Catching up on Instapundit, I noticed that Esquire has a list of "75 Movies Every Man Should See." Here's a link directly to the PDF that doesn't make you go to the Amazon site first (jeez, Glenn). There are lots of decent movies there, but I noticed one glaring omission that discredits the list completely.
They do not include Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch. That's unforgivable. How can you compile a list of "men's movies" that includes Runaway Train and ignores The Wild Bunch?!?
The Wild Bunch is a much better film than Peckinpah's Straw Dogs (included in the list) or just about anything else in the list. In fact, it's not just a great "men's film," it's one of the half-dozen best films of all time. Arguably, the best film ever made.
If you haven't seen it, whatever your gender, you really need to do so.
William Holden. Ernest Borgnine. Robert Ryan. Edmond O'Brian. Warren Oates. By far, the most innovative cinematography of its time (1969), and a film that holds up remarkably well today. In fact, it hasn't aged a bit.
Pike Bishop (Bill Holden): When you side with a man, you stay with him! And if you can't do that, you're like some kind of animal!
I've seen The Wild Bunch at least half a dozen times, but it's been many years. Just thinking about it makes me want to watch it again. So I think I will. You should too.
That's not the only thing wrong with this list (although it's the most egregious omission). Where's Braveheart? Where's The Shootist? Where's Vertigo? Where's Treasure of Sierra Madre? How can they list The Road Warrior and not Mad Max??
Oh, well, I guess these kinds of reactions to such lists are inevitable — and are probably what the creators of the list are hoping for.
Still — how the hell can you overlook The Wild Bunch?? It's just unforgivable!!
