Procedure for the Selection of Films
The fundamental criteria for selection of films is approval of critics and acceptability by a majority of its viewers. Film selection does not necessarily involve a detailed analysis of every film. The conclusions drawn by various reviewers can help tremendously in film selection. There is only one practical method to select films that are worth preserving for the future generations. What is required of the selector is to read as much as required about each and every film under consideration. A multitude of skills is required for this colossal task. Of these patience, perseverance and discipline are vital. It involves the development of an elaborate system to scavenge for information about films and then analyzing it for the useful pieces.
Every film ever released for the general public has been watched and reviewed by critics and countless viewers. They have commented about the films they watched. They are eager to recommend a film if they like it. They are also quick to discuss anything they like about the film. They compare these films with similar films. They also point out any flaws or shortcomings in the film. Any film that is not recommendable for watching can be pointed out quickly. What is required of the film selector is to learn from what has been written, the key elements that make a film memorable. Discover the weaknesses of a film in review and to get a sense of the overall appreciation level.
Film selection is not an exact science. Film criticism is extremely subjective. There is no scientific gauge to determine the greatness of a film. The artistic greatness of films can never be rated or quantified. There is no accepted standard for rating cinematic works. You can never rank the greatest films among themselves. The best that one can be done is to grade films into batches of ‘varying greatness’ or to filter out useless films. Nevertheless, there are some general guidelines one can follow to cut short ones work and make the results more consistent. The following pages briefly discuss some of the criteria for selecting films. You may not necessarily agree with some of my theories, but be rest assured, that which ever criteria you use in selecting films, if you are sincere in seeking quality, you will more or less draw the same conclusions that I drew after my quest.
Criteria for Film Selection: Or which films can be rejected immediately?
It is relatively easier to eliminate as many films as possible and then evaluate the remainder. The following lines briefly discuss the types of films that were discarded discarded without further research.
Obsolete Films
If a film is obsolete or its existence is not certain, it is of no use for my purpose.
Movies of the first half of the 20th century were filmed on an unstable, highly flammable nitrate film base, which required careful storage to slow its inevitable process of decomposition over time. Larry Karr, archivist for the American Film Institute, reported in 1970 that the approximately 21,000 U.S. feature films produced before 1950, 48% had been lost. fewer than 20% of the features of the 1920s survive in complete form; for features of the 1910s, the survival rate falls to slightly above 10% [1]. Many silent films were discarded when sound came in, because they were simply deemed worthless. The number of films obliterated by the elements keeps on increasing with each passing year. The majority of films that have survived since the days of World War II are not in immaculate condition. The image may be distorted and scratched. They need to be restored in order to ensure their future existence. Film preservation is a costly process and is undertaken only when it is commercially viable. In order for a film to be a possible candidate for selection, it must be completely intact. If a significant portion of the film has been lost or destroyed, it is practically worthless.
Availability on Common Video Formats [2]
All films in the list must be available in at least one of the common video formats i.e., VHS, laserdisc and DVD. There is a myriad of films out there locked in vaults that are yet to be converted into video. Availability on video is a pivotal factor in film selection.
The most common video format nowadays is the DVD. Proper conversion of film to DVD format is an expensive process. A large number of significant classic films are available on VHS or laserdisc only. The quality of the picture on these formats degrades with the passage of time. Unless the VHS copy that you bought was made from a master cassette you will never get a crisp picture.
Censorship Rating
Before a film can be released for public on cinemas in the United States, it must be certified by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) which rates it based upon its content. In the United States, the MPAA rating system is the most recognized system for classifying potentially offensive content. The movie ratings system is a voluntary system operated by the MPAA and the National Association of Theater Owners. The MPAA certifies that a particular film is suitable for certain age groups. The rating certification system used by MPAA is somewhat complicated. You can find details on the MPAA website. The IMDb maintains a field titled ‘Certification’ where you can find the rating of a film in various countries.
As a rule, I reject all X-rated films or films that are not rated unless they were made before the MPAA rating system was enforced, in which case, they must have been rated by other recognized censorship authorities with similar standards for filtering X-rated films.
Short Films
Feature films were considered only. Films which run for 40 minutes or less are not considered [3]. Co-features and second features are not considered. Except for a few memorable films from the silent era, all short films were rejected.
Documentaries
Documentaries were neglected so that I could focus on feature-length fictional films only. Similarly, educational films and newsreels are not of concern either.
Foreign Language Films
English language were selected after research. Foreign language films were selected from other sources and by recommendations only.
Television Movies and Direct Video Productions
My object is to collect feature films only. Films that have had theatrical releases were considered only. The end product of a film (also called motion picture) must be a strip of celluloid material containing an imprint of the actual images comprising the motion picture and is meant to be displayed by projecting it onto a plain screen. Films made specifically for television broadcast (television movies) are not considered films. Similarly movies shot entirely on video and meant for direct video distribution were not considered. Television movies (TVMs), mini-series and video productions were not ignored so that I could concentrate on films only.
Film Series
Films that are a part of a long series were rejected if the first film in that series was rejected. Similarly, all three films in ‘proper trilogies’ were either selected if the first film in that trilogy was selected. An attempt was made not to select entire film series.
B-movies
The term B-movie originally referred to a motion picture, made on a low or modest budget, intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature during the so-called Golden Age of Hollywood. The term B-movie continues to be used in a broader sense, referring to any low-budget commercial film. ‘Plan 9 from Outer Space’ (1959) and ‘Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!’ (1978) are some of the most famous examples of B-movies. The Westerns of Audie Murphy provide other examples. Low-budget science fictions, x-rated films, exploitation films, comedies and spoofs usually fall under this category. B-movies have low production value. Continuity breaks, poor acting and careless editing are some of the highlights of B movies. B movies were responsible for the degradation of the whole Science fiction genre during the 1960s.
If a movie was made in the USA before 1970 and was not released by a major Hollywood studio, chances are fairly good that the film is a B-movie. Identification of the studio helps to dismiss B movies.
Ludicrous Titles
As a rule of thumb, I reject any film that has an absurd title unless I discover that either it was made by a prominent director or features a big star in which case it needs to be investigated further. Films with absurd titles are B-movies or exploitation films.
Sacrilegious Films
I believe that I should not collect any film with content that the majority of a particular religious group finds offensive. If a film has been denounced in public, by the representatives of a religious group, it is not worth watching. Such movies can send a false message to the future generations about the religious beliefs of the majority. The profanity of Roman Catholicism in Kevin Smith’s 1999 comedy ‘Dogma’ and the 2006 blockbuster ‘The Da Vinci Code’ drew fierce criticism from religious groups.
Controversial Films
When too much controversy surrounds a film it may not be worth collecting. All movies centered on the personal lives and relationships of a certain pervert minority of society are rejected, whatever merit they might have otherwise. Similarly, most of the films that discuss subjects which are considered taboo by the majority can be rejected. Racial prejudice can be discussed or portrayed on screen but any story that is aimed at discrimination against a certain race must not be encouraged.
IMDb Rating
IMDb is the most popular film website in the world. More than 178,000 registered imdb members voted for ‘The Godfather’ (1972) alone. Members can rate any film on a scale of 1 to 10. The average of these ratings is displayed on the web page for that film. You might not necessarily agree with the exact average rating but the significance of a highly rated film cannot be dismissed. The imdb ratings indicate both the popularity and critical recognition of films and are a very convenient factor in estimating the worthiness of a film. All English language films with a rating of 7.0 or greater, with 300 or more votes cast were selected if they did not violate any other criteria. Movies with an average score of 5.5 or less have serious flaws, lack entertainment content or are perceived as offensive by the majority. These films consist of average, ‘less than average’, bad and vile films. Such titles can be safely rejected. Movies with an average rating that lies between 5.0 and 6.0 are rarely selected. Films with an average rating that lies between 6.0 and 7.0 and that do not violate other criteria must be studied in detail. As in any other statistical analysis, the more number of votes cast for a movie, the more valid will be its average rating. If 20 or less members rate a film on the imdb, the average rating does not convey much information. Such movies are somewhat obscure and need not be investigated in detail, unless you discover a good reason.
Guidelines for Film Selection
The most practical approach to selecting films from a list is to read as much as is required about each film. You are not required to read each line an article. The conclusions drawn by the critic and their rating of a film are of more concern to the film selector than an in-depth analysis. Skimming through a large number of articles for useful pieces information tends to produce better results than reading a few articles in detail. Reviewers are perfectly free to issue their own ratings, which are little more than considered opinions. A critic might be led by a sudden impulse to rate a certain film with four stars. A consensus of opinion on the greatness or acceptability of a motion picture is far more valid than the judgment of one person alone. It is extremely dangerous to rely on the judgment of one single critic, however convincing his article might be. Even the best known critics may have radically different opinions about a certain film. With some simple rules in mind one can quickly get a rough estimate of the critical acclaim and average user rating of a film. If the majority of critics and viewers recommend a film it must be worth watching.
While studying 'about' films it is useful to identify the key elements that the critics found in the film that convinced them of its greatness or otherwise. If you can learn what makes films great or stand out amongst the crowd of common films, you can gauge films for yourselves. These attributes are more or less common in the greatest films. Critics tend to allude to some of the masterpieces of classic cinema when they discuss films. They can also hint at similarities between films. The other works of the director come into question. A comparison is made with similar works. The critics are never shy to point out any weakness in the story, the lack of continuity or similar flaws.
Bear in mind that this whole process was formulated to select films that are not counted amongst the greatest films that were discussed in the article ‘Sources for the Selection of Greatest Films’. These films are not necessarily counted as ‘must see’ by the critics but they do have their own qualities for which they must be separated from the vast majority of what I label as ‘common films’. Most of the films are not worth watching. Films that are a waste of time must be pointed out. Even in the ‘golden age’ of Hollywood, probably eighty percent of what was produced was ghastly rubbish[4]. It is somewhat complicated to differentiate between a three and a three and a half star production. But any sensible film buff can identify a bad movie when he sees one. It is impractical to determine the production value or comprehend the plot of a cinematic work without watching it. We must rely on the judgment of critics to assess the quality of films, and outline the kind of information we seek from a review. This procedure is aimed more at finding weakness in films than at apprising their value.
Once you have studied enough reviews and commentaries and had time to assimilate them, the whole process of film selection becomes institutive. You will automatically pick up the information you need, without reading complete articles. This information is processed unconsciously. Your mind begins to work on multiple levels. For this reason and for the various factors that influence the decision of selecting films, the whole process of film selection can never be outlined on paper.
The amount of study involved in selecting a particular film can vary from title to title. Most of the candidates can be discarded without much effort. Similarly, great films can be noted with considerable ease. Some cinematic works demand a detailed investigation to gauge their validity. Some movies must be viewed briefly before they can be discarded. Websites like IMDB, rottentomatoes and All Movie Guide and books like Leonard Maltin’s film movie & video guide and Halliwell’s Film Guide can provide the starting point for research. In some cases secondary sources need to be consulted. The best resources for film reviews are listed in the page.
The following pages briefly discuss what key elements that help in apprising the value of a film.
The Director
The director is a good indicator of the entertainment value or significance of a film. A film made by a great director cannot be dismissed unless there is a good cause. Once you realize that a film was directed by a certain director you naturally pay more attention to details and strive to learn more. But remember that no one is perfect – especially in show business.
All directors are under constant pressure to make money for others. Even the greatest directors keep themselves occupied, just to remain in business. The masterpieces are the exceptions and not the rule. Study each work of the director independent of his other achievements. Knowledge of the overall standing of the director before critics is must. The study of the life of the director himself can do only good.
The Cast
The most visible consideration of a film's ring of truth is the quality of the actors themselves, and to some extent, their celebrity. Films starring good actors cannot be dismissed easily. The best roles are generally given the the most popular actors. Stars like James Stewart, Humphrey Bogart, Gary Cooper and Katherine Hepburn were prolific actors and yet the majority of their films are good enough to be saved forever. Then there are certain actors who pay great attention to selection of films. These actors can predict, by virtue their experience, if a certain script and team will make a film good or not and whether the role offered to them benefits their career or otherwise. Before the independent films became popular, the most popular actors worked with renowned directors only. In the golden age of Hollywood when works spoke larger than action, the success of a film hinged on the performance of its stars. An average performance by one of the leading actors was panned by critics. No actor, however great he may be, can guarantee a great performance each time. It is a good idea to study the lives and acting styles of some of the best actors. Learn if the actor is versatile in his roles (Gary Cooper) or typecast (John Wayne and Fred Astaire). Knowledge of the works and acting styles of actors can help in deciphering messages implied by the critic in his review.
Before the 1970s, when all production in Hollywood was dominated by less than ten studios, amateur directors had a hard time finding financial support for their projects. The studios rarely took chances with new actors. The selection good films from the classic era of Hollywood is somewhat straightforward. In recent years, success of independent film makers has brought in an influx of new ideas and talent into show business. This has resulted in choice for film-goers, but at at the same time it has obfuscated the process of selecting good films.
Awards
Awards are a statement of the recognition of talent. See if the film has won any award from a recognized body.
The Budget
The budget is one of the best indicators of the overall production value. Film is a business first and anything else later. The cost of production in Hollywood is astounding. Still larger sums are spent on promotion. A simple indoor drama with a big cast, shot on high quality 35 mm film stock can cost tens millions of dollars. Alfred Hitchcock’s 1948 thriller drama ‘Rope’ was shot entirely on the set an average size New York Apartment. The budget for this simple film was 1.5 million US dollars.
The budget must be considered in conjunction with the type of the film and the celebrity of the performers. It is possible for a low-budget drama to be rewarded by the critics but a low-budget science fiction film is bound to leave a bad taste. However, a big budget does not necessarily warrant a good film or a success for that matter. ‘Wild Wild West’ (1999) and ‘Heaven’s Gate’ (1980) are testimony to this fact.
Box Office Success
Success at the box office is a perhaps the best indicator of the acceptability of a movie by the general public. The total money a film cashes in on the box office depends on the promotion and distribution more than any other factor. Titanic is not the greatest film as the common folk were led to believe. I still find it hard to believe that Independence Day (1996) made over 800 million dollars. Big budget films: sci-fi thrillers, action packed films and animations, make far more money than other types of films as clear from a list of the Top Grossing Films of All Time. When taking box office figures into account, the type of the film and its budget must be noted. Big budget films must be considered on their merit and not on their success. A low budget independent film or pure drama that makes it big cannot be ignored. ’The Blair Witch Project’ (1998) cost $30,000 to make and went on to gross over 248 million US dollars worldwide. ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest’ (1975), a pure drama, is considered to be one of the finest films of a all times. The total budget for this film was $ 3 million. It grossed $112 million in theatres.
Uniqueness of Subject
If a film is truly unique in subject or story and does not offend a certain group, other criteria can be relaxed. Ken Russel’s controversial 1971 movie ‘The Devils’ (1971) contains some offensive material but it was forgiven because of its originality.
The Writer
Once ignored by the mainstream media, the writer is now recognized as an influential player in the movie business. If a film is made from an original screenplay, the previous works of the writer can influence the decision of selection. Movies that are adaptations of critically acclaimed works must also be examined in detail if necessary.
Initial Reception and Present Perception
In tinsel town you must not believe what you see unless you have had time to analyze it. Every major release from Hollywood is followed by a massive advertising campaign: TV commercials, posters and the seemingly benign paid reviews from the top critics. These hired journalists use every trick in the book to lure potential ‘customers’ of the product. Such antics might make a box office hit but they do not necessarily guarantee the longevity of a film. Initial reception is not a very good means to judge the greatness of a film. It is far more difficult to judge a new movie than it is to evaluate a classic if your only sources of information are a few printed articles. It is much better to watch such films for your selves and decide. Low budget films by independent film makers on succeed on the box office on their own only if they are good enough or entertaining. The top critics will take notice of a low budget independently produced picture only if it has some artistic or entertainment value.
Once enough time has passed since its release, the true value and merit of a film becomes clear. Time is the best test for value. It has a built in mechanism to obliterate the useless and to retain what is quintessential. Once the box office value of a film has died out, its true merit becomes clear. If its presence is still felt and critics and viewers still cherish it, there must be something worthy about it. When searching for reviews rely on the reviews published in recognized film journals, film guides and academic books. Reviews that were published in newspapers or popular magazines at the time of the release of film might not convey much information.
Influence and Influences
A film can never be studied in isolation of other films. It is vital to identify the influence and influences of a film. Learn about the influence of a film on future films. Find answers to questions like: Did the film introduce a new style in film making? How did the film affect popular culture? Did it question popular beliefs? At the same time learn about the influence of previous films on that film. The influences of a film may be manifold. The influences of film may be at multiple levels.
Film makers eat, drink and breathe films. They spend more time in a chimerical world than in reality. Film makers infiltrate their movies with elements from other films, elements that have inspired them. Identify the influences of a film while studying about it. In their reviews, film critics, allude to scenes and styles in the great masterpieces of classic cinema. They may compare any aspect of a film with its counterpart in another film.
A number of factors other than previous films can also inspire films. These can have their roots in the political or social order of society. Religious beliefs, racial prejudices, romanticism, political upheavals and wars are a few factors that have continuously influenced cinema. It is recommended to learn about the motives and motivations of the makers to comprehend the true spirit of a film. Biographies of directors can help in this regard.
Success of a movie at any level is a precursor for change in film making trends. A success at box office is followed by similar films. It sets off a chain reaction. In some cases the influence of film is felt forever. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) led to the success of the Walt Disney Empire. Jaws (1975) unfolded the era of the big budget blockbusters.
The influence of a film is many fold. One must take into account the impact of a movie on popular culture, society and the political scene. The opening up of American society to drugs etc in the 70s was also reflected on the silver screen. In a way popular culture and cinema form a symbiotic relationship. You should identify the possible influences of a film on fashion, social trends and political beliefs. Films reflect popular culture and popular culture is reflected on the screen. As an example, the box office success of 'Brokeback Mountain' (2005) reveals the ever widening schism in the moral fabric of our society.
Mistakes and Errors
While studying about films see if the writer has pointed out any factual errors, goofs, or anachronisms. Lack of continuity or incoherence of the storyline is to be noted also. Rough cutting, careless editing and breaks in continuity are promptly noted by critics. The presence of such errors reveals the true level of dedication of its makers. . It is the nature of all greatness not to be exact. Upon close inspection, you will find flaws in ever film. But any blatant error cannot be ignored.
Maintain Objectivity
Maintain objectivity while studying about films. Don’t get carried away by a single review and don’t let your own preferences affect your decision.
Prototypes in Genres
A film that introduced a new genre or sub-genre or had an influence in the evolution of a particular genre of film making can be forgiven for ordinary mistakes. John Ford’s seminal Western Stagecoach (1939) hailed the success of the Westerns for the days to come. Fred Astraie and Ginger Ronger’s ‘Top Hat’ (1935) led to a string of romantic musical comedies. Stanley Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ (1968) elevated the status of the Sci-Fi film. ‘Night of the Living Dead’ (1968) might not be counted by critics among the greatest films but it did bring new life to horror films. ‘The Matrix’ (1999) glamorized the sub-genre known as ‘cyberpunk’. In this new century films like ‘Sin City’ (2005) defy the norms, morph the genre boundaries and makes us realize that there still are infinite many possibilities in film making.
Remakes
A remake of a great film generally fails to cast a good impression. If a film is a remake you might need to examine the original film as well as the new one and see if one of these is redundant. The 2002 version of ‘Four Feathers’ is far inferior to the 1939 original, therefore it can be dismissed. With the exception of a handful, remakes generally make significant character, plot, and theme changes. As a rule of thumb most remakes are not worth watching if you have watched the original film. Remaking movies has always been common practice in Hollywood, but dating from the late twentieth century, as the filmmaking business has become desiring of instant, pre-assured successes, it has become almost a craze. In the recent history of cinema, remakes have generally been considered inferior to earlier versions by film critics and cinema-goers alike. A trend is emerging to remake films (in particular horror films) for the younger audience, which is usually unfamiliar with the original works.
Adaptations of Classic Works of Literature
Adaptations of classic works of literature are a special breed of film. A film becomes significant if it is an adaptation of a great master piece of classic literature and there are no other such adaptations. Such films are demand special consideration. The criteria for general acceptance, box office success and censorship can be relaxed in such cases. A great number of adaptations of literary classics are worth collecting. If a film is an exact remake of a previous film, it must be scrutinized in detail to see if one of these films is redundant. The 2002 remake if ‘The Four Feathers’ is by no means better than the 1939 classic. The inclusion of all adaptations of famous plays will lead to to unnecessary repetition.
The writer of the screenplay borrows heavily from his imagination to make the original work presentable for a wider audience. There are instances when the screenwriter goes too far and sets an age old classic in contemporary surroundings but preserves the original dialogue. ‘Romeo+Juliet’ (1996) was a mockery of Shakespeare and nothing more. Such misuse of artistic license must not be allowed.
Some of the best adaptations of the works of classic literature are not available on celluloid. They were made for television and released on video. The BBC and ITV has produced some of the best adaptations. I must focus on film alone and therefore I have neglected all television movie and mini series.
Bibliography
[2] The DVD Register
The DVD Register maintains lists of all films that are available on DVD and laserdisc. It maintains a list of movies available on laserdisc that were never issued on DVD
DVDlaser.com claims to be the largest database of DVD reviews on the net.
[3] The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the American Film Institute, and the British Film Institute all define a feature as a film with a running time of forty minutes or longer.
[4] The Decline and Fall of the Movie
page 1136, Leslie Halliwell: Halliwell’s Film Guide (Third Edition)
1981, Granada Publishing Company Ltd.