Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies

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So much like. As I got older I noticed that films had a harder and harder time cracking my top ten (or even twenty), which makes sense as you see more films, naturally. That said, I first saw The Good, the Bad and the Ugly a few years ago, and it shot onto the list almost right away, as soon as I'd seen it a second time.



So much like. As I got older I noticed that films had a harder and harder time cracking my top ten (or even twenty), which makes sense as you see more films, naturally. That said, I first saw The Good, the Bad and the Ugly a few years ago, and it shot onto the list almost right away, as soon as I'd seen it a second time.
Yeah, that's so true. The more movies you see, the harder it is to rank them. When we limit ourselves to just top ten favorites, after the first 1000 movies that you really liked, top ten can be any of a hundred, depending on your mood and recollection.



16. One Flew Over The Cookoo's Nest

It's hard not to like Jack Nicholson, especially when he plays a rogue mental patient and has such formidable adverseries as Nurse Rachid, masterfully portrayed by Louise Fletcher. The very notion of rebelling in a mental ward gives me goose bumps. Ken Kesey's brilliant novel was appropriately adapted to the screen and in 1975 this movie garnered 5 very deserved Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director ( Milosh Forman ), Best Actor ( Nicholson ), Best Actress ( Loise Fletcher ) and Best Adapted Screen Play ( Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman ).
Brad Douriff's splendid nominated performance as a supporting actor missed out, as well as Haskell Wexler's cinematoraphy, but it was the first film in 41 years to sweep the above-mentioned top five categories.
It's interesting to note that this movie is probably the best thing to happen to Michael Douglas, as he was one of the producers and it literally jump started his career from a mediocre television actor to a notable movie star. The Streets Of San Francisco tv series ended in 1976 and in 1978 Michael starred in his first movie: Coma.



17. Schindler's List

If there ever was a movie to put a human face on the Holocaust, this has to be it. It shows the greed and bestiality in war time, as well as the eternal possibility of human goodness.
Oscar Schindler, a greedy German factory owner finds redemption in staking his fortune on saving Jewish lives.
Ralph Fiennes is unforgeatable as the personification of evil and the commandant of Auschwitz concentration camp, the very devil that Schindler has to make a pact with.
In one scene, as Amon Goeth (Fiennes) stands with Schindler ( so ably portrayed by Liam Neeson) in his room overlooking the camp and getting ready to shoot a Jew, standing below, just for fun ( target practise ), Schindler convinces him not to shoot the Jew, because not shooting him and saving his life would be more like an act of God and the power it entails.
This epic movie won an epic 7 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director ( Steven Spielberg ), Best Actor ( Liam Neesen ), Best Supporting Actor ( Ralph Fiennes ), Best Cinematographer ( Janusz Kaminski ), Best Writing - Adapted ( Steven Zaillian ).



18. City Of God

Over the years I've seen a number of good Brazilian movies but none of them gripped me like this movie about the favelas on the outskirts of paradise. This is a movie about two boys growing up in the uber violent
slums of Rio De Jeneiro. One finds meaning and redemption in photography,
the other becomes heavily envolved in the deadly drug trade.
This movie's pace and cinematography were breath-taking and have carved a niche of their own in the movie pantheum.
In 2002, this movie won the Audience Award at the AFI Fest for Best Foreign Feature.
In 2003 it won the British Independent Film Award for Best Foreign Film.
In 2004 it received 4 Oscar nominations for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing.
It has received numerous other awards and nominations all over the world.



19. The Dark Knight

In a star studed sequel to Batman Begins, Keith Ledger forever shines as the Joker. This is the ultimate comic book movie and the rest of the cast is phenomenal: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
In 2008, this movie won the AFI Film Award for Movie Of The Year and
in 2009, this movie was nominated for 8 Oscars, out of which it won 2
for Best Supporting Actor Keith Ledger, sadly posthumously ( he also won the Golden Globe )
and for BestAchievement In Sound Editing.



20. Once Upon A Time In The West

In 1968 Sergio Leone outdoes himself and makes arguably the best
western of all time. This is one of Henry Fonda's best performances and he is fiittingly supported by Charles Bronson, Jason Robarts, Claudia Cardinale, Jack Elam, Keenan Wynn and Woody Strode.
Rare for him, Henry Fonda plays the villian, a bad ass gunslinger who protects the interests of a railroad conglomorate and kills the husband of a woman, new to the west. She hires two renegades, Harmonica ( Charles Bronson ) and Cheyenne ( Jason Robarts ) to go after him.
This movie is rife with intricate character histories and artistic flair, soulfully accompanied by harmonica tunes and thus stays etched in our collective memories.



Good whiskey make jackrabbit slap de bear.
Love City Of God and The Dark Knight.
__________________
"George, this is a little too much for me. Escaped convicts, fugitive sex... I've got a cockfight to focus on."



I don't remember asking you a ******* thing!
17. Schindler's List

If there ever was a movie to put a human face on the Holocaust, this has to be it. It shows the greed and bestiality in war time, as well as the eternal possibility of human goodness.
Oscar Schindler, a greedy German factory owner finds redemption in staking his fortune on saving Jewish lives.
Ralph Fiennes is unforgeatable as the personification of evil and the commandant of Auschwitz concentration camp, the very devil that Schindler has to make a pact with.
In one scene, as Amon Goeth (Fiennes) stands with Schindler ( so ably portrayed by Liam Neeson) in his room overlooking the camp and getting ready to shoot a Jew, standing below, just for fun ( target practise ), Schindler convinces him not to shoot the Jew, because not shooting him and saving his life would be more like an act of God and the power it entails.
This epic movie won an epic 7 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director ( Steven Spielberg ), Best Actor ( Liam Neesen ), Best Supporting Actor ( Ralph Fiennes ), Best Cinematographer ( Janusz Kaminski ), Best Writing - Adapted ( Steven Zaillian ).

Although this film is amazing, you made a few mistakes regarding the Oscar wins. Liam Neeson was nominated, but didn't win Best Actor, being beat out by Tom Hanks in Philadelphia. Ralph Fiennes also didn't win for Best Supporting Actor, losing to Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive. Schindler's List won the following Academy Awards:

- Best Picture
- Best Director
- Best Adapted Screenplay
- Best Original Score
- Best Art Direction
- Best Cinematography
- Best Film Editing



Ooops, you are absolutlely right. I remembered wrong. Thanks for setting it straight.
Although this film is amazing, you made a few mistakes regarding the Oscar wins. Liam Neeson was nominated, but didn't win Best Actor, being beat out by Tom Hanks in Philadelphia. Ralph Fiennes also didn't win for Best Supporting Actor, losing to Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive. Schindler's List won the following Academy Awards:

- Best Picture
- Best Director
- Best Adapted Screenplay
- Best Original Score
- Best Art Direction
- Best Cinematography
- Best Film Editing



21. The Raging Bull

The best movie about boxing, ever. Takes you into the unconquerable
heart and mind of boxer Jake LaMotta and his self-destructive journey through life, in and out of the ring. Robert De Niro gave an astonishing performance, even gaining as much as 50 pounds to more effectively portray the retired prize fighter. Joe Pesci, as his brother and Cathy Moriarty, as his wife, also gave great performances and the movie was directed by the master himself, Martin Scorcese.
In 1981, this movie received 8 Oscar nominations, out of which it won 2:
Best Actor - Robert De Niro ( who also won Best Actor Drama Golden Globes ) and Best Editing -Thelma Schoonmaker.



I don't remember asking you a ******* thing!
I adore Goodfellas, but I found Raging Bull just good. It wasn't spectacular for me, but it was a good movie all the same. I just didn't care to watch it again after the first time.



22. Taxi Driver

The Vietnam war left many scars. Such is the case with ex-vet and festering and alienated taxi driver, sleeping through his days and roaming the streets of New York at night and searching for a cause to validate his existance. It's touch and go as he contemplates assassination of a public figure and then salvation through the rescue of a teen prostitute from a ruthless pimp.
This is another brilliant colaboration beetween one of the best director-actor teams in movie history, Martin Scorcese and Robert De Niro.
Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel and Peter Boyle round off the impressive cast.
" Are you talking to me? " instantly becomes the punch line of the day, as the taxi driver faces off with the pimp.
This brilliantly scripted Paul Schrader movie was nominated for 4 Oscars in 1976.



23. Amores Perros (Love Is A Bitch)

Alejandro Gonzales Innaritu jumps on the world stage with a bang, directing this movie, where three inter-connecting stories all envolving dogs come together at a frantic pace following a horrific car accident.
This movie is sheer brilliance and a must see. For a jaded movie watcher like me, this was like someone hooked me up to electric shock cables and I literally felt energy screeming through my veins as I watched this movie.
Welcome Mr. Innaritu. You certainly pumped some new life into me and also introduced me to a budding new star, Gael Garcia Bernal.
In 2000 this movie won the AFI Audience Award for Best Feature Film and
in 2001 was nominated for Oscar Best Foreign Language Film.



I like most of your Films. I haven't seen them all, but mate! Pretty good list. No ****!