Criteria:
Personal opinion
No TV films or miniseries
However, I can group a series or film trilogy together as one story if I can't decide between them
50. The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus: Now, don't get me wrong, I like this movie more for the style, not the substance. This movie is pretty strange and surreal, but it also shows that Terry Gilliam hasn't lost his talent. It's got some incredibly unique visuals and is very colorful, and it's cool to see Heath Ledger's final performance. It's certainly no Joker (that was the best of his career), but it's a really good performance, and it's an interesting role: sort of an anti-hero, a tragic villain almost. The story itself is a little confusing and odd, but the camerawork and special effects are amazing and pretty much make up for whatever faults the movie might have.
49. Con Air: Although this movie is incredibly over-the-top and cheesy, it's still a really enjoyable action movie. Even though Nicolas Cage is very dull and wooden throughout the entire run-time, and John Malkovich's villain is a bit too theatrical, the cast is actually pretty solid, it's pretty much all A and B-list actors. The action sequences are thrilling and well-executed, and even the soundtrack is pretty awesome. It's definitely a guilty pleasure of mine that I enjoy watching every once in a while for the nostalgia factor and for a few laughs.
48. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure: Tim Burton's debut film is based off the successful television series starring Paul Reubens, this movie, like many of Burton's films, is...weird. Really weird. But weird in a good way. It follows the adventures of Pee-wee Herman, a strange man-child who is obsessed with his precious bicycle. When it is stolen by another man-child, who is his rival, Pee-wee travels across America to find it. This is another film I like for nostalgia. However, even though I watched it as a kid, I still recognize that it's definitely not for everyone. It still has the strangeness of the television show, and has some of Burton's trademark creepiness: Pee-wee encounters a strange truck-driver's ghost (Large Marge), and also has a nightmare involving terrifying clown doctors. Seriously, whose idea was it to put those things in the movie? Overall, it's an entertaining film that's got some colorful visuals, cool special effects, and some odd characters.
47. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad: The first of Ray Harryhausen's fantasy film projects, this movie is actually incredibly influential. It revolutionized special effects (in particular, stop-motion), and inspired many filmmakers, including George Lucas, Peter Jackson, John Landis, James Cameron, Nick Park (Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Creature Comforts), and Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, Coraline). The film has some bad acting, and the special effects look bad when compared to today's CG, but I think it's one of the better fantasy/adventure movies, especially when compared to its' competition at the time. Also, the stop-motion has to be appreciated, the amount of work that went into those effects is insane.
46. The Blob: Steve McQueen stars in this classic 50's B-movie. It was his first lead role that led to his career as a major Hollywood star in films like Bullitt, The Thomas Crown Affair, The Getaway, The Magnificent Seven, The Towering Inferno, and The Great Escape. This film is not only entertaining and funny, but is a cult phenomena, with a Blob festival held annually in the small town where the film was shot. I can understand why this film had such a big impact: despite it's laughable-looking monster, it's actually a well-made monster movie. It's got a charming atmosphere, likable characters, and a cool opening song. I also understand why the people of that town hold the film so dear, I actually live in a fairly famous small town in California that holds a festival every year in honor of American Graffiti, one of the many films that was shot here, so I can relate. I really love this movie, it's another film that's brings me back to when I was younger.
45. Carrie: Brian De Palma's haunting supernatural thriller is one of my favorite horror films. Although some things are changed from the book (and some of my issues with the film were resolved in the remake), it still holds up today as a haunting tale of one poor girl who has a really shitty life and just snaps. The infamous prom night massacre sequence is brilliant. It has such a tense buildup, it has you sitting on the edge of your seat up until the very end, when Carrie goes ballistic. Then De Palma makes the smart decision to have the camera have a split-screen to show Carrie facials expressions, and then simultaneously show her uses her telekinesis to destroy the high school gym. It's one of the most shocking endings to any horror film, and leaves the viewer pretty traumatized.
44. From Dusk Till Dawn: Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriquez's mexploitation horror/action film is one of my favorite vampire movies. The first half features Tarantino and George Clooney as bad-ass criminal/murderer brothers and the run from the police and heading for the Mexican border. They eventually take a small family, the father of which is a faithless preacher (Harvey Keitel), hostage and force them to help them get across the border. The first half is a straightforward crime-thriller, and it's very tense and exciting, and it's filled with great Tarantino dialogue. Then, they reach this strip club called the Titty Twister, and then Salma Hayek does a strip tease for a bit, and then all hell breaks loose. Turn out this place is run by vampires who, at a certain time during the night, lock the doors and kill and eat the patrons. But this family and these two brothers won't go down without a fight. This whole movie is just crazy. The first half has a great story and dialogue. The second half is a well-done B-horror movie. The prosthetic makeup is excellent, and all the vampires are uniquely hideous. The action is fast-paced and reminiscent of an old exploitation movie. This is probably the movie that led to 2007's excellent Grindhouse, and this film is even more entertaining than that film was.
43. Strangers on a Train: This Hitchcock classic is not only extremely well-acted, but it's still chilling to this day. The story of a mentally disturbed man who misunderstands a deal made with a stranger while on a train is tense and has excellent cinematography. Robert Walker's performance is excellent, and it's still pretty unsettling to this day, particularly the scene where he calmly stares at Farley Granger during a tennis match, his eyes focused on Granger despite everyone else's eyes following the tennis ball. It's one of Hitchcock's best, truly he is the master of suspense.
42. Clerks: Kevin Smith's debut film is not only extremely quotable and entertaining, but also one of the best comedies ever made. The story of a couple of average joes working in a shitty convenience store, it's comprised of some funny and intriguing discussions about the important things in life: like in Return of the Jedi, were the Rebels right when they destroyed the second Death Star? Another film that shows how much someone can do on a shoestring budget.
41. The Matrix: The Wachowski's hit science fiction film is definitely one of the best films of the 90's. Although there were some shitty sequels and abysmal game adaptations, nothing changes the fact that the original is a highly original and high-octane sci-fi thriller. It's got some pretty good CG, great fight sequences, unforgettable gun fights, and a creepy villain played by the great Hugo Weaving. Not to mention Laurence Fishburne's excellent portrayal of Morpheus, the leader of the human resistance. Keanu Reeves may not be the best actor, but I think he pulled off the Neo role really well. This is a movie I can watch every couple years and still be as blown away as when I first watched it.
(Images: Wikipedia)Honorable mentions: Cloud Atlas, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, There's Something About Mary, Time Bandits, Do the Right Thing, Idiocracy, Hoosiers, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, The King's Speech.
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