Top 40: Movies

It's Only A Movie, Mark

The next Top 40 At 40 is very different. Not because it's a different category - frankly after music the next one you'd probably expect would be films - but I almost feel the need to apologise in advance because it's not going to be anything like as varied as the music category, and there definitely won't be as many that you've never heard of, although there are one or two surprises in there (38 and 12 in particular). Probably the 'didn't make it' lists will be more interesting, featuring stuff like 'Roman Holiday', 'Silent Running', Three Colours Blue' and 'Life Is Beautiful'.

But you'll have to wait another forty-or-so days for that. Most of the Top 40, whichever way you look at it, are mainstream to some extent, either through Hollywood studio funding or through audience reaction over the years. There will not be anything like Stephen Roach or Richard Searles popping up here.

The other difference between movies and music is that it's not so important to be 'repeatable'. Some music items failed to make the list due to the fact I haven't listened to them in fifteen years, despite being undeniably great pieces of music. However some of these films I have only seen maybe once or twice, although towards the top of the list - certainly the top 20 - I've seen multiple times and never yet started enjoying them any less. Still, it didn't seem quite so important since a film is dual-sense (sight and sound) for an hour and a half (or more), and most of the songs were only around four minutes.

On the question of spoilers, I'm going with the approach that you've SEEN it and I don't care if I'm presenting plot points that give it away - although for the most part I'm not focusing on that side of things. But that assumption is in place, so don't say you haven't been warned. (And no, Sixth Sense is not in the list so I don't have to deal with that.)

Oh, and one more thing - I'm going to say this now and get it dealt with early on: there are NO 'Star Wars' films and NO 'Godfather' films in my Top 40. There just aren't. We'll somehow just have to get over it and get on with our lives.

And that guy in the photo? Mark Kermode. More about him as we progress through the list.