One-Hundred Greatest Films, Perhaps
One-hundred films I consider to be the best of all time. Because you care, right?
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- 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.Set during the Vietnam War and centered around a ragtag group of soldiers as they make their way up the Nung River to confront and assassinate a rogue Special Forces Colonel, Francis Ford Coppola’s massively influential “Apocalypse Now” is an experience like no other. Few films deserve to be referred to as masterpieces, and this is one of those films. It is brilliant in every aspect: visually, aurally and narratively, and the performances are all exceptional. On top of this, it closes with perhaps one of the greatest sequences in all of cinematic history. “The horror… the horror…”
- DirectorPaul SchraderStarsNick NolteSissy SpacekJames CoburnA deeply troubled small-town cop investigates a suspicious hunting death while other events jeopardize his sanity.Domestic drama at its finest thanks to the riveting performances of Nick Nolte and James Coburn and Paul Schrader's handling of his own emotionally complex screenplay.
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsJohn TurturroJohn GoodmanJudy DavisA renowned New York playwright is enticed to California to write for the movies and discovers the hellish truth of Hollywood.Surreal, darkly comedic satire with an incredible, unhinged, underrated performance from John Goodman. Roger Deakins achieves visual perfection.
- DirectorTerry GilliamStarsJonathan PryceKim GreistRobert De NiroA bureaucrat in a dystopic society becomes an enemy of the state as he pursues the woman of his dreams.An inventive, dazzling, magnificent blend of noir, science-fiction and black comedy, resulting in surely one of the most original and visually enticing films of all time. Terry Gilliam is a force to be reckoned with.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsJack NicholsonFaye DunawayJohn HustonA private detective hired to expose an adulterer in 1930s Los Angeles finds himself caught up in a web of deceit, corruption, and murder.Personally, the film I consider to be the best of all time. Jack Nicholson's performance, Roman Polanski's direction and Robert Towne's script are perfect in every sense of the word. This is a dark, cynical portrait of classic Los Angeles.
- 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.Uproarious and hysterical but still just as depressingly relevant in today's time as it was back during the Cold War. The comedic performances of Peter Sellers, Sterling Hayden and George C. Scott are to be studied and treasured for eternity.
- DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsGene HackmanRoy ScheiderFernando ReyA pair of NYPD detectives in the Narcotics Bureau stumble onto a heroin smuggling ring based in Marseilles, but stopping them and capturing their leaders proves an elusive goal.William Friedkin's powerhouse crime thriller still holds up miraculously well in today's time, and Don Ellis' haunting score is hugely underrated. Few films are as tense and unsettling and ambiguous as this one, and Gene Hackman's bravura performance won him the Oscar.
- 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.The coolest, most epic film ever made with the most memorable score and finale of all time. Sergio Leone also turns in what is perhaps one of the best jobs that a director has done. And for being three hours long, 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' sure has one hell of a re-watch value.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsTom CruiseJason RobardsJulianne MooreAn epic mosaic of interrelated characters in search of love, forgiveness and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.
- DirectorRobert AltmanStarsWarren BeattyJulie ChristieRene AuberjonoisA gambler and a prostitute become business partners in a remote Old West mining town, and their enterprise thrives until a large corporation arrives on the scene.The fall of the Old West is summed up in an unforgettable scene that should go down as one of the best of all time. Robert Altman's memorable, slow-moving revisionist Western stands to this day as the best work he's ever done, and it's instantly recognizable due to the photography of the ever-reliable Vilmos Zsigmond.
- DirectorUlu GrosbardDustin HoffmanStarsDustin HoffmanTheresa RussellGary BuseyThe difficulties of a career burglar to reinsert himself after being released on parole.Engrossing, gritty, matter-of-fact, exceptionally well-written and understated in the best of ways. One of the best and most unknown films to emerge from the 1970s, and Dustin Hoffman gives his best performance in it. (Going out on a limb here, but I think his performance is perhaps the best in cinema's long history.)
- DirectorCarol ReedStarsOrson WellesJoseph CottenAlida ValliPulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime.Graham Greene adapts his own novella and creates the foundation for the greatest film noir of all time. Orson Welles' screen time is so limited that his performance should be credited as a cameo, but his character is so evil and conniving that he overshadows almost everything else going on. And that's a shame because Joseph Cotten does a phenomenal job as Holly Martins.
- DirectorPeter BogdanovichStarsRyan O'NealTatum O'NealMadeline KahnDuring the Great Depression, a con man finds himself saddled with a young girl who may or may not be his daughter, and the two forge an unlikely partnership.
- DirectorAlexander PayneStarsPaul GiamattiThomas Haden ChurchVirginia MadsenTwo men reaching middle age with not much to show but disappointment embark on a week-long road trip through California's wine country, just as one is about to take a trip down the aisle.
- DirectorOliver StoneStarsKevin CostnerGary OldmanJack LemmonNew Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison discovers there's more to the Kennedy assassination than the official story.Historically dubious as it may be, there’s simply no denying that 'JFK' is the work of a masterful filmmaker. Sure, Oliver Stone has a tendency to be ostentatious when it comes to how he directs, but 'JFK' is lacking the flashiness that most of his other films have, which is one of the many strengths his film has. It is powerful, thrilling, completely gripping and a technical brilliance, and few filmmakers have presented and argued their case as well as Stone does.
- DirectorAlan ParkerStarsGene HackmanWillem DafoeFrances McDormandTwo F.B.I. Agents with wildly different styles arrive in Mississippi to investigate the disappearance of some civil rights activists.Most films about racial conflict aren't effective because of how tactless they are; 'Mississippi Burning' understands this and works on so many levels because it avoids heavy-handedness. Alan Parker is a gifted director working with an incredible script and the fine acting skills of Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe, and, of course, a masterpiece is made.
- 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.One of those films that is expected to appear on everyone's "Greatest Films" list. Tarantino is heavy on borrowing from the films he loves, but boy, what magic he can create. "Pulp Fiction" contains some of cinema's most unforgettable moments.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsJake GyllenhaalRobert Downey Jr.Mark RuffaloBetween 1968 and 1983, a San Francisco cartoonist becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac Killer, an unidentified individual who terrorizes Northern California with a killing spree.David Fincher's best outing as director, "Zodiac" is not only a well-told account of the infamously unsolved Zodiac murders, but a taut thriller and an engrossing drama.
- DirectorMike HodgesStarsClive OwenNick RedingNicholas BallAn aspiring writer is hired as a croupier at a casino, where he realizes that his life as a croupier would make a great novel.The best example of cinematic minimalism. It's ambiguous, subtle, impeccably-directed and loaded with suspense. Plus, Clive Owen has never been better.
- 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.
- DirectorWayne WangStarsHarvey KeitelWilliam HurtGiancarlo EspositoA Brooklyn smoke shop is the center of neighborhood activity, and the stories of its customers.One of the most touching and heartwarming motion pictures to have ever been made. The acting all around is stellar, but Harvey Keitel is masterful with his performance. He closes the film with perhaps one of the greatest monologues in film history.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsBrad PittDiane KrugerEli RothIn Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner's vengeful plans for the same.
- DirectorMilos FormanStarsF. Murray AbrahamTom HulceElizabeth BerridgeThe life, success and troubles of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as told by Antonio Salieri, the contemporaneous composer who was deeply jealous of Mozart's talent and claimed to have murdered him.All it takes to realize that "Amadeus" is a visual masterpiece is for the end credits to start rolling. Few films are more extravagant and masterful, and Tom Hulce has an incredible performance as the tortured Mozart.
- DirectorNeil LaButeStarsAaron EckhartMatt MalloyStacy EdwardsTwo business executives--one an avowed misogynist, the other recently emotionally wounded by his love interest--set out to exact revenge on the female gender by seeking out the most innocent, uncorrupted girl they can find and ruining her life.Dark, uproarious, powerful, upsetting and blatantly honest. Neil LaBute's film is as attention-grabbing as they get, and it begs controversy. Aaron Eckhart as the sardonic, misogynistic, spiteful Chad is one of cinema's finest performances.
- DirectorRobert BentonStarsDustin HoffmanMeryl StreepJane AlexanderAfter his wife leaves him, a work-obsessed Manhattan advertising executive is forced to learn long-neglected parenting skills, but a heated custody battle over the couple's young son deepens the wounds left by the separation.Important and still relevant domestic drama centered around the topical issue of divorce. Some say that time has blunted the overall impact of "Kramer vs. Kramer," but it hasn't. This is a powerful, perfectly-acted, tear-inducing work of emotional brilliance.
- DirectorGuy RitchieStarsJason FlemyngDexter FletcherNick MoranEddy persuades his three pals to pool money for a vital poker game against a powerful local mobster, Hatchet Harry. Eddy loses, after which Harry gives him a week to pay back 500,000 pounds.Hilarious, profane, fast-paced, incomprehensible, witty and one of the finest examples of the caper film done right.
- 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 Coen brothers' clever riff on Chandler's "The Big Sleep" is eccentric, intriguing, original, hilarious and contains some great performances. John Goodman as Walter Sobchak goes down as the best and most memorable comedic performance of all time.
- DirectorRobert AltmanStarsShelley DuvallSissy SpacekJanice RuleTwo roommates/physical therapists, one a vain woman and the other an awkward teenager, share an increasingly bizarre relationship.Hallucinogenic, disturbing, dream-like. Eerie from its score to its production design to its performances. Robert Altman has crafted one of cinema's most unforgettable, most unsettling experiences.
- DirectorLouis MalleStarsAndre GregoryWallace ShawnJean LenauerTwo old friends meet for dinner; as one tells anecdotes detailing his experiences, the other notices their differing worldviews.
- 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.
- DirectorRobert AltmanStarsElliott GouldNina van PallandtSterling HaydenPrivate investigator Philip Marlowe helps a friend out of a jam, but in doing so gets implicated in his wife's murder.
- DirectorJohn SaylesStarsChris CooperElizabeth PeñaStephen MendilloWhen the skeleton of his murdered predecessor is found, Sheriff Sam Deeds unearths many other long-buried secrets in his Texas border town.
- DirectorSam PeckinpahStarsWilliam HoldenErnest BorgnineRobert RyanAn aging group of outlaws look for one last big score as the "traditional" American West is disappearing around them.
- DirectorTom McCarthyStarsPeter DinklagePatricia ClarksonBobby CannavaleWhen his only friend dies, a man born with dwarfism moves to rural New Jersey to live a life of solitude, only to meet a chatty hot dog vendor and a woman dealing with her own personal loss.Thomas McCarthy’s debut is a film of unprecedented power and emotion given the fact that it seems to small on the outside. At first glance, one might expect for it to be another one of those sappy, sentimental films that independent cinema has become all too familiar with, but it isn’t. It’s something much more than that: an earnest, well-intentioned drama about humans from different walks of life coming together.
- DirectorFrank DarabontStarsTim RobbinsMorgan FreemanBob GuntonOver the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.The seminal American film, "The Shawshank Redemption" is about as inspirational and well-acted as it gets. It brings tears to my eyes each time that I watch it, and man is that one hell of an ending.
- DirectorDavid LynchStarsIsabella RosselliniKyle MacLachlanDennis HopperThe discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.
- 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."
- DirectorAlan J. PakulaStarsWarren BeattyPaula PrentissWilliam DanielsAn ambitious reporter gets in way-over-his-head trouble while investigating a senator's assassination which leads to a vast conspiracy involving a multinational corporation behind every event in the world's headlines.Tight, suspenseful, enthralling, concisely-plotted, impeccably shot and framed and overwhelmingly eerie and downbeat. The best conspiracy thriller of all time and one of the very best films to have ever been made.
- DirectorBob RafelsonStarsJack NicholsonKaren BlackBilly Green BushA dropout from upper-class America picks up work along the way on oil rigs when his life isn't spent in a squalid succession of bars, motels, and other points of interest.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenDiane KeatonMariel HemingwayThe life of a divorced television writer dating a teenage girl is further complicated when he falls in love with his best friend's mistress.
- DirectorOrson WellesStarsOrson WellesJoseph CottenDorothy ComingoreFollowing the death of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, reporters scramble to uncover the meaning of his final utterance: 'Rosebud.'This landmark, universally acclaimed classic holds up in this day and age exceptionally well, and the controversy surrounding it is just as interesting as the film itself. Orson Welles is truly the master of his craft.
- DirectorBryan SingerStarsKevin SpaceyGabriel ByrneChazz PalminteriThe sole survivor of a pier shoot-out tells the story of how a notorious criminal influenced the events that began with five criminals meeting in a seemingly random police lineup.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsJames StewartJohn WayneVera MilesA senator returns to a Western town for the funeral of an old friend and tells the story of his origins.This is one of those films that takes a long time to get started and an even longer time to end, and you’ll be scratching your head wondering where the story is going, but by the time that the credits have begun to roll, you’ll be lost deep in thought, transfixed by what you have just watched. Yes, it has the power to do such a thing.
- DirectorTom DiCilloStarsSteve BuscemiCatherine KeenerDermot MulroneyThis ultimate tribute to all independent filmmakers takes place during one day on the set of a non-budget movie.One of the great comedies that also serves as a satirical critique of the independent film industry. Tom DiCillo is a gifted screenwriter when it comes to cracking jokes, but a lot of the humor comes from the eccentric cast of characters.
- DirectorWim WendersStarsHarry Dean StantonNastassja KinskiDean StockwellTravis Henderson, an aimless drifter who has been missing for four years, wanders out of the desert and must reconnect with society, himself, his life, and his family.This is a beautiful, heartbreaking, remarkably lensed achievement. Harry Dean Stanton and Dean Stockwell both often top the list of cinema's most underrated performers, so it's good that they're given the spotlight here.
- DirectorJim JarmuschStarsJohn LurieEszter BalintRichard EdsonA New Yorker's life is thrown into a tailspin when his younger cousin surprise-visits him, starting a strange, unpredictable adventure.Jim Jarmusch's minimalist account of an idling New York hipster is, to me, one of the most influential films out there. Few scripts contain more down-to-earth characters and dialogue, and few films are more intriguing.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenDiane KeatonTony RobertsAlvy Singer, a divorced Jewish comedian, reflects on his relationship with ex-lover Annie Hall, an aspiring nightclub singer, which ended abruptly just like his previous marriages.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsRay MillandJane WymanPhillip TerryThe desperate life of a chronic alcoholic is followed through a four-day drinking bout.Billy Wilder made great film after great film during his reign as director, but none are as powerful or as thought-provoking as 'The Lost Weekend,' which is still entirely relevant when viewed today, offering an unflinching look at addiction. Its themes hit hard, and few actors have given better performances than Ray Milland does as the misguided alcoholic Don Birnam.
- 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.Who knew that a film made up of twelve actors in one room could be so suspenseful and inspiring?
- DirectorJoseph L. MankiewiczStarsLaurence OlivierMichael CaineAlec CawthorneA man who loves games and theater invites his wife's lover to meet him, setting up a battle of wits with potentially deadly results.Brilliant, maddening performances from Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine and a surplus of narrative twists make "Sleuth" one of the finest mystery films of all time.
- DirectorFranklin J. SchaffnerStarsGeorge C. ScottKarl MaldenStephen YoungThe World War II phase of the career of controversial American general George S. Patton.
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsAl PacinoJohn RandolphJack KehoeAn honest New York cop named Frank Serpico blows the whistle on rampant corruption in the force only to have his comrades turn against him.
- DirectorSydney PollackStarsDustin HoffmanJessica LangeTeri GarrMichael Dorsey, an unsuccessful actor, disguises himself as a woman in order to get a role on a trashy hospital soap.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsRay MillandGrace KellyRobert CummingsA former tennis star arranges the murder of his adulterous wife.
- DirectorRichard BrooksStarsRobert BlakeScott WilsonJohn ForsytheTwo ex-cons murder a family in a robbery attempt, before going on the run from the authorities. The police try to piece together the details of the murder in an attempt to track down the killers.Gripping from start to finish. Robert Blake makes his character so sympathetic and misunderstood that we eventually end up rooting for him, even though we know that he won't get away. Also, Conrad L. Hall's cinematography is masterful.
- DirectorRobert AltmanStarsTim RobbinsGreta ScacchiFred WardA Hollywood studio executive is being sent death threats by a writer whose script he rejected, but which one?
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsMarlon BrandoAl PacinoJames CaanThe aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.
- DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsJesse BradfordJeroen KrabbéLisa EichhornA young boy struggles on his own in a run-down hotel after his parents and younger brother are separated from him in 1930s Depression-era Midwest.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsMia FarrowDianne WiestMichael CaineBetween two Thanksgivings two years apart, Hannah's husband falls in love with her sister Lee, while her hypochondriac ex-husband rekindles his relationship with her sister Holly.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsMorgan FreemanBrad PittKevin SpaceyTwo detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.
- DirectorAlexander PayneStarsMatthew BroderickReese WitherspoonLoren NelsonA high school teacher meets his match in an over-achieving student politician.
- 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.
- 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.Tarantino's debut is just as stunning and shocking today as it was back when it was first released. The solid performances from Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and Chris Penn go a long way in giving the film its strength, but it's mainly successful due to Tarantino's script and action behind the camera.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsAdam SandlerEmily WatsonPhilip Seymour HoffmanSocially frustrated Barry Egan calls a phone-sex line to curb his loneliness. Little does he know it will land him in deep trouble and will jeopardize his burgeoning romance with the mysterious Lena.
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenDiane KeatonGeorges AdetIn czarist Russia, a neurotic soldier and his distant cousin formulate a plot to assassinate Napoleon.
- DirectorOliver StoneStarsEric BogosianEllen GreeneLeslie HopeA rude, contemptuous talk show host becomes overwhelmed by the hatred that surrounds his program just before it goes national.Fueled almost entirely by Eric Bogosian's powerhouse performance and culturally relevant screenplay. Plus, Oliver Stone directs with such immense claustrophobia.
- DirectorDavid LeanStarsWilliam HoldenAlec GuinnessJack HawkinsBritish POWs are forced to build a railway bridge across the river Kwai for their Japanese captors in occupied Burma, not knowing that the allied forces are planning a daring commando raid through the jungle to destroy it.
- DirectorGeorge Roy HillStarsPaul NewmanRobert RedfordRobert ShawTwo grifters team up to pull off the ultimate con.
- 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.
- DirectorTim HunterStarsCrispin GloverKeanu ReevesIone SkyeA high school slacker commits a shocking act and proceeds to let his friends in on the secret. However, the friends' reaction is almost as ambiguous and perplexing as the crime itself.
- DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsGeorge ClooneyJennifer LopezVing RhamesA career bank robber breaks out of jail, and shares a moment of mutual attraction with a U.S. Marshal he has kidnapped.
- DirectorBrian De PalmaStarsJohn TravoltaNancy AllenJohn LithgowA movie sound recordist accidentally records the evidence that proves that a car accident was actually murder and consequently finds himself in danger.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartKim NovakBarbara Bel GeddesA former San Francisco police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with the hauntingly beautiful woman he has been hired to trail, who may be deeply disturbed.
- DirectorJohn CassavetesStarsBen GazzaraTimothy CareySeymour CasselA proud strip club owner is forced to come to terms with himself as a man when his gambling addiction gets him in hot water with the mob, who offer him only one alternative.
- DirectorPaul VerhoevenStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerSharon StoneMichael IronsideWhen a man goes in to have virtual vacation memories of the planet Mars implanted in his mind, an unexpected and harrowing series of events forces him to go to the planet for real - or is he?Paul Verhoeven's contributions to the sci-fi genre are insurmountable. "Total Recall" is a feat of visual splendor and narrative brilliance. It's brutal, funny, amazingly well-produced and one of the few films where Arnold Schwarzenegger's acting is completely successful.
- DirectorJames FoleyStarsAl PacinoJack LemmonAlec BaldwinAn examination of the machinations behind the scenes at a real estate office.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsWilliam HoldenDon TaylorOtto PremingerAfter two Americans are killed while escaping from a German P.O.W. camp in World War II, the barracks black marketeer, J.J. Sefton, is suspected of being an informer.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsHenry FondaJane DarwellJohn CarradineAn Oklahoma family, driven off their farm by the poverty and hopelessness of the Dust Bowl, joins the westward migration to California, suffering the misfortunes of the homeless in the Great Depression.
- DirectorMike NicholsStarsElizabeth TaylorRichard BurtonGeorge SegalA bitter, aging couple, with the help of alcohol, use their young houseguests to fuel anguish and emotional pain towards each other over the course of a distressing night.
- 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.
- DirectorGreg MottolaStarsMichael CeraJonah HillChristopher Mintz-PlasseTwo co-dependent high school seniors are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to stage a booze-soaked party goes awry.Honestly acted, laugh-out-loud funny and full of wit, "Superbad" doesn't rise above vulgarity when it comes to its humor, but boy is it one entertaining, epic romp.
- DirectorRobert RossenStarsPaul NewmanJackie GleasonPiper LaurieAn up-and-coming pool player plays a long-time champion in a single high-stakes match.
- DirectorStephen FrearsStarsAnjelica HustonJohn CusackAnnette BeningA small-time conman has torn loyalties between his estranged mother and new girlfriend, both of whom are high-stakes grifters with their own angles to play.Stephen Frears' Oedipal-themed neo-noir features an incredible Elmer Bernstein score, a screenplay that's heavy on cynicism and pitch-perfect performances from Annette Bening, Anjelica Huston and John Cusack.
- DirectorTom NoonanStarsTom NoonanKaren SillasJackie and Michael are coworkers at a large law firm, who decide to meet at Jackie's for dinner one night. As this 'first date' plays out, the audience is guided through a mental minefield of disappointment.Tom Noonan made two great (and completely unheard of) films during his short stint as a director, but the better of the two is certainly "What Happened Was...," which was and still is a remarkable achievement for independent cinema.
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsCary GrantPriscilla LaneRaymond MasseyA Brooklyn writer of books on the futility of marriage risks his reputation after he decides to tie the knot. Things get even more complicated when he learns on his wedding day that his beloved maiden aunts are habitual murderers.Nowadays, many criticize Cary Grant's performance as being over the top and unfunny, but I think it's some of the best slapstick acting in one of the funniest films I've ever seen. "Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarge!"
- DirectorJim JarmuschStarsTom WaitsJohn LurieRoberto BenigniTwo men are framed and sent to jail, where they meet a murderer who helps them escape and leave the state.
- DirectorSamuel FullerStarsPeter BreckConstance TowersGene EvansBent on winning a Pulitzer Prize, a journalist commits himself to a mental institution to solve a strange and unclear murder.
- DirectorPeter YatesStarsSteve McQueenJacqueline BissetRobert VaughnA nonconformist San Francisco cop is determined to find the underworld kingpin who killed the witness under his protection.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsTeresa WrightJoseph CottenMacdonald CareyA teenage girl, overjoyed when her favorite uncle comes to visit the family in their quiet California town, slowly begins to suspect that he is in fact the "Merry Widow" killer sought by the authorities.
- 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.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsTom CruiseNicole KidmanTodd FieldA Manhattan doctor embarks on a bizarre, night-long odyssey after his wife's admission of unfulfilled longing.
- DirectorTerry GilliamStarsJeff BridgesRobin WilliamsAdam BryantA former radio DJ, suicidally despondent because of a terrible mistake he made, finds redemption in helping a deranged homeless man who was an unwitting victim of that mistake.Terry Gilliam's consistently overlooked comedy-drama is wildly eccentric and has several jarring tonal changes, which makes it kind of unmarketable to most audiences, but it's wonderful and heartwarming, and Robin Williams, Jeff Bridges, Mercedes Ruehl and Amanda Plummer are just pitch-perfect in their performances. Plus, Richard LaGravenese's highly original screenplay is just about as underrated as it gets.
- DirectorTobe HooperStarsMarilyn BurnsEdwin NealAllen DanzigerFive friends head out to rural Texas to visit the grave of a grandfather. On the way they stumble across what appears to be a deserted house, only to discover something sinister within. Something armed with a chainsaw.Hands down the most distressing, horrifying experience I've ever had while watching a film. The fact that Tobe Hooper made it as scary as it is without a large budget or a drop of blood is a testament to his directorial genius.
- DirectorMichael MannStarsAl PacinoRobert De NiroVal KilmerA group of high-end professional thieves start to feel the heat from the LAPD when they unknowingly leave a verbal clue at their latest heist.Sure, Michael Mann has been less-than-stellar on a couple of occasions, but "Heat" will always remain to be one of the best crime films of all time. The bank robbery sequence alone is one of the many reasons why it's so good.
- DirectorFritz LangStarsEdward G. RobinsonJoan BennettDan DuryeaA man in mid-life crisis befriends a young woman, though her fiancé persuades her to con him out of the fortune they mistakenly assume he possesses.Both Fritz Lang and Edward G. Robinson's finest hour, 'Scarlet Street' is remarkably bleak and mature for its time period, and it's much less of a straightforward film noir than it is a morally-centered drama.
- DirectorAlex CoxStarsHarry Dean StantonEmilio EstevezTracey WalterA young punk, recruited by a car repo agency, finds himself in pursuit of a Chevrolet Malibu with a huge, $20,000 bounty--and something otherworldly stashed in its trunk.
- DirectorOrson WellesStarsRita HayworthOrson WellesEverett SloaneFascinated by gorgeous Mrs. Bannister, seaman Michael O'Hara joins a bizarre yachting cruise, and ends up mired in a complex murder plot.Infamous for being the subject of heavy studio editing, "The Lady from Shanghai" is nevertheless a compelling film noir that is plainly the work of an auteur. It's pretty awesome in all respects, but what a film it might have been if those 40-plus minutes had been left intact.
- DirectorJohn FrankenheimerStarsFrank SinatraLaurence HarveyJanet LeighAn American POW in the Korean War is brainwashed as an unwitting assassin for an international Communist conspiracy.
- DirectorMike HodgesStarsMichael CaineIan HendryBritt EklandWhen his brother dies under mysterious circumstances in a car accident, London gangster Jack Carter travels to Newcastle to investigate.A monumental, influential achievement in the gangster film genre. Michael Caine is brutal and unforgiving as the titular character.
- DirectorOrson WellesStarsCharlton HestonOrson WellesJanet LeighA stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping and police corruption in a Mexican border town.Orson Welles’ thriller was far ahead of its time, dealing with societal issues that most other films weren’t brave enough to approach, let alone discuss.