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The Top 10 of Everything

  • 16-07-2021 1:03pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 18,503 ✭✭✭✭


    Something a little different from the usual games we play around here to mark in the new era of boards.ie

    The Top 10 of Everything is an annual reference book (not too unlike The Guinness Book of Records) in which Top 10 lists on just about anything and everything are collected, and I thought it'd be cool to have something based on that here as a "Just For Fun" never-ending type game.

    No sign-ups necessary, anyone can join in whenever and however often they want to, because the premise is really feckin' simple...

    Whenever it tickles your fancy just drop into this thread and post your personal Top 10 on whatever arbitrary subject pops into your head...

    It can be as broad or as niche a subject as you like and anything is fair game (within the confines of good taste and adhering to the forum charter rules obviously)...

    So a few examples of the types of topics you could do a list on..

    • Top 10 Cocktails
    • Top 10 Holiday Destinations
    • Top 10 Star Trek Captains
    • Top 10 Bon Jovi Songs
    • Top 10 Films of 1981
    • Top 10 Marvel Movies
    • Top 10 Bus Routes in Dublin
    • Top 10 Mountains in Ireland
    • Top 10 Episodes of The Simpsons
    • Top 10 Heroes from Irish Myths & Legends
    • Top 10 Documentaries On WWII
    • Top 10 Paint Colours To Brighten Up Your Bathroom
    • Top 10 Counties of Ireland
    • Top 10 Zombie Genre TV Shows
    • Top 10 Species of Cats
    • Top 10 Breakfast Cereals from the 1990s
    • Top 10 One Hit Wonders of 1983
    • Top 10 Pubs in Galway City
    • Top 10 Charles Dickens Novels
    • Top 10 Schitt's Creek Characters

    You get the idea, pretty much anything you can think of and fancy sharing your opinion on, but for the sake of conversation instead of just posting a straight list, give some of your thoughts on the subject along the way, maybe add some pictures or gifs, YouTube links if relevant. Even if its just a couple of lines to add some context to why you chose that 10, or you could also write an essay if you like (but bear in mind you probably want people to bother reading it so don't go overboard either).

    If someone posts a list of their Top 10 LOST Characters and you disagree with it, then simply post a Top 10 LOST Characters of your own, once a category has been done it doesn't mean it can't be done again by someone else, this is literally just for fun (there are no winners or losers), a chance to geek out on your favourite topics and subjects, and it's all a matter of personal opinion so you can be as controversial in your choices as you like too. It can be something to do when you're bored and there are no other games are running.

    No limits on how many lists any one person can decide to sit down and do, just keep it as one Top 10 per post... makes it easier for people to like and quote each Top 10 if they wish to do so.

    Even if you don't fancy sitting down and doing a Top 10 yourself but want to be involved, feel free to throw in suggestions of Top 10's you'd like to see someone else do (kind of like the list I posted above) and maybe someone will take you up on one of your ideas.

    I'll likely come back and do a Top 10 of my own (I haven't decided on what topic I'd like to tackle first yet) later on today, but figured may as well throw the thread up now to plant the seed and get people thinking if there's a Top 10 of their own they're dying to share... 😋




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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    I will just throw in some suggestions for the moment.


    Top 10 TV Comedies

    Top 10 Licensed Radio Stations

    Top 10 Pirate Radio Stations

    Top 10 Scenic Areas in Ireland

    Top 10 Mountains for Climbing in Ireland (as opposed to just Top 10 Mountains in Ireland!)

    Top 10 US Destinations

    Top 10 Books

    Top 10 U2 Songs

    Top 10 Depeche Mode Songs

    Top 10 New Order Songs

    Top 10 Beaches in Ireland

    Top 10 Irish Shopping Centres

    Top 10 Shops in Ireland



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,177 ✭✭✭Neowise


    Top ten keyboard shortcuts.


    1. crtl + c [copy]
    2. crtl + v [paste]
    3. Crtl + z [undo]
    4. crtl+ y [redo]
    5. Windows key + P [projector or 2nd screen menu]
    6. Windows key + D [show desktop]
    7. Crtl + alt + del [used to be reboot, but now just access to security menu or lock sceen in windows]
    8. alt + f4 [close]
    9. crtl + ESC [menu]
    10. Alt + tab [task switch]
    11. because every top ten needs a runner up, crtl + x [cut]

    edit: added in explanations



  • Registered Users Posts: 18,503 ✭✭✭✭Also Starring LeVar Burton


    I've no idea what some of those shortcuts even do... 😆



  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 16,287 Mod ✭✭✭✭quickbeam


    Ctrl + Esc? Pressing the Windows button is so much easier if you just want to bring up the menu button. Otherwise, a sterling list, Neowise!



  • Registered Users Posts: 18,503 ✭✭✭✭Also Starring LeVar Burton


    A fun list Neo, exactly the sort of random topic I was hoping for...

    I've a potentially controversial one in mind for later (controversial in the sense most people will not agree with me), once I get a chance to sit down and do it up. 😏



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  • Registered Users Posts: 342 ✭✭RossGeller


    According to RateYourMusic.com , the Top 10 albums of all time

    1. OK Computer - Radiohead
    2. Wish you were here - Pink Floyd
    3. In the court of the crimson king - King Crimson
    4. Kid A - Radiohead
    5. To pimp a butterfly - Kendrick Lamar
    6. Loveless - My Bloody Valentine
    7. Dark side of the moon - Pink Floyd
    8. Abbey road - Beatles
    9. The velvet underground & Nico - Self titled
    10. The rise and fall of ziggy stardust - David Bowie


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,177 ✭✭✭Neowise


    To make the list complete for you @quickbeam, you can swap out #9 crlt+esc with crtl+shift+esc then, for quick access to task manager. 😊



  • Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 50,759 Mod ✭✭✭✭Necro


    I'm gonna do my top 10 movies at some point. Just need to gather my thoughts. That's certain to be controversial 😂



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Top 10 house building jobs (extensions, repairs, etc.) in your area!



  • Registered Users Posts: 18,503 ✭✭✭✭Also Starring LeVar Burton


    Top 10 Cadbury Chocolate Bars

    In reverse order... (for dramatic effect 😉)

    ...and as I mentioned this may cause some contention, but it's my list and I'll do what I bloody well please... 😋

    10. Purple Snack

    I refuse to call it a "Snack Sandwich", it is and forever always will be known simply as the Purple Snack. You'll rarely ever buy one for yourself, but you'll never refuse one if its offered for you. Perfect with a hot beverage.

    9. Dairy Milk Classic

    I thought I may have had this slightly higher up the list, as I do enjoy a solid "no frills" bar of choccie, but it was tougher to do this Top 10 than I imagined, and I've to reluctantly put it in 9th.

    8. Dairy Milk Oreo

    Oreos on their own, I can take or leave, but mix them in with a bit of Dairy Milk and it's a cracking combination. Proof that more brands should combine their efforts to create mash-ups.

    7. Darkmilk Roasted Almond

    A relatively new addition to the Cadbury clan, but given time I could see myself ranking it up higher, it just couldn't overtake the six that I'm quite a bit more familiar with, but I am indeed a big fan.

    6. Mint Crisp

    Just pipped out of the Top 5. At one point, in my childhood, this would easily have been the #1 of my Cadbury treats, but between changing taste buds over the years a bit of the shine has worn off, but I still hold it in high regard.

    5. Crunchie

    When I was in college, living on campus, once a week a handful of us would cram into a Nissan Micra to go do a big shop at the supermarket, and it became a running gag that one of us would always buy Crunchies, purely so when we arrived back you could say "get them fecking Cruchies out of the car" ('tis a Father Ted reference to all of you pop culture illiterates) and we'd all have a great laugh and it never got old, but as a result we all developed a passion for the honeycombed goodness of a Crunchie.

    4. Golden Crisp

    Speaking of Honeycomb, that brings us to one of the unsung heroes of the Cadbury world. If the Crunchie has one downfall it's that it doesn't have enough chocolate around the honeycomb, and the Golden Crisp gets the edge over it simply for striking the balance between chocolate and filling better.

    3. Dairy Milk Daim

    Moving into the top 3 now and we're really separating the heroes from the out and out legends. We already had the brand-combo of Dairy Milk and Oreo, which is great, but it doesn't come close to the far superior combination of Dairy Milk and Daim. There's something really satisfying about biting into one of these bad boys and experiencing that crunchy goodness.

    2. Turkish

    If you were agreeing with me until this point, I imagine this is the part where I lose the majority of those who weren't already offended by my choices, because I know that a lot of people despise Turkish, but I'm happy to go on record saying every single one of those Turkish naysayers are a shower of dithering idiots, because it's f**king amazeballs. Simply melts in your mouth and tastes like heaven.

    1. Bournville

    No contest here honestly, I absolutely adore Bournville. Every Christmas and Easter everyone in my family knows that the key to me liking a present is if there's a few bars of Bournville to go along with it ; I'll gladly pretend to like the stupid novelty socks from my sister if they're sitting atop a lovely bar of Bournville. Possibly another controversial decision seeing as far too many weirdos turn their nose up at Dark Chocolate even though it's far superior than its milky counterpart... Three cheers for Bournville! Bourville is King of the Chocolates!!!



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  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    The purple snack is not bad but I prefer those yellow snacks - there's more bite to them!

    Classic Daily Milk - always a crowd pleaser. No frills.

    Daily Milk Oreo? No thanks.

    I have not tried Dairy Milk Roasted Almond. But I am a bit dubious.

    Daily Milk Mint Crisp all the way! Ditto Crunchie and Golden Crisp!

    Dairy Milk Dairn - don't know that one.

    Dairy Milk Turkish - nice!

    Bourneville - no thanks very much!

    I would have the following in my list: Dairy Caramilk, Caramac and Fudge.



  • Registered Users Posts: 4,875 ✭✭✭Irish Aris


    I have never heard of Bourneville, so will look for it tomorrow on my weekly shopping.



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Wow! 🤔 But you're not from Ireland I believe, or the UK for that matter! I woudn't go out especially!



  • Registered Users Posts: 18,503 ✭✭✭✭Also Starring LeVar Burton


    Oh, I'm interested to hear how you get on trying Bournville. It's not one that will win any general public popularity contests, but I personally love it. You can buy it as a small individual bar next to the tills in most supermarkets and newsagents if you don't want to invest in one of the big bars...

    I'll probably do another Top 10 later on, already have one in mind that I want to tackle.

    If you all haven't guessed already, I love making lists.

    Probably a good thing I stuck to calling this game the Top 10 of Everything instead of the Top 100 of Everything... 😂



  • Registered Users Posts: 18,503 ✭✭✭✭Also Starring LeVar Burton


    Don't listen to Declan, Aris. He doesn't know what he's talking about. Long live Bournville!!!



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,711 ✭✭✭Sawduck


    Top 10 Counties of Ireland

    1. Galway - lovely place with friendly people
    2. Waterford - the people are a bit mad but I've had great nights out in waterford city and tramore back in the day.
    3. Kerry - beautiful scenic place especially killarney
    4. Dublin - some areas are a bit shite but i'v mostly had great experiences here
    5. Wicklow - nice area and everyone i have meet from wicklow has been sound
    6. Cork - a tramp tried to start a fight with me once but other than that its a pretty decent place, plus they gave us Roy Keane
    7. Donegal - i have never been here but it looks lovely, hope to visit it soon
    8. Tipperary - my home county, its got some beautiful places but my hometown has got to many scumbags in it so i can't place it any higher
    9. Meath - slane castle is always a brilliant concert, been there 3 times so far
    10. Mayo - looks interesting


  • Registered Users Posts: 18,503 ✭✭✭✭Also Starring LeVar Burton


    Agree with Galway #1 for sure.

    In fact I'd probably have a more or less similar list...

    I'd add in Kilkenny (that'd be near the top for me) and Wexford, just knocking out Tipperary (sorry Sawduck, not familiar enough with it) and Meath.

    Aside from that, I'd possibly move a couple around by a spot or two, but a very good Top 10 you've put together there as far as I'm concerned.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,696 ✭✭✭nothing


    Top 10 Daleks

    10. The Prime Minister of the Daleks

    Tried to use The Doctor to clean up the Asylum of crazy daleks!

    9. Dalek Sec

    Leader of the infamous Cult of Skaro, went a bit mental with human dalek hybrids leading to being ousted by his peers

    8. The original Skaro Daleks

    The classics had to make an appearance

    7. The first NuWho Dalek

    Kicked off regeneration by Rose touching him, scared the bejaysis out of 9th Doctor

    6. Special Weapons Dalek

    The only clunky dalek that deserves a spot on this list

    5. Death Squad Daleks

    Created by number 4 on this list, a nice sleek reimagining

    4. Reconnaissance Scout Dalek

    Landed on earth in the 9th century, hacked to pieces and buried, but came back together in the 21st century by silly silly archeologists and cobbled together this shabby chic look

    3. Rusty

    The only good dalek. Saw the birth of a star and developed a conscience!

    2. Ironside Daleks

    WOULD YOU LIKE A CUP OF TEA?

    1. Dalek Caan

    Another of the Cult of Skaro tops this list - when he thought he was the last of his kind, he broke the lock of the Last Great Time War and pulled out Davros to save his species from extinction, going proper nuts in the process!



  • Registered Users Posts: 18,503 ✭✭✭✭Also Starring LeVar Burton


    Oooh, very nice and niche Top 10 there... I wholeheartedly approve of the topic choice. 😊




  • Registered Users Posts: 1,696 ✭✭✭nothing




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  • Registered Users Posts: 18,503 ✭✭✭✭Also Starring LeVar Burton


    Not to mention companions... and Tardis interiors... 😋



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,696 ✭✭✭nothing




  • Registered Users Posts: 17,538 ✭✭✭✭Trigger


    Bournville - The Bovril of chocolate bars



  • Registered Users Posts: 18,503 ✭✭✭✭Also Starring LeVar Burton


    Top 10 Saved By The Bell Characters

    Being a big TV fan, I can see myself doing a lot of Top 10 Characters lists, but will give first preference to a show that played a big part of my childhood.

    Am well-versed in all the spin-offs (The College Years, The New Class, the 2020 reboot), not to mention the show that it itself spun off from (Good Morning Miss Bliss) but just going to stick to iterations of the characters in the classic Saved By The Bell that we all know and love series for this list, and maybe at a later date I'll circle back to the various spin-offs.

    Counting down in reverse order...

    10 - Kelly Kapowski

    Blasphemous as it may sound, I was half tempted to leave Kelly off the list in order to shoehorn in Mr. Dewey or Kevin the Robot (honorable mention to those two) because honestly when you sit down and really think about it throughout her time at Bayside High Kelly Kapowski's entire personality revolved around being a popular cheerleader who was all sweetness and rainbows and being at the center of a love rivalry between Zack and Slater. Kelly was done dirty by the writers who gave her little personality of her own and as a character was pretty bland. Ironically the character was given a complete new lease of life in Saved By The Bell: The College Years and ended up being one of the best in that series, and it's a shame the character didn't start out like that here. Tiffani-Amber Thiessen was my first childhood crush, and despite the poorly written character, she has some redeeming moments over the course of the series, so I didn't ultimately have the heart to omit her from the list.

    9 - Albert Clifford Slater

    Ah Slater, technically he was a more well-rounded character than Kelly, so I'll reluctantly put him in just ahead of her, but I was not a fan of Slater in his high school years either, mostly written as merely a foil for Zack and Jessie, and later as a best friend and love interest for each of them respectively. The token Jock to Kelly's token Cheerleader basically, with the occasional addition of bursting into a big dance number to showcase Mario Lopez's footwork, since his acting ability at the time was pretty woeful. He's another character that was given much more depth in The College Years, and is fantastic in the recent reboot series, and Mario Lopez himself grew into an incredibly charming and likeable individual, but in this particular series Slater was never fully formed as a character, and I can't in good conscience place him any higher.

    8 - Stacey Carosi

    Given I grew up watching Saved By The Bell prior to the rise of the internet, I was surprised to find in recent years while discussing the show with people online that the Malibu Sands Beach Resort episodes are generally held in a fair amount of contempt, whereas I always found them a refreshing break from the halls of Bayside and on re-watches have always been some of my favourite episodes, largely due to addition of Stacey Carosi (wasn't so crazy about her father Leon though), who meshed pretty well with the gang. I probably would've had her a bit higher on the list had her brief recurring stint not focused so heavily on her relationship with Zack, and they allowed her to play off the other characters a bit more. Had Kelly been given even a smidgen of the character development they managed to cram into a handful of episodes for Leah Remini's turn as Stacey, the entire show would have been all the better for it.

    7 - Rod Belding

    He only appeared in a single episode, The Fabulous Belding Boys, but it was easily the best episode of the series, and Rod Belding left a lasting impression in that twenty or so minutes as Mr. Belding's little brother. In a rare character driven episode, Ed Blatchford's performance as Rod brought out the best in some of the other actors and elevated the performances of Dennis Haskins and Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Mr. Belding and Zack respectively. Had he made more than the one appearance and been a bigger part of the show, I could potentially make the argument for Rod being one of the best Saved By The Bell characters, but as he was only a one episode wonder I can't justify ranking him any higher than this unfortunately.

    6 - Samuel "Screech" Powers

    I chose the above picture for a reason, because were I judging this solely on the first season or two of the show, Screech would easily be in the Top Three. Early on the character was very endearing and funny, but as the show went on and Dustin Diamond grew older the character grew goofier, zanier, and quite a bit less enjoyable. Not terrible or unbearable, just less enjoyable. Funnily enough the character became much more grounded during The College Years, but by the time he returned as Mr. Belding's assistant in Saved By The Bell: The New Class he was by far the worst thing about the show, so its a good thing I'm not taking The New Class into account for these rankings. While Screech may have had his high points and low points, he's still an iconic character and I'll take a minute to talk about Dustin Diamond himself, because after his career took a nosedive following the cancellation of Saved By The Bell: The New Class the actor became problematic to say the least, but it was still very sad to hear of his passing earlier this year at such a young age, so Rest In Peace Dustin.

    5 - Richard Belding

    In the early seasons Mr. Belding added quite a bit of gravitas to proceedings, and when they did slightly more serious episodes (like The Fabulous Belding Boys mentioned above) Dennis Haskins really shone through. He was a talented actor, but much like with Screech, as the show progressed they made the character goofier and stupider, although the worst of this came after Screech joined him on The New Class, but even on this iteration of Saved By The Bell by the final series the character had started to become a bit of a caricature of his former self and the writers didn't always seem to know what to do with Belding. It's a shame that Dennis Haskins' career also seemed to dry up after The New Class ended, because he probably could have continued on to have a big role in another series had he not played Mr. Belding for so long (don't think people could take him as seriously as an actor after the way the character was written on The New Class). Still though, a solid character for most of this series, who just lost some of his appeal towards the end.

    4 - Tori Scott

    I feel bad for Leanna Creel because in the Saved By The Bell fandom (yes, there are more than just me, there are a number of podcasts dedicated to this show hosted by die hard fans) she's kind of the butt of the joke, and the "Tori Episodes" or the "Tori Era" is generally mocked as being sub-par, simply because Tiffani Amber Thiessen and Elizabeth Berkley had decided to leave the show once their contracts expired despite the fact the show had been picked up for an additional 13-episodes, so Kelly (in retrospect not much of a loss) and Jessie were replaced by Tori, who was actually a really well written character and Creel performed the part well, but its hard for a new character to gain traction when they're drafted in to fill a hole left by two of the show's stars leaving. It wasn't helped by the fact that Tori's episodes were aired interspersed between episodes featuring Kelly and Jessie because the graduation episode (ie. the series finale) had already been filmed with Thiessen and Berkley (Tori does not appear in that episode of course) so Creel was always swimming against the current, which was a shame because had she just been part of the core cast all along I think people would hold the character in much higher regard, and the "Tori Episodes" are actually quite good.

    3 - Zack Morris

    What's this? Zack isn't numero uno? What's going on here? Surely I should have him in the top spot, right? Look had I been making this list ten years ago, yeah he probably would be and he was my favourite character as a youngster, but once you've watched any of the Zack Morris Is Trash series on YouTube you begin to see the character in a very different light, to the point you kind of love to hate him (they've even leant into that in the re-boot by putting his character in the more antagonistic and slightly villainous role). Mark-Paul Gosselaar himself does one of those Saved By The Bell podcasts I mentioned where he's re-watching the series and discussing it with a super-fan and Gosselaar gleefully and gladly rips the character to shreds. I still love the character despite all his awfulness, but there are two characters I've just grown to appreciate far more in recent years that knock the bleached-blonde preppy down a couple of pegs.

    2 - Lisa Turtle

    When I was much younger and first watching this, I didn't quite grasp the concept of sarcasm, I didn't appreciate the fact that Lisa gets the majority of the best lines and serves as the de-facto audience in the sense she's the one who (most of the time anyway) points out how ridiculous and ludicrous all of the schemes are and throws more than a bit of shade at the rest of the gang. Lark Voorhies plays the part really well, and it's a crying shame that she's probably the least celebrated actor of the core six, because Lisa deserves better and Voorhies deserves better (she's another of the cast members whose life post Saved By The Bell hasn't gone too great). It's also worth mentioning that she was a prominent leading female black character on an otherwise white-washed sitcom in the late '80s and early '90s, which wasn't exactly the status quo at the time. If any of you ever decide to sit down and re-watch Saved By The Bell at any point, I reckon you'll appreciate Lisa more as a character, and I actually flip-flopped a bit between the top two here, because it could have gone either way.

    1 - Jessie Spano

    As I said it was almost a toss up between Jessie and Lisa for the top spot here, and much like Lisa, I never appreciated Jessie as a character back in the day, she's easily one of the funnier and more enjoyable ones, and has a fully fleshed out character (there's a Showgirls joke in there somewhere but I'm too lazy to do it justice right at this moment in time, so that little pun will have to suffice). The reason I've given her the edge over Lisa is because I really miss her character when she's not around (see the "Tori Episodes" bit above) whereas Lisa was there until the bitter end. The thing most people will associate Jessie's character with is the episode where she gets addicted to Caffeine Pills and she has the ridiculous meltdown that seems over the top, but look it was supposed to be Amphetamines she gets addicted to and they changed the script last minute because that was "too edgy" for the show, and when you replace "Caffeine Pills" with "Speed" while watching that episodes, it's a solid performance and she did the best job with material she had to work with. I'll go as far to say that overall Elizabeth Berkley was the best actor on Saved By The Bell, while most of the others were still honing their craft. I'm really glad she's a big part of the current re-boot, because she's great in that too. Jessie is a worthy #1 for me, whether people agree with that or not is their own business... 😉

    Post edited by Also Starring LeVar Burton on


  • Registered Users Posts: 18,503 ✭✭✭✭Also Starring LeVar Burton


    I got far too much enjoyment writing up that Saved By The Bell post.

    I don't even care if nobody reads it, I've had my fun and that's all that matters...




  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Like Levar, I would agree with most of that. As someone who has been to every county in Ireland, I would recommend Donegal and Mayo. I'm not sure about Top 10 placings. Cork gives us West Cork so for that reason it has to be in. I would replace Tipperary and Meath with Clare and Sligo or Kilkenny.



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Top 10 Pirate Radio Stations of All Time - all in Dublin. Note: some of the placings could change on another day, but I am happy with Number 1.

    1. Capitol/Nitesky Radio : 1983-1988
    2. Coast FM: 1991-1996
    3. Radio Nova: 1981-1986
    4. Sunshine Radio/Sunshine 101: 1980-1988
    5. Phantom FM: 1997-2003
    6. Energy Power AM - 2004 (I think - did not know it then!) - Present
    7. Heartbeat FM (1980's version): 1987 (?) - 1988
    8. Southside FM: 1987-1988
    9. Sunset FM: 1991-1994
    10. NSR: 1991 - 1993 .......................................................................................................................................................
    11. The last four could change so honorable mentions to ARD/Radio 257 (1977-1980), Spectrum FM (1996-1997), DLR/Hits 106 (1991-1994?) and Alcatraz (1994-1995) amongst others!


  • Registered Users Posts: 18,503 ✭✭✭✭Also Starring LeVar Burton


    Ah Phantom FM, those were the days. Good times, good times.



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,967 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Finally, an opportunity to bring radio, where it all started for me in Boards.ie, into Forum Games! It took a while but I got there!



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  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 16,287 Mod ✭✭✭✭quickbeam


    I keep a spreadsheet of all the films I've ever seen, so top tens should be easy for me. Though I'm less good about giving reasons why.

    Anyway, I'm not just going to give a top ten films. Mainly because there are 11 films that I have given a maximum 10/10 score to, and I'm not going to cut one of them, it'd be like making me choose a favourite child.

    So, let's start with favourite directors based on the scores I've given to their films. I need to set a minimum number of films that I've seen to make it more realistic or there'd be handful of directors who I've only seen one of their films but rated highly that will make the list. I'll set that number at an arbitrary 7 films.

    Note, I'm a pretty harsh marker of films. Most films if they're pretty decent get a 6/10. It needs to have something a bit special to get a 7/10, and I've less than 100 films that I've given 8/10 or higher to.

    On that basis, my favourite directors are:

    =1. Peter Jackson (average score 7.1/10 over 7 films) - well, obviously, the Lord of the Rings bumps up his score significantly as I absolutely loved those films. But The Frighteners and Heavenly Creatures were pretty good too. King Kong was only a 4/10 however, and brings his score down fairly significantly.

    =1. Lars von Trier (average score 7.1/10 over 7 films) - I really loved Dogville (I think it was to a movie walrus by Kolido that I submitted that film and he hated it 😔), but I think it's a brilliant story, and I love the minimalist style of it. It's sequel Manderlay wasn't nearly as good, but still decent. I also loved Melancholia, which starts out as one film and ends up as quite a different one (it's the end of the world, literally). I also really liked Nymphomaniac and Dancer in the Dark and Breaking the Waves.

    3. Christopher Nolan (average score 7.0/10 over 10 films) - other than Tenet, I think I've seen all his films. The only one I didn't really care for was Interstellar, which I gave a 6/10 for, but a "generous" 6/10 (I don't do half scores, but if I did, it'd be closer to 5.5/10). Memento though is my favourite of his films, and also the first one I ever saw. Such a clever movie, without any mad special effects or anything. Just a good story, well edited and well told. The Prestige is also brilliant, I love the twists and turns that are in that film (book is also worth reading, btw, though quite different from the film. I loved Inception too, though for some reason I felt bored watching it on subsequent viewings. Then the Batman trilogy, I'd be in a minority of liking the first one best, though I enjoyed them all. Which is saying somethign considering Batman isn't even something I'm really in to, never really caring for the Keaton / Burton collaboration before.

    4. Rob Reiner (average score 6.9/10 over 8 films) - what can I say? Is there anyone that doesn't like a Rob Reiner film? They're just perfect, wholesome movies for the most part. My favourite of his is The Princess Bride which is just a wonderful film. But he has on his CV such splendid movies as A Few Good Men, Stand By Me, This is Spinal Tap (hilarious movie!!), Misery, and When Harry Met Sally. FFS, I even liked North, which everyone hated on release.

    5. Billy Wilder (average score 6.9/10 over 7 films) - some classic era at last. Would it be fair to say that he was the Rob Reiner of his generation? They did fairly similar movies, with the gentle comedies mixed in with some darker stuff. Some Like it Hot, Stalag 17 and Sunset Boulevard are absolutely top class movies. The Seven Year Itch and The Apartment, also great. The only one of his I didn't much like, which brings his score down a bit, was Double Indemnity, which fans of classic film noir might be shocked at. But it just felt like an overly silly plot with unlikeable characters.

    6. James Cameron (average score 6.7/10 over 7 films) - I'm actually surprised he made it so high. Titanic and Avatar being his most successful I thought were just okay. But, what really helps his score are his two Terminator movies, which are stone cold classics (I'd be in the minority in preferring the first one, though I certainly really liked the second one too), and Aliens which I preferred to Scott's original (mostly!). True Lies was also pretty good.

    =7. Stanley Kubruck (average score 6.5/10 over 11 films) - he's a director that divides my opinion a lot. Some of the ones that are considered his best are ones I actually don't care that much for, and I either rate poorly, or averagely, such as A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and even The Shining, which I thought was good, but not great. However, he makes up for it with some savagely brilliant films. I absolutely love Dr. Strangelove and could watch it over and over. While it is funny and satirically sharp, it is actually genuinely edge of your seat watching too. I love Paths of Glory, set in World War I, which leaves me in tears every time. I love Barry Lyndon, which somehow manages to be the slowest, least eventful film I've ever seen, and yet somehow still managed to keep me captivated throughout. I also really like Spartacus too, though some people claim it's not really a "Kubrick film" as he was a director for hire, rather than the auteur of it, but it's still a great film, and I'll never not get goose-bumps during the "I'm Spartacus!" scene.

    =7. Sidney Lumet (average score 6.5/10 over 11 films) - he has the distinction of being the only director to have two films that I've rated the maximum 10/10. Two very, very different films. One is Twelve Angry Men, which is just magnificent, and simple film, with stellar acting. Henry Fonda is the "star" but it goes to show the calibre of the cast that he's actually outshone by most of the other eleven jurors. The other top scorer is Dog Day Afternoon. Forget The Godfather, or Scarface, THIS is Pacino at his finest. Apart from those, I rated highly The Hill, Fail Safe (a film similar to Dr. Strangelove without the satire), and his last film, Before The Devil Knows Your Dead. Others of note are The Anderson Tapes and The Murder on the Orient Express. Alas, there are a few I didn't care for at all, including Network which his very highly acclaimed, but I really didn't like much at all. I also wasn't much a fan of Serpico. But when he's great, he's absolutely fantastic.

    9. William Wyler (average score 6.5/10 over 8 films) - same score as the two above but over fewer films, so gets a lower placing. Another classic era director. My favourite of his films is the adorable Roman Holiday with Peck and Hepburn being one of the best movie couples in the history of move couples. I also loved some of his more epic films like Ben Hur and The Big Country (with Peck again). The rest of the films I have seen all get comfortable 6/10 scores (as opposed to Interstellar, as mentioned above, which was more of a rounded up score), with Detective Story, Friendly Persuasion, How to Steal a Million, Mrs. Miniver and Wuthering Heights, all worth seeing.

    10. Peter Weir (average score 6.4/10 over 8 films) - I guess he's not really a director I would think of if I was asked to name my top ten directors, but the spreadsheet doesn't lie! He directed two great films with Dead Poet's Society and The Truman Show so that averages out his scoring quite highly. But even his "average" films are all pretty good, with the likes of Gallipoli, Green Card, The Way Back and Witness all worth seeing. The only of his films I rated below average was Fearless with Jeff Bridges, which I thought was quite poor.


    Jaysis, after that I'm knackered!!!



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