Top 200 Films...Why? Because I Can (Updated)
Oct 28 '05 (Updated Aug 21 '08)
The Bottom Line 200 films sure to cause debate, if not outright warfare, and probably severe RSI. I've gotta get out more often.
Well, I noticed another person had done a top 200 and list and few seemed to complain, so what the hell, I thought. Here’s mine, and I hope you don’t strain your eyes too
much. I’ll keep the intro brief and although I’ve written
something about most films, I haven’t on every film, so bear that in mind, and if you find my words brief, bear in mind that I didn’t want this to go on forever, either . You might want to try and detect patterns in my list to see what kinds of films I enjoy, but I doubt there are any patterns, I’m very diverse.
Updated 18/08/08 I've added some films, removed others (say goodbye to "True Lies" , "The Kind Lady" , and "Signs" ,folks and hello to Charlie Kaufman!) moved some films up ( "The Great Escape" for instance), others down. Hey, a man's tastes change...sometimes daily.
1. The Misfits (1961)
Dismissed by critics at the time as merely a sad footnote in
Hollywood or a well-intentioned failure at best, this John
Huston film from a script Arthur Miller wrote specifically for
his wife at the time, Marilyn Monroe (sadly, she didn’t really
get it, either) isn’t terribly well-known today. However, most
who are aware of it find that it works better today in the
post-“Unforgiven” era where deglamorising the Hollywood West
isn’t exactly new or unheard of, and often a very popular
theme. It’s also an eerily perfect marriage of actor and
character, and if you can in any way identify with these sad
and disillusioned people, it proves to be a profoundly moving,
expertly-lensed film. One wonders what might’ve been had
Marilyn actually listened to Gable’s (i.e. Miller’s) advice in
the last scene, of what to do when one is lost.
2. Forrest Gump
You either go for schmaltzy Americana, or you don’t (I’m a
huge “Wonder Years” fan, for starters). Just call me Uncle
Sam, then. Though its conservative view of American history
has helped bring it down on my list from first to second
place, the very fact that it’s still at number two and that it
wasn’t until the third or fourth viewing that I even noticed a
political agenda, this Robert Zemeckis comedy/drama sure must
have some powerful movie magic. It’s a unique, charming film
with superb acting, unforgettable characters, an unbeatable
soundtrack, and the perfect blend of laughter and tears. It’s
beautiful to look at, too. It’s Hollywood, but proof that
Hollywood doesn’t always equal clichéd corn. And hey, clichéd
corn can be quite acceptable if its done right.
3. The Star Wars Trilogy (1977, 1980, 1983)
Three films you can watch again and again and never, ever get
tired of them. For me, entertainment is cinema’s most
important objective, though not the only one, and these films
(among the most important in cinema over the last 30 years or
so) are the perfect entertainment for young and old. Even
those who don’t like sci-fi will perhaps latch onto the
romance or comedy, those who don’t like the
intellectually-minded, anti-septic-looking ?”/”Andromeda
Strain” type of sci-fi, meanwhile, can enjoy the action-packed
fantasy elements, and even religious folk might identify with
the classic good vs. evil aspect (evil being chiefly
represented by the Emperor, by the way. Contrary to popular
belief Darth Vader is his second-in-command, followed by Peter
Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin) of these films, not to mention
using the ‘force’ (Me? I’m an atheist, so I guess it’s the
other aspects that appeal to me- I’m a big sci-fi/fantasy buff
from way back, particularly the fantasy or humorous side of
things). Classic story telling, clearly-drawn characters (with
especially fine performances from Harrison Ford, Peter
Cushing, and Billy Dee Williams), lots of action and
adventure, FX that whilst improved upon over time, work
perfectly (there’s something so wonderful about lasers and
models that CGI just doesn’t have, an indefinable quality).
Best of all, these films, more than any other in cinematic
history, give us uniquely and convincingly alien worlds and
creatures, whilst still giving us things and people to
identify with.
4. Star Wars Ep 1: The Phantom Menace
A slight drop in quality from the original films, but
impossible expectations probably have a lot to do with that.
Pandering to the kiddie market in the form of Rastafarian
amphibian Jar-Jar Binks isn’t all that offensive (what were
the Ewoks, then?), but he doesn’t quite work, and is perhaps a
tad racially insensitive too. But as much as I could very well
nitpick, certainly of the other two prequels, I think it is
mostly a sign of the jaded times we live in, and the fact that
there have been so damn many “Star Wars” rip-offs and
wannabes, that it’s hard to wow audiences like the original
trilogy did. And above all, the film is still wonderfully
entertaining, visually stimulating (for some reason, the
senate sequence is the one that sticks out most in my mind,
it’s a real jaw-dropper), and underrated in the story
department, too.
5. The Blues Brothers
John Landis’ best film, told in his usual big-is-funnier
style, but it works tremendously for this outstanding,
side-splitting comedy musical, the best-ever “SNL”-derived
film. Celebrity cameos, top-notch, show-stopping musical
numbers, and without question, the greatest car crash/pile-up
in cinematic history, culminating with goofy lawman John
Candy’s hilarious line; ‘This is car 55...uh...We’re in a truck!’.
And then there’s hostile Good ‘ol Boy Charles Napier,
threatening the boys with an unprintable line about corn on
the cob. It’s a style of filmmaking that seldom works ( “The
Great Race” still gives me nightmares), and Landis never
equalled it before or since, but this is his masterwork.
6. Terminator 1 & 2
No, I won’t separate them. Deal with it. The first was an
economical, fast-paced and totally effective sci-fi
action/thriller with a terrific villain and an intriguing
futuristic story. The second, despite following a fairly
similar story pattern, was slicker, more expensive, more
visually wondrous, sometimes more exciting, and not only
sported a fantastic new villain, but a superb, tough-chick
heroine, played by Linda Hamilton in a total contrast from her
performance in the first film, and yet, the transition is not
at all unlikely, given what the character went through the
first time around. Basically, I can’t split the two, they’re
both high-class entertainments and must-see films, the best of
their type. Outstanding music score in both, too.
7. Citizen Kane
It seems kind of uncool for anyone around my age or younger
to love this film, but that’s their loss, not mine. It may not be as
entertaining per se as the films above, but it’s a remarkable
film that everyone should see at least once, if only to see
what one young filmmaker did that so many other young
first-timers dare not to. For me, there’s so much going on
here that I really can’t understand why a lot of younger folk
in particular don’t appreciate it (Oooh, it’s in Black and
White…It doesn’t have Paul Walker in it...whatever). It’s risky
(if you’re aware of its history and William Randolph Hearst,
you know what I mean, not to mention the elements of the
character that might resemble Welles himself), audacious
(certain shots, edits, and camera angles are still amazing
even today), powerful, extraordinarily well-shot in deep-focus
by the great Gregg Toland, and above all, it tells one helluva
great story, with intriguing characters. It’s also mostly
brilliantly acted; Welles for me has always been as good an
actor as filmmaker and he’s unforgettable as the all-powerful
tycoon Charles Foster Kane who gains great wealth and power,
but at what cost? Joseph Cotten is his usual charming self as
his right-hand man of-sorts, whilst Everett Sloane and George
Coulouris are also excellent in supporting parts.
Unfortunately, the film isn’t entirely flawless, Dorothy
Comingore is pretty awful as Kane’s melodramatic wife,
admittedly playing the part as written, she’s extremely hammy
and annoying. But there’s so much else to enjoy and admire
here, a real American classic that mightn’t have been had
Welles been afraid to touch such a daring subject.
8. Pinocchio (1940)
9. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
10. Stand By Me
11. Big Trouble in Little China
A shock to some, perhaps, but not if you’ve read any of my
other lists/reviews. This John Carpenter martial-arts/fantasy/
buddy movie/action/horror/comedy hybrid (in my view,
it’s his best-ever, but “Halloween” fans need not
fret, just look a little lower on the list) was about a decade
before its time and essentially ignored by critics on first
release. Ever since it has amassed a huge cult following,
perhaps moreso than any other Carpenter film, and with good
reason; It’s a whole lot of fun. In fact, it is perhaps the
film I watch more often than any other, it’s endlessly
entertaining on several different levels. Kurt Russell,
sporting an oh-so 80s mullet and doing an hilarious John Wayne
impersonation gives the most entertainingly boneheaded
performance of his career. As tough-talking trucker Jack
Burton, knee-deep in Chinese mysticism and kung-fu goings-on,
he comes off more like a bragging but inept sidekick to Dennis
Dun’s martial-arts expert Wang. He even knocks himself out
during the climactic battle! James Hong is superb as the
increasingly cranky and aging evil sorcerer Lo-Pan, who gets
many of the best lines. Watch out for the stock-standard
Talking Killer sequence in which there is an added twist-
everyone’s in a wheelchair! Fast-paced, goofy, genre-hopping
(and genre-bending) and pure entertainment, especially for HK
movie fans, the action sequences are a hoot (especially early
on). We’ll forget about that theme song…
12. The Omen (1976)
13. Platoon
14. Planet of the Apes (1968)
15. The Great Escape
16. Strangers on a Train
Hitchcock’s best film in my view, a deliciously wicked and
twisty crime-thriller from the Master of not only Suspense,
but audience manipulation. And boy does Hitch play us like a
piano (and then some). Robert Walker’s smooth-talking,
slightly effeminate, but ultimately dangerous Bruno Antony is
one of the most complex, fascinating and greatest villains of
all-time (admittedly overshadowing the somewhat weak Farley
Granger, but Granger probably plays it as written). It’s such
a shame that he did not live much past this crowning acting
achievement. At times, thanks to Hitch, we even find ourselves
almost rooting for the bad guy (perhaps also due to Walker’s
acting ability) when his scheme backfires on him (that search
for the cigarette lighter is wonderfully excruciating).
Terrific, insinuating dialogue, and brilliant Oscar-nominated
Robert Burks cinematography. Some outstanding shots, especially one
strangulation murder scene through a pair of discarded
eye-glasses. Don’t miss this one if you’ve not seen it already.
17. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
18. The Sting
19. Halloween
20. Aliens (1986)
21. Jaws
22. Sling Blade
23. Romeo and Juliet (1968)
Forget Leo and Baz and their Tarantino-esque bastardisation of
the Bard’s tale, this 60s version is the only one you need
see. Leonard Whiting (who?) and Olivia Hussey might not be
great thespians, but their youthful exuberance (and
youthfulness in general, both were suitably young at the time)
and passion gives them a leg-up over most other players of
these parts. Michael York as Tybalt has perhaps never been
better, John McEnery’s Mercutio is simultaneously hilarious
and tragic. Oscar winning costumes and immortal Nino Rota
music score are highlights.
24. The Untouchables
25. Lethal Weapon
26. When Harry Met Sally…
27. National Lampoon’s Vacation (1984)
Would you lay of Chevy already? Yes, there was a time when
Chevy Chase was actually funny, and this classic Harold Ramis
film from a John Hughes script is his finest hour as the
lovable but somewhat oblivious Clark W. Griswold. Many of the
funniest moments are probably unable to be elaborated on here
due to their risqué nature, such as a misguided venture into
Harlem (featuring one of my all-time favourite replies to the
question ‘Could you Please direct us back onto the highway?’),
and most of the scenes involving Randy Quaid (one of the most
underappreciated and versatile actors ever) as backwoods
Cousin Eddie and his loopy family (including a young and randy
Jane Krakowski- just wait until you hear who admires her
artistry in French kissing!).
28. The NeverEnding Story
One of my earliest childhood cinema-going experiences (along
with crying my eyes out during “Return to Oz” and “The
Goonies”). A pro-reading message, a classic fantasy tale of good and
evil, impressive and imaginative visual scope, and a villain
called The Nothing. Oh, sure, he turns out to be just a black
panther, but he scared the bejesus out of me as a kid. And
what kid didn’t cry at the plight of warrior Atreyu’s trusty
steed in that quicksand? (Many people tend to cry in pain
whenever they hear the 80s theme song from Limahl, but I
genuinely love it, even if the lead singer looks kinda dorky).
Perhaps the only film of this type, along with “Ladyhawke”
that can hold a candle to, if not surpass, the more recent
“Lord of the Rings” films. Wolfgang Petersen’s first
English-language film and he hasn’t come close to topping it
since.
29. The Magnificent Seven
30. The Dirty Dozen
31. A Few Good Men
My all-time favourite courtroom flick (apparently based on a
play), from one of my favourite directors, Rob Reiner. The
story is intriguing and twisty, the dialogue memorable (you
want examples? You can’t handle examples!), the characters are
fascinating and cast are pretty much flawless. Tom Cruise has
one of his better roles as cocky (but supremely lazy and
smart-alecky) lawyer Daniel Kaffe, still in his well-respected
father’s shadow as he takes on the case of two marines who
apparently killed an effete comrade. Kaffe thinks the marines
were given a ‘Code Red’ order by Col. Jessup, played by a
snarling, sometimes leering Jack Nicholson, having a high old
time in one of his best and most memorable character turns.
Demi Moore is surprisingly good (and, “Striptease” aside, has
never looked better, perhaps it’s the uniform) as the other
lawyer assigned to the young men’s’ case. Kevin Pollak didn’t
deserve the flak he copped as the light-hearted member of the
cast (though am I the only one hoping that at various points
he’d shout ‘Your honour, I object!’ in the guise of William
Shatner or Chris Walken? OK, it’s just me, then…), Cruise’s
right-hand man. The supporting cast is top-notch, with the
sorely-missed J.T. Walsh as the somewhat conflicted LT. Col
who is Nicholson’s long-time friend, the always welcome Kevin
Bacon (centre of the acting universe) as the friendly but
competitive opposing attorney, and a seriously sour,
wonderfully rigid Kiefer Sutherland as the humourless Lt.
Jonathan Kendrick- they’re all great. A real rip-snorter from
start to finish.
32. Raiders of the Lost Ark
33. Revenge of the Nerds
I’m really serious about this one. Forget Porky’s and Animal
House, this is the only raunchy teen sex comedy from the 80s
you need see. An uproariously funny film but also delivering a
fine message of empowerment for all of us who weren’t entirely
popular, pretty, or co-ordinated at some point in our lives.
Well, OK, so the nerds are seen in stereotypes, but who cares
when its this funny? And you can’t go past a good panty raid,
if you ask me. Other highlights include the sports carnival
(with belching contest and a javelin throw like no other), a
young (and angry) John Goodman as the bullying football coach
(whose pronunciation of the word ‘whipped’ for some reason
cracks me up every time), and some hilariously profane lines
of dialogue I wish I could share with you (not that profanity
is always funny, but some people- Billy Connolly for instance-
can get away with it). About the only printable line that made
me laugh was Ted McGinley (boy is this an 80s film. You’ve got
everyone here- a seriously young Timothy Busfield, Anthony
Edwards and Robert Carradine as Nerds, and the requisite role
for Michelle Meyrink, who was to 80s teen films what Jack Elam
was to westerns) as the head jock lamenting; ‘That’s MY pie!’,
but you’d have to have seen the film to get that one. Did I
mention the T&A? An amusing 80s soundtrack (think Devo, and
early 80s Michael Jackson, as well as some song called ‘Are
You Ready For the Sex Girls?’ that I wish I could get my hands
on. And the Tri-Lamb’s Devo meets Jacko meets Springsteen
musical performance is wonderfully outdated). Followed by
several sequels, each one less raunchy (and less funny) than
the last, but “Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise” has some very
funny moments (and a young and snotty Bradley Whitford acting
alongside future “West Wing” co-star Busfield)
34. ET: The Extra Terrestrial
35. Ghostbusters
36. The Goonies
One from my fondly remembered childhood, and one that proves
highly entertaining even with me now at age 28. If you were a
kid when this came out and didn’t wanna be a Goonie too, I
don’t ever want to know you. A great comic adventure romp that
is much more than the Junior Indiana Jones film it tends to be
labelled, and one with a great pedigree (Steven Spielberg as
EP, Chris Columbus writing the script, and one of my favourite
directors, Richard Donner at the helm). And what a cast of
great characters, actors and faces! My favourites include
Asian gizmo kid Data (played by Short-Round from “Indiana
Jones and the Temple of Doom”, coincidentally), chubby
loud-mouth scaredy-cat Chunk (whose response to the question
‘What is that?’ in relation to a broken statue is
gut-bustingly funny, as is his pathetic wailing and babbling
to the baddies at one point), and Corey Feldman in a riotously
obnoxious performance as the smarmy, smart-alec aptly
nicknamed Mouth. Of the villains, the late, great Anne Ramsey
is the epitome of sour-looking, cantankerous Ma Barker-types,
and it’s always great to see Joey Pants in an early role as
her maniacally cackling son. It’s got pirates, treasure,
profanity, girls, monsters in the basement, skeletons, booby
traps (that’s what I said!), a cool Cyndi Lauper title song
(‘Goonies R Good Enough’), and a young Samwise Gamgee in the
lead. What more could you want? Oh to be 10 years old again…
37. Child’s Play (1988)
I’ve probably said it before, but I generally go for two types
of horror- Gothic chillers and comedy-horrors. This 80s item
is fondly recalled by people around my age but no one seems to
have the balls to put in a Favourite Films list. It’s
hilarious, Brad Dourif’s malevolent and profane vocal
interpretation of the serial killer trapped inside a toy doll
(yeah, OK so the voodoo element takes a lot to believe, but so
what?) is one of my all-time favourites, Chucky is probably my
favourite horror movie icon aside from Dracula (which Dracula?
More on that later). The fact that Chucky is not only a
non-human but that he looks so innocent and child-like, makes
him all the more freaking scary in my view. I hate clowns, men
in innocent-looking masks, and yes, dolls. True, it does seem
a tad predictable at times, but in putting a pint-sized killer
doll at the centre, it sends up some of the classic
stalk-and-slash conventions, such as an hysterically charred
and seriously miffed Chucky springing back to life just when
the characters (but not the audience) thought him finished.
And who hasn’t wanted to see the insufferably preachy mother
from the ghastly "7th Heaven" chased around by a serial killer
trapped inside a cherubic-looking killer doll?
38. Braveheart
39. Goodfellas (1990)
40. The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
41. The Breakfast Club
Gee, do you think I’m an 80s child? Although it ultimately
deals with high school life in a heavily stereotyped, stagy,
and easy manner (and nowadays Judd Nelson’s character would
more than likely bust a cap in someone’s a** before the film
is over), this quintessential John Hughes film deserves credit
for even attempting to understand the issue and start people
talking (Not that it has changed anything, kids still hang out
in cliques and alienate people). Hughes and his popular cast
help make us understand and sympathise with kids (Molly
Ringwald as the ‘Princess’, Ally Sheedy as ‘The Basket Case’,
Judd Nelson as ‘The Delinquent’, Anthony Michael Hall as ‘The
Brain’, and Emilio Estevez as ‘The Jock’) from all corners of
the schoolyard, which might not be the case in reality. It’s
also a highly entertaining and often hilarious film forever
burned into the psyches of audiences from this particular
generation. It also has perhaps my favourite 80s movie song
(next to ‘Flashdance (What a Feeling)’ of course), the film’s
anthem from Simple Minds ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’. And
you can’t not love a film with references to something called
the ‘Hot Beef Injection’. Perceptive, funny, and cool, in that
special 80s way (And no, I’m not including Debbie Gibson or
The B52s in that category…) And in case you were wondering, in
high school I was somewhere between The Brain and The Basket
Case, with a little Gordy from “Stand By Me” and Kevin
Arnold thrown in for good measure.
42. Vertigo
Hitch’s most personal and thematically intriguing film might
be a bit slow for the fans of his more ‘shocking’ films like
“The Birds” or “Psycho” , but there’s still a
lot of the Master’s usual technical flourishes (the bold use of the
colour green is particularly striking). More than anything
it’s Jimmy Stewart, in perhaps his finest, most complex and
powerful performance that draws you in, even if you’re
intimately familiar with the story. Jimmy was probably not
allowed to be this obsessed, this wounded ever again, and
you’re with him every step of the way. The late Barbara Bel
Geddes, as Stewart’s pal Midge is one of Hitch’s most
effective second-string females (along with Pat Hitchcock in
“Strangers on a Train” , Thelma Ritter in the overrated
“Rear Window” and Suzanne Pleshette, who was one of
the only things I liked about “The Birds” ), and instantly likeable.
Not my favourite, but it’s easy to see why the critics gravitate
towards this one.
43. Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)
Female rockers, drugs, male prostitutes, lesbianism (To quote
the late, great Walter Matthau; ‘Ooh, lesbians! Yummy!’),
hermaphrodite music moguls, Mohammed Ali wannabes, Nazis, and
more gargantuan-bosomed Amazonian women than you could ever
dream of. This not-quite sequel/parody of “Valley of the
Dolls” was the result of two geniuses coming together- skin
flick maker Russ Meyer (R.I.P.) and a young critic named Roger
Ebert. The result? The weirdest movie you’ll ever see. Wild,
hilarious (both intentionally and unintentionally), raunchy,
fascinating, and amazingly edited. Love that groovy
soundtrack, too. Contains one of my all-time favourite lines
from B-movie queen Edy Williams as man-eating porn star Ashley
St. Ives; ‘You’re a groovy boy. I’d like to strap you on some
time!’. 2nd prize would have to go to this corker from John
LaZar as the frequently Shakespearean quoting, androgynous
Z-Man; ‘You will drink the black sperm of my vengeance!’.
You’ve just gotta see this one at least once in your life, you
won’t look at Josie and the Pussycats the same way, after
this.
44. The Grapes of Wrath
A great adaptation of a great American novel that seemed to
inspire a great American singer on one of his albums
(Springsteen). An absolute American classic. Not only does it
have a brilliant documentary-look to some scenes, but the
story of an American family struggling valiantly through the
Depression is profoundly moving. Jane Darwell as the worried
but ultimately strong-willed Ma Joad gives one of the most
memorable characterisations in cinematic history. John
Carradine, before descending into Z-movie hell has his best
ever role as a slightly batty preacher looking for his
calling. And then there’s Mr. Henry Fonda, his usual
dependable self, even if at first the idea of him playing a
ne’er do well might sound a tad odd. He makes you believe
every moment. Gotta love crotchety old Grandpa Joad, too. If
you don’t shed a tear at least once during this film…you ain’t
human!
45. Parenthood
46. Die Hard
47. The Karate Kid
48. Rocky (1976)
49. 12 Angry Men (1957)
*** Up 21 places since last time! ***
I’ve heard some talk of “All About Eve” having the greatest
screenplay ever and some of the greatest characterisations
ever committed to film. It’s a great film indeed, but in terms
of screenplay and characterisation, I’d put this 1957
courtroom drama ahead. It’s not perfect- it’s stagy for
starters, but it’s directed by one of the best in Sidney
Lumet, and the screenplay by Reginald Rose (from his TV play)
really is damn near perfect. The twists and turns are
riveting, even when we know that Henry Fonda’s conscientious
juror no. 8 is always going to be right. And what a cast! My
favourites among the outstanding characterisations are Jack
Warden’s Juror no. 7, a disinterested baseball enthusiast, Lee
J. Cobb in a thunderous turn as bullying Juror no. 3, E.G.
Marshall as Juror no. 4, a generally decent man who thinks his
judgement is beyond reproach, and that most dependable of
character actors, Martin Balsam as the put-upon jury foreman
whom one suspects would rather not be in such a position.
There are at least two particularly startling things about
this film that make it for me the greatest film of its type;
Even though we barely see him, the defendant, a
frightened-looking young man, could be of practically any
ethnicity- Italian, French, Arab, Jewish, Hispanic etc., and
when some of the jurors start referring to ‘those people’ and
are pulled up on it, one has to indeed wonder what ‘people’
they are referring to. Secondly, the jurors themselves are the
kinds of people no one would want to have peoples’ lives in
their hands. There’s two prejudiced folk (Lee J. Cobb and sour
bigot Ed Begley) who drown everyone else’s views out, two
disinterested types (Warden and Robert Webber as an ad man
trying to tell everyone about his job), a foreman happy to go
with the majority, and a meek little nerdy guy (John Fiedler)
with absolutely no opinion of his own. Don’t you love the
justice system?
50. Cool Hand Luke
51. Some Like it Hot
If it weren’t for the non-comedic opening scenes depicting the
St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, this sometimes gut-busting Billy
Wilder favourite might’ve even found its way further up the
list. As it is, it soon becomes very funny and clever indeed
(easily the best of its type), with Jack Lemmon seemingly
having a whale of a time in drag, in one of the funniest
performances I’ve ever seen. The scene where he’s trying to
get drunk and intimate with Marilyn Monroe in the tiny train
compartment is perhaps one of my five all-time favourite
comedy moments ( “Tootsie” has got nothing on this film, Bill
Murray or not). Tony Curtis’ impersonation of Cary Grant (a
good but overrated one) and ensuing seduction of Marilyn
Monroe provides some choice moments (you’ll especially
appreciate these moments if you’re also a fan of 1988’s “Dirty
Rotten Scoundrels”). MM herself has seldom been funnier or
sexier, even if ‘I Wanna Be Loved By You’ isn’t among my
favourite songs (love that dress, though! Yowzah!). Terrific I.A.L.
Diamond script, with wide-mouthed Joe E. Brown delivering the
signature (and closing) line which I won’t spoil for the two
or three of you ignorant folk out there who don’t already know
and love this flick.
52. Peter Pan (1953)
Disney is an evil, fascist organisation, but who among us
doesn't want to be young again? Timeless stuff.
53. Good Morning, Vietnam
54. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
I know the generation before me tends to despise the very
comedic actors I love, but I really do think Ashton Kutcher,
Seann William Scott, Rob Schneider, Seth Rogan, and Adam
Sandler pale miserably in comparison to the likes of Bill Murray, the
underrated Chevy Chase, and my personal favourite, Steve
Martin. This remake of “Bedtime Story” is a wholly engaging
(well, engaging for a film with that title) and very funny,
brilliantly acted film about con artists. Brash American
Martin and the more refined (but just as duplicitous) Michael
Caine are perfectly matched in this game of one-upmanship set
in Riviera resort of Beaumont-sur-Mer. Glenne Headly is also
good in a fairly easy role as the girl they both try to con.
Three scenes in particular stand out; The painfully funny bit
where Caine tries to thwart the plans of Martin who is faking
a disability. Hands down the funniest scene Martin has ever
played, as a ‘special’ person named Ruprecht, who eats apple
sauce with a cork on his fork. Then there’s the scene where
wheelchair-bound Martin has to sit and watch a dancing Caine
move in on his territory. Doesn’t sound funny, but a profane
response by a cockney sailor is so gut-bustingly funny I’ve
probably rewound this brief moment about a hundred times.
55. Superman (1978)
The Best superhero movie ever, bar none. And although many
consider the film gets better once Christopher Reeve turns up,
I actually prefer the visually striking scenes on Krypton
(even if Marlon Brando was overpaid, he’s still better here
than usual, and I just freaking love anything with Harry
Andrews. Guuiiilllttyyyy! Guuiiilllttyyyy!). The scenes with
the adolescent Clark are also wonderful (and probably inspired
the TV series “Smallville”, AKA “Super 7th Heaven”), with the
always solid Glenn Ford in sturdy form as Clark’s adopted Dad.
Reeve was always underrated (being disabled myself I’ve gotta
say I was devastated when he died, I always thought he was
going to get better) as an actor and he quite simply IS
Superman and his mild-mannered human alter-ego Clark Kent. The
comic romance between he and Margot Kidder’s Lois Lane is
thoroughly charming. Gene Hackman, whom I tend to find a
little too seriously sleazy when he plays villains ( “No Way
Out” ) creates one of cinemas most enjoyable villains in Lex
Luthor, a super villain with a super-inflated ego, he appears
to be having a high-old time, even if his character is saddled
with idiot henchmen (but lovable ones, played by a well-cast
Ned Beatty and Valerie Perrine). Great fun, lots of action,
romance, and comedy, and yes, awe. John Williams provides one
of his most memorable music scores in a career full of ‘em.
Sure, it’s long, but it’s worth it, and a helluva lot better
than certainly the 2nd and third sequels spawned from it (The
TV show “Lois and Clark” had its merits, though).
56. Barbarella
No, I’m not kidding. Really, I’m not. Jane Fonda herself might
find this film an embarrassment, but I personally find it a
groovy, cheesy, mildly kinky delight. Best of all, it doesn’t
take itself the slightest bit seriously. Fonda’s actually very
loose and funny as the 41st century space adventurer searching
for somebody called Duran Duran (hmm, that name sounds
familiar…). In a cast full of eccentrics and oddballs (Famous
mime Marcel Marceau even has a role!), the standout is Anita
Pallenberg wonderfully vixenish as the bisexual Great Tyrant,
who coos at Barbarella, her ‘pretty, pretty’. Shagadelic set
design (fur interiors! Outta sight!- Er, sorry, a Greg Brady
moment there) and trippy visuals are the best things in the
film, along with the “Love Boat”-ish title song, which you’ll
have a hard time getting out of your head (even if the lyrics
make no sense whatsoever). And remember, an angel doesn’t make
love ‘An Angel is love’!
57. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Peter Jackson’s fantastic epic series based on the works of
the great J.R.R. Tolkien is probably the best in the genre, a
genre I happen to love, even if good films are few and far
between in the fantasy genre. This middle chapter is easily
the best in the trilogy, with impressive visuals (including
the wonderful New Zealand landscape, perfect for a fantasy
world setting) and soundtrack, exciting battle sequences (some
of the best-ever), and most of all, damn near perfect
characterisations by a terrific cast. My personal favourites
were Christopher Lee in his best role in years as the turncoat
wizard Saruman the White (he’s the human-like face of evil),
Viggo Mortensen’s classic romantic fantasy hero Aragorn, genre
veteran Brad Dourif as the wonderfully snaky (and aptly named)
Grima Wormtongue, servant to Saruman, and the wonderfully
hammy John Rhys-Davies, who perfectly portrays Gimli, a dwarf
(I was an avid fantasy reader in my youth, and Davies and even
the effete-looking Orlando Bloom are spot-on in their roles).
And then there’s the astonishing Andy Serkis and the FX crew,
creating a most remarkable CGI-based character named Gollum,
formerly Smeagol. He is at turns funny, frightening, weird,
pathetic, hateful, and pitiful, sometimes all at once. You
won’t believe how many different emotions this computer
generated character can make you feel (George Lucas must’ve
cried for weeks after seeing Gollum). A grand, sweeping epic
adventure of good versus evil.
58. Repulsion
59. Spaceballs
Yeah, that’s right, some of Mel Brooks' least regarded films are
my favourites (My least favourites? The cheap and seemingly
neutered “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” and “Silent Movie”, which
just wasn’t my thing). This one’s a terrifically entertaining,
often side-splitting parody of many sci-fi films, especial the
“Star Wars” series. More ‘likeable’ than most of Brooks’ films
(how could it not be, with lovable John Candy, let alone Rick
Moranis as the villain, in a riotous performance as Dark
Helmet). Lots of hilarious puns (‘What’s the matter, Col.
Sanders, chicken?’) and sight gags (especially any scene with
Moranis), a cameo by Michael Winslow (where the hell did he
go?), and Mel Brooks in dual roles as the evil President
Skroob (essentially the Emperor) and wise old sage (with a
little huckster thrown in) Yogurt the Wise, who is a real
scene-stealer. Funniest gags are at the end, an hysterical and
bizarre parody of “Alien” (cue the John Hurt cameo) and a
parody of “Planet of the Apes” that contains my favourite
quote from the film, sadly unprintable here.
60. The Haunting (1963)
A genuinely frightening film from an era where they didn’t
need a whole lot of CGI crap. The power of suggestion is a
wonderful thing, and the recently departed Robert Wise clearly
had a command of it in this film, with some tremendous uses of
sound. Some interesting characterisations too, with the
astonishingly beautiful Claire Bloom as the slightly snobby
lesbian and in a smaller role, the inimitable (God I hate that
word) Rosalie Crutchley as the sour Mrs. Dudley. Admittedly
Julie Harris’ narration is a little overdone (though I loved
her line; ‘Whose hand was I holding?’) and Russ Tamblyn’s
Eddie Haskell schtick becomes grating early on, but you’ll be
too busy biting the skin around your nails (which will have
already been eaten away before long). The greatest haunted
house movie ever made.
61. Rain Man
62. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
63. Commando (1985)
I know, I know, this is a formulaic, cheesy 80s action
film- but it’s one of the best, with one of the best action
stars in the lead- Ahnuld. The Governator. Arnie. The
Gropenator. Call him what you want, he was the King of the
action genre in the 80s and into the 90s. He’s well-cast as
formidable ex-Green Beret Col. John Matrix who is forced by a
turncoat former comrade (Aussie Vernon Wells, in one of the
most enjoyably over-the-top and underrated bad guy turns of
the decade. I just don’t see the Freddie Mercury comparisons,
folks) to kill a political leader for wannabe dictator Dan
Hedaya (admittedly miscast). They’ve kidnapped his daughter,
played by a young Alyssa Milano, and knowing she’ll die
anyway, Arnie decides to head straight for her, aided by Rae
Dawn Chong (not my favourite actress). This is my kind of
action film- lots of guns (but never two guns at once, Mr.
Woo. And certainly no freakin’ doves!), explosions (can you
say rocket launcher?), nasty bad guys, and best of all, a
screenplay by Steven E. de Souza that doesn’t take itself
seriously. The dialogue contains some absolutely immortal
lines for Arnie, particularly when squaring off against two of
my favourite henchmen- slimy David Patrick Kelly (in his best
role, as Sully) and hulking Bill Duke as another green beret.
The best line, though, goes to a mall security guard who isn’t
as macho as he boasts (Sadly, the line is unprintable here).
Although the stunt work might have dated (some viewers have
pointed out the use of trampolines, I haven’t tried to look
for them, I’d rather enjoy the movie), I still love the scene
where Arnie hides in a shed from some of Hedaya’s men and
dispatches them with absolute precision, be it gunfire or
chopping limbs off. It hardly gets any better than this, and
James Horner’s throbbing score is another major plus. Stands
head and shoulders above most of Chuck Norris’ similar films
around the time.
64. Lucas
This story of a geeky kid who meets and befriends a pretty new girl
just before school starts, seems to impact me more every time I
see it. In fact, it might just be the most perceptive film about
teens ever made, and a worthy new entry to the list.
The pain of first love, of unrequited love, the pressures of having
to fit in and conform in high school- it's all captured perfectly.
And even the dreaded football finale and 'slow clap' aren't as
manipulative as they could've been. Most of all, the three leads
(Corey Haim as Lucas, Charlie Sheen as the protective jock, and
Kerri Green as the girl in the middle just trying to fit in) are all
perfect, Green and Sheen especially, as they have the harder task
of making their characters likeable, understandable and relatable to
someone like me who knows the pain of a geek's unrequited love
and failure to fit in, all too well. One of the best teen movies ever.
65. Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte
Some prefer the campy melodrama “What Ever Happened to Baby
Jane?” but I much prefer this equally campy, but more macabre
Southern Gothic thriller from the underrated Robert Aldrich.
It also helps that I prefer Olivia De Havilland (surely one of
the most underappreciated actresses from the Golden Era) to
Joan Crawford, who has always seemed a pale imitation of Bette
Davis to me. And boy is Bette great in this, going hell for
leather as the supposedly mad, constantly yelling and abusive
title character. It’s one of her best-ever performances
(alongside “The Little Foxes” and “All About Eve”). She’s a
mad old broad who won’t let foreman George Kennedy (when he
was young) and his crew knock her big mansion down. But is
Charlotte really mad? Or is someone driving her that way? With
Charlotte, it’s hard to tell, right up until the climax. You
see, Charlotte’s been having flashbacks to a dark family
secret involving murder, her father (Victor Buono) and a young
Bruce Dern. Meanwhile, Olivia De Havilland and Joseph Cotten
turn up as Charlotte’s long-suffering cousin and the family
doctor. The latter is especially good in the sort of
old-charmer role he could play in his sleep. Agnes Moorehead
is hilariously incomprehensible in an Oscar-nominated turn as
the nosy, cantankerous housekeeper who stays with Charlotte
through it all. Surprisingly gory and wonderfully filmed in
black and white, the film has a slightly confusing narrative,
though. Creepy title tune is sung by one of the characters at
a crucial point.
66. History of the World Part 1
I appear to be the only person in the known universe who loves
this film, or even likes it. Sure the Inquisition dance number
is putrid, and the French Revolution segment, whilst hilarious
to me now, made little impact on me until I became familiar
with “Tale of Two Cities” (Cloris Leachman’s Madame Defarge is
a laugh riot and Mel Brooks in multiple roles is great, with
the immortal line, ‘It’s Good to be the King!’). But there’s
so much else about this underrated Mel Brooks film (loved
Orson Welles opening narration and that wonderfully juvenile
?” parody) that still has me rolling on the floor with
laughter. The effeminate guy announcing Caesar’s arrival
(‘Remember thou art mortal!’), an hilariously shrill Madeline
Kahn as the extraordinarily horny Empress Nympho (‘Please step
with the same foot at the same time!’), an hysterical
discussion on various means of torture (‘No...But that’s very
inventive!’), Harvey Korman perhaps besting his Hedley Lamarr
schtick as the snooty aristocrat with a similarly
mispronounced name, Count De Monet (and his very saucy attaché
Béarnaise, who very nearly steals his every scene
shamelessly), and yes, a hoofing, smiling and conning Gregory
Hines guiding everyone to a stash of Smokus Dopus, (AKA Wacky
Weed), as an Ethiopian slave in Ancient Rome. The best bits
for me, however, are a brief moment in Roman Times with a guy
spruiking a new invention called plumbing (the punchline is
too dirty for this page, unfortunately), and a sketch on the
Last Supper (John Hurt plays Christ!) that kills me every
time, despite the jokes being actually pretty awful. But
that’s Mel Brooks for you, and he can get away with it. I
still don’t get why people are so down on this film.
67. Ladyhawke
One of the most beautiful and haunting romantic medieval
fantasy movies ever made, this terrific cult item from the
underrated Richard Donner might’ve earned a higher place if it
weren’t for some questionable decisions in casting and
scoring. Rutger Hauer (who is still the best thing in
everything he does these days, no matter how crap the films
are) couldn’t be more perfectly cast and Michelle Pfeiffer is
also well-chosen (I don’t find her delicate, angular beauty
personally arousing but she’s right for the part) as the
doomed lovers, victims of a cruel curse that has Pfeiffer
turning into a hawk at sunrise and warrior Hauer a wolf at
sundown. It’s such a beautiful premise (they only see each
other in human form for a painful, fleeting moment. A shame
the FX don’t quite bring as much to the party as the
screenwriters and actors, a minor gripe). John Wood (not to be
confused with long-serving Aussie TV actor of the same name)
plays the evil priest who also acts as sorcerer. He’s a little
underwhelming, but never mind. Leo McKern is in great form as
a hermit-like priest with past misdeeds he is greatly ashamed
of. Matthew Broderick takes some getting used to as a
phony-accented, chatty thief who gets caught up in the middle
of all this, he’s OK but a little “Dungeons & Dragons” fan
meets Eugene Jerome. This is a gorgeous-looking, sweeping epic
fantasy where a horrendous pop soundtrack by Andrew Powell
isn’t enough to spoil a genuinely compelling story and lovely
doomed romance. Fans of this sort of thing like me, will adore
it, if they don’t already.
68. Big
69. The Days of Wine and Roses (1962)
***** Up 22 places! *****
Some prefer “Lost Weekend” , but for me, this harrowing account
of alcohol addiction can’t be beaten. Being directed by the
normally comedically-inclined Blake Edwards and starring that
most likeable of neurotics Jack Lemmon in the lead, it packs
more of an emotional wallop for me. It starts off as a typical
Lemmon romantic-comedy with a meet cute with Lee Remick, both
very likeable characters (even though the signs of addiction
certainly are there), before belting the audience over the
head without us even seeing it coming. Lemmon gives an
admittedly showy performance (hey, if he were any less
theatrical, we’d all want to slit our wrists because it’d be
too frighteningly real) but one of enormous power that he
seldom saw the heights of again in dramatic fare. The scenes
of him in a strait-jacket and trashing a greenhouse might be
more theatrical than realistic, but they are still enormously
shattering and well-acted moments of cinema. One almost finds
it too much to bear, listening to him wailing. Remick,
meanwhile, earns kudos for going all-out with a pathetic,
totally unglamorous turn as a woman who starts out as a
chocoholic and ends up a skanky-looking boozer. Charles
Bickford is perfectly cast in another of his firm but loving
parental figure roles. Did I mention that I don't drink?
70. Beverly Hills Cop
71. Predator
72. The 39 Steps (1935)
73. The Naked Gun!
74. L.A. Story
75. From Here to Eternity
76. Blazing Saddles
77. Chinatown (1974)
78. Sweet Smell of Success
Forget “Wall Street” , this is the one you ought to see, a
shattering, irredeemably bleak view of people with too much
power and little humanity. Oddly enough, for what is a very NYC film
(cinematographer James Wong Howe captures the essentially
cheap but alluring glitz of the New York nightlife perfectly
in black and white), the director was famed Ealing Studios
director Alexander Mackendrick (whose “The Ladykillers” was
the best of the Ealing comedies). As important today as it was
in the 50s, with two of the best performances you’ll ever see;
Burt Lancaster’s J.J. Hunsecker is the perfect embodiment of
all-powerful, unwavering megalomaniac with an unhealthy
concern for his sister (you just know that there are a lotta
guys out there like him), and Tony Curtis is frighteningly
believable as the two-bit press agent who would kill for
Lancaster if it’d get his crummy clients good exposure.
Barbara Nichols is as pathetic as Curtis, playing a cigarette
girl he schmoozes and uses.
79. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Of all the versions of this alien invasion tale (and perhaps
you could include “The Thing (From Another World)” and its
remake), the 1970s Philip Kaufman version has always been my
favourite. This is a bizarre, constantly unnerving film with
some of the weirdest casting you’ll ever see in one film;
Donald Sutherland, Veronica Cartwright, a scene-stealing Jeff
Goldblum (as a conspiracy theory amateur writer), and even Mr.
Spock, Leonard Nimoy as a Self-Help guru. The underlying theme
is perhaps a little harder to grasp in this one, but that’s
OK, I was too busy looking at whatever was lurking out of the
edge of the frame. It’s almost a horror film, really. There
was always someone with a slightly bent look in their eye
(Robert Duvall has an inexplicable cameo as a priest on a
swing!), who moved funny and whom came out of nowhere. And
then there’s that dog…you’ve just got to see the dog, man. Scared
the s**t outta me!
80. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
Apocalyptic zombie classic stands head and shoulders above all
others, even if it is a tad long and amateurish in the acting
department (Ken Foree excepted). Thematically a still very
relevant film (and yet, when they remade it, they all but
removed the consumer society satire that makes this film so
fascinating and long-lasting), wonderfully gory (in a somewhat
comical way), and the beginning and end sections of the film
in particular are terrific action-horror classics. I don’t
necessarily believe in the Undead or anything, but it really
wouldn’t surprise me if when Armageddon came, we all started
killing each other off, fighting turf wars and such…oh, wait.
We already do that, don’t we?
81. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
82. Groundhog Day
83. The Best Years of Our Lives
Up 31 places!
It’s astonishing just how tremendously affecting this postwar
drama is when you consider how long ago it was made. The
majority of the credit must go to the acting and emphasis on
characters. The film feels so real that the audience can’t
help but be affected by it. Fredric March, prone to acting
histrionics (I despised his lauded work in “Inherit the Wind”,
Spencer Tracy underacted circles around him) is nicely subdued
here as a devoted family (slightly affluent) man returning
from war and finding it hard to be the person he was before
the war, and finding it even harder to go back to his job at
the bank and have to refuse to give loans to some of his
comrades. However, the real standouts are the other two
fellas. Dana Andrews, an immovable object in some films, has
never been better as the guy returning home to the wife he
barely knew before marrying her, and finding that she (a truly
despicable woman played to the hilt by a brave Virginia Mayo)
has no interest in him out of uniform and out of work. Teresa
Wright is yet again a shining light as March’s daughter who
tenderly cares for Andrews in a very touching, gosh darned
romantic moment that had me in tears (shhh! Don’t tell
anyone). Harold Russell, a real-life amputee took home two
Oscars (including a possibly patronising Special Award for
bringing hope and courage to soldiers) for his heart-felt and
totally believable performance as a wounded soldier who has
adjusted to having mechanical limbs but finds it difficult to
adjust to other people trying to adjust. The pair of scenes
with his honestly and sweetly devoted fiancé seeing (and later
helping) him get changed is both powerful (in perhaps a
cornball way) and insightful. I can’t reiterate enough just
how shocked I was at how real this film seemed to me, given
the era in which it was made. Not to be missed.
84. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
85. Johnny Belinda
Although Jane Wyman deservingly won an Oscar for her
thoroughly winning, sensitive turn as a deaf mute (who has
lived a sheltered life in a fishing community), this wonderful
Jean Negulesco drama has perhaps not become as well-regarded
or remembered as it should. Personally, I tend to gravitate
towards films where bad things happen to genuinely good
people, and Wyman’s character sure has a hard time of it here,
mostly thanks to one of cinema’s most despicable villains, a
smarmy rapist played by Stephen (Horace) McNally. Charles
Bickford and Agnes Moorehead are dead-on as her simple, firm
but ultimately caring guardians, but it’s Wyman you’ll
remember, whose luminous face (those eyes!) has never been
more effectively shown on screen and which expresses so much,
even though she says not a word. Too twee and teary for some,
perhaps, but that’s their loss.
86. The Body Snatcher (1943)
For me, the best of the Val Lewton chillers (oddly enough, the
most highly regarded one “I Walked With a Zombie”
bored me senseless), this fabulously atmospheric tale was also the
final pairing of horror icons Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi,
who has one of his only good roles as a foolishly
opportunistic servant. Karloff gives the finest performance of
his career as the outwardly genial (he’s kind to kids and
horsies) cabman Gray, a grave-robber who is truly diabolical,
murderous and sleazy just under the surface. Henry Daniell,
that most excellent player of aristocratic villains (and a
signature look that suggests sheer disdain for most of the
human race), is in fine fettle as the cold and humourless
doctor (just you ask him for a lollipop!) who regrets needing
the blackmailing Gray to find appropriate specimens for his
medical experiments. Lots of typical stylish flourish, like
all these films (particularly the haunting murder of a street
singer and a wonderful use of shadows in the pivotal scene
between Karloff and Lugosi), but most of all, it’s the rich
characterisations, notably Karloff as a human monster, that
make this a classic.
87. The Day the Earth Stood Still
88. Gandhi
I really don’t get the negative criticism thrown at this Sir
Richard Attenborough epic. On the one hand, it’s the kind of
film people refer to when talking about boring, bloated epics
that won a lot of Oscars but have no relevancy for today’s
audience. Poppycock, we can all learn something from this man
and the film about him. Then there’s the critics who whilst
sometimes lauding the film, just as often compare it
unfavourably to “Lawrence of Arabia” . Granted, Martin Sheen’s
American reporter is a blatant rip-off of Arthur Kennedy’s
role in “Lawrence”, but Mahatma Gandhi is not T.E. Lawrence,
and their stories are quite different. This is a truly moving
motion picture about one of the finest men who ever lived. I
mean, not only did he teach protest via non-violent means
(something that wouldn’t work today, granted, but one can
dream, right?) but even when he accosts his loving wife at one
point, he apologises almost immediately. How many husbands
would have the stones to do that? The guy is just amazing, one
of the few truly and genuinely good people who have ever
lived, and Ben Kingsley gives one of the finest lead
performances in a biopic that I have ever seen. Noble,
authoritative- but never domineering, and above all else, he
was one helluva fascinating guy.
89. The Apartment
90. Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Forget Mary Poppins (God, I hate Julie Andrews), this
neglected Disney flick has always been a favourite of mine.
Angela Lansbury is perfect as an amateur witch (but a
good-hearted one!) taking in three youngsters during WWII and
taking them on a wondrous adventure via a magical bed. Or
something like that...it’s not a seedy as it sounds. David
Tomlinson is terrific as the love interest who acts as referee
in one of the weirdest and most magical (there’s that word
again!) soccer games, in an unforgettable animated sequence
that ranks up there with the best moments of Disney. Also
worth noting is the outstanding finale involving Nazis and a
Medieval-looking ghost army. I’ll never understand why this
one doesn’t get its dues, it’s terrific family entertainment,
even if it is partly a musical.
91. Misery
92. All About Eve
93. Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Return of
the King
Yes, it’s cheating, so sue me!
94. Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)
I could just recommend this Roger Corman film simply for
featuring a ship with boobs (!), but there’s so much more to
this wonderfully entertaining B movie mixture of “The Seven
Samurai” and “Star Wars” , so long as you are
film-savvy enough to distinguish between a B movie that knows it
isn’t A-grade, and a Z-grade film (for starters, at around $1m this was one
of Corman’s bigger budgeted films and whilst not seamless, the
FX look good for what they are- cool models and lasers). A planet
named Akir (after the famous director Akira Kurosawa, of
course) is being tormented by a nasty megalomaniac (John
Saxon, one of the weaker elements to the film. He’s dull) and
send young Shad (a very youthful-looking John-Boy Walton) to
hire intergalactic mercenaries to help rid them of the
dictator. These hired laser-guns include George Peppard (have
I mentioned how much I love “The A-Team” ?) as Space Cowboy
from Earth (he has one cracker of a scene where he looks like
he’s set to duel at sundown like The Duke himself), the awesomely
bodacious B-movie queen Sybil Danning plays the stubborn and
aggressive (and apparently very sexually knowledgeable, despite the
film’s PG rating) Valkyrie St. Exmin, who must have a helluva time
fitting into her tiny ship, let alone her tight clothing. Wow
is all I can say. Robert Vaughn essentially reprises his
“Magnificent Seven” role of the assassin so well-known that he
cannot venture out to spend the wealth he has amassed. And
there’s several other bizarre creature here, including a
fore-runner to “Star Trek” villains The Borg. If you like
spaceships (designed by James Cameron, by the way, whilst
James Horner composed the score and John Sayles wrote the
smart script), lasers, and cleavage, this is Valhalla, folks.
Endlessly entertaining for a particular segment of the
film-viewing community.
95. The Bride of Frankenstein
96. A Patch of Blue
Some of you mightn’t have even heard of this then-shocking
interracial romance, despite featuring Sidney Poitier and one
of the finest performances of Shelley Winters career (it’s my
favourite of her performances and it earned her a second
Academy Award). It’s the kind of film critics find to be OK
but not great. This is a sweet, sensitive, yet sometimes quite
unglamorous story (based on a terrific Elizabeth Kata novel)
about a young blind woman (played by Elizabeth Hartman, who
sadly had an unremarkable film career and met a tragic end
when she jumped out of a window in 1987) who acts as slave to
her monstrous, harridan mother (Winters- one of the most
pathetic creations she’s ever essayed, and yet one can almost
find her pitiful amidst one’s hatred of her) who barely lets
her out and bullies her emotionally and physically. Veteran
Wallace Ford (in one of his last films) is great as Hartman’s
well-meaning but completely pathetic drunk grandfather, Ole
Pa. Poitier is the mild-mannered and well-spoken young black
man she meets one day who is shocked at the sheltered
existence she’s been living and the two form a bond that might
well see Hartman finally independent of her mother. The
interracial romance aspect (he’s black, she’s blind...hmmm, in a
sense that kinda reminds me of the Barbarella/Pygar
relationship in “Barbarella” , in an odd way) actually
is much ado about nothing (it’s more about Hartman’s independence) and
is mostly used to set the hysterical Winters off when she
finds out (It is, however, probably a better film than
Poitier’s other interracial romance film, the well-meaning but
stagy “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” ). A touching and
beautiful film, with one of Jerry Goldsmith’s most beautiful
scores (he’s a favourite of mine, along with cinematographer
Robert Burks, who is also present here)
97. Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
98. The Wicker Man
Particularly in its extended form now widely available on DVD
(which fleshes out the two main characters a little more),
this British horror flick is one of the most unusual
(everyone’s a bit of a weirdo here, not to mention the fact
that there’s a whole lot of folk music in the film) and best
films in the genre. Having one of my two or three favourite
actors, Christopher Lee (in his favourite role and one of my
favourites, too) in the cast helps, of course. Iconic ending
is still stirring to this very day, and having Edward
Woodward’s upstanding and deeply religious copper (on the
trail of a missing girl who might’ve gotten mixed up with
pagans) as the hero and Lee’s outwardly polite Lord Summerisle
the villain (Lee’s perfect as the almost regal but obviously
sinister figure), is a masterstroke. The guy’s a judgmental,
bible-thumping, humourless fool, and not very likeable at all.
But it’s hard not to feel something for him by the shocking
climax, and even if you’ve seen it before, the story is still
entirely gripping from start to finish. The supporting cast is
full of unusual faces, but the most memorable impressions are
made by Britt Ekland as a barmaid who tries to seduce Woodward
(those are apparently her boobs but not her posterior), the
always suspicious-looking Aubrey Morris is a seedy gravedigger
(in a most disturbing scene or two, he has maniacal glee all
over his face), and Hammer horror legend Ingrid Pitt, who
appears nude in a bathtub at one point. It’s not for everyone,
but a true cult classic.
99. Awakenings
100. Young Frankenstein
101. Shaft (1971)
Two words: Damn right! (Shut ‘yo mouth!)
102. The Shining (1980)
You either love or hate this Stephen King adaptation by
filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, and I guess if you’ve read the
book, you’ll more likely than not be in the latter camp.
Instead of focusing on a family man who when isolated is
driven so crazy that he kills his family, Kubrick has altered
it into a film about a dangerous guy who becomes totally
unhinged when he and his family are isolated and how the
family are essentially trapped with this raving loon. As you
can probably tell, I love this film and don’t care about the
changes. I haven’t even read the damn book. Don’t want to. I
like books, but I’m a film buff, thank you very much. Jack
Nicholson gives a wild, crazy-eyed and go-for-broke
performance as the deranged dad, and I loved every minute of
his work here (especially his scenes with his kid, Danny.
Hilariously evil). The less said about Shelley Duvall as the
hysterical mother, the better. Although he is given a
thankless role, Scatman Crothers’ kindly hotel chef with a
psychic link to Nicholson’s son, is most memorable and the
most likeable person in the film (Not too sure about those
girly pictures, though). But this is Kubrick’s film (though
the music damn near steals the spotlight from the opening
scene!) and boy does this film have some freaky visuals; The
bloody walls, the garden maze (I’ve always wanted one of those
things), those weirdo twins, the old lady in the tub (arrghh!
The nightmares!), and...just what the hell was up with those two
guys in masks? Funny (‘Gimme the hair of the dog that bit
me!’), horrifying, atmospheric (like most of the best horror
films), superbly shot and scored, and Jack’s in great, leering
form. A real horror classic.
103. The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao
Perhaps another surprise entry, this is a wonderful George Pal
fantasy film, just a little left of centre. Although perhaps
playing an outdated stereotype, Tony Randall (who actually
hated the film, according to some) is unforgettable as the
title travelling circus owner who teaches a sleepy Western
town a lesson or two, especially greedy businessman Arthur
O’Connell. Randall escapes offensiveness by making Dr. Lao a
unique individual and quite likeable, if a little untrustworthy at
times. He’s also great fun to have around. He also plays
five other roles in the film such as Merlin, Medusa
(absolutely hilarious stuff there, with a great role for
Minerva Urecal), and Apollonius of Tyana, and these are the
most memorable moments in the film (unless you’re a fan of
Barbara Eden or John Ericson who have a mild romance).
Stop-motion FX and Oscar-winning makeup might look a little
archaic to some, but I love the visuals, personally.
Definitely an acquired taste and one that I acquired from a
very young age.
104. The Running Man
I swear I’m not on crack. I grew up in the 80s and Arnie
Schwarzenegger was the Man, OK? More relevant now than in its
day, this cool-looking sci-fi action/satire is great fun,
especially in the reality TV era we’re currently in. Arnie
plays soldier framed for mass murderer in the year 2019 and is
forced to take part in a sadistic game show (it’s a typically
bleak, militaristic future vision) where convicted criminals
are hunted by ‘stalkers’, sadistic brutes with names like
Dynamo and Buzzsaw. No contestant has ever survived ‘The
Running Man’, but Arnie’s about to take his turn. Real-life
smarmy game show host Richard Dawson is dead-on as the sleazy,
corrupt host who looks set to have an apoplexy as Arnie starts
changing the course of events. Think Monday Night Football
meets "Blade Runner" meets "Survivor". Great cast too, with the
underrated Yaphet Kotto, football legend (and blaxploitation
favourite) Jim Brown, Jesse Ventura, Mick Fleetwood and
Dweezil Zappa, among others. Only the inexplicably talentless
Maria Conchita Alonso irritates as ‘the girl’. It’s action the
way it should be- very 80s, bulging muscles (and I’m straight,
by the way), and no one using two guns, sliding on the floor
whilst accompanied by flames and doves bursting out of nowhere.
105. The Usual Suspects
106. Double Indemnity
107. The Asphalt Jungle
Memorable characters, perfect casting and gripping story make
this an all-time classic in the heist genre. Sterling Hayden
is the big dumb hick who’s doing the job to by back the family
ranch (Jean Hagen doesn’t bring much to the table as his
dame). Sam Jaffe (who never turned in a bad performance) has
perhaps his signature role as Doc Riedenschneider, the
mastermind behind the jewellery heist. In probably my three
favourite characterisations we have sweaty Marc Lawrence (born
in 1910 and still going as of 2005, he always seemed to play gangsters
and snitches) as Cobby, the epitome of seedy bookie
characters, a hunchbacked James Whitmore as the straight-up
getaway driver, and stealing every scene, the suave Louis
Calhern as Alonzo D. Emmerich, a lawyer who seems to think
he’s above everyone else. Marilyn Monroe has a great early
role as his mistress. The focus on the planning and execution
by the criminals (and their personal lives) might seem old hat
by today’s standards, but it was never so grippingly done and
vividly characterised. Classic dialogue runs throughout, but
Calhern’s explanation of crime being a ‘left-handed form of
human endeavour’, is tops.
108. Nosferatu
109. Serpico
110. In the Line of Fire
111. Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Hitchcock’s view of the perfect American family shaken up by
one of its own being a wanted murderer makes for great
entertainment some 50 or so years later. Joseph Cotten, a most
underrated actor, provides one of Hitch’s best and most
complex villains, with his Uncle Charlie’s special bond to his
sweet, innocent namesake (played by Teresa Wright, easily one
of the most likeable actresses to ever grace the screen and
now sadly departed) fascinating stuff. Sure, the lukewarm
romance between Wright and copper MacDonald Carey (yeah, the
hourglass guy) never gets off the ground, but Cotten is so
captivating in his mixture of charm, dangerousness and
insanity, that you don’t care. The supporting cast also offers
fine work by Hume Cronyn as a nosy neighbour who is an amateur
sleuth, and everyone’s favourite wingless angel, Henry
Travers, as the family patriarch (OK, so it’s not exactly a
very American-sounding family, but hey, I thought for many
years that Vincent Price was British and he was a Southerner!)
Good sense of humour to go with the mounting tension, with
Patricia Collinge’s mother character’s ineptitude with a
newfangled telephone, a highlight. Not as gimmicky as some of
Hitchcock’s other films, but it doesn’t need to be. The story
and characters are more than enough, here.
112. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
113. Born on the 4th of July
114. El Cid
Charlton Heston is another actor whom gets a lot of bad press
and is also a very underrated actor. Most importantly, the guy
had presence and charisma and authority coming out of his
ears. And nobody did historical epics like Chuck. For me, this
was the best and most underappreciated of those films. In a
storyline that has some eerie parallels to modern political
conflicts, Heston is thoroughly convincing as the title 11th
century warrior who drove the Moors from Spain. Sophia Loren
has probably her finest hour in my view as his betrothed who
gets all black-clad and scornful when Heston accidentally
kills her father. Their scenes together are most underrated,
especially once Loren’s father is out of the picture. Features
some of the greatest battle scenes ever filmed, and terrific
supporting performances from Herbert Lom (one of the few
actors who could get away with playing several different
ethnicities) as villainous Ben Yussef, Douglas Wilmer as the
Cid’s dark-skinned ally Moutamin, a somewhat fruity-looking
Frank Thring as another baddie (of course), and the always
reliable Sir Michael Hordern as Heston’s father. Only
Genevieve Page misses out in a badly underdeveloped part.
Long, but thrilling and beautifully mounted, and featuring one
of Miklos Rozsa’s best scores. Only complaint? A perplexingly
inconsistent narration.
115. House of Wax (1953)
116. Shine
117. Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
118. The Fugitive
119. Tombstone
120. Once Upon a Time in the West
121. Raging Bull
122. The Horror of Dracula (1958)
Forget Lugosi and Tod Browning, Coppolla and Gary Oldman,
Christopher Lee’s aristocratic, fanged Count in Hammer’s
best-regarded film is far and away the most satisfying
marriage of performance and film in regards to Stoker’s tale.
The film looks glorious, as all Hammer films do (and the music
score by James Bernard is the high point in his career), and
whilst Lee disappears for great lengths, his first scene alone
is definitive stuff. Peter Cushing, simply is Van Helsing,
just as he was Sherlock Holmes, or Moff Tarkin. These two
horror titans working together seem to make it look damn easy.
I can’t say much more than that I just plain prefer this (and
most other Hammer Dracula films) to any other version of
Stoker’s tale ( “Nosferatu” , the unofficial Dracula flick,
notwithstanding).
123. The Magic Box (1951)
124. The Vikings
125. Gallipoli
126. Robin and Marian
127. A Bucket of Blood
One of the greatest black comedies ever made, and one of
schlockmeister Roger Corman’s finest hours as director, this
was the precursor to his “Little Shop of Horrors” . Cult
character actor Dick Miller in a rare lead performance is
wonderful as the meek busboy (named Walter Paisley, of course)
whose unique sculptures are embraced by fatuous beatniks like
the hilarious pompous Julian Burton. But how long until people
find out just how life-like those sculptures really are?
Absolutely insane, very funny and over in a flash. Terrific
Charles Griffith screenplay, this one’s highly recommended, so
long as you’re as wacko as me.
128. Spies Like Us
An underrated John Landis tribute to the Hope-Crosby vehicles
with Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd perfect as the two dim-
witted 'decoy' spies, sent into dangerous territory to divert the
enemy away from the 'real' spies. The humour is all the more amusing
because of its blatant stupidity. The exam sequence with Chase and Aykroyd
along with Frank Oz, is comedy gold. You simply won't believe what they
try and get away with- and it works! It's an hilariously dopey scene in a film
full of them. Loads of cameos, too.
129. Se7en
130. The Wolf Man (1941)
131. Flying High/Airplane! (1980)
132. Cat People (1942)
No, not the horribly over-the-top and explicit 80s remake,
this is one of the finest Val Lewton thrillers, a masterpiece
of simplicity but tremendous creepy effectiveness. Simone
Simon and her cute widdle accent is thoroughly adorable yet
slightly off-kilter as the shy Serbian girl who believes she
is cursed to become a feline predator (no, really!), and her
boyfriend Kent Smith (as the interestingly named Oliver Reed,
but he doesn’t break out a huge jug of juice at any time,
sadly) just laughs it off as ‘crazy superstitious nonsense’.
Several sequences stand out among the greatest in horror
cinema; a still-startling ‘boo’ moment involving a bus that
seems to come out of nowhere, a quietly bizarre moment where a
distraught feline-looking woman approaches Simon and starts
talking in a foreign language, and a stalking scene in a
swimming pool that is a masterpiece of light, shadow, sound,
atmosphere, and tension. Perhaps Simon is the film’s strongest
asset, we’re never sure if she really is a cat woman, totally
innocent, innocent but somewhat nutty, or a murderous loon.
Anyone who believes horror movies have to be in colour and
feature blood and guts, really need to see this classic.
133. Rosemary's Baby
134. Dog Day Afternoon
135. Hud
I hated Fast Eddie Felson and yet for some reason, I’ve never
quite hated Hud. Probably because he and the film concerning
him are so fascinating. This is one of Paul Newman’s finest
ever performances (and let’s face it, Newman’s only given
maybe three or four underwhelming performances in his career)
as a sort-of local lothario who ain’t exactly the greatest
human being in the world. Brandon de Wilde, the kid from
“Shane” all grown up (sorta), plays Hud’s idolising kid brother.
Veteran Melvyn Douglas as the ‘old man’, and Patricia Neal (in
an outstanding, and actually pretty sexy performance) as the
wise family housekeeper know better than to trust Hud. Newman
has always seemed to want to play characters that made people
forget them purdy baby blue’s of his, but for me this is the
only one he did so successfully, aside from “Cool Hand
Luke” (No, not “The Outrage” , I’m afraid, and
both “Paris Blues” and “Harper” would’ve
been fine even without him). It looks terrific too, in stunning black and white.
136. The Howling
137. Bonnie and Clyde
It might be odd to compare this 30s-set gangster pic to “Days
of Wine and Roses” , but the set-up and payoff are somewhat
similar. This film starts off as a somewhat fun frolic with a
couple of lovebird gangsters, but unlike the aforementioned
film where a cute romance turned into alcoholic hell after
about half an hour, we have to wait until the very end before
things really slap us in the face. Oh, sure, a few people get
shot on the way (and boy, do they ever), but there’s something
likeably unscrupulous about Warren Beatty (in just about his
only decent performance) as Clyde. It’s a still-startling and
beautifully violent moment some 35 years later, even if you’re
aware of the ending beforehand. Aside from that, the film is
well-acted (Estelle Parsons is a bit much, but very funny at
the same time), well-shot, poignant (particularly the scenes
between Clyde and brother Buck, played exceptionally well by a
young Gene Hackman), and occasionally very funny (Gene Wilder,
in his debut, has in hysterically funny cameo). Not quite the
all-time American classic its often reputed to be (perhaps too many
imitators have emerged to tarnish its image), but certainly up
there and a benchmark of its type.
138. The Hill (1965)
I don’t want to go to war, I don’t want to go to prison, and I
sure as hell don’t ever want to go to a military prison. The
chief reason mightn’t be this 1965 film, but it sure is one
helluva powerful film that despite a great cast and a
brilliant director in Sidney Lumet, isn’t as well known as it
should be. Some cite the poor sound quality (very true) and
thick British accents (Americans in particular cite this. Oh,
please! Mind you, I’ve seen American programs where
Australians are subtitled! We speak English too, for cryin’
out loud!) It has enormous power, mostly emanating from the
stark, harsh black and white cinematography by Oswald Morris,
and an unforgettable array of gritty, powerful performances.
Sean Connery has one of his two best non-007 roles, next to
playing Robin Hood. He plays a hardened soldier in a military prison
camp where the commanding officers are either brutal or
useless, but he refuses to be broken. Harry Andrews gives one
of the two most definitive performances in this type of role
as RSM Wilson, forever barking orders and insults. But is he
really in command? It’s an extraordinary performance from one
of the great actors of British cinema. Ian Hendry plays his
somewhat new colleague who is even more brutal and sadistic,
with the title referring to the favourite punishment of the
SO’s (the black and white photography captures the unpleasant,
tough and blisteringly hot conditions perfectly in a way that
a colour film might not be able to). Roy Kinnear plays the
kind of guy that really should never have been allowed in the
army to begin with, a snivelling, pathetic, whiny and somewhat
grotesque fat man. African-American Ossie Davis has one of the
lighter parts in the film (no pun intended. Really. I mean
it!), as King, a Jamaican who has to suffer constant racist
taunts (from both Officers and prisoners) in addition to the
other hardships. The scene where he goes all Peter Finch on
Norman Bird’s useless commandant is a classic. Ian Bannen is
terrific as the only humane officer, but he seems too reticent
to be of any use. Michael Redgrave’s medical officer,
meanwhile, is totally clueless and entirely ineffectual. Lots
of building tension and the final segment is harrowing stuff
that you might not be able to shake immediately afterwards.
139. The Little Foxes
Not having seen Tallulah Bankhead on stage, it is the immortal
Bette Davis who is the definitive Regina Hubbard Giddens for
me. And boy does Bette put on a show here! As a scheming and
heartless family matriarch, the scene where she coldly ignores
her clearly dying husband is a cinema classic. But Bette is
just one in this family of vultures, the most despicable
family I’ve ever encountered, aside from maybe the Manson
Family. Charles Dingle, in a very Claude Rains role, is the
quietly calculating Ben who along with Regina and his cruel
brother Oscar (Carl Benton Reid, a dead-ringer for Fox News
personality Cal Thomas. Very scary!) tries to get Regina’s weak
husband Herbert Marshall (who has just recovered from a heart
attack) to finance a business venture. When he refuses, Oscar
coaxes his slimy, wimpy son Leo (Dan Duryea, in a
superlatively revolting performance that should’ve earned him
an Oscar nod) into stealing the money. On the sidelines,
meanwhile, we have three characters, one useless (Richard
Carlson, as a stand-up guy who at one point gives Duryea one
of the girliest slaps I’ve ever seen), and the other two are
the most likeable people around; Teresa Wright (who earned an
Oscar nod for this, her first film. She in fact received three
for her first three performances and won in 1942 for “Mrs.
Miniver” . And yet, she’s nowhere near as well known as she
should, and passed away relatively recently) in yet another
fantastic performance as Regina’s sweet-natured daughter who
is initially very naïve, and Patricia Collinge (who, along
with Duryea, Dingle, Reid, and John Marriott repeat their
stage roles. It was also the debut of Duryea, Collinge and
Reid) as the dotty, hysterical but well-meaning Aunt Birdie,
poorly treated by husband Oscar. Her best scene is perhaps the
one where Oscar accosts her for making a ‘fool’ of herself and
being an embarrassment. If you were a member of this family,
you’d change your name and run far away. The Hogan's seem
functional by comparison.
140. The Deer Hunter
141. Freaks
142. So, I Married an Axe Murderer
143. Sherlock Jr.
Ha! Didn’t see this one coming, did you? A classic, extremely
clever silent comedy with Buster Keaton.
144. The Godfather Part II
Yeah, that’s right, it’s about twice as good as the overrated
first film. No mush-mouthed, show-offy Marlon Brando here, and
Al Pacino, normally too loud and hammy for my tastes, gives a
superb, mostly low-key showing as the increasingly brooding
Michael Corleone. John Cazale is once again fantastic as poor,
pathetic Fredo (he, Talia Shire and James Caan were the best
things in the first one), and Robert De Niro comes to
prominence in a non-English speaking role as the young Vito
Corleone. The characters are more vivid and interesting
(Michael V. Gazzo and famed Actors Studio guy Lee Strasberg
are awesome in shady supporting parts, guys who might be
involved in a plot to get rid of Michael), the story more
compelling, and despite epic length, this is a much better
film overall. Still, it’s no “Goodfellas” , is it?
145. Play Misty For Me
Forget the wholly overrated “Fatal Attraction”
(What kind of idiot cheats on Anne Archer with the androgynous
Glenn Close, anyway?), this directorial debut by Clint Eastwood is one of
the first and easily the best ‘crazy, jilted lover’ movie ever
made. Clint is quite good as the DJ who has a girlfriend
but...every now and then a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do
(Not me, though. I’ve first gotta GET a girlfriend). Enter
Jessica Walter, in one of the most underrated female
performances in a thriller I’ve seen. She’s Clint’s number 1
fan, and often rings his show to request ‘Misty’ and just
happens to turn up at Clint’s favourite bar (tended by his
buddy, director Don Siegel, I might add). Stupid Clint sleeps
with one of his fans, a big no-no. The next morning she starts
getting all up in his face about ‘us’. Then she gets insanely
jealous when he tells her to cool off (hey, a guy needs his
space, man!), he has a girlfriend after all (Uh-huh, you
shoulda thought of that beforehand, Clint!). Then she just
gets insane. And naked, at one point, but mostly just nuts.
Walter really goes all-out for the role, but I have to say I
believed every minute of it (and unlike Glenn Close, I at
least saw what Clint might’ve originally saw in her), and
although I can’t say I really liked Clint’s character, the
more complex characters actually worked (Not too sure about
the b*tchy gay guy though, Clint was still in his homophobic
phase here). A model of its type.
146. Mask (1985)
I like tearjerkers, OK? And this Peter Bogdanovich film is
easily one of the best, despite featuring the generally
acting-challenged diva Cher in the lead role. Thankfully she’s
given a role she’s good at and she deserves praise for playing
the role whole-heartedly, to the point where sometimes we
don’t even like the character. She’s mother to Eric Stoltz’s
Rocky Dennis, a likeable and highly intelligent kid with a
rare disease that has caused severe facial deformity. Rocky’s
sometimes bratty, mother Rusty’s a tempestuous, selfish,
pill-popping motor-cycle chick, and this sets the film apart
from most tear-jerkers. Sam Elliott, he of the great moustache
and terrific drawl (despite being a Californian!) is Rusty’s
sometime boyfriend, a biker who is seemingly more attentive
and compassionate to Rocky than Rusty is. It’s one of
Elliott’s warmest performances, you just plain like the guy
(burly character player Dennis Berkeley also has his finest
role as a not-so-smart, cuddly teddy bear of a biker). But
really, this is Stoltz’s movie, he does an astounding job at
helping us see the character behind the Hollywood makeup job.
Rocky’s a normal kid who just happens to look a little funny.
His romance with a young and blind Laura Dern (in just about
the only performance of hers I’ve liked) is truly touching, if
a little too schmaltzy for some. It’s worth seeing just for
the scene where Cher tells off the school principal (Ben
Piazza, who turns out to be not such a bad guy. You might
remember him as the snooty family man in the restaurant scene
in “The Blues Brothers” ) for being hesitant about admitting
Rocky. Manipulative grandstanding, sure, but as disabled
person myself, I recognised the scene as absolutely truthful
as well. This one earns its tears in spades.
147. Creature From the Black Lagoon
148. Robocop (1987)
Paul Verhoeven's violent, nihilistic, deceptively smart action/sci/
satire/comic book hybrid is a new entry to the list. It's sick, hilarious,
and not your average Reagan-era action nonsense. Contains Kurtwood
Smith's one and only good performance as the scummy, psycho baddie,
who is a little sociopathic John Malkovich and a little giggling psycho Richard
Widmark all rolled into one.
149. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
I really do like it, I wouldn’t put it on the list simply
because everyone else does, but my reasoning for positioning
this family classic (with some of the least cringe-inducing
songs I might add, with one exception) so low on the list is
because I feel it runs out of steam in the home stretch. Also,
I hate that freakin’ Lollipop Guild song. So sue me! But
overall, this is wonderful entertainment that still works all
these years later. Bert Lahr’s Cowardly Lion is a personal
favourite, though Jack Haley’s Tin Man/Tin Woodsman is
immensely likeable, too, and Margaret Hamilton’s Wicked Witch
of the West is one of the all-time greats. Loved the blend of
sepia tone and bright colour, too. It might seem archaic to
some, but I think the primitive technology gives it an
otherworldly/fantastic bent. And remember: Follow the Ho Chi
Minh Trail!...er...no, wait...that’s not right...
150. Dr. No
OK, so despite a really cool lair, Joseph Wiseman’s title
villain isn’t the best (that’d be Donald Pleasence as the
definitive Ernst Stavro Blofeld), and the Bond songs (Under
the Mango Tree and the insipid Three Blind Mice) aren’t great,
but this calypso set Bond adventure is the first, simplest,
and the best. Sean Connery quite simply is 007; suave,
romantic when need be, tough when need be, humorous when need
be...he has it all. And then there’s Ursula Andress as Honey
Rider. OK, so her character might be a tad airhead-ish for
some, but it’s Ursula Freakin’ Andress, one of the most
stunningly attractive women to ever grace the silver screen.
Not only that, but her superstitious island girl character
gives off a somewhat mysterious vibe, too, which I liked. Not
much in the way of gadgets or brilliantly complex plotting,
but it doesn’t need any of that. Best of all, it’s only about
110 minutes long.
151. The Entertainer (1960)
I’ve never been a Larry Olivier fan, but Lord Laurence sure as
hell packs a wallop in this screen version of John Osborne’s
play about a seedy vaudeville comedian named Archie Rice who
keeps on going way past his used-by date and not caring whose
life he ruins along the way, even his family. Olivier is
brilliant as the philandering, pathetic old has-been with the
‘dead eyes’, who’s as crummy as the chintzy seaside resort
town the film is set in. Joan Plowright has an early role as
his loyal daughter, and she’d end up Mrs. Olivier (Albert
Finney and Alan Bates are the other two siblings). Brenda de
Banzie is excellent as Archie’s pathetic, whining, but poorly
treated wife, and Roger Livesey plays Archie’s veteran
vaudevillian father, who gets mixed up in Archie’s ‘ comeback’
schemes. Too bleak for some, but very strong stuff, and
Olivier has been reported as saying that Archie is more like
him than any other character he ever portrayed. I’ll leave you
to ponder that one...
152. Night and the City (1950)
153. Edge of the City (1957)
It’s “On the Waterfront” , only better.
154. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
The best of two Charlie Kaufman-scripted film on this list, and
indeed a new entry. He's (Jim Carrey) repressed, she's (Kate Winslet)
a flake, but they fall in love anyway. Until they don't. And so Winslet
goes and gets her memories of Carrey erased via Doctor Tom Wilkinson.
Heart-broken and depressed, Carrey (never better) decides to have the
same procedure done to him. But is it really what he wants? This is an
endlessly inventive, incredibly romantic, entirely original romantic
comedy/drama that reminds us that our memories are precious and
that love will always find a way, whether we like it or not. And yet,
it's nothing like I've described!
155. Gremlins
156. Elmer Gantry
157. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
158. Birdman of Alcatraz
159. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Yup, I like the one with the Klingons best (even if
Christopher Lloyd seems more appropriate for tempestuous
henchman status rather than evil lead baddie). My favourite
original Trek character also happens to be Bones, and since
DeForest Kelley gets a bit more to do here (and, by the way,
I’ve always preferred Robin Curtis as Saavik to the nutso
Kirstie Alley- hey, have you seen those ads? Is losing your
mind a side effect of weight loss?), it just added to the
pleasure I received from this, the best of the Trek films.
Screw the even-odd theory, even Shatner’s acting is better
than usual in this one (‘Khhaaaannnnnn!’- Oh, please, spare
me!), and for some reason I find this one more gripping on an
emotional level. The tone is unlike anything in the rest of
the series, quite sombre indeed.
160. Demolition Man
Believe me when I tell you, I’m not on crack (Crack is
whack!). This sci-fi action/comedy is one of my favourite
Sly Stallone efforts (playing a brutal but effective 20th century
cop framed for murder and sentenced to a cryogenic sleep. He’s
resurrected when his old adversary is thawed and runs amok in a
peaceful future unequipped to deal with...bad people), and is much
smarter than many give it credit for (the issues of crime
prevention, rehabilitation, non-violence and cryogenics are
very well displayed). It’s generally overlooked in favour of
his other film from 1993, the much more formulaic but fun
“Cliffhanger” . Stallone is as Stallone does, only looser,
whilst a peroxided Wesley Snipes creates one of the most
hilariously insane and hyperactive villains I’ve ever seen.
He’s a hoot, not something one would normally attribute to the
generally glum Snipes. A wonderfully satiric action
blockbuster with great supporting turns by Glenn Shadix (as
the mincy Associate Bob), Rob Schneider (tolerably obnoxious
for once), Denis Leary (in his element), and a likeably perky
(and mildly annoying) Sandra Bullock. Look out for Jesse
Ventura in a bit role and a now-spooky in-joke about Arnie
Schwarzenegger’s political ambitions (not to mention the fact that
Wesley Snipes plays a felon here! Oh, the unintended irony!). One
of the best futuristic films out there and one not afraid to have a bit of
a laugh at itself. In fact, it may be the old-school action
movie’s last hurrah, before John Woo and co came along to
stink up the joint and guys like Sly, Van Damme and Seagal
made some very unfortunate cinematic decisions (Well, OK, so
Sly made bad decisions early on like directing “Stayin’ Alive”
and acting opposite Dolly Parton and Estelle Getty in a pair
of truly pathetic comedies).
161. Black Caesar
162. It’s a Wonderful Life
163. Being John Malkovich
This Spike Jonze-directed, Charlie Kaufman-scripted, dark
and surreal comedy is perhaps the most original and bizarre
film I have ever seen, and maybe ever will. Thus, I am happy
to now include it on my list. It's got a greasy, pathetic John
Cusack, a frumpy Cameron Diaz (never better), a cold and
cynical Catherine Keener, and an extremely good sport in
John Malkovich, playing a version of himself in a film about
a loser puppeteer (Cusack) who stumbles upon a portal
into the mind of John Malkovich! The film, as you can probably
tell, is completely indescribable. Just see it, there's never been
anything like it, and its some kind of insane genius.
164. The Cincinnati Kid
I always found “The Hustler” to be a glum movie
about a sport/game I didn’t care for and having a most unlikeable
lead character in Fast Eddie. He was a louse and a jerk who
deserved to have his backside kicked. Meanwhile,
scene-stealers Jackie Gleason and George Scott provided
occasional charm. This somewhat forgotten Norman Jewison film
gives us Steve McQueen as a Fast Eddie sort, but slightly more
agreeable. He’s not a jerk and a louse, he’s just focused and
somewhat cold to his girlfriend. The film is about the poker
playing scene in New Orleans, and being quite fond of the
game, I really dig this stylish film (love the Ray Charles
theme song, too). It also surrounds McQueen’s Kid with a
gallery of wonderful and interesting people and faces; the
classy Edward G. Robinson (oozing cool and slight egotism) is
‘The Man’, the poker king up-and-comer McQueen wants to beat.
Karl Malden (one of the most underrated actors ever) is superb
as Shooter, McQueen’s pal who never cheats. Enter a young and
sour Rip Torn as a disgruntled rich man who uses Malden to fix
a game and get revenge on Robinson, who beat him. Then there’s
the women; kittenish Ann-Margret has never been better, as
Malden’s vixenish wife who is becoming bored with him (the
scene where she manipulates a jigsaw puzzle to Malden’s dismay
is a classic). Tuesday Weld does what she can as McQueen’s
loving but neglected girl, the film’s least well-written role.
Sweaty and portly Jack Weston, and the coolest cat in New
Orleans, Cab Calloway play other poker players, whilst Joan
Blondell is pitch-perfect as sassy second dealer, Lady
Fingers. The distinctive faces of Jeff Corey, Robert DoQui
(King George from “Coffy” ) and Dub Taylor can also be seen in
this wonderfully colourful look at one helluva card game. A
must for McQueen fans and poker enthusiasts (many of whom see
this as the best poker film ever).
165. How the West Was Won
166. In Cold Blood
167. Whose Life is it Anyway? (1981)
He gets a bit of bad press for long-ago drug problems and
being a prima donna over the years, but the fact of the matter
is, Richard Dreyfuss could and can still act wonderfully well,
and he made irritating characters somehow entirely likeable or
empathetic. And boy did he need both of those abilities here
in this powerful but blackly humorous film. He plays an artist
who is severely paralysed after a car accident. With a blow to
his self esteem and unable to do the very thing he loves and
did for a living, he feels he has no life left and wants to
end it. He even cuts ties with his loving wife because he
can’t look at her looking at him in what he sees as pity.
Hospital administrator John Cassavetes, a genuinely good man
simply won’t allow someone to die in his care. Admittedly
stagy (it’s based on a hit play), but Dreyfuss is so
convincing and powerful that you won’t care. Christine Lahti,
not a favourite of mine, is both stunningly beautiful here
(it’s the uniform I think) and quietly affecting as the doctor
who cares very much for him. Seeing her blush whenever he
innocently flirts with her is quite amusing but with a sad
undercurrent. Kaki Hunter, most well-known for the
“Porky’s” films is wonderfully sweet and cute as a
young trainee nurse and Kenneth McMillan has perhaps
his best role as a judge trying his best to see both sides of
a sensitive issue. Even more relevant today than it was back
then, I probably wouldn’t recommend it to those folks who
politically and morally lean to the right. Then again, I’m in
a wheelchair myself so I should probably take more offense to
the film than anyone (admittedly I’m a paraplegic and pro-
euthanasia to boot, but still, it’s a touchy issue, even the more
recent “Million Dollar Baby” had me a tad conflicted),
and I love this underrated film.
168. For a Few Dollars More
169. Enchantment
Terrific, mostly unheard of wartime romance with the odd POV
of a house (!) recalling the inhabitants over time. David
Niven is touching as an aging man (played as a child by Peter
Miles) who recounts his story of missed opportunities of love
to his niece, Evelyn Keyes and her sort-of boyfriend Farley
Granger (his third film). In the earlier scenes, Teresa
Wright, one of the most lovely of all actresses, plays Niven’s
lady love (she perhaps never looked more luminous than here),
a genuinely sweet girl who came to live with Niven’s family as
a child (played perfectly by Gigi Perreau) and was horribly
treated by Niven’s jealous siblings (played as adults by
Philip Friend and the remarkably b*tchy Jayne Meadows) .
Simple, sweet, romantic…and OK, it’s pretty cheesy (the
narrative has enough logical flaws in it for Mr. Spock to have
apoplexy). Romantics will love it, I’m sure, and fans of
character actor Leo G. Carroll will not want to miss his
excellent turn as Niven’s long-serving butler (the old-age
makeup is mostly superior, by the way). I’m a softie, so sue
me. Superb cinematography by the master of Deep Focus, Gregg
Toland (His third film with Teresa Wright, by the way). Based
on a Rumer Godden novel.
170. Theatre of Blood
171. Night of the Hunter
172. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Replacing the moving but admittedly minor "My Life"
on the list, is this captivating, rivetingly performed film version
of the famous Tennessee Williams play. Even though Paul Newman's character's
sexual 'issues' are somewhat diluted here (it was 1958 after all), the
power and impact are not lost- and let's face it, even an idiot can read
between the lines. We all know why Newman is an impotent alcoholic.
He's excellent, by the way, in a role unlike anything he has done
before or since. Elizabeth Taylor's limited talents are tailored to here
as well, and Burl Ives towers over all as the ailing but fiery patriarch
Big Daddy. A shout-out too, to the magnificently ghastly Madeleine
Sherwood as the vile 'Sister Woman', with her grotty little children,
they manage to steal a few scenes. Terrific acting, characters and
memorable dialogue, add up to major success.
173. War of the Worlds (2005)
That's right, the highly entertaining 1953 George Pal film
has been given the boot from my list, replaced by this
extraordinarily unnerving Steven Spielberg remake. Tom
Cruise is effective as the a-hole dad forced to be selfless for
once in order to keep his family safe during a frightening
alien invasion. Plays almost like a horror film, playing off
9-11 hysteria (Is it terrorists? Asks Cruise's daughter)
with some truly unsettling visuals of destruction and widespread
panic. The sound FX are especially unsettling. One of the best
alien invasion flicks ever, and definitely the most 'realistic'.
174. The Big Country (1958)
Replacing the underrated "Firecreek" on this list is
an even better western. Gregory Peck and Charlton Heston are
without peer, as two very different kinds of 'man' in this
socially conscious western with allusions to the Cold War,
it may also be one of the great pacifist films of all-time.
Charles Bickford and a towering Burl Ives are superb as the
bitterly warring family patriarchs, whose feud Peck, Carroll Baker
and Jean Simmons are in the middle of. An epic western, but an
intelligent one with something to say, that might've been quite
original for the time.
175. Last Train From Gun Hill
176. Three Amigos!
Okay, so not even Chevy Chase seems to have a high regard for
this film, and the critics hate it with a passion. But back in
1986, everyone around my age (then about 6 or 7) loved this
film, and years later I’ve found a lot of people my age still
have a fondness for this admittedly simplistic spoof of silent
cinema and “The Magnificent Seven” . But it’s funny, and that’s
what matters with a comedy, isn't it? I really like Chevy Chase, even if
his last decent film was back in 1992. You either love him or
hate him and can’t be converted to think otherwise. You may
not find his mixture of somewhat laidback, smart-aleckyness
(not a word but I don’t care), mild smarminess and bumbling
idiot to be funny, but I find it damn hilarious. He has some
of his best moments here, whether its impersonating a bandit
(‘We...er...burn the hedges...of...many great...villages...), shooting
the Invisible Swordsman (perhaps the first and funniest
‘un-sight’ gag I’ve ever seen) or his hilarious attempts at
romance with a local girl, he’s in his element. Steve Martin,
perhaps my favourite film comedian essentially plays the
straight man and does so wonderfully (and he can still deliver
the laughs, the scene where he’s chained and imprisoned and
trying to escape is a great bit of physical comedy). Martin
Short, who comes across as a nice guy (he’s the only one who
seems to recall the film fondly and understand it’s popularity
amongst the young) but an often unbearably weird comedian, is
nicely subdued here. His best moments are a kissing scene towards
the end and a hysterical bit where he’s telling a group of
Mexican kids a story about his meeting with Dorothy Gish. It’s
funny for two reasons; 1) Dorothy is nowhere near as well
regarded as her sister Lillian (not to be confused with
Annabeth Gish, the love of my life!), and 2) He pulls an Oprah
and makes the story all about himself. Priceless. The
supporting cast is interesting, even if a young Phil Hartman
and Jon Lovitz are wasted. Joe Mantegna is the Amigos’ angry
studio boss, Alfonso Arau from “The Wild Bunch” gets the Eli
Wallach role of Mexican bandit El Guapo. His scenes with
sycophantic offsider Jefe (Tona Plana, hilarious) are
brilliant, especially a discussion about the word ‘plethora’.
Best of all, the Randy Newman (who co-scripted with Martin and
SNL’s Lorne Michaels) songs are an absolute scream, whether
it’s the Frankie Laine-ish title song or a campfire
sing-a-long involving animals which was just about the
funniest damn thing I had seen or heard back in the day (the
turtle, in particular is one to watch). And then there’s the
outrageous scene where the Amigos performance a sissy song and
dance routine of ‘My Little Buttercup’ to a bar full of foul,
surly and presumably hostile Mexicans. Is it a one-joke film?
Yes, the idea of silent film stars mistakenly thought to be
real gunfighters is rather simplistic, but it’s a one-joke
idea that for me lasted the distance. It helps if you’re a fan
of 80s comedic actors, but this film really does deserve more
respect, the under 18s will certainly like it. I just hope they
don't remake it with Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider and
Owen Wilson. Oops, better not give anyone ideas...
177. Flight of the Phoenix (1965)
178. The Innocents
179. The Ladykillers (1955)
180. Fall of the House of Usher/House of Usher (1960)
Corman, Price, Poe. Any questions?
181. Psycho (1960)
Not my favourite Hitchcock film, but even I have to admit this
film is effective, right from the opening scenes that set-up
Hitchcock’s first surprise involving leading lady Janet Leigh,
with the legendary Bernard Herrmann score just as effective in
the opening scenes as it is in the infamous shower scene. And
you know what? The shower scene, whilst a wonderful marriage
of discreet blood, superb editing and scoring, is not my
favourite scene. My favourite scene shows the demise of Martin
Balsam, as the nosy detective. It’s brilliantly done. Most
memorable of all perhaps, is the truly remarkable performance
by the otherwise underwhelming Anthony Perkins. He creates a
truly disturbed, yet quiet-spoken and almost likeable
character in Norman Bates. Sure, the psychobabble ending is
irritating, but that doesn’t detract from an otherwise
fabulous performance and well-made film (like “Texas Chainsaw
Massacre” and “Halloween” , you come away
thinking you’ve seen more than you actually have, mostly due to
editing. Not that I’m one of the fools who calls this a slasher film). I can’t
really say there’s anything really wrong with this film
(spell-it-all-out coda aside), it’s very effective, I merely
think it wildly overrated. See it, marvel at it, and then shut
the hell up and watch “Strangers on a Train” .
182. Fantastic Voyage
A superbly entertaining mixture of sci-fi adventure and
disaster movie that only occasionally bogs down in too much
unconvincing awe and boring science/military talk, with
somewhat wooden Stephen Boyd, and character actors Edmond
O’Brien, Arthur O’Connell, and Arthur Kennedy having
occasional ‘off’ moments (And speaking of ‘off’, if you ever
saw that Simpsons episode set inside the human body where I
think Marge was stripping down to a tiny suit to explore, this
is the inspiration, with a similarly attired Raquel Welch,
struggling valiantly to be taken seriously). However, for
those who enjoy hokey 60s psychedelic FX and B-grade sci-fi
(admittedly a top-tier B-movie) as much as I do, this film is
a real trip in every sense of the word, I really love the
whacked-out premise, and whilst the FX may not be realistic,
they are great fun and they’re what you’ll remember most. The
story itself is a wonderful, if unlikely, adventure and
there’s so much tension and interesting visuals that you
probably won’t notice too many of the shortcomings. Donald
Pleasence deserves special mention for creating the archetype
saboteur for all these sorts of films. Sure, he’s obvious, but
that’s partly because he’s creepy-eyed Donald Pleasence, and
partly because these sorts of films have been done to death
since ( “The Core" and “Innerspace” are
just two films clearly influenced by this one).
183. Spellbound (1945)
Along with “Strangers on a Train” , which of course is my
favourite, this Hitchcock psychobabble romance is probably
considered by others to be one of the weaker of the top
echelon of Hitchcock’s films. I actually think it’s even
better than that, though if it isn’t, it’s surely not a bad
place to be anyway. The romance between shrink Ingrid Bergman
and shrink-turned patient Gregory Peck (handling one of his
most complex roles wonderfully well) works quite well, we
actually really like these two, and the supporting
performances by Leo G. Carroll (one of cinema’s finest
character players in one of his best roles) as Bergman’s
retiring colleague and friend, Norman Lloyd as a patient, and
especially a scene-stealing Michael Chekov as a genial and
rather cluey shrink/mentor clearly modelled on Freud, are all
top-notch. The key dream sequences by Dali (including a
memorable solitary use of startling colour), the totally
involving mystery (made especially involving thanks to
characters we care about), and the superb Miklos Rosza score
(you’ll probably recognise it) all help to create a fine
romantic crime/thriller.
184. The Diary of Anne Frank
Here's where you used to find the original "Cape Fear" , but instead,
I've included this sorely underrated, profoundly moving Hollywood
version of the famous real-life story of the little Jewish girl whose
family hid from the Nazis, constantly fearing capture. Any story on
this subject is worthy, but when it is told from an innocent POV, it is
perhaps all the more shattering. Millie Perkins is, in my estimation,
near-perfect, as the somewhat petulant, annoying, but utterly
sympathetic child who behaves just as someone her age would
(irritatingly), only half comprehending her ghastly, grave situation.
Shelley Winters, Ed Wynn, and Diane Baker are also outstanding
as the overbearing Mrs. Van Daan, insensitive Mr. Dussell, and Anne's
older, sweet-natured sister Margot (the latter is perhaps even more
appealing than Perkins, but that's mostly due to the more likeable
nature of her character). Everyone needs to be exposed to this at
some point in their life, whether in book or film form. The film may
be inferior, but it's still a powerful experience, bringing an unimaginable
horror very close to home, as we see the impact on families, and on
children.
185. Oliver Twist (1948)
186. King Kong (1933)
187. Rocky III
What? You think I’m joking? Out of all the Rocky sequels, this
one has always been my favourite, and it’s a damn underrated
film overall. Not only does it have one of the most kick-a*se
movie songs (Survivor’s immortal “Eye of the Tiger”), but the
story for me represents what boxing was beginning to become. I
hate boxing anyway, but this film seemed to be all about the
showmanship aspect of the sport, with Mr.T giving a
terrifically mean performance as a less scrupulous version of
Muhammad Ali, named Clubber Lang (The scene where he confronts
Rocky and his wife at the unveiling of a Rocky statue is a
classic). He’s like a mixture of Ali, Mr. T’s own scowling
tough guy personality and a wrecking ball (The training
montage alone is worth seeing, Mr. T in particular is highly
amusing). Also, we have a wrestling v boxing charity match
featuring Sly Stallone’s Rocky Balboa and a then rising star
in Hulk Hogan, who here is called Thunder Lips, essentially a
Rick Rude meets Ric Flair type, representing anything but
Hulkamania. Boxing purists might scoff and most others
probably think I’m nuts, but for me this is a highly
entertaining film. Also features Burt Young’s best effort in
the series as perennial loser Uncle Pauly and a memorable
farewell to crusty scene-stealer Burgess Meredith’s aging
trainer Mickey.
188. The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
Another new entry (bye-bye, "Signs" ), this B-grade
classic from the master Jack Arnold ( "Creature From the Black
Lagoon" ) is one of the best sci-fi films of the 50s. It's the story
of a poor guy who after contact with radioactive matter suffers
the title side effect. There's much fun as the cheesy (but effective)
FX see our miniscule hero being harrassed by the family cat and a
terrifying spider, but ultimately, the film is surprisingly moving and
thoughtful. A shame that it's populated by mostly no-name actors,
though.
189. The Search
The first half of this tremendously affecting Fred Zinnemann
post-WWII drama has an almost documentary-like feel as we
follow young Ivan Jandl as a concentration camp survivor
wandering around in search of his mother (Jarmila Novotna),
who has in turn been searching for him, not long after the
war. He is taken under the wing of American soldier Montgomery
Clift (one of the greatest actors who ever lived), whilst
mother takes a job teaching kids at one of the Displaced
Persons camps, run by sad-eyed Aline MacMahon (a veteran
character actress active from the 30s until the early sixties
(astonishingly, she lived until age 92!) Call it sappy, a
sort-of “Shane” meets “The Diary of Anne
Frank” , but I’ll be gosh darned if I don’t cry every darn time.
190. Frailty
One of the best horror films in years and a superlative
directorial debut by one of my favourite character actors,
Bill Paxton. He gives an astonishingly believable performance
as a decent, working class dad who wakes his kids up one night
to tell them that God wants them to kill ‘demons’. Tough to
sit through for some, but I found the Southern Gothic flavour
(Paxton sure knows his way around a camera) irresistible.
Sure, the final scene goes on a little past the point of
effectiveness, but this is gripping stuff that deserved more
attention at the time.
191. Destroy all Monsters!
Yeah, that’s right, a Godzilla movie. THE Godzilla movie, an
all-out monster bash directed by the Master, Ishiro Honda
(What, you were expecting me to say Hitchcock?). Oh, sure,
some of the monsters are barely glimpsed, but if you’re a fan
of this sort of admittedly juvenile fantasy, this is Valhalla.
Wonderful men in rubber suits action if you’re in a silly
mood, this more than any Godzilla film is the one to see.
192. Bus Stop
193. Stranger Than Fiction
Yet another new entry into the list. Will Ferrell plays the
most boring man on Earth, an IRS man who happens to
have an inner monologue running through his head. Literally.
In more than one sense of the term. The voice is that
of author Emma Thompson, and Ferrell is her character.
Unfortunately, all of Thompson's main characters have a
similar trait that poor Ferrell is not going to much like, and he
needs to find Thompson before it's all too late.
Will Ferrell's best and most ambitious film to date is a
fascinating, cleverly written and designed film that will
particularly delight literary buffs and writers. If you've
ever wondered what would be the result of a joint venture
between Charlie Kaufman and author Douglas Adams, this
might be the closest thing to that (Neither has anything to
do with the film, though). In addition to being clever and
funny, it's one of the most appealing romances I've seen in
a while. Ferrell is sweet, Maggie Gyllenhaal may be the
sunniest cynic I've ever come across. The woman's a star.
194. Kill Baby, Kill
Not Mario Bava’s best known film, but perhaps his best. It
looks absolutely glorious in colour, and this spooky story
involving murders, a curse, and a witch is wonderfully
atmospheric stuff. Erika Blanc isn’t given as much to do here
as in “The Devil’s Nightmare” , but that’s OK.
Scene where a guy seems to be chasing a doppelganger is highlight.
195. Philadelphia
196. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Another new entry, this vicious, over-the-top emotionally draining,
but ultimately powerful (in a campy way) and brilliant adaptation
of a stage play is the most lasting effort to come out of the volatile
relationship between Richard Burton (memorably embittered) and Liz
Taylor (extraordinarily blowsy). And that's what the film is about;
a once loving relationship reduced to bitter, petty, violent screaming
matches and cruel head games. It may not be pretty, they
may not be likeable, but this is a shocking and nearly
unbearable experience even to this day. And that's a compliment!
197. Jane Eyre (1944)
198. Black Hawk Down
199. Frankenstein (1931)
200. The Crow
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Epinions.com ID:
truckturner
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Member: Ryan McDonald
Location: Sydney, Australia
Reviews written: 214
Trusted by: 20 members
About Me:
29 year old with a fondness for cheesy and/or bad films and classic cinema.
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