10 Best Movies of All Time
Feel like renting a movie, but can't find any good new releases? Here's a list of The Dude's 10 Best Movies of All Time by category, or genre. (Note that there are many films that have multiple genres. For example, Tremors can be considered an: Action/ Adventure/ Comedy/ Horror/ Mystery/ Sci-Fi. In these cases, I've made an effort to include them in either one genre or another, trying not to leave out anything good.)
The Dude's movie categories are: Action, Action/Sci-Fi, Adventure, Animated, Comedy, Crime Drama, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Monster, Parody, Science Fiction, Spy, Superhero, Supernatural, Thriller, War, Western, and Zombie. Click on a category to see it, or just scroll down. I've included my definition for each genre after each heading. There are 197 movies here, so don't forget to bookmark this page for future reference.
Spoiler alert: I give away details of some of the movies listed below, so if there's one that you haven't yet seen, read only the underlined part, and then go rent it. Once you've seen it, come back and finish reading the rest of the commentary. You're welcome.
10 Best Action Movies
Definition: Just that: Action, and lots of it. While the story is not necessarily important, the film should have a logical flow to it to make it watchable…it takes more than just random explosions, gunfights, and car chases to make a good action film.
10- Lethal Weapon 2 (1998) Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci. Directed by Richard Donner. South African diplomats use their diplomatic immunity to hide the crimes they're committing, that is, until their immunity gets "revoked". Good fun, and there's a great scene where Leo Getz (Pesci) explains why you don't order food from a restaurant's drive through window.
9- Top Gun (1986) Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis. Directed by Tony Scott. A hotshot pilot called Maverick (Cruise) vies to be the Top Gun at the Air Force fighter school of the same name, as well as the Top Gun in the life of his therapist (McGillis). There are some fantastic flying scenes, and the action on the ground gets hot and heavy too.
8- Desperado (1995) Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek. Directed by Robert Rodriguez. A drifter (Banderas) with a guitar case full of guns battles a local drug lord, and seduces the lovely Carolina (Hayek). There's a high body count in this stylish film, and speaking of bodies, if you ever wanted to see Salma Hayek topless, this is your chance.
7- First Blood (1982) Sylvester Stallone, Bryan Dennehy, Richard Crenna. Directed by Ted Kotcheff. The first of the Rambo films, Stallone plays a Vietnam vet turned drifter who ends up in a town where the Sheriff (Dennehy) doesn't approve of his kind, and promptly drops him off at the county line. He returns to explain to the Sheriff why he shouldn't have done that. A one man army out for revenge…the source of two sequels, and countless imitators.
6- Streets of Fire (1984) Michael Paré, Diane Lane, Rick Moranis. Directed by Walter Hill. An ex soldier (Paré) comes back to his hometown to rescue an old flame (Lane) that's been kidnapped by the villain, played by a young (and creepy, even back then) Willem Dafoe. The hero kicks ass in this film billed as a Rock and Roll Fable. The music is excellent, and unlike most movies with good songs, they play them in their entirety.
5- True Romance (1993) Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette. Directed by Tony Scott. Quentin Tarantino's story about a guy who falls in love with a hooker, and runs off with her and her pimp's coke, while being pursued by both cops and bad guys. An all-star cast, with an exceptionally good scene by hitman Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper, who plays Slater's father.
4- True Lies (1994) Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold. Directed by James Cameron. A secret agent (Schwarzenegger) ends up getting his wife involved in his work. The chase on the bridge is worth the price of admission, an Jamie Lee Curtis has never looked better.
3- Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence. Directed by George Miller. In a post-nuclear Australian outback, people fight for the most precious resource: fuel. Gibson plays a former cop who befriends a tribe that is refining fuel, and helps defend them in their fortress against a gang of marauders. I love the villain in this film, a muscle bound freak called "Humangus" who wears a goalie mask and communicates his demands via a microphone and loudspeaker. He's one of many very colorful characters in this violent film, with a great final chase scene.
2- Kill Bill 1&2 (2003) Uma Thurman, David Carradine. Directed by Quentin Tarantino. This two part movie jumps back and forth in time in the usual Tarantino style. Uma Thurman plays a former assassin who herself is almost killed, and then sets out to get revenge on those who wronged her…including Bill. She makes a great action hero, one of a very few women who could have pulled off the role and made it believable. Lots of action and stylized violence ensue (it's amazing how far blood can spurt when a limb is severed).
1- Die Hard (1988) Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman. Directed by John McTiernan. The quintessential eighties action film. A cop who goes to visit his ex-wife at her office Christmas party finds himself battling terrorists when they take everyone hostage. Great action, and the villain (Rickman) is especially memorable.
Honorable mention goes to:
- Grand Prix (1966) James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, Yves Montant. Directed by John Frankenheimer. James Garner plays an American Grand Prix driver who loses his ride, becomes a sportscaster, and then gets hired by another team. By far and without a doubt the best racing movie ever, as Frankenheimer had total access to all the Formula 1 cars and teams to make this ultra realistic film. The racing scenes are great, with real race cars with real race car sounds on real tracks with the actors doing most if not all the driving.
Sylvester Stallone tried for several years to make a similar film, but without luck, as the modern Formula 1 teams are far less cooperative. He went to the Champ Car series in America where he had better luck, but in the end turned out an incredibly crappy and totally unrealistic film called Drivel, uh, I mean Driven (I only give you the title so you don't accidentally rent it. You're welcome.). What all this means is that there will most likely never be as authentic a portrayal of racing as in Grand Prix. Pity.
10 Best Action/Sci-Fi Movies
Definition: An action movie where at least part of it takes place in the future.
10- The Matrix (1999) Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Ann Moss. Directed by Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski. Humans in the future think that all is normal, but in reality their world is a virtual one, taking place in a giant computer called the Matrix, while they sleep in pods, hooked up to machines using them as batteries. Some have escaped, and rebel against the machines. The action sequences are innovative and were much imitated, but sadly the two sequels didn't live up to the original.
9- Predator (1987) Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura. Directed by John McTiernan. A squad of commandoes on a jungle search and rescue mission get more than they bargained for when a predator capable of camouflaging itself hunts them down one by one, keeping their skulls as trophies. They're armed to the teeth, but you can't kill what you can't see.
8- The Abyss (1989) Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn. Directed by James Cameron. A diving team is hired by the military to help find a lost nuclear sub, and encounters some strange alien life forms. A great and intense undersea movie, it won an Oscar for best effects.
7- Demolition Man (1993) Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Sandra Bullock. Directed by Marco Brambilla. A renegade cop is unjustly sentenced and cryogenically frozen, only to be thawed out 70 years later when he is needed to combat a criminal from his era that future police are no longer able to handle. Got it? Good. I loved their version of the future, where everyone is happy and peaceful, and computers spit out fines to those who use foul language. The villain played by Snipes disrupts all that, as he introduces them to more violence and mayhem than they've ever seen. Bullock is positively charming as Lieutenant Lenina Huxley, Stallone's new partner, who misquotes expressions from his time, such as saying "Take this job and shovel it", and "You really licked his ass".
6- Total Recall (1990) Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Ronnie Cox. Directed by Paul Verhoeven. An average Joe (Schwarzenegger) who can't afford a real vacation goes on a virtual one, only to wake up realizing he's a secret agent and must complete his mission by going to Mars. Michael Ironside is great as the hitman out to stop him, there's plenty of things blowing up…and let's not forget the mutants, some of who would have a hard time finding a bra that would fit.
5- Starship Troopers (1997) Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Michael Ironside. Directed by Paul Verhoeven. "Everybody fights, no one quits". That's the theme of the Starship Troopers, who fly from a future Earth to the bug home world to battle giant insects bent on destroying the earth. How Titanic beat this movie for special effects is beyond me…there are literally hundreds of giant "arachnids" on the screen at the same time. Lots of violence and gore (both human and bug).
4- Robocop (1987) Peter Weller, Kurtwood Smith. Directed by Paul Verhoeven. In the future city of New Detroit, a cop near death is brought back to life as a cyborg, and goes against his programming in a quest for vengeance on those who tried to kill him. A commentary on how society is going downhill and becoming desensitized to violence, as a lawyer says in one scene: "Attempted murder? It's not like he killed somebody!" The sequel is okay, with a little more violence, but don't bother with the third one.
3- The Fifth Element (1997) Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman. Directed by Luc Besson. In the future, a cabbie (Willis) is reinstated into the military; his mission: Save the world. Every character in this film is either interesting or weird, and Milla Jovovich is exceptionally cute as the Supreme Being that Willis must protect from evil.
2- Aliens (1986) Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn. Directed by James Cameron. Ripley (Weaver), along with a group of marines for backup, once again must battle aliens with acid for blood in this sequel to Alien. This time, the creatures are capturing colonists on another planet and using them to incubate their young. Lots of violent alien encounters, with a memorable fight scene near the end. Weaver makes her mark in this film as the first female action hero.
1- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick. Directed by James Cameron. A killer robot from the future (brilliantly played by Robert Patrick) is sent back in time to kill the leader of the revolution when he's young and vulnerable. He is, however, not vulnerable, as he's being protected by another killer robot (Arnold). The action is fast and furious, with a techno-beat to match, and Hamilton's character has pumped up and gotten more hard-hitting since the first film.
10 Best Adventure Movies
Definition: The characters in an adventure movie usually embark on some adventure or quest...often, with many perils.
10- The Mummy (1999) Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz. Directed by Stephen Sommers. An American (Fraser) serving in the French Foreign Legion is recruited by an archeologist (Weisz) to show the way to an ancient Egyptian tomb, where they unknowingly awaken a mummy. Fraser does a good job as the action hero, and the movie has a lot of good effects and is fun to watch.
9- Quest for Fire (1981) Everett McGill, Ron Perlman, Rae Dawn Chong. Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud. Three cavemen are sent out to find more fire after they accidentally extinguish that of their tribe. The best caveman movie ever, this French film needs no subtitles, as there is not a single spoken word...only caveman grunts. Don't worry, you'll still understand everything.
8- Ben Hur (1959) Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins. Directed by William Wyler. A Jewish prince is sent into slavery by a Roman friend, and comes back for revenge. The chariot race is one of the best chase scenes ever.
7- The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) Kerwin Mathews, Kathryn Grant. Directed by Nathan Juran. Sinbad (Mathews) and his crew battle monsters on an island in search of a cure for a shrunken princess (Grant). There are a lot of stop-motion monsters, my favorite being the Cyclops, who at one point is barbequing captures crewmen on a spit. It's a fun adventure.
6- Lawrence of Arabia (1962) Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn. Directed by David Lean. An epic story of a glory seeking soldier who joins wars in the Middle East in the early 1900's. This movie won seven Oscars, including Best Picture.
5- Papillon (1973) Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. Papillon (McQueen) is sentenced to an island French penal colony. He befriends Hoffman's character, and over time, plans an escape. Based on a true story, it's a great prison adventure film.
4- Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston. Directed by John Huston. Two down on their luck drifters join up with a crusty old prospector and head out into the desert to pan for gold. They quickly find out the problems greed can cause, and encounter Mexicans who get all upset when asked to show their credentials: "Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!"
3- The Man Who Would Be King (1975) Sean Connery, Michael Caine. Directed by John Huston. Two adventurers set out to find a lost city of gold. This movie defines the word "adventure", as Connery and Caine voyage through mountains and valleys and encounter all sorts of people and hardships on their way to their goal.
2- The Great Escape (1963) Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough. Directed by John Sturges. An all star cast tunnels to escape from a German P.O.W. camp. Based on a true story, it's interesting to see how clever they were; from using bedboards to support the passages, to hiding the dirt they dug out of the tunnels in their gardens.
1- Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Harrison Ford, Karen Allen. Directed by Steven Spielberg. The definitive adventure movie, which inspired countless imitators. Indiana Jones battles Nazis (as far as bad guys go, nothing tops the Nazis) on his quest for the Ark of the Covenant. Probably my favorite film. The sequels, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) with Sean Connery as Indy's father, are not as good, but worth checking out just the same.
10 Best Animated Movies (that adults can enjoy)
Definition: A movie without live actors appearing on screen…just their voices. It can be a cartoon drawn by hand, computer generated images, stop motion, or even puppets.
10- Cars (2006) Voices of Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt. Directed by John Lassiter, Joe Ranft. A race car falls off his trailer and finds himself in a small town, where he learns the value of friendship. The race scenes are very realistic…the animators did their homework on this one.
9- Shrek 1, 2, 3 (2001/2004/2007) Voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz. Directed by Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson/Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury/Chris Miller, Raman Hui. In the first film, Shrek the Ogre (Myers) must rescue a princess (Diaz) in order for the King to give him his swamp back. In the second one, he and the princess must face a fairy godmother with evil plans. In the third, he faces the evil Prince Charming, and contemplates fatherhood. They're all good comedies, aimed at an older audience than the usual animated films, but still good for kids.
8- Team America: World Police (2004) Voices of Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Directed by Trey Parker. The makers of South Park bring you this movie about Team America, a counter-terrorism organization that has recruited a reluctant actor to help bring down the bad guys…no matter how much damage they do in the process. The characters are all puppets, with real special effects and no computer animation. It's a hilarious comedy, and there's an unforgettable sex scene that shows puppets doing what no puppets should do. Again, don't let the kids near this one.
7- Monsters Inc. (2001) Voices of John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Steve Buscemi. Directed by Pete Docter, David Silverman. Monsters use magical transport technology to enter the rooms of little children through their closets in order to collect the energy released when they scream, to use to power their world. When a little girl accidentally makes it into their world, two monsters take it upon themselves to find a way to send her back. It sounds like a horror film, but it's really funny, and my 3 year old son loves it.
6- Wall-E (2008) Voices of Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight. Directed by Andrew Stanton. A robot (WALL-E) is left behind to clean up the mess humans made on Earth, while the population waits on a luxury spaceship, getting fat, lazy, and ignorant as the years go by. When a robot probe called EVE shows up on Earth to take samples, WALL-E falls in love and follows her back to the spaceship. A charming love story, and amazing how they managed to express so much emotion through two animated robots that don't say more than a couple of words throughout the entire film.
5- Finding Nemo (2003) Voices of Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Willem Dafoe. Directed by Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich. A young Clownfish is separated from his overprotective father, who crosses the ocean trying to rescue him. Enjoyable for the whole family, and DeGeneres's performance as Dory, the helpful fish with a short term memory loss makes the movie.
4- Ratatouille (2007) Voices of Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano. Directed by Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava. A rat named Remy (Oswalt) with a talent for cooking finds himself in Paris teaming up incompetent garbage boy named Linguini (Romano). Together, they give new life and popularity to an old restaurant. Everything you ever wanted to know about cooking and running a classy restaurant is here (like bribing the delivery guy to get first pick of the vegetables), and they do a great job of creating a Parisian atmosphere, with the music, the streets, and the fact that all the signs and books are in French. There's a scene where the evil food critic (Anton Ego, voiced brilliantly by the great Peter O'Toole) tries a dish, and they actually manage to convey the sensation of taste in his reaction to the meal. Awesome film, by the same director of my number one movie.
3- South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (1999) Voices of Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Directed by Trey Parker. Four eight year olds try to prevent the execution of their favorite television characters, who were seen as the cause of all the foul language the kids were using. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is off limits here. The songs are great in this musical/comedy…you'll laugh all the way through this @#*!!& movie. Send the children to bed, and turn down the sound.
2- Toy Story (1995) Voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen. Directed by John Lasseter. Woody the Cowboy (Hanks) is threatened when a new toy, Buzz Lightyear (Allen) shows up, and replaces him in the heart of their owner, Andy. A great story, and a lot of fun to watch over and over...to infinity, and beyond!
1- The Incredibles (2004) Voices of Craig T. Neslon, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee, Samuel L. Jackson. Directed by Brad Bird. Bored with his ordinary life, Mr. Incredible comes out of seclusion to fight evil once more in this superhero animated feature. The action is great in this fast paced movie…better than most action films, and it's funny to boot.
10 Best Comedies
Definition: A good comedy will make you laugh no matter how many times you see it.
10- M.A.S.H. (1970) Donald Sutherland, Elliot Gould, Tom Skeritt. Directed by Robert Altman. The movie that inspired the television series of the same name about an army hospital during the Korean War. Sutherland and Gould play two wacky doctors in the 4077 M.A.S.H. unit whose commander spends more time fishing than enforcing discipline.
9- Slap Shot (1977) Paul Newman, Strother Martin. Directed by George Roy Hill. The hilarious adventures of a minor league hockey team. I love those Hanson Brothers, and my favorite scene of the film is when Reggie Dunlop (Newman) angrily tells the owner of his team after an argument his prediction for her son's sexual orientation.
8 - Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle. Directed by Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones. The Monty Python comedy team spoof King Arthur's quest for the Holy Grail, where they ride imaginary horses (clapping coconut husks to make the sounds of the hoofs), attack a French castle where they catapult farm animals instead of stones, and fight a knight who doesn't know when to quit. Hilarious comedy, but with a disappointing ending.
7- Better Off Dead (1985) John Cusack, David Ogden Stiers. Directed by Savage Steve Holland. A teenager gets dumped by his girlfriend, and has to deal with family problems, a ski competition, and a homicidal paper boy, while drag racing a pair of Japanese sportscasters. Very funny and clever comedy.
6- Ed Wood (1994) Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker. Directed by Tim Burton. The biography of inept director Ed Wood (Depp), who is responsible for some of the worst movies ever made. Martin Landau is fantastic and earned an Oscar for his portrayal of Bela Legosi, an aging down and out horror film star with a colorful vocabulary.
5- Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987) Steve Martin, John Candy. Directed by John Hughes. A businessman (Martin) faces many obstacles while trying to make his way home for Thanksgiving, including an unwanted traveling partner (Candy). The scene when Candy accidentally drives between two oncoming tractor trailers and Martin sees his true form is unforgettable.
4- The Big Lebowski (1998) Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Tara Reid. Directed by Joel Coen. A movie about philosophy and bowling. Jeff Bridges' character, 'The Dude' is mistaken for the millionaire father of a kidnapped girl (Reid), and stumbles his way into worse trouble when he tries to clear up the misunderstanding. It's funny, and it makes you think.
3- Raising Arizona (1987) Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter. Directed by Joel Coen. Nicolas cage is hilarious as H.I. (Hi) McDunnough, the recidivist husband of a cop (Hunter), who can't seem to get it straight. When they find out they can't have kids of their own, and a famous couple has quintuplets, they figure that they would take one off their hands. Great characters in this film, from John Goodman as one of Hi's prison buddies to Randall Tex Cobb as the devil. You'll laugh all the way through.
2- Zoolander (2001) Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Christine Taylor, Will Ferrell. Directed by Ben Stiller. Male model Derek Zoolander (Stiller) must use his intelligence to outwit supervillain and fashion designer Mugatu (hilariously played by Will Ferrell). Unfortunately, he has none, and neither does his competitor/new friend, Hansel (Wilson).
Dumb but loveable, Zoolander's one wish in life is to build a school called the Derek Zoolander Center For Kids Who Can't Read Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too.
1- The Blues Brothers (1980) John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd. Directed by John Landis. Jake and Elwood Blues (Belushi and Aykroyd) must get the old band back together to make enough money to pay the tax on the Catholic home where they were raised, before it's too late. A hilarious comedy, with great music performed by Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Ray Charles…just to name a few. It seems like the whole world is after them, and it leads to the best and most destructive car chases I've ever seen.
Honorable mention goes to:
- Little Shop of Horrors (1986) Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene. Directed by Frank Oz. You'll be singing these songs for weeks in this play turned comedy/horror/musical about a blood sucking plant from outer space, and the loveable loser (Moranis) who takes care of it. Ellen Greene is so charming you'll want to eat her up.
- There's Something About Mary (1998) Ben Stiller, Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon. Directed by Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly. There's not a normal character to be found in this hilarious film about a loser trying to find an old high school crush, only to find competition by those offering to help him. I only have one question: How did he get the beans above the frank?
- Uncle Buck (1989) John Candy, Macaulay Culkin. Directed by John Hughes. Single and irresponsible Uncle Buck (Candy) is left to baby-sit his sister's kids, where he learns that there's more to life than smoking cigars and bowling. Very funny and lessons are learned.
10 Best Crime Dramas
Definition: A dramatic movie that predominately portrays some sort of criminal activity, with or without the police element, or vise-versa. Don't ask me where The Godfather is...not everyone considers it to be one of their favorites.
10- Midnight Express (1978) Brad Davis, Randy Quaid, John Hurt. Directed by Alan Parker. An American (Davis) is arrested for trying to smuggle drugs out of Turkey, and is sent to a Turkish prison where he doesn't have a great time. A very intense and dark movie, based loosely on a true story.
9- Memento (2000) Guy Pearce, Carrie-Ann Moss. Directed by Christopher Nolan. This movie runs backwards, in short five to ten minutes scenes. It takes some getting used to, but once you do it's a lot of fun. It's about a man with a short term memory loss who tries to find his wife's killer, handicapped by the fact that every clue he finds he has to write down as a tattoo on himself before he forgets everything. Amazingly enough, despite beginning with the ending, it's still suspenseful.
8- Key Largo (1948) Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Lauren Bacall. Directed by John Huston. In this film, a group of people are trapped in a hotel during a hurricane with a bunch of gangsters making their getaway from a heist. Confrontations ensue between Bogart's character and Johnny Rocco, the head gangster played by Robinson. Despite the seriousness of this film, I can't look at Rocco's stubby little necktie without laughing.
7- The Maltese Falcon (1941) Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre. Directed by John Huston. Sam Spade (Bogart) is on the trail of a mysterious statuette that some will kill for in this Dashiell Hammett detective story.
6- The Professional (1994) Jean Reno, Natalie Portman, Gary Oldman. Directed by Luc Besson. Jean Reno plays a "cleaner" (hitman) who takes in a twelve year old girl when her family is gunned down by the psychotic Gary Oldman and his gang. Don't miss this one.
5- Reservoir Dogs (1992) Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi. Directed by Quentin Tarantino. Seven career criminals are brought together to commit a heist, but when it all goes wrong, they end up suspecting each other. Most of the movie takes place at the hideout (an abandoned warehouse), but it's always entertaining, which shows you how far a good script and good acting can go. There are many imitated scenes (some exceptionally violent), but one of my favorites is when they're are all given code names by the boss, and Steve Buscemi's character objects to being called Mr. Pink. "Why do I have to be Mr. Pink? Why can't I be Mr. Purple?", he says, and the boss responds "Another guy on another job is Mr. Purple. You're Mr. Pink!".
4- The Untouchables (1987) Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Andy Garcia, Robert De Niro. Directed by Brian De Palma. Eliot Ness (Costner), along with a small squad, pursues the slippery mob boss Al Capone (De Niro) in 1920's Chicago. Connery is memorable as a crusty old cop with lots of street smarts. Great police drama, with lots of suspense.
3- Pulp Fiction (1994) Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Bruce Willis. Directed by Quentin Tarantino. The lives of several people, all on the wrong side of the law, cross paths in this violent crime drama. It's the one that made Samuel L. Jackson famous, resurrected John Travolta's career, and told everyone in the world that a Big Mac in France is called a "Royale with Cheese".
2- Fargo (1996) William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi. Directed by Joel Coen. A used car salesman (Macy) in rural Minnesota hires inept and "funny looking" hit men to kidnap his wife for ransom, and a pregnant police chief (McDormand) follows the case. The performances in this crime drama are great, and some parts are really funny. Ya.
1- Goodfellas (1990) Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci. Directed by Martin Scorsese. A flawless picture about three mobsters working their way up through the ranks of the mafia. I don't know how many times I've seen this movie, but it seems to get better every time. Whatever you do, don't say Joe Pesci is funny.
10 Best Dramas
Definition: A dramatic film that may or may not have some humour in it. The best dramas take you through a range of emotions...remaining serious for ninety minutes can be depressing.
10- Twelve Angry Men (1957) Henry Fonda, Martin Balsam, Jack Klugman. Directed by Sydney Lumet. Henry Fonda plays a juror who's the only holdout in a murder trial that seems to everyone else to be an open and shut case. What I love about this movie is that it takes place entirely in the jury room, and yet it's a fascinating and entertaining film. There's a lot of character development as each juror's personality is slowly revealed, and they learn that things are not always as they first seem.
9- American History X (1998) Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D'Angelo. Directed by Tony Kaye. A former Neo-Nazi skin-head goes straight, and tries to prevent his younger brother from making the same mistakes he did. Great performance by Norton, this film is intense.
8- Deliverance (1972) Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox. Directed by John Boorman. Four men go on a canoe trip and encounter a group of rednecks that make sure it goes down in history as the worst canoe trip ever. I'll bet poor Ned Beatty to this day still has people come up to him and say "Squeal like a pig, boy!"
7- Rocky (1976) Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Carl Weathers. Directed by John G. Avildsen. A story of an aging boxer with a crush on the girl at the pet shop given a chance to fight the world champion. Stallone wrote this movie, which won best picture.
6-The Grapes of Wrath (1940) Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine. Directed by John Ford. A poor family of farmers migrates to California during the Great Depression. Many argue over whether this movie or Citizen Kane is the best movie ever. Not me…I didn't care for Citizen Kane (yes, I'm the one).
5- Taxi Driver (1976) Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster. Directed by Martin Scorsese. Robert De Niro plays a creepy loner who takes a job as a cabbie because he's "up all night anyway". He stalks a woman, falls in love with a prostitute and in his spare time, plots to kill a senator. Only De Niro could play someone this deranged. Here's some advice: If he turns to you and says "You talkin' to me?"…say no.
4- Casablanca (1942) Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman. Directed by Michael Curtiz. Rick (Bogart) is a club owner in unoccupied Africa during the Second World War, getting along just fine, until one day his past shows up at his place. Classic film, with a fitting ending and many great lines, such as: "Things are never so bad they can't be made worse", "People who don't drink are afraid of revealing themselves", and "I was born when you kissed me. I died when you left me. I lived a few weeks while you loved me."
3- Stand By Me (1986) Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman. Directed by Rob Reiner. Four kids take a journey through the woods to find a dead body supposedly near the railroad tracks. A movie about friendship, childhood, and growing up...sometimes, too soon.
2- The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman. Directed by Frank Darabont. A man is falsely accused and convicted, and must use his intelligence to survive in prison. Considered to be one of the best movies ever made. A must see.
1- Forrest Gump (1994) Tom Hanks, Robin Wright Penn, Gary Sinise. Directed by Robert Zemeckis. The story of a slow witted but good hearted man (Hanks) who somehow finds himself influencing key moments in history, while keeping a flame going for the woman of his dreams. If you're going to tell the story of someone's life, this is how you do it...the best (fake) biography ever.
10 Best Fantasy Movies
Definition: Most often a "sword and sorcery" type of movie, it's also any film that asks the viewer to suspend his disbelief for a while, and accept things that would be impossible in real life.
10- Excalibur (1981) Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren. Directed by John Boorman. King Arthur and the round table, knights, wizards…it's all here.
9- Twelve Monkeys (1995) Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt. Directed by Terry Gilliam. A prisoner in the future is sent back to modern times to stop a group of terrorists before they can release a deadly virus that wipes out most of the world's population. This film is a little weird, but keeps you interested as Willis moves back and forth in time due to miscalculations on the part of the scientists who sent him.
8- Edward Scissorhands (1990) Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder. Directed by Tim Burton. An eccentric but kind young man (Depp) with scissors for hands falls in love with a beautiful girl (Ryder) in this emotional fairy tale. I think the best description comes from Seinfeld, when Jerry's Italian barber describes having seen the move: "That-a Johnny Depp…he make-a me cry!"
7- Lord of the Rings Trilogy: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Two Towers/The Return of the King (2001/2002/2003) Directed by Peter Jackson. A young Hobbit is given a quest to take an ancient ring to the "Cracks of Doom" to destroy it, facing various perils along the way. The special effects and battle sequences are second to none, and each film is arguably as good as the other. If you ever wanted to see what is looks like when trees come to life to smash an army, this is your chance.
6- Star Wars Anthology (1977/1980/1983/1999/2002/2005) A New Hope, Revenge of the Sith, Attack of the Clones, The Phantom Menace directed by George Lucas. The Empire Strikes Back directed by Irvin Kershner. Return of the Jedi directed by Richard Marquand. While most call it Sci-Fi, I've included Star Wars in the fantasy section because it's essentially a good versus evil sword and sorcery movie, with light sabers replacing the swords and sorcery replaced by "The Force". I remember seeing Star Wars: A New Hope (then known only as Star Wars) when I was just ten years old, and I loved it. I had all the action figures, and eagerly awaited the sequels. I never imagined, though, that it would be another twenty-eight years before the entire story would be told (a spectacular difference in the special effects from the first film to the last), and the toys would be played with by a new generation of kids.
The movies are all worth watching, but tend to be aimed at a younger audience. The best of all is one of the two that Lucas didn't direct, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. It had better action, was more mature that the others, and had a better sense of humour.
5- Highlander (1986) Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown. Directed by Russell Mulcahy. Lambert plays Connor MacLeod, a Scottish Highlander living in the 1500's who discovers he is immortal. He is trained by a great swordsman (Connery) to fight other immortals that are compelled to kill each by cutting off their opponent's heads (the only way they can die), and thereby absorbing all their strength. The last one standing (there can be only one) gets a cool prize. The final gathering of these eternal warriors occurs in modern-day New York, where MacLeod must face the evil and scary-looking Kurgan (Brown).
4- The Crow (1994) Brandon Lee, Rochelle Davis, Michael Wincott. Directed by Alex Proyas. A musician comes back from the dead to avenge his and his fiancée's murder by a group of thugs. He faces their boss, and his spooky girlfriend, both practitioners of black magic. A dark and moody film, with good action and an interesting story…one of my favorites.
3- Army of Darkness (1992) Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davitz. Directed by Sam Raimi. The third film in the series, this movie follows Bruce Campbell's character, 'Ash', as he is transported back in time to the medieval age, where he is forced to fight monsters and demons armed with a shotgun, a chainsaw, and his dry wit. A cult classic.
2- Jurassic Park (1993) Sam Neil, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Scientists on a remote island succeed in cloning dinosaurs from DNA found in prehistoric mosquitoes. If you want to see what dinosaurs would look like if they were alive and walking around, this is the first movie where the special effects were advanced enough to make you believe they are in fact real.
1- Conan the Barbarian (1982) Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones, Sandahl Bergman. Directed by John Milius. Conan's quest is to find the man who killed his parents when he was a child, and manages to find lots of people to battle along the way. If you ask me, it's the ultimate sword and sorcery film, with an emphasis on the sword.
10 Best Horror Movies
Definition: If a monster, creature, machine, zombie, or otherwise unbalanced person is pursuing people and killing them one by one, or even several at a time, it's a horror film. Just as horrifying is when a ghost, evil spirit, demon, or Satan himself comes to earth to cause trouble. Basically, if it scares you, makes you jump, close your eyes, have nightmares etc…it's a horror film.
10- The Amityville Horror (1979) James Brolin, Margot Kidder, Rod Steiger. Directed by Stuart Rosenberg. A family moves into a house that was the site of a mass murder, and experiences many frightening events, as the father (Brolin) is urged by an evil force to repeat the killings. It was supposedly based on a true story; however, the events in the movie have since been disputed. While the original mass murder actually did take place, many doubt that the family that moved in afterwards experienced any supernatural occurrences. And besides, the people living in the house today strangely have no problems with it. Don't get me wrong...it's still a scary movie. I'm just saying...
9- Pet Sematary (1989) Dale Midkiff, Fred Gwynne, Denise Crosby. Directed by Mary Lambert. There's a pet cemetery nearby, where the buried pets come back to life. Hmmm…I wonder what would happen if a dead person was buried there? This Stephen King movie is very frightening…especially that disturbingly diseased woman who's locked up in the bedroom.
8- The Exorcist 3 (1990) George C. Scott, Ed Flanders. Directed by William Peter Blatty. A cop and a priest trail a serial killer who possesses people in order to make them kill, and try to exorcise the demon. This movie has great dialogue, and will make you jump a couple of times. Very different from the first Exorcist film.
7- Evil Dead 2 (1987) Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry. Directed by Sam Raimi. In an isolated cabin in the woods, Ash (Campbell) battles demons out to possess anyone and anything…including his hand! Unlike the original Evil Dead, this one has a great sense of humour, as well as the horror aspect. After you see this, see the final film of this trilogy: Army of Darkness.
6- The Others (2001) Nicole Kidman, Fionulla Flanagan. Directed by Alejandro Amenabar. A woman lives in a house with her two children, and becomes convinced that it's haunted. This movie has no scary images in it, but by its mood alone gave me chills and made me jump a couple of times. It proves that you don't need blood and gore to frighten your audience.
5- The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988) Bill Pullman, Cathy Tyson. Directed by Wes Craven. A man goes to Haiti in search of the drug that supposedly creates zombies, and gets a first hand taste of it when he runs into an evil witch doctor. "Don't bury me…I'm not dead!"
4- Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The best of the many Dracula movies, Gary Oldman plays the Count as no one has before. Winona Ryder is exceptionally cute in this film.
3- Alien (1979) Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt. Directed by Ridley Scott. An alien with acid for blood and projecting jaws accidentally brought aboard a spaceship dines on the crew. Great suspense, and the first of a series. I remember the ads when it first came out: "In space, no one can hear you scream."
2- Jaws (1976) Roy Sheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw. Directed by Steven Spielberg. A Great White shark terrorizes a small resort town, while the sheriff (Sheider) tries to get the beach closed to prevent more people getting eaten. This is a great horror film not because of the images (the mechanical shark was good…for its time) but because of the effect it had on the public when it was released: People were actually afraid to go into the water.
1- The Exorcist (1973) Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Max Von Sidow. Directed by William Friedkin. A young girl is possessed by the devil, and priests try to exorcise the demon. She spits out everything from foul language to pea soup. It scared the crap out of me as a kid, and I still have trouble watching it...I'd rather watch an autopsy than have to look at that creepy face.
Honorable mentions go to:
- Poltergeist (1982) Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams. Directed by Tobe Hooper. A family is haunted by destructive ghosts in this movie written by Steven Spielberg. Plenty of scares in this film whose advertisements consisted of a little blonde girl talking to the static on her T.V., and then turning to her family to say: "They're heeeerrre!"
- Thirteen Ghosts (2001) Tony Shaloub, F. Murray Abraham, Shannon Elizabeth. Directed by Steve Beck. Ghosts haunt a house inherited by a family from a wealthy collector. The ghosts are frightening, and the house is an unbelievable design, with mechanically operated walls that move and constantly change its design.
10 Best Monster Movies
Definition: AAAAHHH!!! It's a MONSTER! Kill it…KILL IT!
10- The Mummy (1931) Boris Karloff, Zita Johann. Directed by Karl Freund. An archeological expedition in Egypt discovers the tomb of Im-Ho-Tep, whose mummy is unintentionally awakened when one of the archeologists reads from an ancient scroll. The "mummy" of mummy movies.
9- The Blob (1988) Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith. Directed by Chuck Russell. A meteorite falls to earth containing a blob that grows bigger as it eats more and more people in a small town. Two teens (Dillon) tries to warn everyone, but of course, no one believes them until it's too late. Good special effects, as you can see the people being digested within the gooey blob. A remake of the 1958 version starring Steve McQueen, which is also worth looking at.
8- Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) Richard Carlson, Julie Adams, Richard Denning. Directed by Jack Arnold. Explorers seek to capture a mysterious amphibious yet man-like creature living in a lagoon in a tropical jungle. The "Gill-Man" costume is really cool looking (although it must have been pretty hot inside), with actual working gills, and the movie has a good pace.
7- Frankenstein (1931) Colin Clive, Boris Karloff. Directed by James Whale. An eccentric scientist collects body parts and puts them together along with a little lightning to make history. The original "Mad Scientist" movie, and Karloff is great as the misunderstood monster.
6- Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1954) Raymond Burr, Takashi Shimura, Akira Takarada. Directed by Ishiro Honda/Terry O. Morse. Thanks to the naughty Americans and all their nuclear testing in the Pacific ocean (I guess the Japanese were still bitter about Hiroshima and Nagasaki), a giant fire breathing, dinosaur-like lizard monster has been created, and it terrorizes Tokyo . This is the American version of the original Japanese movie (which was just called Godzilla) which they dubbed into English and added Raymond Burr. It spawned a series of Japanese Godzilla movies (Mothra vs. Godzilla, Terror of Mechagodzilla, Ghidora the Three-Headed Monster…there's a whole bunch), where a guy in a bad rubber suit crushes models of buildings while Japanese people run in terror. Most of the series is fun and light hearted. Don't bother with the 1998 version.
5- The Thing from Another World (1951) Kenneth Tobey, Margaret Sheridan. Directed by Christian Nyby. Antarctic researchers and Air Force officers investigate the crash site of a mysterious aircraft, where they find a body frozen in the ice. As you would imagine, the visitor is not in a good mood when he is eventually thawed out. The dialogue in this movie is clever and quick-paced, and despite the monster aspect, it is very realistically done…no one runs to hide in a dead end, and the characters are smart and ingenious in their attempts to battle the creature. I watch it every time it's on one of the late night monster movie channels.
4- The Fly (1986) Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis. Directed by David Cronenberg. Goldblum plays Seth Brundle, a scientist who builds a machine that can teleport matter from one pod to another. He tries to teleport himself, not noticing that a fly has entered the pod with him, and upon emerging, the two have become genetically merged…to the dismay of his new girlfriend (Davis). There are some repulsive scenes as "Brundlefly" slowly transforms and discovers his abilities...among them: New ways to digest his food.
3- King Kong (1933) Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong. Directed by Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack. A film crew goes to an exotic island and battles giant monsters, including a giant ape who takes a shining to their female star. They decide to capture it, and seemed genuinely surprised when he later "goes ape" on them. Amazing special effects for its time…this movie must have terrified the people who first saw it.
2- The Thing (1982) Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley. Directed by John Carpenter. A group of researchers on an isolated base in Antarctica find the frozen remains of a bizarre creature and end up regretting thawing it out, as it can mimic any living thing…including them. This film features incredible alien transformations that only a sick mind could create or enjoy. A remake of The Thing from Another World (see #5 above).
1- Tremors (1990) Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Finn Carter. Directed by Ron Underwood. Two handymen (Bacon/Ward), tired of life in the small desert town of Perfection, decide it's time to move on to better things. The day they decide to leave however, they find that something has been munching on the local population, and with the help of a visiting geology student (the cute Finn Carter), they go back to warn everyone. Michael Gross and Reba McIntire are great as the gun nut couple who are better armed than a small country. It's a fun movie, with action, humour, suspense...and "Graboids". One of my all time favorites, and a cult classic.
10 Best Parodies
Definition: A movie that makes fun of, imitates, or spoofs, a popular movie or television series. You know…like a parody.
10- Scary Movie (2000) Anna Farris, Jon Abrahams, Marlon Wayans. Directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans. A group of teenagers who kill someone in a car accident are then stalked by a serial killer. A spoof of teenage horror movies, the opening scene where Carmen Electra is running in her underwear in slow motion through lawn sprinklers is worth the price of the rental. There are three sequels, none as good as the original though.
9- Flesh Gordon (1974) Jason Williams, Suzanne Fields, William Dennis Hunt. Directed by Michael Benveniste, Howard Ziehm. In this adult version of the popular Flash Gordon television series, the evil Emperor Wang the Perverted threatens the earth with his Sex-Ray (just like it sounds: When hit by it, everyone starts having sex) and only Flesh (Williams) and Dale (Fields) can stop him. There's a lot of gratuitous nudity and some mild sex scenes in this campy film, but for me the highlight is when a giant monster with a surprisingly calm voice gets shot in the butt, turns to the camera, and says "Ow…my…ass." I guess you had to be there.
8- Top Secret (1984) Val Kilmer, Lucy Gutteridge. Directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker. In this parody of World War II spy movies, an American singer (Kilmer) is recruited by the French resistance to rescue a kidnapped scientist. At one point, he is introduced to a member of the resistance known as "Déjà-Vue" who asks him: "'Aven't we met before?" If you learn anything from this film, it's to opt for the front end when dressing up in a cow costume.
7- Airplane! (1980) Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty. Directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker. A spoof of the 1970's 'Airport' disaster movies, a washed out pilot (Hays) must take control of an airliner when the crew becomes sick. Surely you must be joking? I'm not…and don't call me Shirley.
6- Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) Steve Martin, Rachel Ward. Directed by Carl Reiner. A sultry brunette (Ward) hires private eye Rigby Reardon (Martin) to solve her father's murder. This parody of private eye films of the forties and fifties differs from the rest in that this film uses actual footage from these movies. Martin interacts with the likes of Burt Lancaster, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and many others, and it's very cleverly done in that they had to write the dialogue and story to fit with the scenes they wanted to use.
5- This is Spinal Tap (1984) Michael McKean, Christopher Guest. Directed by Rob Reiner. This mockumentary follows the trials and tribulations Spinal Tap, a rock band in the "where-are-they now", column on their comeback tour. While the movie parodies rock documentaries, the band itself is a parody of seventies heavy metal bands. There's a lot of talent here, as the comedians starring in this film also wrote and played their own music. When you watch this film, turn the volume up to eleven.
4- The Naked Gun (1988) Leslie Neilson, Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy. Directed by David Zucker. Frank Drebin (Neilson) must foil the planned assassination of Queen Elizabeth II. Just about everyone plays it straight as the clumsy and incompetent Drebin stumbles his way through the movie. Based on the Police Squad television show, itself a spoof of seventies police shows, you can see O.J. Simpson before he became a murderer…he's actually pretty funny. The two sequels, The Naked Gun 2 ½ with Robert Goulet as the villain, and Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult with the pre-fat Anna Nicole Smith are just as entertaining.
3- Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) Mike Meyers, Elizabeth Hurley, Michael York, Robert Wagner. Directed by Jay Roach. A spy movie spoof where a frozen secret agent from the sixties is thawed out to face his arch enemy (both played by Myers) and they themselves very out of place in today's world. There are two sequels: Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, with the sexy Heather Graham (Yeah, baby!), and Austin Powers: Goldmember with Beyoncé Knowles. Goldmember features a great fight scene between Austin and Mini Me (Verne Troyer) along with two funny pee gags, but isn't as good as the first two.
2- Hot Shots! (1991) Charlie Sheen, Cary Elwes, Valerie Golino. Directed by Jim Abrahams. Topper Harley (Sheen), a fighter pilot, is haunted by the memory of his father, who was killed when he was shot down on his last mission. His father had actually parachuted to safety, but was then shot by a near-sighted hunter who mistook him for a deer, ate him, and mounted his still helmeted head on the wall. In this side splitting parody of Top Gun, Sheen is at his funniest, and Valerie Golino is so hot you could fry an egg on her stomach. The sequel, Hot Shots! Part Deux, features similar humor, but isn't as good.
1- Spaceballs (1987) Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, John Candy. Directed by Mel Brooks. Lord Dark Helmet (Moranis) plans to steal the air from the planet Druidia, and the only ones who can stop him are Lone Star (Pullman) and his sidekick Barf (Candy), who's a Mog (half man, half dog…he's his own best friend). Along for the ride are the beautiful Princess Vespa (Zuniga) and her droid, Dot (voiced by Joan Rivers). A hilarious spoof of the Star Wars films, strap yourself in and prepare for ludicrous speed!
10 Best Science-Fiction Movies
Definition: To me, a Science Fiction movie offers us a glimpse of what our future might be like. Sometimes it's a positive outlook (like Star Trek), but sometimes it comes as a warning: If we're not careful, and we continue on the path we're following, what happens in the film is what may happen to us some day. That, and movies with aliens in them.
10- They Live (1988) Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster. Directed by John Carpenter. A drifter named Nada (Piper) finds sunglasses that allows him to see that the world is full of disguised aliens that are trying to take over the world by running for office and using subliminal advertising. A comment on society and how people accept what they're told by politicians, there's fun great scenes, like the fight between Nada and Frank, and the scene where Nada walk into a bank full of aliens and says "I'm here to chew bubble gum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubble gum".
9- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. A mysterious monolith is found on the moon, and a spaceship, equipped with an overly sensitive computer named Hal, is sent to investigate its origin. Considered a Sci-Fi classic.
8- The War of the Worlds (1953) Gene Barry, Ann Robinson. Directed by Byron Haskin. Martians land on earth and pretty much shoot anything that moves. Our defenses are useless! Oh how will we ever defeat them? Great special effects for its time.
7- Contact (1997) Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Skerritt. Directed by Robert Zemeckis. A scientist (Foster) monitoring sounds from outer space, hears a signal that may have come from another world, that includes plans to build an extraordinary but mysterious machine. It's religion versus science in this film, as McConaughey plays a preacher whose faith challenges Foster's purely scientific beliefs.
6- The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) Michael Rennie, Particia Neal. Directed by Robert Wise. Klaatu (Rennie) and his giant robot arrive on Earth in a flying saucer with a message for humans: Cut down on all the fighting and violence, or we'll wipe you out. A movie with a message.
5- Planet of the Apes (1968) Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall. Directed by Frank J. Schaffner. Charlton Heston plays an astronaut stranded on a planet where man and ape have reversed roles (as one ape says: "Human see, human do"), and he's the one put in a cage. Very well written, with many memorable lines. The ape makeup in this movie was so good for its time, that it was awarded an honorary Oscar for Best Makeup before the category even existed.
4-Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982) William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Ricardo Montalban. Directed by Nicholas Meyer. Captain Kirk (Shatner) and the crew of the Starship Enterprise face off against an old enemy from the Star Trek television series, the genetically superior Khan Noonien Singh (brilliantly played by Montalban, who must have hated shaving his chest for the role…), who steals the "Genesis device", a device that can re-arrange matter on a planet-wide scale. The second, and best, of the Star Trek movies, there's a great scene where Kirk battles Khan's ship while both ship's sensors are blinded by a Nebula, an homage to the sub battle in Run Silent Run Deep. Khaaaaan!
3- Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Teri Garr. Directed by Steven Spielberg. A line worker encounters some UFO's and is then inexplicably drawn to a remote desert location, along with many others. One of the first alien movies where the extraterrestrials are not out to conquer our planet and enslave us. Or are they...?
2- Minority Report (2002) Tom Cruise, Max Von Sidow. Directed by Steven Spielberg. In the year 2054, murders have become a thing of the past. That's because a special police unit, which uses beings known as "Pre-Cognizants" who can foresee a murder, can arrest the murderer before he commits his crime (you can imagine the ethical implications). Tom Cruise plays one of these "pre-cops" who is framed and must flee his own squad to prove his innocence.
This movie is very clever in its portrayal of the progression of technology, from computers that are manipulated without keyboards, to advertisements that call you by name, to the non-lethal weapons used by the police (I love the "sick-sticks").
1-Blade Runner (1982) Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer. Directed by Ridley Scott. A futuristic detective story, in which human replicants search for longer life, and beat the crap out of Harrison Ford in the process.
Honorable mention goes to:
- Gattaca (1997) Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman. Directed by Andrew Niccol. In the future, just about everyone is genetically engineered, with their careers pre-programmed. Those who aren't are considered to be inferior, and one of them tries to fraud his way into the space program. This is pure Sci-Fi, as in it's a comment on today's society, and speculates what our future might be like if we're not careful.
10 Best Spy Movies
Definition: A movie involving secret agents, espionage etc. Mostly, it's Bond films.
10- Diamonds are Forever (1971) Sean Connery, Jill St. John, Charles Gray. Directed by Guy Hamilton. A diamond smuggling ring leads agent Bond (Connery) to Las Vegas, where he find the ringleader is none other than his arch nemesis, Blofeld (Gray). Along the way, two quirky and hilarious hit men calling themselves Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd (Bruce Glover and Putter Smith, respectively) who have a habit of holding hands, eliminate anyone coming in contact with the diamonds. As if that wasn't enough, Bond also has to fight off a couple of female assassins calling themselves Bambi and Thumper, and let's not forget the sexy sixties pin-up girl Jill St. John as Tiffany Case. One of the funnier Bond films, this would be Connery's last appearance as 007, passing the baton to Roger Moore.
9- The Hunt for Red October (1990) Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin. Directed by John McTiernan. Connery plays a rogue Soviet submarine captain who defies his orders and heads towards New York in his new sub, the Red October. Baldwin plays the CIA agent trying to convince the American government that the captain is actually defecting, and not bent on attacking. Connery steals the show (as usual), and highlights include an underwater battle between the two countries. Based on the Best Selling novel by Tom Clancy.
8-Ronin (1998) Robert DeNiro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone. A mysterious woman (McElhone) forms a team consisting of various former agents and mercenaries to retrieve a suitcase from a man trying to sell it to the highest bidder. There are many people who would like to get their hands on this suitcase, including some within the team itself. This film is highlighted by some of the best car chases ever made, thanks to the same director who did the Formula 1 movie Grand Prix. An effort was even made to make the engine and exhaust sounds as authentic as possible.
7- The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) Roger Moore, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland. Directed by Guy Hamilton. James Bond (Moore) pursues Francesco Scaramanga (Lee), an assassin who uses a golden gun with gold bullets, and lives on a secret island with an assistant called Nick Nack (Hervé Villechaize). There's a great car chase where Bond meets up with the redneck Sheriff (Clifton James) from Live and Let Die, and a bridge jump that you wouldn't believe…keep in mind back then, the car stunts were actually done with real cars, not computer generated ones.
6-Casino Royale (2006) Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen. Directed by Martin Campbell. On his first mission, James Bond (Craig) is sent to stop Le Chiffre (Mikkelsen) from winning a high stakes poker tournament that he arranged to make back the money lost when Bond foiled his evil plans to blow up an airliner. This film show how Bond became a double "0" agent, and shows him in a slightly different light…at one point, he gets frustrated and takes a knife off a waiter's tray to kill Le Chiffre. The film gets of to a great start with a fantastic parkour foot chase at the beginning, which shows that there's still room for physical stunts in movies in this age of computer generated effects.
5- The Saint (1997) Val Kilmer, Elisabeth Shue. Directed by Phillip Noyce. A secret agent movie based on the television series. Val Kilmer plays Simon Templar, a master of disguise, who tries to charm the clothes off a scientist (Shue) to get at her cold-fusion recipe in order to sell it for one final score. Worth watching, and better than most of the recent James Bond movies.
4- Mission Impossible (1996) Tom Cruise, Jon Voight. Directed by Brian De Palma. Cruise plays Ethan Hunt, a secret agent suspected of sabotaging his last mission, and must prove his innocence. It's a taut thriller and aimed at an intelligent audience, so you need to pay attention when watching this one.
3- Live and Let Die (1973) Roger Moore, Yaphet Kotto, Jane Seymour. Directed by Guy Hamilton. Secret agent James Bond (Moore, in his first Bond role) goes to Harlem to investigate the deaths of several agents, where he meets Mr. Big (Kotto), a drug dealer who uses a beautiful psychic (Seymour) to predict upcoming events. Bond follows the case to the Caribbean, where he outwits crocodiles, annoys a redneck Sheriff (Clifton James), and a crosses paths with a voodoo priest with a maniacal laugh. There's also a great chase scene with ramp jumps…only instead of cars, it's powerboats doing the jumping.
2- The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, Curd Jurgens. Directed by Lewis Gilbert. British and Soviet submarines both carrying nuclear warheads mysteriously disappear, and Bond (Moore) must team up with his attractive Soviet counterpart (Bach) to find them. The quintessential spy movie, it's got a quest for secret microfilm, a secret rocket base inside a volcano complete with monorail transit, a henchman called Jaws who kills his victims with his unique dental work, and best of all: A bald megalomaniac villain (the inspiration for the villain in the Austin Powers films) who strokes a white cat and kills subordinates who fail him by dropping them into a pool of piranhas.
1- Goldfinger (1964) Sean Connery, Honor Blackman, Gert Frobe. Directed by Guy Hamilton. James Bond agent 007 (Connery) investigates Auric Goldfinger (Frobe) a gold dealer who's planning to rob Fort Knox, the American gold depository with an army base as security. One of the best lines of any Bond film occurs when Goldfinger has Bond strapped to a table, with a laser slowly on its way to cutting him in half: "Do you expect me to talk, Goldfinger?" Bond asks, "No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die!" It's also the Bond movie with the best name for the female lead: Pussy Galore (Blackman), and I also love Goldfinger's henchman "Oddjob" (Harold Sakata), a chubby Japanese hit man who decapitates his victims by throwing his steel rimmed hat.
10 Best Superhero Movies
Definition: They fight for those who can't fight for themselves; they help the helpless, and keep our streets safe. Or…they're just out for revenge. Some fly, some are strong, but all have something the rest of us don't that makes them super.
10 - Iron man (2008) Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges. Directed by Jon Favreau. An arms dealer (Downey Jr.) designs an armored suit that can fly and defeat bad guys. It gets going right away, there's always something happening, very little dialogue, and very simple with no story whatsoever. The music is great, and the Iron Man suit is one of the coolest looking superhero suits ever made.
9 - Batman Begins (2005) Christian Bale, Michael Caine. Directed by Christopher Nolan. The story of the origin of Batman, even how and where he learned to fight so well. A dark film, the way a Batman film should be.
8 - Superman 2 (1980) Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman. Three villains from Krypton escape and are out to get Superman. Terence Stamp is great as General Zod ("Kneel before Zod!"), and there's an awesome fight scene in the city streets where they throw everything they can at Superman…including a bus.
7 - Darkman (1990) Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand. Directed by Sam Raimi. Neeson plays a disfigured scientist who makes artificial skin and uses it as a mask to get revenge on those who scarred him. There's one catch though: He only has 99 minutes to act before the mask melts.
6- Batman (1966) Adam West, Burt Ward, Lee Meriwether, the original Batmobile. Directed by Leslie H. Martinson. In this movie version of the 1960's campy television show, Batman (West) and Robin (Ward) face four villains: The Joker (Cesar Romero), Catwoman (Meriwether), The Penguin (Burgess Meredith) and The Riddler (Frank Gorshin). They team up to take over the world with a secret device that dehydrates people and turns them to dust. Great fun, lots of laughs, and great performances by all the villains…Cesar Romero was always my favourite Joker.
5 - Superman (1978) Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman. Directed by Richard Donner. The story of the origin of Superman. He battles Lex Luthor (Hackman), an evil villain bent on starting an earthquake that would cause half of California to fall into the sea, making the land he owns beachfront property. Reeve plays Superman better than anyone before or since, and this film was nominated for three Oscars.
4 - Batman the Dark Knight (2008) Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman. Directed by Christopher Nolan. Batman battles The Joker, who's out to wreak havoc for no reason other than for his own sick enjoyment. Ledger is great as The Joker, and I loved some scenes like the shotgun toting bank manager, and Freeman's reaction to the guy who discovers Batman's secret identity and tries to blackmail him.
3 - Unbreakable (2000) Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Bruce Willis plays a man with family problems who is told he may have the powers of a superhero by a comic book collector (Jackson) in this suspense filled thriller. The hero here doesn't have tights and a cape, but he's no less heroic.
2- Spiderman (2002) Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe. Directed by Sam Raimi. A nerdy student (Maguire) is bitten by a radioactive spider and becomes a superhero. Spiderman faces off against the Green Goblin (Dafoe) in this movie with great fights and action sequences, and a love story to boot. You wouldn't think that a movie about a guy who can walk up walls and shoot spider webs from his wrists could be believable, but they manage to pull it off. Sam Raimi's directing style seems to be perfectly suited for a movie about a comic book hero, making this, and its sequel, among the best such movies ever made.
1- Spiderman 2 (2004) Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Alfred Molina. Directed by Sam Raimi. This time Spidey (Maguire) faces off against Doctor Otto Octavius (Molina), a scientist who goes mad when four mechanical arms attached to his body take over his mind and urge him to continue a dangerous experiment to produce unlimited power. The action in this film is fantastic, with a great fight scene where Spiderman battles Doc Oc on an elevated train that you can never see too many times.
10 Best Supernatural Movies
Definition: There are no such things as magic, ghosts, and miracles…but wouldn't it be cool if there were?
10 - Cocoon (1985) Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Steve Guttenberg. Directed by Ron Howard. Some elderly people discover a pool full of strange cocoons, and after swimming in it, discover that it's a veritable fountain of youth. This movie won two Oscars.
9 - The Craft (1996) Neve Campbell, Fairuza Balk. Directed by Andrew Fleming. Four schoolgirls, who are social outcasts, join up to practice witchcraft and get revenge on those who wronged them. Great effects for its time.
8 - Ghost (1990) Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore. Directed by Jerry Zucker. Sam Wheat (Swayze) is killed in a mugging and comes back as a ghost because of his love for his wife (Moore). Whoopi Goldberg plays a psychic channeling Sam's spirit, and in one scene, she and Moore…ew. A love story, with a memorable scene featuring Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers.
7 - Groundhog Day (1993) Bill Murray, Andy MacDowell. Directed by Harold Ramis. A comedy where a man wakes up on Groundhog Day, and every day following is the same day repeated over and over. He falls for a girl (MacDowell), and every day tries something different to get her interested in him. What would you do if you knew what would happen everyday?
6- Vanilla Sky (2001) Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz. Directed by Cameron Crowe. A publisher (Cruise) finds his life changed in a surreal way after a car accident. A tragic love story, and you only really find out what's going on in the end.
5 - Fallen (1998) Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Donald Sutherland. Directed by Gregory Hoblit. A murderer is executed, and homicide detective John Hobbes (Washington) notices that despite that, the murders seem to be continuing. Hobbes realizes that something is possessing people and moving from person to person as he pursues it. How do you catch a killer that can move like that?
4- Being John Malkovich (1999) John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, John Malkovich. Directed by Spike Jonze. A failed puppeteer (Cusack) finds a hidden doorway on the fourth and a half floor of an office building that transports him into the mind of John Malkovich (where he can see and experience everything Malkovich does) and fifteen minutes later expels him by the New Jersey Turnpike. No really, I'm serious.
3 - City of Angels (1998) Nicholas Cage, Meg Ryan, Dennis Franz. Directed by Brad Silberling. An angel (Cage) falls in love with a human doctor (Ryan), and gives up his wings so he can touch her. A moving love story, and Franz is funny as Nathaniel Messinger, an angel who made the leap to humanity to experience its hedonistic pleasures.
2 - Field of Dreams (1989) Kevin Costner, Ami Madigan, James Earl Jones. Directed by Phil Alden Robinson. A farmer hears voices telling him to "Build it and they will come", and proceeds to build a baseball diamond over part of his field, where the ghosts of former ballplayers can come to play again. Jones is great as the angry, secluded writer that Costner must convince to come to his field. You'll smile a lot in this charming movie.
1 - The Green Mile (1999) Tom Hanks, David Morse, Michael Clarke Duncan. Directed by Frank Darabont. Prison guards on Death Row are surprised by inmate John Coffey (like the drink, only not spelt the same) who has the power to take away all disease, and even bring back the dead. There's a great camaraderie between the guards, and everyone is fantastic in this film. You'll go through a whole range of emotions in this one, from feeling sympathy for Coffey's plight, to the horror of a botched electric chair execution.
10 Best Thrillers
Definition: A movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat in suspense or fear.
10- The Shining (1980) Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. A man takes a job as a caretaker of an old isolated hotel where he must spend the winter, and brings his family along. The problem is that the hotel is haunted, and spirits influence him to commit violent acts.
9- The Omen (1976) Gregory Peck, Lee Remick. Directed by Richard Donner. An American ambassador suspects that his son is the antichrist…and not just because he won't clean up his room. The music is spooky, and so is the mood. The sequels are not as good.
8- Seven (1995) Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow. Directed by David Fincher. A serial killer uses the Seven Deadly Sins as his theme, while two detectives (Pitt and Freeman) try to catch him. This movie has a dark, disturbing mood to it.
7- Signs (2002) Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Crop circles, a preacher who's lost his faith after the death of his wife, and something running around in the field. What do they all have in common? Yet again, M. Night Shyamalan succeeds in creating a suspenseful mood without using music, and you're watching the film wide eyed and focused, wondering what's coming next.
6- The Sixth Sense (1999) Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. A child (Osment) is able to see the spirits of dead people, and Bruce Willis plays a therapist who has problems of his own. A spooky supernatural thriller that will give you shivers.
5- Psycho (1960) Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. A woman on the run finds herself a the Bates Motel, who's proprietor is more than a little strange. Perkins is excellent as a loner whose overbearing mother convinces him that other women are bad, and should be dealt with. While Jaws made people afraid of the beach, Psycho made them afraid to take showers.
4- Memento (2000) Guy Pearce, Carrie-Ann Moss, Joe Pantoliano. Directed by Christopher Nolan. A man with a short term memory must find his wife's killer, and has to tattoo all the clues he uncovers on his body before he forgets them. The cool thing about this movie is that it runs backwards, in five to ten minute increments. Despite starting with the ending, you still don't know how the film will end…or is it begin?
3- Misery (1990) James Caan, Cathy Bates. Directed by Rob Reiner. An author (Caan) crashes his car in the woods, and is rescued and taken in by what turns out to be his biggest fan (Bates). The problem is, she doesn't want him to get better until he finishes the last novel in the "Misery" series that she loves to read. Cathy Bates is amazing as the psycho fan…her performance makes the film.
2- The Silence of the Lambs (1990) Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins. Directed by Jonathan Demme. Foster plays an F.B.I. cadet, asked to interview a jailed psychopath (played by the talented Anthony Hopkins) in order to gain some insight that may help catch a serial killer. The cast is excellent, and the serial killer is especially disturbing.
1- Dark City (1998) Rufus Sewell, Keifer Sutherland, William Hurt, Jennifer Connelly. Directed by Alex Proyas. A man (Sewell) wakes up not knowing who he is and is haunted by memories that may not be his own, while the world around him is manipulated by strange beings. He is followed by a creepy doctor (Sutherland, in an amazing performance) who seems to have all the answers. A dark film, with lots of suspense.
10 Best War Movies
Definition: Any movie depicting events occurring during an actual war. It's not necessary for the events to have actually occurred, but it helps. Historical accuracy in the details (equipment, weapons, tactics etc.) is always a plus.
10- Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) Marin Balsam, So Yamamura, Joseph Cotten. Directed by Richard Fleischer/Kinji Fukasaku. A historically accurate account of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, told by both sides, with actual war footage.
9- Run Silent Run Deep (1958) Clark Gable, Burt Lancaster, Jack Warden. Directed by Robert Wise. A new submarine captain (Gable) defies orders, and a jealous first officer (Lancaster) who wanted the command, by seeking revenge against the warship that sunk his previous sub. There's a great tension filled face off against an enemy sub where both vessels are running silent and blind, and both crews listen for the slightest sound that would give away the enemy's position.
8- The Longest Day (1962) Eddie Albert, Henry Fonda. Directed by Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, Bernhard Wicki, Darryl F. Zanuck. A realistic World War 2 film about the D-Day invasion in Normandy, from both points of view. Considered to be one of the best World War 2 movies, created by some who were there.
7- Battle of the Bulge (1965) Henry Fonda, Robert Shaw. Directed by Ken Annakin. To prevent an Allied invasion of Germany, Hitler orders an offensive to retake French territory, as well as the port city of Antwerp. Shown from both American and German perspective, there's lots of tank action.
6- Sahara (1943) Humphrey Bogart, Bruce Bennett. Directed by Zoltan Korda. An American tank crew in Africa during World War 2 picks up stranded allied soldiers and battles Germans, all while in search of water. Kirk Douglas is also in this film, but he makes the fatal mistake of showing someone a picture of his girl back home…an instant death sentence in war films, he is soon killed.
5- The Dirty Dozen (1967) Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson. Directed by Robert Aldrich. Lee Marvin is great as an officer who must train of a bunch of death row inmates to be sent on a suicide mission, with the promise of having their sentences commuted. Spoiler alert: they don't all make it.
4- Full Metal Jacket (1987) Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. What happens when you break someone, and then train him to be a killer? He kills you, that's what. A realistic portrayal of a group of marines going through boot camp and then sent to fight in Vietnam. Another war movie that makes you really not want to go to war.
3- Platoon (1986) Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe. Directed by Oliver Stone. A young recruit tries to survive his tour of duty in Vietnam. An Oscar winning Vietnam War movie by someone who was there.
2- Apocalypse Now (1979) Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, Marlon Brando. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. A lieutenant (Sheen) in Vietnam is ordered to find and eliminate a General (Brando) who's gone native. The horror…the horror…
1- Saving Private Ryan (1998) Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore. Directed by Steven Spielberg. A small group of soldiers are sent to find a private whose brothers have all been killed, and bring him home. Along the way, they debate the logic of risking all their lives for one man. Lots of action and realistic violence…an accurate portrayal of the ravages of war. Great sound for those with a home theatre.
Honorable mentions go to:
- The Deer Hunter (1978) Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep. Directed by Michael Cimino. The story of three Pennsylvania factory workers who experience horrors in Vietnam, and the effects on their lives afterwards. Great movie, but the wedding sequence at the beginning goes on for too long to make it to my ten best.
- A Bridge Too Far (1977) Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Gene Hackman. Directed by Richard Attenborough. During World War 2, the Allies try to capture three key bridges behind enemy lines. An all star cast, and lots of action.
- Midway (1976) Charlton Heston, Edward Albert, Henry Fonda. Directed by Jack Smight. At Midway Island, the Americans turn the tide in the Pacific theatre during World War 2. An all star cast, and this film uses real footage from the war, some of the same footage as in Tora! Tora! Tora! , shown above.
10 Best Westerns
Definition: Any movie that takes place in the American West before the 1920's, most often the mid to late 1800's. There's cowboys, horses, saloons with the swinging doors...you get the idea.
10- The Gunfighter (1950) Gregory Peck, Helen Westcott. Directed by Henry King. A gunfighter wants to hang up his guns, but when you're the best, there's always someone out to beat you.
9- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) Paul Newman, Robert Redford. Directed by George Roy Hill. Two bank robbers run from the law. If you didn't know any better, you'd think it was one of those eighties buddy action films.
8- High Noon (1952) Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly. Directed by Fred Zinnemann. It takes place in real time, as a small town Marshall tries to get some help against a group of hired guns on their way to kill him, but even his deputies are unwilling.
7- The Oxbow Incident (1943) Henry Fonda, Anthony Quinn. Directed by William A. Wellman. Three men are falsely accused of murder, and a mob debates lynching them...a great moral drama. Something to look for: The rich southerner's maid is played by Margaret Hamilton, who played the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz.
6- For a Few Dollars More (1965) Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Gian Maria Volonte. Directed by Sergio Leone. Two bounty hunters go for the same man. Since they each work alone, they'd rather shoot each other's hats than help each other. Another great Sergio Leone "Spaghetti Western".
5- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966) Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef. Directed by Sergio Leone. A "Spaghetti Western", it's got weird music and the gunshots all make a whistling ricochet sound, but it's a great film. My favorite line is when a gunfighter has Eli Wallach's character cornered in a bathtub, and starts to tell him how happy he is to have finally caught him. Wallach shoots him and says "If you're gonna shoot…shoot, don't talk".
4- The Magnificent Seven (1960) Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen. Directed by John Sturges. Featuring an all star cast, seven gunfighters rally the citizens of a small town to fight against the bad guys. You can't see this film enough times.
3- Rio Bravo (1959) John Wayne, Dean Martin. Directed by Howard Hawks. A Sheriff (Wayne) must hold a criminal in his jail, whose brother is planning to break him out, until the Marshall arrives to pick him up. The Sheriff's only help are his two deputies, one a crippled old man, and the other a drunk (Martin), until a young gunfighter shows up to lend a hand. A very well done and realistic story.
2- The Quick and the Dead (1995) Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio. Directed by Sam Raimi. Sharon Stone is great as the heroine out to seek revenge against Gene Hackman's character, who's as cold blooded as they come. The film is full of memorable characters ("Spotted Horse cannot be killed by a bullet!"), and features a gunfight competition, whose duels are the best and most suspenseful I've ever seen.
1- Unforgiven (1992) Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman. Directed by Clint Eastwood. Arguably the best western ever made. Clint Eastwood plays an assassin who comes out of retirement for one more score, and is reminded that killing people for a living can take its toll.
Honorable mentions go to:
- The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) Clint Eastwood, Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke. Directed by Clint Eastwood. A farmer's family is killed and he joins a Confederate militia unit to find the thugs responsible. Basically, if you want to see a good western, you can't go wrong if Clint Eastwood is in it.
6 Best Zombie Movies
Definition: The dead have risen, and are attacking and eating the living. Those who survive getting bitten eventually die and come back as zombies themselves. The heroes tend to isolate themselves for some reason, but despite locked and barricaded doors and windows, the zombies always manage to get in somehow. Yeah, there are only 6 films in this list…zombie movies tend to be crappy. When I see another good one, I'll post it.
6 - Night of the Living Dead (1968) Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea. Directed by George A. Romero. The original zombie movie. "Ahh…zombies! Let's hide in that house!" pretty much sums it up. Very creepy in black and white, and I love what happens to the sole survivor in the end.
5 - Day of the Dead (1985) Lori Cardille, Terry Alexander. Directed by George A. Romero. The third in Romero's "…of the Dead" series, the characters find themselves in an underground military shelter, only it doesn't shelter them for long. The highlight in this movie is the performance by Sherman Howard, who plays Bub, a captured zombie who shows signs of modest intelligence, and for whom we actually feel some sympathy.
4 - Dawn of the Dead (1978) David Emge, Ken Foree. Directed by George A. Romero. The second of Romero's zombie movies, the heroes take refuge in a shopping mall. Good violence and gore, a true classic.
3 - Return of the Living Dead (1985). Clu Gulager, James Karen, Thom Mathews. Directed by Dan O'Bannon. A barrel with a dangerous chemical developed by the army is accidentally breeched, and the vapors cause the dead to come alive, scaring the crap out of a group of punk rockers. When the characters discover that, unlike most zombie movies, the undead are not killed by destroying the brain, one of them claims "You mean the movie lied?" The zombies can talk in this one, which makes it easier for them to order more food from an ambulance radio after they've finished off the paramedics. Oh, and they only want to eat one part of the body: Brains!
2 - Shaun of the Dead (2004) Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright. Directed by Edgar Wright. The two stars are also the writers of this comedy about zombies ruining a Londoner's plan to get back together with his girlfriend. Very funny and fast paced, a nice change from the usually depressing zombie movie.
1 - Dawn of the Dead (2004) Sarah Polley, Jack Weber, Ving Raimes. Directed by Zack Snyder. The mood is set early with a creepy song from Johnny Cash (When the Man Comes Around) in this remake of the 1978 classic listed above. The characters hold up in a shopping center, with fast moving zombies on one side and a megalomaniac mall security guard on the other. Ving Raimes is great as the tough talking cop, Jack Weber plays a cool dude, and I love the gun store owner across the street from the mall shooting zombies from the rooftop. Good horror, including probably the first ever zombie baby.
