Chorus (Les Choristes)
A delightful film about a music teacher that somehow ends up in at some boarding school for troubled boys. Singing and hijinks ensue. It gives hope that delinquent children can still change for the better if they had something better to live for. Plus the music is lovely.

D!

1. Desperado - A solid action film that I like way more than I should. Classic gun-totting action and a heavy dose of eye-candy to boot. The perfect mixture of fairytale storytelling, shoot-outs, comedy and farce.

7. Downfall

Superb war film chronicling the last days of the notorious dictator. Excellent performances all round and a real sense of claustrophobia and deep anguish and disgust as the Russians close in around the doomed Nazi war machine.

7. Escape from New York

A legend is born in the form of Snake Plissken. The consummate anti-hero has to drop into Manhattan - now a depraved, walled-in prison, to rescue the President of the US, who just happened to crash-land in this nightmarish vagrant-filled hell.

8. The Elephant Man

I.am.a.man. An immensely powerful & moving story about John Merrick. Hideously deformed but underneath an intelligent & sensitive human being he is rescued from a circus sideshow & gradually introduced into society where he becomes something of a celebrity.