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[Metalmarc]

Star Wars creator George Lucas has said it is a "privilege" to see The Empire Strikes Back top a poll of the greatest movies of all time.

The film, which came out in 1980, beat competition from 301 other titles in Empire magazine's survey of 250,000 fans.

Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather came second.

Batman sequel The Dark Knight, starring Heath Ledger, came in third, with The Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction rounding off the top five.

Lucas said: "The fans like The Empire Strikes Back the best, partly because it is so dark.

"It's an overall story and as it happens in the second act, things get dark"

"I never really planned it to be three separate films but when it became three separate films, it had an interesting effect of each film having its own personality, caused by the plot."

Make Up Your mind George, i thought it was always 3 films?
And then he had outlines for 12 or so Mark Hamill has said that he told him at one point. (Maybe im wrong on the trilogy thing though?)


http://news.sky.com/story/1271359/star-wars-episode-v-named-best-film-ever

 

[Mesoian]

The further away from Lucas they get the Star Wars franchise, the better off we'll be.

I'm still super salty about those Star Wars games he pretty much torpedoed.

 

[crimzonflame]

...Dark Knight at 3?

 

[Robot Pants]

It's good but... Better than the Godfather?

 

[Delta Assault]

I get the feeling he's going to be interviewed again for their poll of the worst movies of all time.

 

[Laieon]

It's good but... Better than the Godfather?

The Godfather is weird for me. It's an excellent movie and one of the best ever, but after seeing it once I never want to see it again.

 

[Empty]

the empire readers' 301 greatest films list he's responding to is absolutely hilarious

edit: http://www.empireonline.com/301/301.asp

 

[RatskyWatsky]

1: Empire Strikes Back
2: The Godfather
3: The Dark Knight
4: The Shawshank Redemption
5: Pulp Fiction

...

huh

 

[AkuMifune]

Chosen by people of the Empire.

 

[TheWarrior]

...Dark Knight at 3?

yeah this is where they completely lost me

 

[wenis]

Empire is run by neck beards wearing fedoras right? That's what that list reads like...

 

[Pops Maellard]

This is an extremely confusing list.

 

[Rad-]

...Dark Knight at 3?

/dead

 

[ShOcKwAvE]

Make Up Your mind George, i thought it was always 3 films?
And then he had outlines for 12 or so Mark Hamill has said that he told him at one point. (Maybe im wrong on the trilogy thing though?)


http://news.sky.com/story/1271359/star-wars-episode-v-named-best-film-ever

I watched a 3hr making-of documentary recently in which he definitely said he originally planned one movie.

 

[Borgnine]

Why 301, what was the on extra one that had to make the list?

It's like "here you are among the top 106 concert acts today...."

 

[PhoncipleBone]

Fan voted huh? Shocked Serenity wasn't in the top 5 then.

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

It's good but... Better than the Godfather?

It's a fan list.

The Godfather is weird for me. It's an excellent movie and one of the best ever, but after seeing it once I never want to see it again.

You're weird.

 

[SuperAndroid17]

lol at the TDK haters.

Too bad so sad.

 

[Fancy Clown]

1: Empire Strikes Back
2: The Godfather
3: The Dark Knight
4: The Shawshank Redemption
5: Pulp Fiction

...

huh

Those are all good to amazing movies...but yeah, really strange for a top 5 of ALL time. Godfather is the only one that makes sense being in there.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

lol at the TDK haters.

Too bad so sad.

The Dark Knight is fantastic. But the third best movie ever made?

 

[Halcyon]

The Godfather is weird for me. It's an excellent movie and one of the best ever, but after seeing it once I never want to see it again.

I agree with you. I know it is a good movie, but since I don't much care for crime dramas and I don't like/relate to any of the characters I have no real interest in re-watching it.

 

[The Technomancer]

...Dark Knight at 3?

My reaction as well. I still find reception to that movie weird. Like, its certainly a very good movie, but I feel like if it wasn't a Batman movie it wouldn't be so beloved (by a certain segment of people)

 

[Siegcram]

That is one weird list.

 

[thecouncil]

The further away from Lucas they get the Star Wars franchise, the better off we'll be.

I'm still super salty about those Star Wars games he pretty much torpedoed.

Honestly, at this point, it's not even 'Star Wars' if you're not being trolled.

 

[SmithnCo]

Bravo Nolan.

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

lol at the TDK haters.

Too bad so sad.

One of the emptiest retorts there are.

 

[Indrid Cold1]

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is better than Network and 28 Days Later according to that list.

 

[Acorn]

What a shitty list.

 

[inky]

...Dark Knight at 3?

It's only a surprise if you missed the words "poll" and "fans".

 

[Triggerhappytel]

The Dark Knight is a really great film, honestly it is, but third place? Third place?! Come on.

 

[TitusGroan]

Empire isn't even the best OT Star Wars film.

And as much as I like the original films, I do find it slightly hilarious that a hokey bit of corny sci-fi fluff like Star Wars tops the best film ever poll. It's enjoyable as pulp space opera, but better than the works of Kurosawa, Scorsese, Hitchcock, Chaplin or Kubrick?

...wait, Dark Knight is number 3? Fucking Batman is the third best film ever made?

Never mind. At least Lucas is being good natured about the entire thing.

 

[Tookay]

I'm cool with TDK at #3.

 

[Loxley]

Considering how much Empire tends to focus on sci-fi/fantasy films these days I'm actually surprised to see the likes of The Godfather, Shawshank and Pulp Fiction in the top 5.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

1: Empire Strikes Back
2: The Godfather
3: The Dark Knight
4: The Shawshank Redemption
5: Pulp Fiction

...

huh

They're all damn good movies, so I'm okay with it even though it obviously doesn't match my own personal list.

It'll be interesting to see how time treats the Dark Knight. Will it slowly fade over time, or will it hang in there. I assume it'll fade over time since we'll keep having different iterations of Batman, whereas The Godfather, Shawshank, and Pulp Fiction will always just be (until the remakes in a couple more decades).

Considering how much Empire tends to focus on sci-fi/fantasy films I'me actually surprised to see the likes of Shawshank in the top 5.

Everyone loves Shawshank. The only person I've ever met who doesn't like Shawshank is my brother. And he's an ass hole

Spoiler

(he posts on GAF and is probably reading this. Fuck you for not liking such a great movie)

.

 

[Plinko]

Dark Knight at #3 would only make sense if Batman Begins was at #1 or #2.

Even then, it still doesn't make sense.

 

[demon]

TDK as the third greatest movie of all time is beyond laughable. Freakin Nolan fanboys christ almighty.

 

[Fari]

The film, which came out in 1980, beat competition from 301 other titles in Empire magazine's survey of 250,000 fans.

More like a quarter of a million nerds with a very limited taste in films.

 

[Charles Foster Kane]

Empire isn't even the best OT Star Wars film.

And as much as I like the original films, I do find it slightly hilarious that a hokey bit of corny sci-fi fluff like Star Wars tops the best film ever poll. It's enjoyable as pulp space opera, but better than the works of Kurosawa, Scorsese, Hitchcock, Chaplin or Kubrick?

...wait, Dark Knight is number 3? Fucking Batman is the third best film ever made?

Never mind. At least Lucas is being good natured about the entire thing.

Fan list.

I mean fucking Shawshank is up there. It's just a rearranging of the IMDB list.

 

[Delta Assault]

Dark Knight at #3 would only make sense if Batman Begins was at #1 or #2.

Even then, it still doesn't make sense.

TDK makes Batman Begins look like amateur hour.

And I liked Batman Begins.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

It's like the imdb top 250 got drunk and barfed into a magazine.

 

[jett]

I'm always surprised how Shawshank places so high in these fanboy lists.

 

[Anth0ny]

Gotta love that dark middle chapter.


I wish ESB was on blu ray, though

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

Popular American films: the list.

 

[Liamario]

I give Lucas little to no credit for TESB. He wrote the story, but the rest was everyone else.

Driected by:- Irvin Kershner

Written by:- Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan

Story by:- George Lucas.

 

[Son Of D]

Why 301, what was the on extra one that had to make the list?

It's like "here you are among the top 106 concert acts today...."

I think the issue the list is in is issue #301.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

It's only a surprise if you missed the words "poll" and "fans".

Exactly. Ignore the "greatest of all time" title. It's stupid, but it's catchier than "Fan Favorites" so it's what they go with.

People being upset that so many others love a movie so much are the ones who are laughable. People like what they like, don't be little fucking hipsters who try and tell the world to like something less.

 

[liquidtmd]

Lucas said: "The fans like The Empire Strikes Back the best, partly because it is so dark.

"It's an overall story and as it happens in the second act, things get dark"

The thing is, there was a emotional resonance with Luke and his character.

The whole act with Yoda and his development of Luke really struck a chord with my 8 year old self when I first caught (or remember) Empire around 1990, as around then I started to appreciate the words and not just the obvious visual appeal.

It was inspirational. Beautiful. And yes, a little dark - but I think the appeal is far more subtle than just 'its teh dark'.

HEY LETS MURDER CHILDREN, FROM MY POINT OF VIEW THE JEDI ARE EVIL

 

[Timeaisis]

Dark Knight at 3 lol. The future will not be kind to the comic book genre, mark my words.

 

[WonkyPanda]

I get it's a list voted by fans; but, good gravy, TDK at #3?!

 

[richiek]

The further away from Lucas they get the Star Wars franchise, the better off we'll be.

I'm not too confident SW will fare much better under Disney.