1/  CITIZEN KANE (Orson Welles, USA, 1941) - The only movie I have seen where I couldn't imagine it one single frame shorter.  Absolute perfection!
 
2/  RULES OF THE GAME (Jean Renoir, France, 1939) - I can imagine this one longer (how about those 15 missing minutes...someone HAS to have a full print).  Both funny and profound, the film is the greatest achievement of the most humane filmmaker ever.

3/  THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP (Michael Powell, England, 1943)  I could probably make a whole Top 10 list of Powell films, but this is his best.  Also happens to be the best propaganda film of all time (take that Riefenstahl!).

4/  VIRIDIANA (Luis Buñuel, Spain, 1961)  Vicious, take-no-prisoners attack on the church and fascism.  I have images from this film burned into my brain.

5/  CRIES AND WHISPERS (Ingmar Bergman, Sweden, 1972)  The first Bergman film I ever saw (I was 12).  I watch it at least once a year.  Tough, uncompromising and visually breathtaking.

6/  BARRY LYNDON (Stanley Kubrick, USA/UK, 1975)  Not my favourite Kubrick (that would be THE KILLING and LOLITA), but I can't find anything wrong with this film and that includes Ryan O'Neal's performance!

7/  VERTIGO (Alfred Hitchcock, USA, 1958)  This film makes my flesh crawl, but I am perversely attracted to it.  Necrophilia was never sexier and Stewart and Novak were never better.

8/  The LIVING DEAD trilogy (George A. Romero, USA, 1968, 1979, 1985)  With the hiring of an African American lead for NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968), Romero was praised for his "progressive" politics.  In the films two sequels (DAWN (1979) and DAY (1985) OF THE DEAD), his real politics came through.  these films pro-feminist, pro-gay, anti-consumeristand anti-militarist.  They are also horrific, profound and downright funny!  The best "genre" filmmaker of the '60's, '70's and '80's.

9/  F FOR FAKE (Orson Welles, USA, 1973)  The Best Documentary ever made.  Welles does for the Documentary form what he did for the fiction film.  Visually daring and edited to within an inch of its life (did Oliver Stone see this film before he shot NATURAL BORN KILLERS), the film also has one of Michel Legrand's best scores and Welles gives his last great "performance"

10/  MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER (Robert Altman, USA, 1971) & THE SEARCHERS (John Ford, USA, 1956)  The best antiwestern (MCCABE...) and western (SEARCHERS) ever made.  