Wednesday, July 29, 2009

My 18 Favorite "Con-Artist" Movies

In order (please note, these are not in order by preference in terms of general filmmaking but rather, how awesome the characters/cons are * also, I just woke up and am pretty sure I have yet to type a cohesive sentence)...
  1. Heist
  2. Rounders
  3. The Sting
  4. House of Games
  5. Six Degrees of Separation
  6. The Spanish Prisoner
  7. Jackie Brown
  8. Diggstown
  9. Used Cars
  10. The Hustler
  11. Nine Queens
  12. Ocean's 11
  13. Catch Me if You Can
  14. The Grifters
  15. Tin Men
  16. The Color of Money
  17. Best Laid Plans
  18. Confidence

And just for fun...my LEAST favorite...
  1. Matchstick Men
  2. The Big Bounce
  3. The Sting II
  4. Boiler Room
  5. Heartbreakers

18 comments:

Devs said...

i heart six degrees of separation and the spanish prisoner. hearty mcheart.

BEM1212 said...

I also heart six degrees of separation and the spanish prisoner.

I also would like to throw massive YES to Heist, if you are referring to the Mamet one, which I know you are, and The Grifters which is in my Top 50 ever. And Jackie Brown which is (the other) QT's best. Obviously The Sting and The Hustler.

Catch Me If You Can made me not hate Steven Spielberg again.

Does Dirty Rotten Scoundrels count? Because it would be in my top 10 for sure.

I have to think on this some more.

Julie said...

I think I need to update my Netflix queue because I have seen only 3 of these. Maybe 4 if I'm remembering correctly that I saw The Color of Money at the Marshall Twin Cinemas when I was in jr. high (which of course means that I talked through the whole thing when I wasn't in the lobby listening to Kelli Pace call people Groovers).

Boxcar said...

I thought about Dirty Rotten Scoundrels but just didn't feel like it belonged. But now that I think about it, I don't see why not. I would put it at 15.
Julie, which 3 have you seen?

Julie said...

I will tell, but first you guess.

Boxcar said...

Also, I don't know why exactly, but I could watch Heist on a continuous loop. The heist (twist) is perhaps the greatest one ever put on film. Leave it to Mamet. And Hackman is brilliant.

Boxcar said...

Julie - Pretty sure I made you watch Heist and Jackie Brown so that's 2 (if I'm right). The third...gotta be Ocean's 11?

BEM1212 said...

I guess Six Degrees of Separation, The Sting and Ocean's 11. Unless of course Jon made you watch Jackie Brown or Rounders or the Heist -- which I agree has one of the best twists along with The Spanish Prisoner. Oh Mah-may!

Julie said...

Well, if I have seen Heist, I don't remember it. Have I seen it?? If so, you probably hate me now.

I have not seen Jackie Brown, but you (Jon) left it at my house for many weeks, and you (Blaine) owned it when we were roommates for many years.

I have seen the beginning of The Sting about 37 times but always fell asleep since we always started it at 2am.

Ocean's 11 - yes
6 Degrees - yes
And no one guessed The Grifters.
(I have also seen at least, and probably no more than, one movie on your least favorite list).

BEM1212 said...

Julie, remember our boss Lucy saying she loved "Ma-may" films?

Boxcar said...

I think we TALKED about watching Heist and Jackie Brown many many many times but ended up just getting drunk and watching whatever you had on Tivo or Alias or Sports Night.

Julie said...

Oh, yes. I remember "Ma-may." One of our interns this summer has a voice that sounds just like Lucy's. But only when overheard, not when you're talking to her, which is a bit of a relief.

Jon, that sounds like us.

Boxcar said...

Um, a late entry please: The Brothers Bloom coming in at number 5. That number may decrease with multiple viewings. Sooooo gooooood.

BEM1212 said...

Really? I loved it, or was kind of "in love" with it, but I was also disappointed. Of course, I also had a boner for it for over a year so I set myself up to be disappointed. I'm glad you liked it, though, and I personally think it's one I will like more with multiple viewings. 5 is high, though!

Boxcar said...

Was in love with it and not disappointed at all. Glad I waited for DVD. Although, you're right about 5 being high. I'm changing it to 8. Right after Jackie Brown.

BEM1212 said...

hm. That's a start, and a given. It has to be below Jackie Brown. Oh, Jackie Brown.

I would also personally keep your list, bump up The Grifters (ttt!), The Hustler, Ocean's 11, Catch Me If You Can, and then add Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and The Last Seduction, The Lady Eve, and then I would put The Brothers Bloom in that next spot.

Have you seen Extract?

Boxcar said...

I haven't seen Extract. That's the one with Sylvester Stallone right? J.k. Is it a con artist movie? If not I guess we're using List Anything to catch up? How are things? How's work? Tell Derek I said "hello".

BEM1212 said...

There is a con-artist in it, yes. Austen thinks she is very sexy. I believe she is from that 70s show, you know the one... what's it called? Extract is hilarious, but you should expect nothing.

It is nice to catch up. Things are fine. Work has been busy. Taking Friday and Monday off for ACL. We will miss you......not hanging out with us most of the time? Derek is fine. We are in a fight because you won't do lies over him. Last weekend he went home and brought back a lot of pillows -- throw pillows -- my grandmother made for me and my couch. There were a lot of them. Derek said instead of a cat lady I am now a pillow man. It is true. Miss ya!

And on second thought, you should just come visit when Extract comes out on dvd. Or we will come back up there.

I thought of the word (and the problem) for Brothers Bloom. It's charming.