The Top 10 New York Films
BY DANI FAITH LEONARD
It’s nearing the end of the year and that leads most people to reflect. I can’t believe we launched Big Vision Empty Wallet in May! That’s only seven months ago and already we have taken this site on an extensive journey and grown so much!
We started out focused on film in NYC and even though we now have members from all over the country (and some internationals), we still want to promote filmmaking in the city that we love. Make your next film in NYC! New York is so gorgeous this time of year and if it wasn’t so f**king cold out and there weren’t so many Japanese tourists in my way, I could just walk around all day and look at the pretty sites.
Here are my top 10 films that showcase NYC:
10 - On The Waterfront (1954) // Significant for so many reasons, many film buffs have recognized Brando’s performance in On the Waterfront as the performance that changed acting in films forever. It also boasts a score from Leonard Bernstein (it was the only non-musical film he scored, won eight Oscars, has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, blah, blah, blah...basically it’s awesome.
9 - On the Town (1949) / West Side Story (1961) // Two musical films set in NY, two very different stories, two very different portrayals of NYC. On The Town was the first musical film about NYC that was filmed on location (at Gene Kelly’s insistence) and my obsession with both Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly makes it one of my favorite movies in general. West Side Story was filmed mostly in Los Angeles, but the opening sequence (the best part) was filmed in NYC and was so unique and contemporary (from Sondheim’s lyrics to Jerome Robbins’ choreography).
8 - Saturday Night Fever (1977) // Shot in 1970s Brooklyn, I love the dirty, grimy feeling of the scenes under the bridge.
7 - When Harry Met Sally (1989) // Could Rob Reiner/Nora Ephron have captured NYC (the attitude, the locations, the people) any better?
6 - Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) // Breakfast at Tiffany’s boasts some of the most iconic images in cinema (and it inspired one of my favorite cheesy 90s songs to sing at karaoke).
5 - The Godfather Part I and Part II (not Part III)
4 - Working Girl (1988) // When I see that opening sequence on the Staten Island Ferry, Carly Simon blaring from my TV, I’m so tempted to go out, throw on some shoulder pads and run around NYC.
3 - Wall Street (1987) /American Psycho (2000) /The Devil’s Advocate (1997) // All films about falling victim to NY, all portrayals of the pitfalls of greed, all great films.
2 - Taxi Driver (1976) /Mean Streets (1973) / Raging Bull (1980) / Goodfellas (1990) // These films aren’t just portrayals of NY, they are portrayals of Scorsese’s NY.
1 - The Woody Allen Collection - Manhattan, Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters, Bullets Over Broadway, etc // Was there ever a more neurotic New Yorker in the history of NY? Could somebody ever embody a city more than Woody Allen himself?
Honorable Mentions //
The Fisher King
A Bronx Tale
The Seven Year Itch
Funny Girl
Brighton Beach Memoirs