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| Tyler Wilson |
Movie geek's Sweet 16
Disgusted by the egregious snub of the Idaho Vandals in the NCAA basketball tournament, I've chosen to apply my "bracket thinking" to other ventures this year.
Ranking is a big part of my life. Some people use leisure time to go fishing, read books or build Popsicle stick towers. I reorganize my DVDs and contemplate whether to move "The Graduate" from No. 63 to No. 58 on my 100 Favorite Movies list.
Compiling such a subjective list can be daunting. Without a game plan, the ranking process can lead to life-altering trauma. A good list should be balanced from top to bottom, but you especially need to pay attention to your top 25. These are the selections that most represent your preferences.
Drawing inspiration from the book, "The Enlightened Bracketologist: The Final Four of Everything" by Mark Reiter and Richard Sandomir, I decided to tackle my favorite movies project in a more combative way.
Using my most recent top 100 compiling, I added 28 more selections from a pool of 200 runner-ups. I then distributed the 128 into four distinct brackets:
Conference No. 1: "Sentimental Value"
Comprised of films not necessarily deemed "classics" by general standards but still considered vital contributions to my film education. These films came from any decade.
Conference No. 2: "The Respect Bracket"
Great movies, regarded as classics, that hold less sentimental value. Added stipulation: All movies in this bracket were released before 1980, minus an exception or two.
Conference No. 3: "The Best of 1980s/1990s"
I came of movie age during this time period. It only makes sense to devote an entire conference to it.
Conference No. 4: The Best of 2000s
An "official" film critic since around 2000, I've committed a lot of time to keeping up with new releases. Until I catch up on the other decades, my list will focus on the decades in which I am experienced.
The Showmanship
This is where it gets fun. I recommend hiring Kinkos to make you a giant poster board of the brackets. Hang it on the wall and admire your hard work. Mine looks spectacular hanging next to my wedding photos.
The Tournament
If you follow your heart, you'll know which movies deserve to advance. Take the time to really consider each match-up. Make sure you have a "trump-all" quality that can settle bitter rivalries. Mine was: Dinosaurs, zombies and venomous snakes trump everything. ALWAYS.
*Bracket Tip: Remember to include some upsets. Everybody loves an underdog, so knock "Raging Bull" out early and let "The Goonies" go the distance.
Fail Safe for Idiots
Once you get to your top 64, go back through the list of eliminated movies and make sure you didn't do anything moronic. "Schindler's List" probably didn't deserve that shocking loss to "Zoolander."
*Bracket Tip: Make sure not to include the same movie in more than one conference. Somehow my final four ended up as "Army of Darkness," "Snakes on a Plane" and "Jurassic Park" twice. At least we know the trumping system worked.
Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com. His "real" movie bracket is still under construction.
Gelabale wrote on Mar 28, 2008 3:45 PM: