Quentin Tarantino recently put together a list of the 12 greatest films:
“Apocalypse Now”
“The Bad News Bears”
“Carrie”
“Dazed & Confused”
“The Good, The Bad & The Ugly”
“The Great Escape”
“His Girl Friday”
“Jaws”
“Pretty Maids All In A Row”
“Rolling Thunder”
“Sorcerer”
“Taxi Driver”
Some observers have noted that this differs from a list Tarantino created in 2008.
Like Drew McWeeny, the discrepancy doesn’t bother me. Tastes change. I’m not a movie reviewer — and I certainly haven’t been a student of film like Tarantino — but my list today would probably differ a great deal from a list I might have created five years ago (even though it wouldn’t include any “new” films.)
For example, here are 12 of my favorite films (which is a less ambitious title than “greatest films”). Some of these are truly great movies, others are just flicks that I happen to like (I’m sure it says something about me, though I’m not sure quite what):
“Rushmore”
“Casablanca”
“Amazing Grace”
“Charlie Wilson’s War”
“Rocky”
“Oceans Eleven” (Clooney remake)
“It’s a Wonderful Life”
“A Few Good Men”
“Bull Durham”
“Raising Arizona”
“The Godfather”
“My Cousin Vinny”
(I realize some of the titles on this list may expose me to ridicule, but then again, Tarantino’s old list included “The Bad News Bears.”)
But the point is that, like Tarantino, everyone’s tastes change. Perspectives change. And we get sick of things. A few years ago, my list might have included “Citizen Kane,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Spinal Tap,” and “Die Hard.”