My Top 40 Movies Of All-Time
Submitted by Wezzo on Fri, 12/31/2004 - 08:43
Tags:
- _film [year, director]
- THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION [1994 / Frank Darabont]
- The ending still packs such a powerful emotional punch, it's all too easy to forget the meticulously-plotted two hours that lead up to it. Everything, quite simply, works.
- CLERKS II [2006 / Kevin Smith]
- The funniest film of all-time. And yet, the endlessly-quotable humour isn't even the best thing about the movie: it's overshadowed by some of the most genuinely emotional scenes in cinema history. Absolute perfection.
- GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES [1988 / Isao Takahata]
- Soul-destroying. There are no other words.
- MATCHSTICK MEN [2003 / Ridley Scott]
- Standout performances - particularly Nicolas Cage's career high-point and Alison Lohman's statement of intent - only add to the movie that I ultimately find more fun to watch than any other.
- FORREST GUMP [1994 / Robert Zemeckis]
- Charming, witty, engaging and endearing. It might be a cliche to say a given movie can provoke both laughter and tears, but this one genuinely can.
- 12 ANGRY MEN [1957 / Sidney Lumet]
- The precursor to all the single-set movies and TV episodes that followed, it's a testament to some of cinema's all-time finest writing and acting that we grow to know these people without even knowing their names.
- MISERY [1990 / Rob Reiner]
- By far the finest Stephen King big-screen adaptation, Misery retains its impact on repeat viewings. James Caan and Kathy Bates are all-too believable in their roles. And the "hobbling" scene..
- HOOP DREAMS [1994 / Steve James]
- The greatest documentary ever made, Hoop Dreams never talks down to its audience, it never manipulates. It simply tells the story it set out to tell objectively. Ironically, it's more compelling than almost any scripted film you could care to name.
- CHRISTMAS VACATION [1989 / Jeremiah S. Chechik]
- The best of the National Lampoon's Vacation franchise, it's pretty much laughter from start to finish. Chevy Chase and Randy Quaid are clearly in their element.
- THE TRUMAN SHOW [1998 / Peter Weir]
- A hilariously - perhaps even scarily - spot-on satire of the reality TV phenomenon. Impeccably scripted, Jim Carrey's finest hour.
- DR. HORRIBLE'S SING-ALONG BLOG [2008 / Joss Whedon]
- Comedy-tragedy-drama-musical-superhero-zombie-fantasy. OK, not zombies, but everything else. Joss Whedon turns in yet another masterpiece: 45 minutes of the most rewatchable film in existence, laden with wit, surprising emotional impact, and catchy tunes to boot.
- THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS [1991 / Jonathan Demme]
- Anthony Hopkins' performance here is one of the greatest in movie history. But the compelling plot, script and supporting cast are no slouches either.
- COLLATERAL [2004 / Michael Mann]
- The finest crime movie ever made? Entirely possible. Amazingly three-dimensional characters that go against the tropes of most every other crime movie you've ever watched. A compelling plot that commands you never look away. And Cruise and Foxx put in the performances of their career.
- THE BIG KAHUNA [1999 / John Swanbeck]
- Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, Peter Facinelli. Talking. And boy does it fucking work. A masterclass in dialogue, in pacing, and in character-drawing.
- BAD SANTA [2003 / Terry Zwigoff]
- Brilliantly crude. Wall-to-wall bad taste - but it's just impossible not to adore. Billy Bob Thornton is perfectly cast, but the supports don't slouch either - Lauren Graham, Tony Cox and Brett Kelly are all superb.
- ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST [1975 / Milos Forman]
- A key piece of cinematic history, Nicholson delivers the performance of a lifetime to the backdrop of a darkly comic, genuinely harrowing tale.
- CLERKS. [1994 / Kevin Smith]
- Not quite the ground-shaking masterpiece that its successor became, the original Clerks. is still a stunning film. Pitch-perfect dialogue, stunningly-drawn characters. The kind of film that makes you want to be a filmmaker.
- PHONE BOOTH [2002 / Joel Schumacher]
- The one-set format for the 21st century: engaging, tense and fun; Colin Farrell practically carries the whole film on his shoulders, and pulls it off well.
- ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND [2004 / Michel Gondry]
- Proof Jim Carrey can do more than pull funny faces, were it needed: the clever, non-linear plotline engages without confusing; the able cast make these characters feel real with astonishing ease.
- BIG FISH [2003 / Tim Burton]
- Burton's masterpiece - a gorgeously-shot, sprawling adult fairytale, that balances comic fantasy and genuine drama meticulously.
- SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER & UNCUT [1999 / Trey Parker]
- Turns out South Park on the big screen is just as fun as South Park on the small screen!
- SE7EN [1995 / David Fincher]
- Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt shine, but the real draw here is the intense, dramatic storyline - and, of course, that perfectly-executed final twist.
- NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN [2007 / Ethan & Joel Cohen]
- Three standout lead performances. One of the finest conclusions in movie history: it didn't wrap things up in a neat little package, but it didn't come across as merely "trying to be different" either. Stunning cinematography too.
- THE WRESTLER [2008 / Darren Aronofsky]
- The definitive character study. An absolutely spellbinding performance from Rourke. And let's face it, the beautiful Springsteen song doesn't hurt.
- DEAR ZACHARY: A LETTER TO A SON ABOUT HIS FATHER [2008 / Kurt Kuenne]
- Oh God, how I cried. Don't Google it, just watch.
- BRASSED OFF [1996 / Mark Herman]
- An underrated British movie that no-one's ever heard of, it perfectly encapsulates the mood among the working classes in Thatcherite Britain. Powerful, genuinely funny, and liable to prompt a tear or two from me every time.
- JUNO [2007 / Jason Reitman]
- Ellen Page and Michael Cera put heart and soul into one of the most believable teenage couples in scree history. Cody's script works well for me - it's not for everyone, but I buy into it - and the indie soundtrack really adds to proceedings.
- LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE [2006 / Jonathan Dayton/Valerie Faris]
- The ultimate indie comedy. Steve Carell and Alan Arkin shine, but the whole ensemble work wonderfully; the story, meanwhile, is delightfully twee, and the writing strikes just the right balance of cynicism and optimism.
- FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF [1986 / John Hughes]
- The best of the '80s comedies - it still holds up really well today. I'm not just saying it. This prompts genuine laughter from a cynical, jaded 18-year-old. High praise.
- THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN [2005 / Judd Apatow]
- Just out-and-out hilarity. Steve Carell's always great, but here he adds a tinge of depth to a character that is, for all intents and purposes, designed for shits and giggles.
- TRIVIATOWN [2006 / Patrick Cady/Brit McAdams]
- A documentary that documents the annual "World's Largest Trivia Contest" (held in Stevens Point, WI) with genuine enthusiasm and captures the spirit remarkably well.
- RANSOM [1996 / Ron Howard]
- A surprisingly taut Mel Gibson outing. It's rare for me to buy into a plot so wholeheartedly.
- BREAKDOWN [1997 / Jonathan Mostow]
- Gripping stuff - beautifully shot and persistently, unbearably tense.
- LIAR, LIAR [1997 / Tom Shadyac]
- Carrey doing his traditional shtick on top form. Many a scene is raucously funny, and it manages the sweet stuff without ever getting too syrupy or mawkish.
- VACATION [1983 / Harold Ramis]
- Almost as good as its Christmas successor, Chevy Chase is once again on fine form.
- GREASE [1978 / Randal Kleiser]
- A guilty pleasure, no doubt; but that music is just so damn irresistible!
- SHREK [2001 / Andrew Adamson/Vicky Jenson]
- Pixar have the better strike rate, no doubt, but Dreamworks' original Shrek beats 'em all out in my book. Just about the best CGI film put on screen.
- GIGANTIC: A TALE OF TWO JOHNS [2002 / AJ Schnack]
- Fun interview segments, great live performances - about as good a documentary about They Might Be Giants as one could realistically expect.
- THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED [2006 / Kirby Dick]
- This Film Should Be Compulsory Viewing For Film Students.
- GOOD BURGER [1997 / Brian Robbins]
- I have my reasons. Don't judge me. Is it 'cos I'm black?
Author Comments:
Comments and recommendations welcomed! :)
Unusual and therefore interesting list!
My thoughts on these films (ratings out of 10):
- The Shawshank Redemption: 8 (great performances by Robbins and Freeman)
- Forrest Gump: 8
- Misery: 8
- Christmas Vacation: 7
- Ghost: 8
- The Truman Show: 8
- Breakdown: 9
- Liar, Liar: 4
- The Green Mile: 6
- Gone with the Wind: 9
- The Godfather: 8
- Pulp Fiction: 4
- The Royal Tenenbaums: 5
- Shrek: 8
- Vacation: 7
I recommend:
- any film by Alfred Hitchcock (exception: Family Plot/ especially: Rear Window/ Psycho/ Vertigo);
- any film by Sergio Leone (exception: Il colosso di Rodi/ especially: Once Upon a Time in America/ Once Upon a Time in the West/ The Good, the Bad and the Ugly);
- any film by Stanley Kubrick (especially: The Shining);
- any film by David Lean (especially: Lawrence of Arabia)
Thanks for that nice contribution, 1922! Glad you liked most of them (and pleasantly surprised about your liking Breakdown!).
Thanks for the recommendations, too, I will check them all out. I've already seen The Shining, but didn't consider it top 20 IMO, though that might be just the bad side of me reading the novel first. Regardless, thanks once more!
1922, does that mean you haven't seen "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" since you didn't rate it? imho, it's the best film on the list there. :)
Nice list, by the way. Some very good films there. Not a lot that would crack my top 25 (Eternal Sunshine the exception. ;)) But for the most part they are good films. :)
Thankily-dank, SA!
It may be that I added Eternal Sunshine after 1922 rated those, as he posted that on the day I first posted this list and it has been modified quite a bit since then.
yes! ive been waiting too see this list and its here.
you have great taste, some really good movies here. Liar Liar / Pulp Fiction / And of course..Royal tenenbaums among my faves. great choices mate. Also wezzo did you get a chance too catch the 138 min version of the shinning on Sky cinema or was it the 115 min version (video / dvd)?
How was your christmas? and how are you spending new years eve?
Thanks for the comments, Rushmore :-)
Only caught the 115-min DVD (friend lent it to me a while back), unfortunately.
Christmas was great, I had stacks of DVD's! New Year's Eve I'm just staying in with family, going to watch C4's Sitcom (Frasier, Friends, S&TC) night probably. You?
cool. my christmas was good. my cousins (who are about the same age as me) came round for Xmas eve so that was cool. i just came back from my mates house / we also saw The Incredibles. it was great! its about 10pm now so only 2hrs too go!
It's now 10am, happy new year :)
lol thx, happy new year mate.
Royal Tenenbaums gone?? nnnoooo!!
Espected that :D Had to squeeze it out, but when/if I change this to a top 25 it'll be there.
Change it :)
Just in case you didn't spot it, it's back in the list! :)
The sound that carrey's head makes when it hits the floor in the bathroom scene still makes me cringe.
I know, hehe.. that entire scene has seriously affected me. ;)
it's wierd... I like all these movies... nothing I hate... but aside from 3 or 4 none of them have any place on a top 200 list, well mine anyway... possibly the most I've ever agreed with a top movies list in which none of them even came close to mine
Heh, strange! Still, it's great you like so many of them. I know you share my love of The Cable Guy, specifically, which is always good.
liar, liar as well... although it hasn't shown up on any of my lists I did love it as a kid(yeah i'm that young, when it came out I was 12), and I recently saw some of it on tv and was laughing my ass off once again... I love the part where Carrey says something like "aaw look i've brought them closer together"
Yeah, Liar Liar is hilarious, fantastic Carrey once again. I like the part you mentioned too, great stuff.
The only one I don't like is Fight Club...and I hate that with a fiery, burning passion.
Great to see the overlooked The Truman Show on there!
Yep, Truman Show is surely one of the most underrated achievements of modern cinema!
Cap'n tightpants: Fight club is my 2nd favorite movie, while Firefly is by far my favorite tv show. "That's weird." -- Jubal Early
Wezzo: Did you know that Shawshank is a King adaptation?
Bad Santa's the only one on your list I've seen and didn't like at all.
A modern, varied list. Solid picks Wezzo!
Here's my personal, approximate ratings of what you have here:
Shawshank Redemption: 7.5/10
Forrest Gump: 7/10
Christmas Vacation: 7/10
Ghost: 6.5/10
The Truman Show: 8/10
Ransom: 6/10
Liar Liar: 5.5/10
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: 8.5/10
The Godfather: 9.5/10
Pulp Fiction: 9/10
Grease: 6.5/10
Shrek: 6.5/10
Fight Club: 8/10
My personal favorites off the top of my head and in no particular order would probably include:
Citizen Kane-Welles
The Godfather-Coppola
The Rules of The Game-Renoir
2001: A Space Oddyssey-Kubrick
Chinatown-Polanski
Vertigo-Hitchcock
The Passion of Joan Arc-Dreyer
The Third Man-Reed
8 1/2-Fellini
I wanted to put 10 but it is impossible for me to decide what else to add. Guess I'll just have to settle for these 9...
Later!
Thanks very much for another interesting comment! (I presume you haven't seen the ones you didn't rate?)
Glad to see you'd give most of rgese a 7/10 or above. As has already been said, I doubt many film connoiseurs would include many of these on their own lists, but must are enjoyed to some extent by most people (and of course, I greatly enjoy all of them).
Of your nine, I obviously love The Godfather, and The Third Man comes pretty close to this list as well - another favourite. Of the remainder, I found Citizen Kane somewhat overrated when I saw it, I thought Vertigo was great and 8 1/2 was pretty good; I haven't seen the others.
Thanks again!
You're right, the ones I didn't rate, I hadn't seen. Keep in mind that, to me a 7 or above is a very good film. It takes a masterwork on all levels to get a 9.5 or a 10 (by the way, I don't think there is a single film I would rate a 10, not even Citizen Kane).
Citizen Kane is one of those films that, unless you're a serious film scholar, takes repeat viewings to assimilate all the minute details and innovations that make it so great. At first glance, it can easily appear to be just another 40's film with some theatrical flair and a solid, interesting story, but virtually every single scene in it is a showcase of masterful craftsmanship.
Of these, I'd highly suggest you see Chinatown. It has a somewhat complicated plot so you may need to see it twice before offically reviewing, but it might be the finest film of the 70s, and as far as I know, has the greatest, most masterful finale in all of film. No other film will leave you the way this one does. On every level this is one of the greatest films ever made.
Interesting picks in your reply. I have to admit I have only seen Citizen Kane once and haven't figured out why it's such a big deal. I love Chinatown. I'm surprised you listed Passion of Joan of Arc; I thought it was very well done but I can't say I love it. Rules of the Game though is amazing. Vertigo is very good, although I think I prefer Strangers on a Train or Rear Window (sacrilege, I know). But I flat-out love 8 1/2, which I just watched again last night.
Regarding the original post, I liked Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, The Godfather, disliked Eternal Sunshine and Fight Club. The rest (of what I've seen, which was 18 of the 25) I was largely indifferent to, although if you like Nicholas Cage, I'd recommend Adaptation. (which is similar to but better than ES if you ask me), Wild at Heart, and Leaving Las Vegas (in that order). If you liked Misery you might like Audition, although it's much darker.
Some of my favorites, with favorite directors at the top:
Lynch: Blue Velvet (and Eraserhead)
Scorsese: Raging Bull (and Taxi Driver of course)
Wilder: Sunset Boulevard (The Lost Weekend, Stalag 17)
Bergman: Through a Glass Darkly (Wild Strawberries, The Virgin Spring also up there)
Hawks: The Big Sleep (To Have and Have Not is pretty good, Bringing up Baby is hilarious)
Kubrick: Barry Lyndon (Lolita also good)
Random favorites: Solondz' Happiness, Ozu's Tokyo Story, Clouzot's Diabolique (which I prefer to all Hitchcock I've seen, although I've only seen 11 of his more popular films).
Many more, but I have an early flight...
I'm aware a lot of your reply was aimed at AfterHours, but thank you very much for all of the recommendations to myself.
Films that I've seen on this list: The Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, Ghost, The Truman Show, Shrek, Liar Liar (love the pedantic, pontificating, pretentious bastard, worthless stinking pile of cow dung bit), The Godfather, Pulp Fiction, Grease, The Cable Guy (though I wouldn't have put it in a top 100 list myself), Super Size Me, Fight Club. All are good!
Glad you like them all! Sad to hear you don't rate The Cable Guy too highly though; a shame, as I think it's Carrey's most underrated film. Still, if everyone liked it, I suppose it wouldn't be underrated. (Did you happen to catch it on Sky One the other night, by the way, or had you seen it before?)
is it just me or was man on the moon once on this list ?
It may well have been actually.. this list needs quite an update, too..
hey mate
as you don't do a movies seen in 2008 list, i was wondering what if any films have you seen lately ? did u catch iron man ?
I don't watch too many movies at the cinema, so nope, haven't seen Iron Man. Any good? Recently I've been watching a lot of recent comedies - Judd Apatow stuff and that sort of thing - and I also recently saw Se7en, which I loved.
oh yes as superhero movies go, Ironman is top notch, in fact, its one of the finest summer blockbusters i have ever seen
Se7en is a materpiece, amazes me every time.
what appatow stuff you seen ? i've seen pretty much all of his i'd rank them
1. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
2. Knocked Up
3. Walk Hard
4. Superbad
5. 40 yr old virgin
6. Drillbit Taylor
which ones have you viewed?
1. Superbad
2. 40 Year Old Virgin
3. Knocked Up
4. Drillbit Taylor (definitely the worst)
Also loved his TV show Freaks & Geeks (highly recommended - just one season but it's fantastic)
Haven't seen FSM but I really, really want to. Hadn't even heard of Walk Hard, must be one I've overlooked!
You ever seen Bad Santa btw?
ah, yes Walk Hard was fairly overlooked by many. Very underrated. actually its been bouncing up and down in my grades. Seen it 3 times, first gave it an A- then watched it on DVD loved it A+ then watched it last month and felt it dragged and gave it B+ but its still VERY funny, and very underrated. Its unlike appatow's other films, it's more like Spoof films like Naked gun or Airplane, a lot of visual gags.
yes, i really like Bad Santa! saw it when it was released in 2003, haven't seen it since but i really liked it
I really like your list. It's different than most that you will see out there and each one had a good analysis.
The only one on there that i would disagree with is The Vanishing. I thought the original French version was miles ahead of the American remake. The ending of the American version just feels tacked on so that the audience feels good about the bad guy losing in the end.
Besides that, great list.
Thanks very much. I haven't updated it in a while, so it's a little out of date, but it's pretty accurate.
Phone Booth? Schumacher? whooosh! My high opinion of you is falling so fast that I'm getting dizzy. How could you have kept this from me?
Must. Breathe. In.
and.
Out.
I have to close my eyes, think of all the good times and imagine The Shawshank Redemption.
I liked Phone Booth too...
Room. growing.
dimmm...
Breathe, 0dysseus, breathe.. think of calm, flowing rivers.. sunny days at the beach..
...mmmmm. Bright sun. Blue sea. Gentle wavesss...
mmmm... Eurylochus running down the beach. He's yelling!
My men have been transformed into hogs!
runrunrunrunning Holy moly! It's Hermes! Thanks for the 'shrooms, little wing-footed dude.
more runrunrunrunning note to self: Must kill Wezzo (painful?) runrunrunrunning
Castle. Dining Halllll...
fair-haired enchantresssss
bath. wine. supper. purple coverleted bed...
note to self: do not kill Wezzo
Whew!
(note to self: let's hope he doesn't find the other "note to self" that directs him to do the opposite of whatever Wezzo tells him)