Lists Project Rules and Procedures / FAQ

[swo17]

You have chanced upon the lists project section of our forum, an ongoing project designed to break up the vast array of world cinema into more manageable portions. Unlike many other areas on the internet devoted to lists, our emphasis is on discussion, with participants encouraged to share their discoveries or other thoughts on films under consideration for each project.

If you’re a newcomer, feel free to participate in any lists project, no matter your experience or lack of experience with the films under consideration. In fact, the ideal participants are: 1) novices eager to explore, 2) seasoned cinephiles willing to share, and 3) those in between willing to do a bit of both.

If you are just discovering a particular lists project close to the deadline, or if you have not seen enough to come up with a list of 50 films that you love, you might be better off waiting for the next project to contribute a list, but please still feel welcome to participate in the ongoing discussions and share whatever recommendations you might have. Conversely, even if you haven’t contributed much to the discussions for any given project, you are still welcome to submit a list.

So that each list project can run smoothly and remain a fun exercise for all involved, we have established certain rules and procedures that dictate what films are eligible for consideration and how our final list is tabulated. Please don’t clutter our discussions with arguments about these rules and procedures. If you feel you have a legitimate suggestion to make with regard to any of them, please do so like a reasonable, polite adult in the main Lists Project thread, but be aware that there are practical reasons for all of these rules, that we have adhered to them for years, and that we are unlikely to change any of them (especially if you are rude about it).

General Rules

1) Each individual list is to comprise no more or less than 50 films, ranked in your order of preference (with no ties).
2) Any feature film, documentary, experimental film, short film, music video, TV miniseries, TV movie, or TV special that fits in the category of a given list project is generally eligible, unless the list moderator states otherwise in the first post of the applicable lists project thread.
3) Television series or seasons / episodes of television series are never ever eligible.
4) Two-part films released separately (e.g. Eisenstein's Ivans) count as one film. Each entry in a trilogy (e.g. Ray's Apus) counts as a separate film.

Rules Specific to the Decades Lists

5) Decades start with years that end in ‘0’ and end with years that end in ‘9’.
6) The date given on IMDb is the relevant date for determining eligibility, even when it's clearly wrong. If a film does not appear on IMDb or has a year assigned to it that you think is way off (not just by a year), you may bring it up in the applicable thread and the list moderator will rule on whether it can be considered eligible. The list moderator’s decision is final. Please do not ask questions about the eligibility of films unless you are seriously considering including them on your lists.

Rules Specific to the Genre Lists

7) The “Vote for It” Rule: If you’re not sure if a film fits the genre under consideration, vote for it. If someone else votes for the film as well, then it qualifies as a film from that genre. That being said, please try to be mindful of the spirit of the project, and resist the urge to vote for favorite films of yours that you have to stretch pretty far to make them fit the genre. If you include a film like this on your list that is unlikely to receive votes from anyone else, you’ve wasted a vote that could have gone to a more fitting film.
8) The list moderator reserves the right to discard votes for any film deemed ineligible. If you include a film on your list that the list moderator has indicated to be ineligible, you are again just throwing your vote away.

Procedures

At the end of each lists project, individual lists from all contributors are tabulated into a final list like so:

1) A #1 placement for a film on an individual list gives that film 50 points. A #2 placement gives that film 49 points, etc.
2) Films receiving a vote from only one individual (aka “orphans”) are discarded.
3) The 100 films with the most points make the final list. Films with the same point totals tie. If the 100th highest ranked film is tied with other films, the final list will include all films tied with it.

For those who might think the orphan rule unfair, please bear in mind:

- The final list is meant to reflect a sort of forum consensus. One vote is the opposite of a consensus.
- Even if an orphan receives 50 points, this is usually nowhere near enough points to make the top 100 anyway.
- This rule encourages discussion during each project of films that one fears might suffer the fate of an orphan, and this discussion is the whole point of the lists projects anyway. In addition, for the genre projects, this rule discourages frivolous voting for films that don’t really fit the genre under consideration.

[domino harvey]

Guide to all recent and on-going List Projects

Genre & Other Non-Decade Lists

Currently run by: domino harvey
Decisions on the next genres to be tackled are always under discussion here. If you have a suggestion, lobby for it there or contact the current genre list tallier to make your voice heard!

06/10 - 12/10 NOIR Results
12/10 - 06/11 WESTERNS Results
06/11 - 12/11 MUSICALS Results
12/11 - 12/12 HORROR Results
01/13 - 07/13 ANIMATION Results
07/13 - 03/14 DOCUMENTARIES Results
03/14 - 12/14 WAR Results
12/14 - 07/15 FAITH Results
07/15 - 11/15 NOIR (Round Two) Results (Classic) / Results (Modern)
11/15 - 12/15 ROAD MOVIES (Mini-List) Results
12/15 - 06/16 YOUTH Results
06/16 - 08/16 THEATRE ADAPTATIONS (non-Shakespeare, non-musical) (Mini-List) Results
08/16 - 09/16 24 HOURS OR LESS (Mini-List) Results
09/16 - 11/16 ALFRED HITCHCOCK (Auteur List) Results
11/16 - 03/17 WESTERNS (Round Two) Results
03/17 - 05/17 INGMAR BERGMAN (Auteur List) Results
05/17 - 07/17 CANNES TOP AWARD WINNERS (Mini-List) Results
07/17 - 09/17 FRITZ LANG (Auteur List) Results
09/17 - 11/17 NOUVELLE VAGUE (Mini-List) Results (Features) / Results (Shorts)
11/17 - 12/17 LUIS BUÑUEL (Auteur List) Results
12/17 - 03/18 BIOPICS Results
03/18 - 05/18 WOMEN DIRECTORS Results
06/18 - 10/18 JEAN RENOIR (Auteur List) Results
06/18 - 10/18 JEAN LUC GODARD (Auteur List) Results
06/18 - 10/18 JOHN FORD (Auteur List) Results
10/18 - 12/18 PRE-CODE HOLLYWOOD (Mini-List) Results
12/18 - 02/19 SCREWBALL COMEDIES (Mini-List) Results
02/19 - 03/19 WOODY ALLEN (Auteur List) Results
03/19 - 05/19 BEST PICTURE TRIO: NOMINEES (THRU 1968) + NOMINEES (1969-PRESENT) + WINNERS (ALL YEARS) (Mini-Lists) Results
06/19 - 07/19 CLAUDE CHABROL (Auteur List) Results
08/19 - 09/19 SHAKESPEARE ADAPTATIONS (Mini-List) List abandoned due to lack of participants
09/19 - 10/19 MUSIC VIDEOS (Mini-List) Results
10/19 - 04/20 HORROR REDUX
04/20 - 05/20 BILLY WILDER (Auteur List)
06/20 - 07/20 HOWARD HAWKS (Auteur List)
08/20 - 02/21 SCI-FI
03/21 - 04/21 CARY GRANT (Star List)
04/21 - 06/21 OTTO PREMINGER (Auteur List) CURRENT
06/21 - 07/21 BEST FIRST FEATURES (Mini-List)
07/21 - 08/21 CATHERINE DENEUVE (Star List)

PAUSED POSSIBLE FUTURE LISTS
RAINER WERNER FASSBINDER (Auteur List)
JAMES STEWART (Star List)
AKIRA KUROSAWA (Auteur List)
CZECHOSLOVAK NEW WAVE (Mini-List)
MICHEL PICCOLI (Star List)
MUSICALS REDUX

Decade Lists (Current Generation)

Currently run by: swo17
Once we cycle through these decades we start back over again. We are currently in our fourth iteration of ranking films according to decade.

Round 3
02/10 - 05/10 Pre-1920s Results
06/10 - 01/11 1920s Results
02/11 - 08/11 1930s Results
08/11 - 02/12 1940s Results
03/12 - 09/12 1950s Results
09/12 - 05/13 1960s Results
05/13 - 01/14 1970s Results
01/14 - 09/14 1980s Results
09/14 - 05/15 1990s Results
06/15 - 01/16 2000s Results
02/16 - 05/16 2010-2014 (1st half of 2010s) Results
05/16 - 03/17 The All-Time List Results

Round 4
03/17 - 10/17 Pre-1920s Results
10/17 - 06/18 1920s Results
06/18 - 02/19 1930s Results
02/19 - 11/19 1940s Results
11/19 - 09/20 1950s Results
09/20 - 05/21 2010s Results (didn't affect eligibility for all-time list)
05/21 - 12/22 1960s Results
01/23 - 12/23 1970s CURRENT
01/24 - 12/24 1980s
01/25 - 12/25 1990s
01/26 - 12/26 2000s
01/27 - 12/27 2010s
07/30 - 06/31 2020s
07/31 - 12/31 The All-Time List

Round 5
01/28 - 01/28 1888-1909
02/28 - 02/28 1910-1914
03/28 - 03/28 1915-1916
04/28 - 04/28 1917-1918
05/28 - 05/28 1919
06/28 - 06/28 pre-1920s
07/28 - 06/29 1920s
07/29 - 06/30 1930s
01/32 - 12/32 1940s
01/33 - 12/33 1950s
01/34 - 12/34 1960s
01/35 - 12/35 1970s
01/36 - 12/36 1980s
01/37 - 12/37 1990s
01/38 - 12/38 2000s
01/39 - 12/39 2010s
01/40 - 12/40 2020s
01/41 - 12/41 2030s
01/42 - 06/42 The All-Time List

Results From Past Generations


Alternate Academy + César Awards

Currently run by: domino harvey
These are the only list projects with no set end-time. Complete the task at your leisure. Or don't!

Best Picture Winners and Nominees (1927 - 1968)
Best Picture Winners and Nominees (1969 - Present)
Alt Oscars Appendix: Best Directors Without Best Pictures
The Alternate César Awards: César du meilleur film (Best Film)


TV Lists

Currently run by: swo17

03/16 - 09/16 The Simpsons

[domino harvey]

Potential Future Lists

GENRE, AUTEUR, AND OTHER NON-DECADE LISTS
Mini-lists are randomly selected by the acting list compiler, domino harvey. Full lists are discussed and weighed for viability and then put up for a poll, with final call resting with the acting list compiler. If you have a suggestion for inclusion, either propose it in the general List Project thread or PM domino harvey. Please keep in mind we are currently in the middle of a five year backlog and will likely not be considering additional lists until at least 2021!

DECADES LISTS
Will be cycling back through again for the fourth iteration of the decade-by-decade project. The Pre-1920s List will begin once the All-Time List is completed. Further questions should be directed to the acting list compiler, swo17, either via PM or in the general List Project thread

TV LISTS
TBD. Address suggestions or inquiries to the acting list compiler, swo17, either via PM or in the general List Project thread