The Decades Project: We're Out Of Decades
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
So last month, I reached the earliest years of cinema in my Decades Project (where I rank one hundred films from each era of film). You can find all of the previous lists here. Self explanatory: I got to where I wanted with the coverage of every year in film. I even created a gallery of the top filmmakers of all time, and I will be populating these entries with rankings of each director’s filmography. So, we’re done here, right?
Wrong.
I unfortunately cannot stop biting more than I can chew, but I am also a completionist at heart. This doesn’t feel done yet. I’ve covered every year, but not every thing I wish to dive into. So, there are going to be a few more lists that will wrap up this year, and a couple extra in 2022, which will conclude everything. So, let’s see what’s coming!
Next Monday is the start of a new section: the films that weren’t covered in my other lists.
If you have been paying attention to my other entries, you’ll notice I omitted two very specific kinds of films: documentaries and shorts. That’s because the game plan was to always have separate lists for these works. Therefore, the best one hundred documentaries of all time will be released on the 7th of June (right around the corner). Naturally, that means the best one hundred short films of all time will be released the first Monday of July (these will include live action, animated, and documentary shorts). That doesn’t round up the rest of the year, as much as I want 2021 and this pandemic to finally end.
A few fun lists will follow. What feels similar to short films in the loosest sense? Music videos. The most subjective list I may ever put on this site will come out early August, as I release the top music videos of all time; I think my focus on the cinematic side of the medium may differ from other lists of this nature, and may make for some heavily polarizing choices (just a heads up).
On the topic of music, we’re going to follow suit with two similar lists. First will be the top one hundred soundtracks of all time in September, with the best one hundred cinematic scores in October. Ahead of time, I’ll explain the criteria here. Soundtracks will involve any form of song lists that have been released in any way. These can be original songs (like a musical) or works from popular artists (compilations related to a motion picture). Scores will include purely original compositions orchestrated to match a film.
In November, the other major aesthetic category will come next, as the one hundred best shot films will be ranked (meaning the works with the best cinematography in cinematic history). That leaves only one major film category left: screenplays, which will be ranked early December.
All that’s left is to tend to Films Fatale’s expansion to include television shows and miniseries, so January will see the release of the best one hundred television shows of all time (not separated by decades); these will include miniseries as well. The final list of any nature will be the second TV-based entry, where the best one hundred television episodes are compiled. Finally, by February 2022, that will be the end of this project.
So, let me conclude with a few final thoughts.
• The project will be done, but there is a possibility that I will be updating these lists in the future if I see fit. No one is capable of having seen every film ever, especially not in their early 30s, and I am already painfully aware of works I completely forgot to check out (or couldn’t get to). I won’t be making other massive lists (until 2029 when I rank all of the 2020’s, but let’s not think about that just yet), but I do believe in being up to date in some capacity.
• You may have noticed one film based category I didn’t touch upon (outside of editing, sound, and other technical categories, which I likely won’t be covering either due to the impossible complexities of ambitiously tackling these alone; you never know, I may change my mind one day). That would be acting. I tried to map out how I could cover acting, and it just wasn’t working out. Do I go by performers or performances? How do I contain a strong enough palette that didn’t feel like it was truly missing far too many notable examples, especially when you consider every country and era of film? I’m surely not going to cover every decade in a separate list again, and a wall of performers (similar to the director gallery) also feels very limiting (where do I draw the line?). Therefore, I will not be making a list of performers. As silly as that sounds, I also find this to be a possible portal for film fans of all kinds to find other aspects of film to appreciate as well, and I will do my best to spotlight great acting on future lists, articles, reviews, and other releases. I do apologize if this is a letdown, and I hope you understand the complicated undertaking this would be.
• I may or may not do a bottom one hundred films list one day, of the worst works I’ve ever seen. I have previously written before about how I don’t intend on creating too many negative lists, and that will still stand. There are exceptions, as stated in this article, including the end of each decade (as one of the numerous send offs we’ll do). I’m still debating on whether or not I want to make a list for all of film history. If I do, it may be after every other list is done. If I feel too burned out or uninspired, then I won’t chase this reality. Again, I don’t want to make negativity a focus on this site, but a list of this magnitude could be hilarious (and feel like the possible necessary final piece). If this puzzle feels complete, or if I don’t care to fill that last empty spot of it with this list, then I just won’t do it.
Well, that’s the agenda. A lot has been accomplished, but there is still more to come (and some of these categories are a lot more casual and fun than my other lists). I thank all of you for reading and being a part of this journey. All of your support means the world to me. Some of the most popular releases on Films Fatale have been these lists, and I appreciate all of the love. Even those who don’t agree with my selections or rankings, I am still so flattered that you took time to check out my work and talk film. Besides, we all have different tastes, and life would be a bore if we didn’t.
Thank you again, and I hope all is well during these insane times.
My list of the Best 100 Documentaries of All Time is out Monday.
All the best, and all the love,
-Andreas Babiolakis
Creator of Film Fatale
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.