100 Best Films
The Top 100 Classic, Well Done, Groundbreaking, Influential Entertainments of Cinema.
The Top 100 Films you should see in your lifetime.
These are the The Top 100 that may not be for everyone, but should be.
These films truly create their own worlds and make their own rules.
To view this list, start at the bottom and work your way up.
Then, if you're feelin' okay about it, try lookin' at the second page to see a list of movies I didn't order, but added them for consideration.
The best way to critique is to move stuff around in your head, but the only way to argue with an opinion is to make one of your own. Please, go ahead.
The Top 100 Films you should see in your lifetime.
These are the The Top 100 that may not be for everyone, but should be.
These films truly create their own worlds and make their own rules.
To view this list, start at the bottom and work your way up.
Then, if you're feelin' okay about it, try lookin' at the second page to see a list of movies I didn't order, but added them for consideration.
The best way to critique is to move stuff around in your head, but the only way to argue with an opinion is to make one of your own. Please, go ahead.
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- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartGrace KellyWendell CoreyA wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his Greenwich Village courtyard apartment window and, despite the skepticism of his fashion-model girlfriend, becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.It's in the title, all about perspective. James Stewart acts as an audience member, and our imagination brings the suspense. Hasn't been recreated as perfectly.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsJohn TravoltaUma ThurmanSamuel L. JacksonThe lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.Beyond philosophical.
This film asks a lot of questions...
Why does Marsellus have a bandage on the back of his head?
That's for your interpretation.
What's in the briefcase?
That doesn't matter.
...therefore, the film raises even more than it answers.
This is life.
This is religion on film. What we've believed for centuries, our entire language, especially in America "don't mean *beep* All we even care about is, essentially, *beep*
Where did the gold watch come from?
The point is clear: in the absence of any lasting, transcendent objective framework of value and meaning, our language no longer points to anything beyond itself. To call something good or evil renders it so, given that there is no higher authority or criteria by which one might judge actions. Jules quotes the Bible before his executions, but he may as well be quoting the Fonz or Buddy Holly.
Yet, everything happens for a reason. Maybe there are no miracles or divine intervention, but what we choose to see and listen to are what make us who we are. Sure, Butch must be as ruthless as the gangster who wants him dead, but in the end it was his loyalty that saved his life. His legacy lives on, but Vince's ignorance met his demise.
Jules: What the *beep* did you just do to his towel?
Vincent: I was just dryin’ my hands.
Jules: You’re supposed to wash ’em first.
Vincent: You watched me wash ’em.
Jules: I watched you get ’em wet.
Vincent: I washed ’em. Blood’s real hard to get off. Maybe if he had some Lava, I coulda done a better job.
Jules: I used the same soap you did and when I dried my hands, the towel didn’t look like a *beep* maxipad.
In the end, Jules' were completely clean. Had Vince washed his hands, the toaster would have still gone off. The smoke alarm would have gone off.
...and Butch would have had opportunity to leave silently.
Wouldn't have saved him from what happens next, but Vince would still be alive. Jules is off to walk the earth like Cain in Kung Fu. What will Vince be remembered for?
At least he's alive at the end of the movie.
Everything happens for a reason. It's movie logic, but no film shows more love for the movies than this. This is all film is capable of. It's an experience, it's comic relief, it's something for everyone, it's something to talk about. The spirit of Quentin Tarantino is there in all of this films, but "Pulp Fiction" stands alone. They're all pulp fiction.
The stories could be biblical. Connections between nihilism and loyalty blend with faith and meaning to add up to your own interpretation of what you believe. In the end, loyalty in yourself is taking care. Not caring just might get your hands dirty. Thinking you know everything is ridiculous.
But there are certainties. We may not have seen it...but...
"Zed's dead, baby, Zed's dead." - DirectorMichael CurtizStarsHumphrey BogartIngrid BergmanPaul HenreidA cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.THIS is a product of "The Golden Age" of Cinema.
You wouldn't be able to remember, but the people who made this film grew up in a world of silent pictures and new ways to tell stories.
Many times, the first picture a filmmaker is able to produce is the best they will ever be. This is because they have been waiting their whole lives to make a movie. Casablanca came, really, when many were making these great films. Many hold up, but none DEFINES the golden age of cinema more than this.
And to prove it, who are the people who grew up without television and only nights out at the movies...at the cinema?
Martin Scorsese and the like of him.
The greatest Hollywood creation proves that romance wins hearts and reality leaves us with the great "what if" questions. In the end, be thankful for what you have. - DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneTakashi ShimuraKeiko TsushimaFarmers from a village exploited by bandits hire a veteran samurai for protection, who gathers six other samurai to join him.The original action formula. The story's been done time and time again.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsTom HanksMatt DamonTom SizemoreFollowing the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.The greatest most realistic war film of all time is shown through an emotional story that audiences for decades will be shocked did not win best picture of the year.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsMarilyn MonroeTony CurtisJack LemmonAfter two male musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, but further complications set in.The all-time outrageous, satirical, comedy farce favorite, Some Like It Hot (1959) is one of the most hilarious, raucous films ever made. The ribald film is a clever combination of many elements: a spoof of 1920-30's gangster films with period costumes and speakeasies, and romance in a quasi-screwball comedy with one central joke - entangled and deceptive identities, reversed sex roles and cross-dressing. In fact, one of the film's major themes is disguise and masquerade - e.g., the drag costumes of the two male musicians, Joe's disguise as a Cary Grant-like impotent millionaire, and Jerry's happiness with a real wealthy, yacht-owning retiree.
It's also a black and white film (reminiscent of the early film era) filled with non-stop action (e.g., the initial car chase), slapstick, and one-liners reminiscent of Marx Brothers and Mack Sennett comedies.
Director-producer Wilder had purposely challenged the system with this gender-bending and risqué comedy, filled with sly and witty sexual innuendo (the "sweet" and "fuzzy end of the lollipop" represented oral sex), unembarrassed vulgarity, free love, spoofs of sexual stereotypes (bisexuality, transvestism, androgyny, homosexuality, transsexuality, lesbianism, and impotence), sexy costuming for the well-endowed, bosomy Marilyn Monroe, an outrageous and steamy seduction scene aboard a yacht, and a mix of serious themes including abuse, alcoholism, unemployment, and murder, among others.
-Filmsite Review - DirectorSergio LeoneStarsClint EastwoodLee Van CleefGian Maria VolontèTwo bounty hunters with the same intentions team up to track down a gang of outlaws led by a psychotic Mexican bandit, who is plotting an audacious bank robbery.This is an exact note from Justin Bailey to me on August 14th, 2007:
Long post follows: I recently viewed "For a Few Dollars More" for a second time, and I must say, it is comparable to "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". I'd say it is superior in terms of action, and I like the villain of Indio better than Angel Eyes. However, I think GBU is still the better film, because it is superior in terms of style and the artistic approach. It is an epic story, so it's slow at times and doesn't have the breakneck pacing of the first two, but I think it has the best character development and dialogue. All 3 are great for different reasons, Fistful for its pacing and suspense, FAFDM for its incredible action, and GBU for its epicness. Sergio does Westerns as well as (in fact probably better than) anyone. - DirectorOrson WellesStarsOrson WellesJoseph CottenDorothy ComingoreFollowing the death of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, reporters scramble to uncover the meaning of his final utterance: 'Rosebud.'Film-making at its finest. Doesn't matter what a film is about, but film is shown as art here. The "thrill of invention is there in every shot," making every viewing feel like the first.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsMarlon BrandoAl PacinoJames CaanThe aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.For me, the defining film of what is a "saga."
Starring my favorite actor, Marlon Brando is the title character, even though the meaning of "Godfather" is passed on to Al Pacino. A performance later in his career, (he was considered a "washed up" actor at the time, this being his comeback role for which he won an Oscar) you don't see performance so much as the head of an Italian mob family that one would actually look to for guidance and help. "The Godfather" has become a rulebook of influence towards the loyalty of family.
"Leave the gun, take the cannoli" is a metaphor of importance.
The true meaning of friendship.
The unavoidable penalty of adultery.
Even how to make meatballs sauce for many people.
Of course, dealing with these Italians, violence plays a large part in how they do justice, even though the Don Corleone is smart enough to know vengeance won't bring back the dead. Yet, they are never played like people of which we should be afraid. Not including the last shot of the film. - DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsMichael KeatonZach GalifianakisEdward NortonA washed-up superhero actor attempts to revive his fading career by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway production.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsJack NicholsonShelley DuvallDanny LloydA family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future.I am biased towards horror. Something that affects you in a way you can't forget is great. I believe horror is the hardest kind of film to make. From script to shoot to edit, a lot of it has to be just right.
This film is not only the greatest horror film, it is the best Stanley Kubrick film.
http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/faq/html/shining/shining.html - DirectorDavid FincherStarsMorgan FreemanBrad PittKevin SpaceyTwo detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.David Fincher was born in Denver, Colorado. Although the acclaimed director is best known for Fight Club (1999) and The Social Network (2010), many forget that his first two feature films were horror. Unfortunately, his debut production - Alien 3 (1992) - was widely panned by critics and fans alike. Yet, Fincher rebounded three years later with a horror blockbuster – Se7en (1995) – opening a little over a month before Halloween and grossing over $100 million by the end of October (more than three-fold a return to New Line Cinema off a $30 million budget). At the time the only horror movies with higher grosses were The Exorcist (1973) and Jaws (1975). Yet even today, Se7en still sits comfortably in the top ten. The film put Fincher on the map and satisfied the appetite of audiences across the country who had been starving for the theatrical release of a decent horror film since the end of the 1980s. From Best-Horror-Movies.com (I'll always be biased towards a good horrific flick): Although the horror genre would not receive its badly needed jumpstart until Wes Craven deconstructed the slasher subgenre with Scream (1996), Se7en reminded studios across the country that America likes horror.
The film was helped along by the talented trio of Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt and Kevin Spacey, but neither actor had yet to make a movie as successful as Se7en ultimately turned out to be. Their execution was first-rate, but the real credit for the dark atmosphere and creepy mood must go to director, David Fincher.
-from Best-Horror-Movies.com - DirectorSergio LeoneStarsClint EastwoodEli WallachLee Van CleefA bounty hunting scam joins two men in an uneasy alliance against a third in a race to find a fortune in gold buried in a remote cemetery.Quentin Tarantino's favorite movie of all time.
The greatest soundtrack created for film. - DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsDaniel Day-LewisPaul DanoCiarán HindsA story of family, religion, hatred, oil and madness, focusing on a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.Feels like "Citizen Kane," plays like a Western, styled like a horror movie, and has drama to keep you engaged thoroughly. Powerful performances, too.
- DirectorAlexander MackendrickStarsBurt LancasterTony CurtisSusan HarrisonPowerful but unethical Broadway columnist J.J. Hunsecker coerces unscrupulous press agent Sidney Falco into breaking up his sister's romance with a jazz musician.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsJesse EisenbergAndrew GarfieldJustin TimberlakeAs Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg creates the social networking site that would become known as Facebook, he is sued by the twins who claimed he stole their idea and by the co-founder who was later squeezed out of the business.The second film on this list from David Fincher with another flawless film...the most intelligent characters in movie history. This should be considered the film of my generation.
- DirectorVittorio De SicaStarsLamberto MaggioraniEnzo StaiolaLianella CarellIn post-war Italy, a working-class man's bicycle is stolen, endangering his efforts to find work. He and his son set out to find it.Given an honorary Oscar in 1949, routinely voted one of the greatest films of all time, revered as one of the foundation stones of Italian neorealism, it is a simple, powerful film about a man who needs a job.
-Roger Ebert
Like "Citizen Kane," this is directed by an actor, but it truly shows as we don't see actors on screen. Most of them are just "real people" in real locations. While the realistic style feels consistently present, the stunning photography is far from just a documentary feel, although it works as a historical document, a social statement, and a record of one of the century's most influential film movements.
It's all about the cycle itself, in the end, after his son sees something he thought he would never see. The boy follows his father into a crowd becoming just like everyone else. - DirectorGeorge Roy HillStarsPaul NewmanRobert RedfordKatharine RossIn 1890s Wyoming, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid lead a band of outlaws. When a train robbery goes wrong, they find themselves on the run with a posse hard on their heels. After considering their options, they escape to South America.A different way to make a western, but entirely realistic. The entirely classic story is similar to "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) in several ways, but the original implementation of the western genre added a thrill the former could not.
- DirectorRobert WiseStarsJulie AndrewsChristopher PlummerEleanor ParkerA young novice is sent by her convent in 1930s Austria to become a governess to the seven children of a widowed naval officer.The greatest musical of all time!
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsJack LemmonShirley MacLaineFred MacMurrayA Manhattan insurance clerk tries to rise in his company by letting its executives use his apartment for trysts, but complications and a romance of his own ensue.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsBrad PittEdward NortonMeat LoafAn insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker form an underground fight club that evolves into much more.Based on a great book, proves the art of film is superior when it comes to story telling.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsMartin SheenMarlon BrandoRobert DuvallA U.S. Army officer serving in Vietnam is tasked with assassinating a renegade Special Forces Colonel who sees himself as a god.More than a war movie. This is an experience.
- DirectorJames CameronStarsLeonardo DiCaprioKate WinsletBilly ZaneA seventeen-year-old aristocrat falls in love with a kind but poor artist aboard the luxurious, ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic.The greatest romance of all time in the greatest disaster film of all time using the biggest budget of it's time to appeal to every kind of audience member.
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsJeff BridgesJohn GoodmanJulianne MooreJeff "The Dude" Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire of the same name, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it.The greatest film with a massive
cult following.
The greatest bowling movie (even if the main character doesn't even throw a ball).
The greatest stoner movie.
The second greatest comedy.
Talking about the "Nostalgia Critic" segment on "The Big Lebowski":
That segment was okay, although unsure of itself. I was afraid he was putting down the whole movie, but at least he admits it's a masterpiece. The theme of The Big Lebowski is "Ignorance is Bliss."
The Dude smokes weed. He goes bowling, yet never throws the ball. The other Lebowski has a wife he never sees. The line "He fixes the cable?" (one of my favorites).
Even "Hey man, there's a beverage here!" is ignorant on both characters on screen.
As a society, we can't be nor can we afford to be ignorant like The Dude. Therefore, he is one of the greatest characters in movie history because he could never really be recreated. Film makers have tried. Tirelessly. There are plenty of terrible role models that star in "stoner movies," but The Dude never tries to be a role model. His life is not lived glamorously, and he doesn't promote anything that he does. He's just getting by. He's doing what he has to do. He's not in control of his life. However, no matter what he gets himself into...he's happy.
The whole movie is designed almost with a noir-rish Elmore Leonard feel to it, which would be normal for a detective story, but the only detectives in the flick are either laughing at The Dude or angry with him to the extent that they would waste a mug of coffee on his head. Beverage abuse all over the place. - DirectorLana WachowskiLilly WachowskiStarsKeanu ReevesLaurence FishburneCarrie-Anne MossWhen a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.The greatest comic-book movie (even if there's no comic book).
- DirectorWes AndersonStarsRalph FiennesF. Murray AbrahamMathieu AmalricA writer encounters the owner of an aging high-class hotel, who tells him of his early years serving as a lobby boy in the hotel's glorious years under an exceptional concierge.
- DirectorCharles LaughtonStarsRobert MitchumShelley WintersLillian GishA self-proclaimed preacher marries a gullible widow whose young children are reluctant to tell him where their real dad hid the $10,000 he'd stolen in a robbery.Simply haunting.
Directed by an actor in an experimental fashion. You haven't seen this before...or since, really. - DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodGene HackmanMorgan FreemanRetired Old West gunslinger William Munny reluctantly takes on one last job, with the help of his old partner Ned Logan and a young man, The "Schofield Kid."Dedicated to Sergio Leone and Don Siegel.
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsTommy Lee JonesJavier BardemJosh BrolinViolence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and over two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande.This is "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" of today. Speaks volumes with as few words and hardly any soundtrack.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsAnthony PerkinsJanet LeighVera MilesA Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.
- DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsBruce WillisAlan RickmanBonnie BedeliaA New York City police officer tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.The "die hard" movie. Recreated the action movie.
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsJames StewartDonna ReedLionel BarrymoreAn angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed.Many movies were made based on great concept used in short stories. This is one of them and makes a truly great story giving us faith in humanity.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordKaren AllenPaul FreemanIn 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.The second greatest action movie was an homage to the great adventure movie serials from decades before.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsGregory PeckAudrey HepburnEddie AlbertA bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome.
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsHenry FondaLee J. CobbMartin BalsamThe jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.
- DirectorMel GibsonStarsMel GibsonSophie MarceauPatrick McGoohanScottish warrior William Wallace leads his countrymen in a rebellion to free his homeland from the tyranny of King Edward I of England.The greatest battle scenes in film history.
- DirectorVictor FlemingKing VidorStarsJudy GarlandFrank MorganRay BolgerYoung Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto are swept away by a tornado from their Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz, and embark on a quest with three new friends to see the Wizard, who can return her to her home and fulfill the others' wishes.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsRoy ScheiderRobert ShawRichard DreyfussWhen a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community off Cape Cod, it's up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down.The first film to earn over $100,000,000 at the box office.
The first "blockbuster."
Old-school film-making brought by the best new director in town. - DirectorFrank CapraStarsClark GableClaudette ColbertWalter ConnollyA rogue reporter trailing a runaway heiress for a big story joins her on a bus heading from Florida to New York and they end up stuck with each other when the bus leaves them behind at one of the stops along the way.
- DirectorSam RaimiStarsBruce CampbellEllen SandweissRichard DeManincorFive friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons.Truly the "Ultimate Experience in Grueling Terror!" The greatest low-budget film ever! Would not have gained popularity if it weren't for Stephen King's love for it, the remake, still called "Evil Dead II," became a cult phenomenon, but this, being where it all started, was all about the love of making a scary movie. From here on out, Sam Raimi would use a greater sense of humor.
- DirectorJohn LasseterStarsTom HanksTim AllenDon RicklesA cowboy doll is profoundly threatened and jealous when a new spaceman action figure supplants him as top toy in a boy's bedroom.Selling "story" right in the title, this appeals to everybody. The start of the second-greatest trilogy of all time! (Behind only what's known as the "dollars trilogy," and not by much).
- DirectorJohn SturgesStarsSteve McQueenJames GarnerRichard AttenboroughAllied prisoners of war plan for several hundred of their number to escape from a German camp during World War II.Gives new definition to "escapist entertainment."
Excitement galore in the third act. - DirectorArthur PennStarsWarren BeattyFaye DunawayMichael J. PollardBored waitress Bonnie Parker falls in love with an ex-con named Clyde Barrow and together they start a violent crime spree through the country, stealing cars and robbing banks.
- DirectorBrian De PalmaStarsAl PacinoMichelle PfeifferSteven BauerIn 1980 Miami, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug cartel and succumbs to greed.
- DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsEthan HawkeJulie DelpyVernon DobtcheffNine years after Jesse and Celine first met, they encounter each other again on the French leg of Jesse's book tour.The second part of what became the most unique trilogy in movie history. This is as intimate of an experience as you can possibly have. As much as it feels like a foreign film, the simplicity of the story allows the complexities of humanity into the facts of love, life, and hopefully "happily ever after." This is the best director Linklater has been capitalizing on his infamous "hang-out" feel, and featuring a jaw-dropping ending that leaves you wanting more (nine years later, with "Before Midnight").
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsSam NeillLaura DernJeff GoldblumA pragmatic paleontologist touring an almost complete theme park on an island in Central America is tasked with protecting a couple of kids after a power failure causes the park's cloned dinosaurs to run loose.The greatest monster movie of all time! The greatest science-fiction and adventure movie of all time!
- DirectorMartin CampbellStarsDaniel CraigEva GreenJudi DenchAfter earning 00 status and a licence to kill, secret agent James Bond sets out on his first mission as 007. Bond must defeat a private banker funding terrorists in a high-stakes game of poker at Casino Royale, Montenegro.The best James Bond movie! One of the best action movies ever!
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsRussell CroweJoaquin PhoenixConnie NielsenA former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsOwen WilsonRachel McAdamsKathy BatesWhile on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight.
- DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsMichael DouglasBenicio Del ToroCatherine Zeta-JonesA conservative judge is appointed by the President to spearhead America's escalating war against drugs, only to discover that his teenage daughter is a crack addict. Two DEA agents protect an informant. A jailed drug baron's wife attempts to carry on the family business.The ultimate "hardass" drama. This is a heavy film, and shows the affects of drugs perfectly. The best multi-story film.
- DirectorPhil Alden RobinsonStarsKevin CostnerJames Earl JonesRay LiottaIowa farmer Ray Kinsella is inspired by a voice he can't ignore to pursue a dream he can hardly believe. Supported by his wife, Ray begins the quest by turning his ordinary cornfield into a place where dreams can come true.The number one sports movie of all time!
- DirectorBrad BirdStarsCraig T. NelsonSamuel L. JacksonHolly HunterWhile trying to lead a quiet suburban life, a family of undercover superheroes are forced into action to save the world.The best superhero movie is also one of the greatest animated movies of all time. This was entirely original story with a dysfunctional family of supers, yet paid homage to everything from James Bond to Indiana Jones. Still the greatest city-destruction climax ever seen. It has everything!
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsLiam NeesonRalph FiennesBen KingsleyIn German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.So many directors wanted to tell this story.
Not exactly a feel-good movie, but restores faith in humanity.
Shows the darkness of the events in beautiful black and white.
Realism in every aspect. Actual events. No movie tricks showing you who's evil and who's good. It's all in the performances.
See also: The much more entertaining "Munich." On par, even in part and homage to "The Godfather." - DirectorGeorge LucasStarsMark HamillHarrison FordCarrie FisherLuke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.One of the greatest fantasies sparking the imaginations of generations to come. Also makes you feel like a kid again every time you watch.
- DirectorMichael CurtizWilliam KeighleyStarsErrol FlynnOlivia de HavillandBasil RathboneWhen Prince John and the Norman Lords begin oppressing the Saxon masses in King Richard's absence in 1190s England, a Saxon lord fights back as the outlaw leader of a resistance movement.One of the first great action movies.
- DirectorRobert RodriguezStarsHarvey KeitelGeorge ClooneyJuliette LewisTwo criminals and their hostages unknowingly seek temporary refuge in a truck stop populated by vampires, with chaotic results.The best Robert Rodriguez movie thanks to Tarantino.
One of the biggest mind-blows in movie history. - DirectorSergio LeoneStarsHenry FondaCharles BronsonClaudia CardinaleA mysterious stranger with a harmonica joins forces with a notorious desperado to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working for the railroad.You forgive this one for being long and drawn-out, but revisiting some of the greatest landmarks in western movie history is worth it.
Sergio Leone could tell any story, but even American producers felt his efforts were best in the western genre. We're thankful they did, and even his next, "Duck, You Sucker" proved they were right. - DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsDenzel WashingtonEthan HawkeScott GlennA rookie cop spends his first day as a Los Angeles narcotics officer with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears to be.An urban drama features the best Denzel performance and the greatest twisted-cop character ever.
- DirectorDaniel MyrickEduardo SánchezStarsHeather DonahueMichael C. WilliamsJoshua LeonardThree film students vanish after traveling into a Maryland forest to film a documentary on the local Blair Witch legend, leaving only their footage behind.The first and best "shaky cam" film. Started a revolution, especially when it came to marketing.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsHarvey KeitelTim RothMichael MadsenWhen a simple jewelry heist goes horribly wrong, the surviving criminals begin to suspect that one of them is a police informant.
- 19641h 35mPG8.4 (519K)97MetascoreDirectorStanley KubrickStarsPeter SellersGeorge C. ScottSterling HaydenAn unhinged American general orders a bombing attack on the Soviet Union, triggering a path to nuclear holocaust that a war room full of politicians and generals frantically tries to stop.Perfect use of satire, but the film-making and performances are what makes this the best of it's kind.
- DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartMary AstorGladys GeorgeSan Francisco private detective Sam Spade takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar and their quest for a priceless statuette, with the stakes rising after his partner is murdered.
- DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsJodie FosterAnthony HopkinsScott GlennA young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.One of the first movies I think about when I realize not all films can be "fun." However, the insight to the FBI and a great character study adds up to one of the most disturbing stories building up to one of the most intense scenes in movie history.
- DirectorTerry GilliamTerry JonesStarsGraham ChapmanJohn CleeseEric IdleKing Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table embark on a surreal, low-budget search for the Holy Grail, encountering many, very silly obstacles.Sophisticated fast humor with such random scene structure and story telling is still ahead of it's time. The low-budget was implemented in a perfect way and the poor film quality actually added a layer of realism, but the brilliant set pieces feature satire at it's greatest.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleMichael CaineKen WatanabeAfter witnessing his parents' death, Bruce learns the art of fighting to confront injustice. When he returns to Gotham as Batman, he must stop a secret society that intends to destroy the city.The best Christopher Nolan movie started out a consistently great trilogy, but never more emotional and powerful as this one. Perfect use of source material as inspiration.
The new way to make a superhero movie: rooted in realism. Also known as "gritty," which is hopefully not an evil trend in Hollywood today. - DirectorBilly WilderStarsWilliam HoldenGloria SwansonErich von StroheimA screenwriter develops a dangerous relationship with a faded film star determined to make a triumphant return.
- DirectorJames CameronStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerLinda HamiltonEdward FurlongA cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her ten year old son John from an even more advanced and powerful cyborg.
- DirectorFederico FelliniStarsMarcello MastroianniAnouk AiméeClaudia CardinaleA harried movie director retreats into his memories and fantasies.A true art film.
- DirectorMichel GondryStarsJim CarreyKate WinsletTom WilkinsonWhen their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories forever.The special effects hardly feel like special effects. They're so effortless and simple. The best of Charlie Kaufman, although please watch "Being John Malkovich" sometime.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroJodie FosterCybill ShepherdA mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsMalcolm McDowellPatrick MageeMichael BatesIn the future, a sadistic gang leader is imprisoned and volunteers for a conduct-aversion experiment, but it doesn't go as planned.
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsAl PacinoJohn CazalePenelope AllenThree amateur bank robbers plan to hold up a bank. A nice simple robbery: Walk in, take the money, and run. Unfortunately, the supposedly uncomplicated heist suddenly becomes a bizarre nightmare as everything that could go wrong does.
- DirectorEdgar WrightStarsSimon PeggNick FrostMartin FreemanFive friends who reunite in an attempt to top their epic pub crawl from twenty years earlier unwittingly become humanity's only hope for survival.
- DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsWilliam PetersenWillem DafoeJane LeevesA fearless Secret Service agent will stop at nothing to bring down the counterfeiter who killed his partner.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsMatthew ModineR. Lee ErmeyVincent D'OnofrioA pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue.
- DirectorDavid LeanStarsPeter O'TooleAlec GuinnessAnthony QuinnThe story of T.E. Lawrence, the English officer who successfully united and led the diverse, often warring, Arab tribes during World War I in order to fight the Turks.Steven Spielberg has said he watches this film before starting work on a movie. I think it shows.
- DirectorJames CameronStarsSigourney WeaverMichael BiehnCarrie HennDecades after surviving the Nostromo incident, Ellen Ripley is sent out to re-establish contact with a terraforming colony but finds herself battling the Alien Queen and her offspring.A superior sequel. One of the few (I'm usually biased towards originals).
This is what a sequel should be capable of doing. Giving audiences what they love, but not more of the same. - DirectorRobert MulliganStarsGregory PeckJohn MegnaFrank OvertonAtticus Finch, a widowed lawyer in Depression-era Alabama, defends a Black man against an undeserved rape charge, and tries to educate his young children against prejudice.
- DirectorRob ReinerStarsBilly CrystalMeg RyanCarrie FisherHarry and Sally have known each other for years, and are very good friends, but they fear sex would ruin the friendship.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsJosh HartnettEwan McGregorTom SizemoreThe story of 160 elite U.S. soldiers who dropped into Mogadishu in October 1993 to capture two top lieutenants of a renegade warlord, but found themselves in a desperate battle with a large force of heavily armed Somalis.
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsDuane JonesJudith O'DeaKarl HardmanA ragtag group of Pennsylvanians barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to remain safe from a horde of flesh-eating ghouls that are ravaging the Northeast of the United States.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsKeir DulleaGary LockwoodWilliam SylvesterAfter uncovering a mysterious artifact buried beneath the Lunar surface, a spacecraft is sent to Jupiter to find its origins: a spacecraft manned by two men and the supercomputer HAL 9000.I still don't get the final minutes of this film, but everything leading up to it is pure cinematic genius. This is quite an experience.
- DirectorMichael MannStarsTom CruiseJamie FoxxJada Pinkett SmithA cab driver finds himself the hostage of an engaging contract killer as he makes his rounds from hit to hit during one night in Los Angeles.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroCathy MoriartyJoe PesciThe life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.Robert DeNiro's best performance.
The film technique is strong here while the director was never passionate about boxing. The movie becomes much more than a boxing movie. This is not as mainstream as "Cinderella Man" became, therefore more original, although, there's no real comparison. "Cinderella Man" is not one to miss, either. - DirectorDanny BoyleStarsCillian MurphyNaomie HarrisChristopher EcclestonFour weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.
- DirectorFrank DarabontStarsTom HanksMichael Clarke DuncanDavid MorseA tale set on death row, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the lead guard, Paul Edgecombe, recognizes John's gift, he tries to help stave off the condemned man's execution.This entirely entertaining movie outdoes it's predecessor ("The Shawshank Redemption") maybe not in emotional impact for some people, nor does it end on a hopeful note, but it is perfectly cast and structured to shock (no pun intended) yet keep the viewer grounded in a mystical story that ends on twist after twist in a great way. Stephen King gets a lot of credit, if only for story and inspiring great films by directors.
- DirectorGary TrousdaleKirk WiseStarsPaige O'HaraRobby BensonJesse CortiA prince cursed to spend his days as a hideous monster sets out to regain his humanity by earning a young woman's love.
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsWilliam H. MacyFrances McDormandSteve BuscemiMinnesota car salesman Jerry Lundegaard's inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen's bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.
- DirectorNora EphronStarsTom HanksMeg RyanGreg KinnearBook superstore magnate Joe Fox and independent book shop owner Kathleen Kelly fall in love in the anonymity of the Internet, both blissfully unaware that he's trying to put her out of business.
- DirectorFranklin J. SchaffnerStarsCharlton HestonRoddy McDowallKim HunterAn astronaut crew crash-lands on a planet where highly intelligent non-human ape species are dominant and humans are enslaved.So much mystery adds up to one of the most interesting movies ever. This is a movie all about discovery.
- DirectorCurtis HansonStarsKevin SpaceyRussell CroweGuy PearceAs corruption grows in 1950s Los Angeles, three policemen - one strait-laced, one brutal, and one sleazy - investigate a series of murders with their own brand of justice.Modern film noir. This is part of the pulp fiction genre. Not only does it take you into another world and another time, but the story works into an homage of so many movies before it. The twists and the performances also give it a timelessness.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsUma ThurmanDavid CarradineDaryl HannahAfter awakening from a four-year coma, a former assassin wreaks vengeance on the team of assassins who betrayed her.While I favor the first over Vol. 2, consider this spot as "Kill Bill" as a whole" as Vol. 2 has always been right behind.
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsEllen BurstynJared LetoJennifer ConnellyThe drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep..Horrifying.
Brought to you by one of the most interesting directors, Darren Aronofsky, the man who has gone on to Oscar contenders "The Wrestler," and "Black Swan," we see how disturbing life is.
Never more effective than this flick. Horrific. - DirectorLuc BessonStarsJean RenoGary OldmanNatalie Portman12-year-old Mathilda is reluctantly taken in by Léon, a professional assassin, after her family is murdered. An unusual relationship forms as she becomes his protégée and learns the assassin's trade.Gary Oldman performance NOT to miss!
Also the best Luc Besson has ever been. He's been trying to capture the magic of this in his other pictures. - DirectorZack SnyderStarsGerard ButlerLena HeadeyDavid WenhamIn the ancient battle of Thermopylae, King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fight against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. They face insurmountable odds when they are betrayed by a Spartan reject.The story of the Spartans.
Clearly, the story has been retold over and over, however, for this generation's version we get a visionary trip into another world. This was a new way to make movies, and still the best of it's kind. - DirectorRoger AllersRob MinkoffStarsMatthew BroderickJeremy IronsJames Earl JonesLion prince Simba and his father are targeted by his bitter uncle, who wants to ascend the throne himself.
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneMachiko KyôMasayuki MoriThe rape of a bride and the murder of her samurai husband are recalled from the perspectives of a bandit, the bride, the samurai's ghost and a woodcutter.
- DirectorNeill BlomkampStarsSharlto CopleyDavid JamesJason CopeViolence ensues after an extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth finds a kindred spirit in a government agent exposed to their biotechnology.The director was originally set to do a film based in the same world as the "Halo" video games. This is not only better and safer, but is so original, especially starting out with a documentary style showing a world so real, we can hardly tell when it switches over to one exciting movie.
- DirectorRichard DonnerStarsMel GibsonDanny GloverGary BuseyTwo newly paired cops who are complete opposites must put aside their differences in order to catch a gang of drug smugglers.The "buddy cop" movie. Infuses humor with "adult drama" into it's own genre of action film. Like "Die Hard," also one of my favorite movies to watch around Christmas time. Why was this a trend?
Shane Black, we blame you (the writer, who went on to be the first to make $1 Million dollars for a script, "The Last Boy Scout") - DirectorGus Van SantStarsMichael PittLukas HaasAsia ArgentoA Seattle musician's life and career are reminiscent of those of Kurt Cobain.One of my own most inspiring movies. This film invents it's own rules and thrives on cinematography and scenes from different perspectives. It's about isolation, and you can feel it. For a portraiture of the late Kurt Cobain, you know where the movie's going if only because of the title. It's not about story. This rock star's story is over. This is pure cinema.