MadMikeyD's Top 100 Films

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80. The Passion of the Christ (2004, Mel Gibson)

Starring: Jim Caviezel

Not a film you can rewatch dozens of times, but very powerful each time you do. The violent portrayal of Jesus' punishment has received some backlash since its release, but it really adds weight to just what He went through to do what He did.

79. The Last Castle (2001, Rod Lurie)

Starring: Robert Redford, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo

Initially I had absolutely no interest in this film. Then I started to watch it. Some people are just born leaders, if they want to be or not. Some people are just not cut out to be leaders, no matter how desparately they try. This film is an excellent story of what can happen when those two personalities clash.

78. Witness (1985, Peter Weir)

Starring: Harrison Ford,Kelly McGillis, Danny Glover, Viggo Mortensen

I've said before, this was the first movie that made me like Harrison Ford as a real actor, and not just as Han Solo/Indiana Jones. A wonderful performance and a really good film.

77. The Princess Bride (1987, Rob Reiner)

Starring: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, Andre the Giant

Great storybook fun. I love the character of Inigo Montoya and Andre the Giant's performance is fantastic.

76. The Blues Brothers (1980, John Landis)

Starring: John Belushi, Dan Ayckroyd, Carrie Fisher

One of very few good films based on Saturday Night Live sketches. Lots of laughs, great music, fun chase scenes. Just a great way to escape for two hours.
__________________
"I made mistakes in drama. I thought drama was when actors cried. But drama is when the audience cries." - Frank Capra
Family DVD Collection | My Top 100 | My Movie Thoughts | Frank Capra



75. Shrek (2001, Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jensen)

Starring: Mike Meyers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, John Lithgow

A unique take on the fairy tale genre when it was released, the formula has now been copied countless times. A modernized fairy tale full of witty dialogue and pop culture references. A good, fun time for kids and adults.

74. The Last Starfighter (1984, Nick Castle)

Starring: Lance Guest, Robert Preston, Dan O'Herlihy

After Return of the Jedi ended the Star Wars Saga, kids were hungry for more fun sci-fi adventure. The Last Starfighter stepped in to try and capitalize on that. A fun and enjoyable film, it doesn't quite meet the expectations the Star Wars movies had set, but I still have a soft spot for it.

73. Shrek Forever After (2010, Mike Mitchell)

Starring: Mike Meyers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, Walt Dohrn

I know a lot of people didn't care for this one. Maybe my enjoyment of the original combined with my love of It's a Wonderful Life colors my opinion of it, but it is my favorite of the series.

72. Return to Oz (1985, Walter Murch)

Starring: Fairuza Balk, Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh

Everyone knows there's got to be more to Oz than we saw in the 1939 musical. Unfortunately for Disney, very few people in 1985 were ready for anything except the Judy Garland film. This is a non-musical, darker Oz with genuinely creepy moments. I liked this as a kid - my mom did not. It wasn't until my daughter got really into Oz stuff that I sought out the DVD and watched it again. Very different from the classic film, but my whole family enjoys it. I think we've watched this one almost as many times as the original.

71. Spaceballs (1987, Mel Brooks)

Starring: Mel Brooks, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga

It's Mel Brooks spoofing Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien and Transformers all in one film. How can you not love it?



I would switch the order around, but the first and last in the Shrek series were my favorites too, I think. I'd possibly put Shrek 2 on a par with Forever After. Shrek the Third, quite frankly, sucked big time.

Return to Oz? Oh my, can't say I agree with that one at all. *shivers*



70. The Family Man (2000, Brett Ratner)

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Tea Leoni, Don Cheadle

A sort of reverse It's a Wonderful Life. A wealthy, successful businessman gets a chance to see what life would have been like if he had taken a different path and had a family instead. Nowhere near the Capra film, but still a heartwarming picture that I could watch over and over.

69. Megamind (2010, Tom McGrath)

Starring: Will Farrell, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, Brad Pitt

Originally Posted by My Movie Thoughts thread
It seems that the best of the current onslaught of super hero movies are coming from animation studios and have no pre-established characters. Of course, I mean Pixar's The Incredibles (2004) and now Dreamworks' Megamind. Both films just seem to "get" what it was that drew me to super heroes and comic books when I was a kid. Colorful characters, zany evil plots, exciting super hero action. No "grim and gritty realism." Not dumbed down for kids, but not "aged up" to the point where kids are excluded from the audience. Just good, clean, family friendly, super hero fun, the way it should be.

Megamind offers a unique take on the genre by essentially answering the question, "What would Lex Luthor do if he finally succeeded in killing Superman?" He'd have to find a new hero to challenge himself, of course. Naturally, like all of his evil plans, Megamind's plan backfires and he ends up creating a new villain, forcing himself into the hero role. The movie ends up being a morality play showing that it is never too late to chose the right path in life. The kids loved this movie. I loved this movie. Win-win.
68. Star Trek - First Contact (1996, Jonathan Frakes)

Starring: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Michael Dorn, Levar Burton

Easily the best of the Next Generation Star Trek films. The Borg are great villains, the Next Generation cast is great. The choice of Frakes as director was wonderful, as he really gets the characters, having spent seven years in front of - and occasionally behind - the camera on the TV series.

67. Paul Blart - Mall Cop (2009, Steve Carr)

Starring: Kevin James

This is the movie I'll probably get the most grief for, but I don't care. I like Kevin James and I laugh almost non-stop when I watch this movie. This movie was never intended to be taken seriously, and it doesn't take itself seriously. It's just mindless, goofy entertainment. Unlike the mindless, goofy entertainment of most Adam Sandler or Will Farrell movies, however, I can watch this one with my kids. It's not high-brow British type humor, but not the low-brow toilet humor of most comedies these days either. It's just funny. I hope James' upcoming Zookeeper is as good.

66. My Favorite Brunette (1947, Elliott Nugent)

Starring: Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Peter Lorre, Lon Chaney Jr.

Originally Posted by My Movie Thoughts thread
Bob Hope is always funny. I have enjoyed every film I've seen him in, but this one is my favorite. As a baby photographer mistaken for a private eye, he gets caught up in a mystery with Dorothy Lamour. Peter Lorre is always excellent in the henchmen role and Lon Chaney Jr. is fantastic as the gentle giant Willie. The movie is a great comedic take on the detective noir genre. Funny, funny movie, right up to the excellent cameo appearance at the end.



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
Very interesting list Mikey. Particularly like the mentions for Star Trek: First Contact (forgot to consider any of the Treks for my list) and The Princess Bride (adore this film!!). I also really enjoyed The Last Castle, will need to watch it again sometime. And Family Man was quite enjoyable as well



65. Beetlejuice (1988, Tim Burton)

Starring: Michael Keaton, Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin, Winona Ryder

Michael Keaton is fabulously over-the-top as "the ghost with the most."

64. Ghostbusters II (1989, Ivan Reitman)

Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Ayckroyd, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts

Five years later we catch up with our favorite ghost hunters, who now do mostly other things. The sequel is not as good as the original, but I've always found plenty of entertainment value in it.

63. X-Men (2000, Bryan Singer)

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden

The leader of the current crop of super hero movies. Sure, there was Superman in the 70s-80s and Batman in the 80s-90s, but Singer's excellent adaptation of the X-Men showed that other characters could be developed into good - even great - movies. Stewart, McKellan and Jackman were all fantastic in their roles.

62. The Karate Kid Part II (1986, John G. Avildsen)

Starring: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita

The Karate Kid didn't need a sequel, but this one was really good. Fleshing out more of Mr. Miyagi's character this time, Daniel still gets plenty of action as well. A nice balance and the Okinawan setting help make this an enjoyable film.

61. Batman Returns (1992, Tim Burton)

Starring: Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Danny DeVito, Christopher Walken

Tim Burton's Gotham City is retro-modern. It's dark and scary and a fitting setting for a guy in a bat costume. While the villains origins get mucked with a little - a flipper-handed Penguin? a 9-lived Catwoman? - the film is interesting and quirky enough that I can forgive it. Plus, Michael Keaton is awesome as Batman/Bruce Wayne. And really, wasn't Danny DeVito born to be the Penguin?



60. Batman (1989, Tim Burton)

Starring: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger

Hard to choose which is the better between Batman and Batman Returns. I finally decided Nicholson's Joker edged this one up a hair. This film really turned things around for the Caped Crusader in the eyes of the general public, who still associated the character with the campy Adam West TV show.

59. The Jewel of the Nile (1985, Lewis Teague)

Starring: Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito

I've always been a big fan of these Michael Douglas/Kathleen Turner knock-offs of the Indiana Jones series. The chemistry between the two is a joy to watch.

58. Gremlins (1984, Joe Dante)

Starring: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Corey Feldman, Hoyt Axton

Fun "kiddie-horror" film. Creepy, but never too scary. The creatures, both mogwai and gremlins, are very well done. The story is simple but enjoyable. The 1980s may not have produced as many "classic" films as the 30s or 40s, but there were a lot of fun movies.

57. The Goonies (1985, Richard Donner)

Starring: Josh Brolin, Sean Astin, Corey Feldman

Another fun 1980s adventure movie, this time with a bunch of kids. This one comes complete with an underlying story of friendship, loyalty, and not judging people based on how they look. No really, it does, I promise.

56. Batman - The Movie (1966, Leslie H. Martinson)

Starring: Adam West, Burt Ward, Lee Meriwether, Cesar Romero, Burgess Merideth, Frank Gorshin

The Anti-Dark Knight. This Batman movie is just campy, goofy, over-the-top fun. Great gimmicks like the Shark Repellant Bat-Spray and "Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb!" We get the Batmobile, Batcopter, Batcycle and Batboat all in one movie. While the later Batman films struggle with multiple villains, this one uses the Joker, Penguin, Riddler AND Catwoman, and pulls it off. (Sidebar: IMO, Jim Carrey borrowed alot from Frank Gorshin for his portrayal of the Riddler in Batman Forever.)



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
The 1980s may not have produced as many "classic" films as the 30s or 40s, but there were a lot of fun movies.
I actually think the 80s might be my favourite decade for films. It was a great decade for those fantasy/sci-fi family comedies like Back to the Future, Gremlins, Goonies, Princess Bride, Flight of the Navigator, Big, Batteries not Included etc. The 80s also produced a number of my favourite cult films - They Live, Repo Man, Lost Boys amongst many others I love


And I was so, so close to putting the original Batman on my list, kind of wish I had actually



55. The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold (1958, Lesley Selander)

Starring: Clayton Moore, Jay Silverheels, Douglas Kennedy, Noreen Nash

Not quite as good as the first Lone Ranger feature, this second big screen outing is still an enjoyable picture. Like the first, this also deals somewhat with the topic of racism. In this case, it more specifically deals with the idea of racial "passing." As I said in my discussion of the first (quoted below), I have not seen many old westerns, but I imagine this was pretty unique subject matter at the time.

54. The Lone Ranger (1956, Stuart Heisler)

Starring: Clayton Moore, Jay Silverheels, Lyle Bettger, Bonita Granville, Michael Ansara

Originally Posted by My Movie Thoughts Thread
The first, and best, Lone Ranger feature film for the big screen. Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels bring their iconic portrayals of the Lone Ranger and Tonto to the big screen after being on the small screen for 7 years (with 1 more year on TV and 1 more feature to follow). It's still hard to imagine anyone but those two in the roles, even though others have attempted it.

The Lone Ranger is often lumped in with talk of "Hollywood's horrible mistreatment of Native Americans" (see recent interviews with Johnny Depp). I have not seen a lot of old westerns, but I do know that Native Americans were often portrayed as villainous savages. However, the Lone Ranger was not among those type of productions. Aside from the issue of Tonto's broken english, Native Americans were portrayed respectfully in the Lone Ranger. There were villainous characters, of course, but there were even more villainous white characters. Really, you need look no further than this film to see the, possibly exemplary at the time, treatment of Native Americans by the Lone Ranger. The villains of the film are the white ranchers trying to steal from the indians. Many of the characters show tremendous prejudice against the natives, as evidenced when an angry mob attempts to lynch Tonto. When the Lone Ranger visits Chief Red Hawk, he shows him the respect due the leader of an indian tribe. He speaks to him as he does to anyone else. He only fights Angry Horse, a native with equal prejudice against the white men as they have for indians, when he has no other choice. In the end, the natives are proven innocent and the white men receive their just desserts.
53. Casablanca (1942, Michael Curtiz)

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Peter Lorre, Claude Rains

Bogart and Bergman are spectacular in this truly classic picture. The second tier actors, like Lorre and Rains, are equally fantastic. There is really nothing to not like about this picture and it is definitely deserving of its ranking among the all time great films.

52. Catch Me If You Can (2002, Steven Spielberg)

Starring: Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christopher Walken, Amy Adams

Fast-paced and funny true story. Tom Hanks is great and I even liked DiCaprio in this film.

51. The Shawshank Redemption (1994, Frank Darabont)

Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman

Excellently acted and directed. Morgan Freeman is one of those actors that can elevate any project he's working on. Great, great film.



Back from leave, so I guess I should get back to the list...

50. Finding Nemo (2003, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich)

Starring: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Willem Dafoe, Alexander Gould

Wonderful story about a boy and his overprotective father, told with fish. Pixar at their best.

49. Rocky (1976, John G. Avildsen)

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Merideth

Excellently told tale of an underdog boxer trying to both get his life together and make the most of his opportunity to square off with the champ. Stallone was perfect for this role and Avildsen seems to be the master of these type of films.

48. Aladdin (1992, Ron Clements, John Musker)

Starring: Scott Weinger, Jonathan Freeman, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin, Frank Welker, Gilbert Gottfried

My favorite of the main Disney animated features, largely due to Robin Williams over-the-top, yet perfect, portrayal of the Genie.

47. Savannah Smiles (1982, Pierre De Moro)

Starring: Mark Miller, Donavan Scott, Bridgitte Anderson, Pat Morita, Peter Graves

A touching, heart-warming, family story about a little girl who feels ignored by her super-busy rich parents, so she runs away ending up with a couple of bumbling fugitives. Miller and Scott are delightful as the crooks who eventually just want to see Savannah safely back with her parents. Bridgette Anderson is also wonderful as Savannah. (Just be sure to talk to your kids about running away when you watch this with them. My little girl decided it sounded like a good idea and nearly scared us to death a couple days after she watched it.)

46. The Karate Kid (1984, John G. Avildsen)

Starring: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue

Rocky director John G. Avildsen hits another home run, this time set in a karate tournament. Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi is absolutely wonderful in this picture.



Great picks so far. The Shining, Jaws, Ferris Bueller, X-Men, all of the Batman movies...
__________________
"Puns are the highest form of literature." -Alfred Hitchcock



45. Groundhog Day (1993, Harold Ramis)

Starring: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott

Bill Murray is hilarious in his role as a man cursed to relive February 2 over and over again. One of his best performances.

44. A Christmas Story (1983, Bob Clark)

Starring: Peter Billingsly, Darren McGavin, Melinda Dillon

A great Christmas movie about one boy's anticipation for the holiday. Set in the 1930s, I think it resonates with kids of any age. Darren McGavin is fantastic in his role of "The Old Man." Great fun for all ages.

43. Superman II (1980, Richard Lester)

Starring: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Terence Stamp, Gene Hackman

Superman vs. villains from Krypton. How could this not be a great Superman film? While the Clark/Lois love story tries to undermine the action sequences, the climactic battle is what every Superman fan wanted to see.

42. Spider-Man 2 (2004, Sam Raimi)

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Alfred Molina, James Franco

One of the finest super hero films to date. Alfred Molina is excellent in the Doctor Octopus role. Mimicking a plotline from Superman II, the hero tries to give up being a hero in order to protect the people he loves, only to be forced back into action for the greater good. In both cases, it is handled really well, IMO.

41. Flywheel (2003, Alex Kendrick)

Starring: Alex Kendrick, Janet Lee Dapper, Tracy Goode, Walter Burnette

Originally Posted by My Movie Thoughts thread
Flywheel is the first film directed by Alex Kendrick and produced by Sherwood Pictures. This is the story of a used car salesman who has cheated people - including his own pastor - since he has been in business. Eventually his dishonesty takes a toll on him, his work, and his family. He dedicates himself, and his business, to God, vowing not to be that man again.

This is obviously the first film they've done. Their technology is pretty low in this film. However, they pull off an engaging and entertaining story, complete with a Capraesque climax. Each of these films (Flywheel, Facing the Giants and Fireproof) has shown increasing advances in the filmaking abilities of Kendrick and Sherwood Pictures. I love all three and am looking forward to the fourth, Courageous, later this year. Despite some flaws due to the low budget and relatively inexperienced filmmakers, I score this one just as high as the others.



40. My Life (1993, Bruce Joel Rubin)

Starring: Michael Keaton, Nicole Kidman, Queen Latifah

Michael Keaton gives an excellent performance as a terminally ill man whose wife is expecting their first child.

39. Regarding Henry (1991, Mike Nichols)

Starring: Harrison Ford, Annette Bening

Harrison Ford is great as an unscrupulous attorney who, after being shot in a robbery, is reduced to a childlike state. As he relearns everything he realizes he was not such a wonderful person and makes every effort to right his wrongs with family and clients.

38. Facing the Giants (2006, Alex Kendrick)

Starring: Alex Kendrick, Shannen Fields, Tracy Goode, Jim McBride, Jason McLeod

Originally Posted by My Movie Thoughts thread
Facing the Giants is an inspirational story of a high school football team and coach who learn that "nothing is impossible with God." Grant Taylor has had six losing seasons at the school and the parents are pushing to replace him. His car is on its last legs. To top it off, he and his wife are unable to have children. With all the "giants of fear and failure staring down" on him, he turns his life - and his team - over to God. This is an excellent movie with an excellent message. As with Fireproof, I've seen it several times and it never fails to have an impact on me.
37. Back to the Future (1985, Robert Zemeckis)

Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Crispen Glover, Leah Thompson

Another of those great fun movies of the 1980s. Christopher Lloyd is great as Doc Brown.

36. E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial (1982, Steven Spielberg)

Starring: Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote

What better "pet" for the Star Wars generation than their own alien? Likely every kid's fantasy when it was released, this is one of Spielberg's finest movies, IMO. A great story of friendship and loyalty.



Wow, I did not intend to be absent for this long. Let's see if I can get this finished before I need to do an all new one.

35. Fireproof (2008, Alex Kendrick)

Starring: Kirk Cameron, Erin Bethea, Ken Bevel

Originally Posted by My Movie Thoughts thread
While the production budget for Sherwood Pictures films is a far cry from those big Hollywood blockbusters, their movies more than make up for it with great stories and emotional impact. This film focuses on the value of marriage. In this day and age where marriages are seemingly looked at as disposable, where people can just opt out at anytime because they aren't happy, this film shows you that a real marriage requires work. Love is not just a feeling, but a choice. As stated in the film, you can't "just follow your heart, man; 'cause your heart can be deceived. But you gotta lead your heart."

Kirk Cameron gives a wonderful performance in this movie, and Ken Bevel is very good as well. Stephen Dervan as Wayne provides much of the comic relief, and he is quite funny. Like a great Capra film, I've seen this movie several times and it never fails to have an impact on me.
34. Romancing the Stone (1984, Robert Zemeckis)

Starring: Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito

Fun adventure yarn with great chemestry between Douglas and Turner.

33. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984, Steven Spielberg)

Starring: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw

The darkest of the Indiana Jones films, but still a lot of fun. (Yes, I have been - and will be - overusing the word "fun.")

32. The Incredibles (2004, Brad Bird)

Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson

One of the best super hero movies ever, and it wasn't even based on an existing comic book.

31. Spider-Man (2002, Sam Raimi)

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe

One of the more accurate comic book adaptations and a really fun super hero film. The best of the Spider-Man films so far.