Results of Competition #1, Round One

I did not get any votes from Bill this time, nor any new voters, but it's time to declare winners. I'm reasonably content with the results as they are, anyway. I did compile a set of votes based on IMDB user ratings. This time it makes no difference whether these votes are included or not, the top three films in each group would be exactly the same, either way. (However, not the "votes", but the ratings themselves played a small role, as I will explain shortly.)

I was outvoted in a couple groups, but can't really argue with the outcomes. In group B, I really feel that The Killing Fields is an excellent film, but The Maltese Falcon was included instead. As I said, I can't really argue with that, as the latter film is a fine one, packed with extraordinary performances. In group E, I voted for The Jerk, which I do think is a very funny, very original classic film. But of course Paths of Glory got through instead, which is fine by me. I probably voted for The Jerk simply because I've seen it far more times and remember it better. But Paths of Glory is an excellent, important film.

I was also outvoted in group D, but that was a little more complicated. Earlier I mentioned the IMDB "votes". According to IMDB, the top three films in this group are Platoon, Boogie Nights, and Parenthood (in that order). Thus, the other two films in this group got no votes from IMDB. When I combine EscapeGoat's votes my my own (with or without the IMDB votes), the top two films are Platoon and Boogie Nights, but for third place there is a tie between Wonderland and Amazon Women on the Moon. I could break this tie by picking my own favorite, but these are two very different films, hard to compare. As I said before, neither one got any IMDB "votes", but I decided to use their IMDB ratings to break the tie. Thus Wonderland squeaks into the next round. Too bad about Amazon Women on the Moon, it is a very funny, talent-packed film. But it is interesting that Boogie Nights and Wonderland, forced into the same group, both made it to the next round. Only one Steve Martin film out of three, though.

The group winners appear in boldface type in my previous post. The next round will be posted shortly, either late tonight, or sometime tomorrow.