Thanks to my uncle Freddy, I now love lists. I just find it fun to group all your favorites or most hated of something and use it as a conversation piece. My uncle is a huge fan of lists. He even has a book of lists he made himself of movies he’s seen, actors and actresses movies he’s seen, and even a top ten movies list.
So, naturally, him being a huge influence over my love for movies, I managed to gain a fondness for lists.
One reason why I hate lists released from people like EW, Rolling Stone, or Premiere is that they have no memory span beyond thirty years, and they pander much too heavily to modern audiences. No offense to them, I’m sure they have their fans, but why do you feel the need to include modern components when it’s much better to include your own choices and let the readers discover them?
Most recently Total Film Magazine comprised a list of their top fifty heroes and villains and while I enjoyed the top five:
1 Indiana Jones
2 Batman
3 Rocky Balboa (Rocky)
4 James Bond
5 Superman
I of course take issue with many of the choices that are clearly pandering to young audiences.
Elle Woods is above people like Father Merrin, and The Man with No Name, Spongebob Squarepants is above Ellen Ripley! Come on!
Now, granted, not everyone will agree on a list, it’s the given, but don’t pander to audiences by reducing the legacy of certain characters. Elle Woods is a hero for what? Why isn’t the Terminator on both lists?
Again, roast my nuts over the fire for this griping, but I just hate lists that purposely pander to younger audiences. We have the internet for a reason; if they don’t know the choices, why not just have them look it up?
As for the villains, there’s not much to take issue with beyond the Joker being above Darth Vader, but there’s almost as much pandering. The White Witch is scarier than the Wicked Witch of the West? A character from f*****g “Bridget Jones’ Diary” is a better villain than Lex Luthor?
Huh?
Either way, I’ve decided to do my own list and will very much credit Total Film for the inspiration. This is why I love and hate lists, they always inspire anger, conversation, and debate, and there’s always a motive behind every choice.
