Back in the halcyon days of never, the IMDb Top 250 list — which ranks the “Top 250 movies as voted by our users” — used to mean something. Any argument about the greatest film of all-time…actually, there were no arguments because That Jerk That You Were Friends With For Some Reason would go to IMDB, point to The Shawshank Redemption‘s #1 ranking, scoff at you, and then quote all of Red’s speech about geology.
But beginning a few weeks, there were BIG policy changes a-foot at IMDb, which knocked Life Is Beautiful, Kind Hearts and Coronets, and Anatomy of a Murder, among others, off the list, leading to the inclusion of The Nightmare Before Christmas and Duck Soup. Also, The Dark Knight Rises is the 10th greatest movie ever?
On July 19th, the following was posted on the IMDb message board:
In an effort to keep our charts and voting system relevant and accurate, we have made a small change to the way the IMDb Top 250 chart (http://www.imdb.com/chart/top) is calculated: the minimum number of votes needed to be included in the chart has been raised from 3,000 votes (a limit that had been set many years ago) to 25,000.
The change only affects whether a title is eligible to be featured in the IMDb Top 250 chart. Because of this, the composition of the chart will change slightly, as some titles that don’t meet the threshold are excluded and replaced by others with more votes. (Via)
Which resulted in the following changes, via Roger Ebert’s Journal:
Lest your Jerk Non-Friend worry too much, though, Shawshank remains #1.
(Via) (Banner via)
![[avatar]](http://p.uproxxcdn.com/photo/679/thumb)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/01/olyphant-archer2-150x150.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/01/oscars-150x150.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/01/gammasquadgeekculture1-150x150.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2012/11/gammasquadjglbatman-150x150.jpg)
Just checked Netflix: Blind Side and Crash are numbers one and two on the Top 100.
PHEW. Ol’ reliable white guilt.
I agree with this post… This also proves that I’m not a racist.
Well at least it isn’t replacing some of those good movies with awful horrible movies like Grown Ups.
My feeling as well, it’s like a half thousand of excellent movies is just in rotation.
Glad to see Big Fish and Nightmare Before Christmas in there. I don’t think there was a film that got bumped that I’ve sat all the way through.
Life is Beautiful sucked ass. There. I said it. That being said, at least I watched it as opposed to Crash and The Blind Side, which will never, ever soil my precious eyeballs.
My tastes might be questionable, because I’ve only seen 7 on the left compared to 20 on the right. The Untouchables was entertaining, but it doesn’t belong on a Best list. Happy that Ed Wood and Duck Soup made it. I can’t believe Duck Soup wasn’t on it to begin with; I thought it was considered one of the Marx Brothers best. I love Big Fish. It’s sentimental while remaining interesting, entertaining and not incredibly syrupy like ye olde Life is Beautiful.
Dark Night Rises is better than ANYTHING that hack Kurosawa did. I’ve always said that Throne of Blood would have been SO much better with a flying hovercraft. So good riddance, masterpiece of cinema!
You were the guy who always said after the Oscars that “Oh, the Academy thinks so-and-so was a better director than MARTIN SCORSESE!” weren’t you?
I…what?
But in all seriousness, as good as Moonrise Kingdom was, I feel that ANY movie, no matter it’s quality, should have at least a ten-year simmer period before we can declare it the “Best of” any list.
MAAAAYBE a five-year simmer. But still, give a movie some breathing room. Some of the most legendary films ever made were reviled when they were released. And conversely, some Best Picture winners of years past are pretty much laughed at today.
So let’s all just calm down.
La Haine! One of the best movies in the last 20 years. Glad to see it on the in list!
Let’s all pull together to get Encino Man it’s rightful place in history.
I believe it is already in its rightful place: on VHS.
A Landfill?
I agree with most of the ins and outs (fucking Moonrise Kingdom. you know what the top 250 needs? more whimsy!). But King Kong really gets by on its “this was the first” which I’ve never really agreed with as criteria for a “best of” list. It doesn’t need to be in the top 250.
It was a good film don’t get me wrong, but TDKR doesn’t deserve that much praise and to replace so many great other films of such higher caliber? I know it’s a popularity poll, but if I had to pick, I’d rather have The Dark Knight on the list instead because it was a much, greater film.
*goes to imdb, one-stars TDKR*