Criteria:
Personal opinion
No TV movies or miniseries
I am able to shove an entire series or trilogy into one slot, or tie two films
10. Terminator 2- Judgement Day: In James Cameron's epic action/science fiction film, the T-800 from the original film is sent back to protect a teenaged John Connor from the chilling and cold T-1000, a liquid metal terminator. He must reluctantly team with the jaded Sarah Connor to do so. This movie is one of the few sequels to top the already exceptional original in every way. Arnold Schwarzenegger is perfect to play a monotone, emotionless killing machine, and although Edward Furlong can get a bit annoying, he generally does a fair job as John. Linda Hamilton pulls a complete character 180 as Sarah, going from damsel-in-distress to hardened and slightly crazed survivalist. Her distrust of machines leads to friction between her and the T-800, but she realizes he has changed after being reprogrammed to protect humans, and is sort of like a father figure to John. The special effects and action sequences are still impressive today, and the ending is a little heartbreaking, with the T-800 sacrificing himself to protect humanity and understanding human emotions. It's an action movie with ideas, and that's hard to find nowadays, so it's definitely worth re-watching.
9. Toy Story: Pixar's debut feature is not only a timeless classic, but was also a blockbuster success and extremely innovative for the time, being the first fully CG-animated movie. The directing by John Lasseter was time-consuming and stressful, but it paid off in the long run. The screenplay by Joss Whedon (Buffy, Firefly, The Avengers, The Cabin in the Woods), Andrew Stanton (a Pixar regular), Joel Cohen, and Alec Sokolow is excellent and original, and the characters are memorable and iconic. The voice acting by Tim Allen and Tom Hanks is fantastic, as well, especially since those two are more known for live-action work. Jim Varney (Ernest), John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, and Don Rickles also have voices as Slinky, Ham, Rex, and Mr. Potato Head, respectively. Pixar regulars like Phil Proctor and Andrew Stanton have voice cameos, as does magician and skeptic Penn Jillette. The animation may not look "amazing" by today's standards, but for the time it was mind-blowing, and although I don't really like Randy Newman's music, the song "You've Got a Friend in Me" is at least tolerable. If yo haven't seen this one yet, then go see it as soon as you can.
8. The Nightmare Before Christmas: Henry Selick and Tim Burton's stop-motion collaboration is not only a technical feat but also a favorite of mine to watch around both Halloween and Christmas. Although I'm not huge on musicals, the songs in this film are interestingly offbeat and original, and the character designs and environments are iconic and twisted. The visual style is cool and shadowy (some of Burton's best design work), and the story is refreshingly original. Not to give too much credit to Burton, though, as Selick was the man behind the camera this time, and he does a fantastic job with the stop-motion, which is an incredibly intricate, time-consuming, and difficult type of animation, especially for a feature. I would recommend this movie to pretty much everyone. It's a modern classic, and is a great holiday movie. It's actually great for almost any time of the year.
7. The Wizard of Oz: This 1939 musical is one of the most beloved classics of all time. Despite the fact that the dialogue isn't necessarily "brilliant", the visuals are iconic and beautiful, the characters are surprisingly relatable, and the acting isn't that bad for a 30's movie, where over-acting was the norm. The music is also really catchy and you won't meet a person who isn't at least familiar with most of it, especially "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", which is still popular today. The villainous Wicked Witch, portrayed by Margaret Hamilton, is one of the most recognizable villains of all time, and has been frightening (or at least unnerving) young children for over 70 years. It's a flawed movie, but one that stands the test of time, and will be loved by each new generation.
6. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (tie): I couldn't decide between these two excellent films. (Well, these four excellent movies.)
The former is Peter Jackson's epic and sprawling fantasy trilogy based off the writings of the great J.R.R. Tolkien. Despite having a ton of characters to follows, and huge scope (which may cause confusion for some viewers trying to keep track of it), these movies can be enjoyed by almost everyone. The casting is pretty spot-on, and the acting is excellent. The stand-outs are Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Elijah Wood (Frodo, although sometimes Frodo's whining gets a bit annoying), Andy Serkis (Gollum/Smeagol, which is a great mo-cap performance), Hugo Weaving (Elrond), Sean Astin (Sam), Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), Christopher Lee (Saruman), and Sean Bean (Boromir). The special effects and sets are awe-inspiring, and the action sequences are epic. The films take liberties with the source material, but overall it's very accurate to the novels. I would recommend the extended editions to be viewed at least once, and also the theatrical versions just for comparison.
The latter is Sergio Leone's classic western film which concludes the Man With No Name Trilogy, aka the Dollars Trilogy. Another epic of another kind, it follows Clint Eastwood as the titular Man with No Name, aka "Blondie", who is the "Good" of the film. He is a bounty hunter on a quest for a buried treasure somewhere in the desert, but is pursued by two other cowboys: "Angel Eyes", aka "The Bad", who is a cold-blooded and sadistic mercenary/assassin; and Tuco, aka "The Rat", or "The Ugly", a funny, sometimes treacherous Mexican criminal wanted by the authorities, who briefly teams with Blondie. Eastwood gives a cool and iconic performance as the roguish Blondie, while Lee Van Cleef delivers a sometimes chilling portrayal of the villainous Angel Eyes, and Eli Wallach provides some comic relief and proves to be a real threat at times. The film is packed with bad-ass action scenes, and the ending stand-off is one of the best scenes in any western, or any film. This is Leone's masterpiece, and it's topped off with a rousing and memorable musical theme by Ennio Morricone.
5. Die Hard: In John McTiernan's action classic, Bruce Willis fills in the role of the iconic John McClane, a New York City cop visiting Los Angeles to spend Christmas with his estranged wife and kids, as the wife moved out to pursue a job opportunity out west. When the building his wife works in gets taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party, McClane evades capture and decides to take down the terrorists single-handedly from the inside. Willis' performance is bad-ass and likable. In this film, McClane is portrayed as the everyday guy, not the unstoppable force of nature he becomes in later film, which makes him a lot more relatable. Alan Rickman's portrayal of terrorist ringleader Hans Gruber is excellent, definitely the most evil and intelligent villain in 80's action cinema. The rest of the cast is filled with greats like Reginald VelJohnson and Paul Gleason from The Breakfast Club (who is great at playing arrogant douchebags). The action is thrilling and fast-paced, and the dialogue is quotable and funny. It's just a fun movie all-around, definitely worth checking out several times.
4. Goodfellas and The Usual Suspects (tie): These two crime films are different, but both great in their own ways. First, Goodfellas:
Martin Scorsese's violent crime film follows the real-life story of Henry Hill, a half-Italian, half-Irish guy who is attracted to the mafia way of life from an early age, and eventually becomes a big name in the local mob. Despite changing the names of many characters, it's pretty true-to-life and portrays an anti-hero who rises to the top of the gangster world and falls hard, and learns nothing from it. Showcasing amazing actors such as Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Paul Sorvino, with the middle two being the real stars of the show. Some other famous actors (Samuel L. Jackson, Debi Mazar, and Tobin Bell of Saw fame) appear in small roles (Bell's is a cameo) before they were famous. Scorsese's parents (Catherine and Charles) appear in cameos as Joe Pesci's character Tommy's mother and the character Vinnie, respectively. Real Detective Ed Deacy has a minor role as himself. This all-star cast, plus Scorsese's attention-to-detail, and the quotable dialogue and violent but funny characters make Goodfellas a pleasurable viewing no matter how many times I watch it. Not to mention the killer soundtrack featuring classic artist from genres ranging from 50's soft rock/pop to 70's counterculture rock.
Bryan Singer's first major movie is a twisty, unique crime film based around police interrogations and flashbacks. After a deal on a shipping boat in San Pedro Bay goes sour, only two survivors are left: a Hungarian criminal who is left with crippling burns all over his body, and a simple-minded criminal with a gimpy leg named Verbal Kint, who relays his story on the events leading up to said deal. He reveals a fantastical story involving a mythical Turkish crime boss known as Keyser Soze. Can he be trusted? Is Soze real or just a ghost story made up by criminals to scare each other? Those are the burning questions in this taut and smart crime-thriller/mystery movie. The cast, made up of Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Benicio Del Toro, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Spacey (who won the Oscar for his role as Verbal), Kevin Pollack, and Pete Postlethwaite, and Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, Do the Right Thing), is excellent, especially considering this was kind of a sleeper hit. To get all those names was an impressive feat. This is the movie that shot both Singer and Spacey to stardom. The script by Christopher McQuarrie (who often collaborates with Singer and actor Tom Cruise, and wrote and directed cult hit The Way of the Gun and surprisingly good action flick Jack Reacher) is witty and keeps you guessing until the end. The screenplay earned it a second Oscar. All these elements blend together to make one of the best movies of the 1990s, and one of the best crime films ever.
3. The Dark Knight Trilogy/Nolan Trilogy and the Indiana Jones Trilogy (tie): Again, a tie. Sorry for having so many, but I couldn't decide which awesome trilogy to go with.
First, the Nolan trilogy:
These epic superhero films present a darker and more realistic Batman for a new generation. Gone are the sidekicks, silly villains, and comic book-ness. (I love comics, but sometimes the translation to film is a little hard due to some more unrealistic elements.) No, these films are violent, sophisticated, and don't always see Batman come out on top. The cast (made up of a lot of Brits and Aussies) features tons of star power: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Katie Holmes, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Aaron Eckhart, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, Juno Temple, Rutger Hauer, Matthew Modine, Ken Watanabe, Eric Roberts (Julia Roberts' brother and Emma Roberts' dad). The cast also includes some lesser-known actors in small roles, such as Dexter star Desmond Harrington, Ben Mendolsohn (Killing Them Softly), Nestor Carbonell (Wilfred), and Game of Thrones alumni Burn Gorman, Jack Gleeson (who shows up as a young boy in the first film), and Aidan Gillen (who also had a role in The Wire). Even the Pitssburgh Steelers show up in the third film, as does Memento and Reno 911! actor Thomas Lennon. That line-up alone shows the amount of awesome in this series. Add on the insane action sequences, well-written dialogue, and fantastic lead performances, and you've got a great trilogy of superhero films.
Second, Steven Spielberg and Geroge Lucas' classic action films:
In this series, Harrison Ford stars as the rugged professor and archaeologist Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr. and the films follows his various adventures trying to find various mythical artifacts. The cast features Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davies (Lord of the Rings), Paul Freeman, Kate Capshaw, Jonathan Ke Quan, Denholm Elliot, Julian Glover (The Empire Strikes Back, Game of Thrones), Amrish Puri, River Phoenix, Alison Doody, and the great Sean Connery. (Who plays Indy's dad, and was also sort of Indy's symbolic dad before that, as James Bond was one of the inspirations for Indy.) The action scenes and lines are classic, and it goes to show what you can do without CGI. The middle film is, without a doubt, the weakest, but it's still an enjoyable movie, despite it's faults. The first and third films are extremely well made and are impressive even by today's standards, where every good action movie is a sequel or based on a comic book. "What about the fourth film?" You may ask. Well, we all know that never really happened.
2. A Clockwork Orange and Requiem for a Dream (tie): One last tie before the #1 spot. I couldn't decide which fucked-up movie was better, so I just shoved them together.
First, Clockwork:
Stanley Kubrick's masterful and controversial sci-fi/dystopian drama follows the sickening "adventures" of deranged teen Alex DeLarge, who leads his equally sociopathic gang of "droogies" in raping, murdering, and tormenting those who live in the London of the near future. An avid fan of Beethoven, Alex is one of the most demented protagonists ever: he represents the very essence of moral bankruptcy, and yet, the audience is supposed to sympathize with him, feel bad for him, and the worst part... the movie makes you. It did that for me at least, and after looking up several reviews and analyses, it appears most people do also. The movie is complex and morally and psychologically challenging in every aspect, and it's Kubrick's keen eye for detail and experience with the camera that give this film a great visual look. Not to mention Malcolm McDowell's startling and dark breakthrough performance as the disturbed "hero" Alex. Kubrick's screenplay is fantastic as well. I admit I've never read Anthony Burgess' original novel, but I intend to as soon as possible. Walter/Wendy Carlos' soothing yet haunting synthesizer score perfectly captures the strange subject matter and almost eerie tone. Nothing can really describe what this movie is like, it's more an experience than a film. A must-see for any movie fan or fan of any art.
Now, for Requiem:
Another cinematic masterpiece that's more of an experience than a film, this movie is even bleaker than the previous film I discussed. I must give you fair warning: this is the kind of movie that will shake you to your core and fuck you up for hours, maybe even days depending on your sensitivity, after viewing it. A depressing and harshly realistic portrayal of various forms of addiction (mainly heroin and other hardcore drugs), this Darren Aronofsky arthouse drama is one of the best horror films ever made. It's not typically categorized as horror, but I think it really is, as it shows one of real life's most troubling horrors: drug addiction. Jared Leto and Jennifer Connelly both give excellent lead performances, and Marlon Wayans (yeah, you read that right, the guy from Scary Movie and In Living Color) is surprisingly great as Leto's best friend. Christopher McDonald does a good job in a small supporting role as a TV personality. But the real show-stealer is Ellen Burstyn. Her portrayal of Leto's lonely, widowed mother hopelessly trying to lose weight and get on a game show is as heartbreaking as it is gruelling to watch. I am still dumbfounded that she lost to Julia Roberts at the Oscars. No offense to Roberts, but really? Come on, people! The rest of the cast includes stars of Aronofsky's previous film Pi like Sean Gullette and Mark Margolis ("Tio" from Breaking Bad) as well as voice actor Keith David and the underrated Dylan Baker (Happiness, Fido, Anchorman 2, Spider-Man 2 and 3). Aronofsky's unique directing style make this movie feel fast-paced and adds this element of surrealness to it, as well as makes the viewers feel consistently uncomfortable. The editing by Jay Rabinowitz is amazing and looks very difficult to pull off. The score by Clint Mansell (a frequent collaborator with Aronofsky), particularly the main theme "Lux Aeterna", is memorable, haunting, and tragic. I have read the original novel by Hubert Selby, Jr. (who makes a cameo in the film), and I can say that's a highly underrated book and also that the film captures the tone of the novel perfectly, although it omits a small subplot involving a hospital worker which I found interesting. Requiem for a Dream is an extremely powerful work of art that treats the viewer like an emotional punching bag, and doesn't let up in the slightest. I recommend it to anyone with a love of film or great acting, but especially people interested in pursuing hardcore drugs like heroin, crack, cocaine, or even potentially addictive diet pills. (Watch the film to see why.)
And now for my number one slot...
1. Star Wars Original Trilogy: I couldn't pick just one of these classic films, so I grouped them together. After all, they were intended to originally be one, long epic. George Lucas may have butchered these movies with his endless re-edits, special editions, and "definitive" cuts, but the originals are still amazing. The cast, consisting of Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones (Darth Vader- voice only), Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, David Prowse (who providing the body for Darth Vader), Peter Mayhew, Billy Dee Williams, Peter Cushing, Kenny Baker, Anthony Daniels, and Sir Alec Guinness, are all really great for a bunch of (mostly) unknowns. The special effects and action sequences still hold up today, and the characters and creatures are memorable and iconic. Not to mention the nostalgia-inducing and awesome musical score by John Williams. They pay homage to older space adventure serials while also being original and definitive. They inspired thousands or filmmakers and writers from Kevin Smith to Seth McFarlane to J.J. Abrams. Just check out this article to see how many of your favorite movie and TV people were influenced by it: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/24/star-wars-35th-anniversary_n_1542414.html
These movie are a huge part of film history and all culture in general, and showcase young George Lucas' talent for movie making. I love them because they're classics in every sense of the word, and they were some of the first movies I really ever loved.
(Images: Wikipedia)
Runner-ups: Amadeus, It's a Wonderful Life, True Grit (both versions), The Godfather, The Breakfast Club, The Sixth Sense, The Thing, Halloween, Braveheart, Stand By Me, The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption, Dawn of the Dead, Annie Hall, Psycho, The Fly, Candyman, Hellraiser, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Brazil, 12 Monkeys, Blue Velvet, American Graffiti, Traffic, Downfall, Traffic, Pan's Labyrinth, The Boondock Saints, Spider-Man 2, X2, Remember the Titans.
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