Amazon Blogs: Armchair Commentary Daily Digest

Check out these Updates from Armchair Commentary for September 30, 2010.

Rank 'Em! David Fincher Movies September 30, 2010 David Fincher is connected to two huge projects making the news right now: The Social Network, aka "that Facebook movie," which opens Friday and is getting incredible Oscar(?) buzz, and the American remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara. Nevertheless, Fincher has only directed eight feature films. Not counting The Social Network, how would you rank his others? Here's one spin on it: 1. Se7en (1995) - There are detective movies, there are movies that keep you up at night, and then there's Se7en, which did both, especially that bleak, bleak ending. ("Oh... he didn't know.") 2. Zodiac (2007)- I'm putting this above the obvious choice (Fight Club) because it's like the antithesis of Se7en; just as dark but without the gore, focusing on the price paid by its investigators, led by cartoonist/sleuth Jake Gyllenhaal and reporter Robert Downey Jr. That it's based on a true story makes it even more creepy. 3. Fight Club (1999) -I put this at #3 because of cultural relevance and the rabid fan base that grew after it initially tanked in theaters. But most people I talk to either love it or hate it. (Yet, they all quote it) 4. The Game (1997): Do you remember The Game? I think Castle recently ripped off this premise for one of its episodes. Anyway, this underrated thriller has many twists and turns and implausible plot holes, but it's fun to watch (especially Sean Penn's brief turn). Is the game over? No? 5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Haters likened this loooooong tale to Forrest Gump and too obvious as an Oscar nominee. I give it a bump though, for what Fincher accomplished with the visual effects, not to mention that after all the hype and subsequent backlash, it's a very sentimental movie. Which may be weird coming from the guy who put Gwyneth's head in a box, but maybe that's what's likable. 6. Panic Room (2002):  This is a good movie; don't get me wrong just because it's near the bottom. (The man has only seven movies here, after all) But I liked the premise (and terrific acting by Jodie Foster) more than I did the latter half of the movie. Still, a lower-ranked Fincher thriller is still usually better than 70% of other thrillers. (side note: From the trailer I had thought Kristen Stewart's character was a boy). 7. Alien3:Fincher's first film unfortunately had to follow Ridley Scott's terrific original and James Cameron's even-better sequel. Plus, behind-the-scenes script and studio interference. It's like it never had a chance. How would you rank Fincher's films? --Ellen Tony Curtis, 1925-2010 September 30, 2010 Oscar- and Emmy-nominated actor Tony Curtis , a magnetic lead in such classic films as “The Defiant Ones” (1958), “ Some Like It Hot ” (1959), “ Spartacus ” (1960), “Captain Newman, M.D.” (1963) and “ The Boston Strangler ”... read more

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