Flimmaker's Top 100 Movies

[Flimmaker1473]

100.http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTgyNDk0ODQ3OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTczMjAwMQ@@._V1._SY317_.jpg http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Bt2b0hTAUw/T2ePnGLzPsI/AAAAAAAAAfg/rMrJUDYlqeE/s1600/poster.jpg
Oceans 11
Everyone in this film can carry their own film. A clock slick ganster film. Gotta love it.

99.http://wpcontent.answcdn.com/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/ca/Ferrisdayoff.jpg/220px-Ferrisdayoff.jpg
Ferris Bueller's Day off
Ferris Bueller's Day Off is the last of it's kind. A fun film that doesn't relay on cursing or sexual things to be good.

98.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b9/RatatouillePoster2.jpg/220px-RatatouillePoster2.jpg
Rataouille
One of Pixar's best. What I love about Ratouille is the message. I can relate to it very much. Having a dream you want to realize but know one believes you can do it and you don't know how.

97.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/75/Movie_poster_the_little_mermaid.jpg/220px-Movie_poster_the_little_mermaid.jpg
The Little Mermaid
Probably the Disney film with the most memorable songs. And one that hits your emotions from start to finish.

96.Spirited Away
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/30/Spirited_Away_poster.JPG

Hayao Miyazaki is the Walt Disney of Anime. Spirited Away has an amazing story and beautiful anime. It so nice to watch and never runs out of steam. Best Anime ever easily.


http://images.allmoviephoto.com/1950_Cinderella/1950_cinderella_wall_dvd_002.jpghttp://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTI4MTMwNjE4M15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDEzMTkyMQ@@._V1._SY317_CR6,0,214,317_.jpg

[Justin]

It might be better if you included your reasons, rather than just a list of your favorites...

But it is your list, so do whatever you want. Just had to put that out there.

[Flimmaker1473]

Not a bad idea I'll give it a go

95.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/44/Minority_Report_Poster.jpg/220px-Minority_Report_Poster.jpg
Minority Report
One of Tom Cruise's best performances. An epic science fiction film directed by Steven Speilberg. This film brings up something that I think send an interesting message. What would we do if we could see that someone was going to murder someone else? Should we have that power? Is there a way to change that?

94http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/db/Donnie_Darko_poster.jpg
Donnie Darko
Donnie Darko is one of those psychological films that leaves you speechless and wanting more when it is over. Jake Gyllenhaal as Darko provided an intense performance as the disturbed kid. A film that has that indie spirit despite hollywood influences.

93.http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTIxNTY3NjM0OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzg5MzY0MQ@@._V1._SY317_CR10,0,214,317_.jpghttp://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/42/MPW-21192
Die Hard
Die Hard is just a classic action flick. Suspense, drama, bad ass action scenes. Ultimate guy movie. Plus the villain's demise was done in a very cool way. Bruce Willis showed just how much of a badass he is in the role that made him a star.

92.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d9/Lethal_weapon1.jpg/220px-Lethal_weapon1.jpg
Lethal Weapon
The best buddy cop film. Lethal Weapon takes two unlikely guys and puts them together and creates something that no one will ever forget. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are just the dream team. Their chemistry is what makes the movie. With anyone else it might not have worked out so well. I will never get too old for this classic.

91.http://www.iphonewallpaperblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Bambi_1989_CoverIphonewallpaper.jpg
Bambi
Okay so who cried when Bambi's mother died? I did. One of Walt Disney's earlier classics. Bambi showcases the life of a deer and his woodland friends in a way no other film as come close too. Showcases how much man can make woodland animals lives hell aswell. Loveable characters, beautiful animation too. Bambi is one of those classics that will always have a place in my heart.

[donniedarko]

+rep for DonnieDarko

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

I love The Little Mermaid :D x

[rauldc14]

Can't see 100 or 96

[Godoggo]

I love The Little Mermaid :D x

Me too. Best songs from a Disney movie ever.

[Tyler1]

I already know your top 100 because you have posted it in another forum. :yup: Great list nonetheless.

[Flimmaker1473]

I already know your top 100 because you have posted it in another forum. :yup: Great list nonetheless.
Don't ruin the surprise :p.

[Tyler1]

No worries, I won't.

[TylerDurden99]

Minority Report is a really cool movie, and Lethal Weapon is a classic.:up:

[Flimmaker1473]

90. http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTAyNDU0NjY4NTheQTJeQWpwZ15BbWU2MDk4MTY2Nw@@._V1._SY317_CR1,0,214,317_.jpg http://googleitmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/The-Lord-of-the-Rings-The-Two-Towers-300x450.jpg
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Lord of the Rings The Two Towers is a wonderful part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The end scene with Sam and Forto is very touching.

89.http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTM5MjEyOTg0OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMjEzMjE5._V1._SY317_CR4,0,214,317_.jpg http://www.imfdb.org/w/images/c/c4/Fugitivecover.jpg
The Fugitive
What a suspenseful slick movie. Carried by performances by Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The plot is great, action is great aswell.

88. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4e/Three_kings.jpg/215px-Three_kings.jpg
Three Kings
A war film (sorta) and makes you laugh but hurt at the same time. Clooney's Wahlberg's and Ice Cube have great chemistry.

87. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d1/Five_hundred_days_of_summer.jpg/220px-Five_hundred_days_of_summer.jpg
500 Days of Summer
I love this movie. It is one of those films that you wish would never end. Joesph Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel really embraced their roles. One of the best romantic comedies of all time.

86. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JSpCmQv71gU/TuA04rarRYI/AAAAAAAAAHU/5SBoCJpYKQw/s1600/aladdin.jpg
Aladdin
Apart of the Disney Renaissance. Robin Williams set the standard for celebrity voice acting in this film. A storyline that everyone can feel for.

[nebbit]

It would be nice if you included the name of the movie as some of the pictures don't show up :yup:

Keep them coming :)

[Flimmaker1473]

85.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a5/There_will_be_blood.jpg/215px-There_will_be_blood.jpg
There will be Blood
One of PT Anderson's best films. Daniel Day Lewis is just a beast at acting. I heard he lived by himself for eight months to prepare for this role. Worked because he gave a hell of a performance and won an academy award.

84.http://gotchamovies.com/ul/photos/movie/the-matrix/f755d8338420b3ccab0ff4d542ed4452-sc.jpg
The Matrix
Forget almost everything Keanu Reeves has been in except for the Bill and Ted films and Speed. The Matrix was so ambitious and so cool that it made up for Keanu Reeves. Who actually gave one of his best performances.

83.http://d2oz5j6ef5tbf6.cloudfront.net/movie/large/Men_In_Black_%281997%29.jpg
Men in Black
Who doesn't love Men In Black? Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are the dream team. Killing aliens and defending Earth. Don't get no better.

82. No Country for Old Men.http://aswedetalksmovies.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/no-country-for-old-men.jpg The Cohen Brothers know how to make quality movies. This is one of them. Javier Bardem was amazing.

81.http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O6Q1zNTCosk/T1ilB8bHG7I/AAAAAAAABFE/SsAyPaJnw1I/s1600/The+Usual_Suspects.jpg The Usual Suspects.
One of those movies that you think you know what is going on. Then a twist comes out of no where. Kevin Spacey and Benico Del Toro give excellent performances. You never know what happens until the end.

[Godoggo]

Positive rep for No County for Old Men and The Usual Suspects.

However, I personally think that PT Anderson has made three better films than There Will Be Blood. I am a fan of his, but just not wild about that movie.

[TheUsualSuspect]

You love Disney eh?

[Tyler1]

Well, it's a very decent list. Popular choices but most movies are great. Disney classics are my favourite since I was young.

[Flimmaker1473]

I love Disney. First movies I watched were Disney films. Been to Disney World six times.

[Flimmaker1473]

Positive rep for No County for Old Men and The Usual Suspects.

However, I personally think that PT Anderson has made three better films than There Will Be Blood. I am a fan of his, but just not wild about that movie.
I would say there are two films he made better than There Will Be Blood. Boogie Nights and Magnolia.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

I've got some Disney Renaissance films on my top 100 too, although I'm a bit of a child at heart so I've put mine quite high up :)

[Flimmaker1473]

80. http://ckmaccom.startlogic.com/images/r800/r826-18.jpg
Full Metal Jacket
Stanley Kubrick could have been the greatest director that has and will ever walk the Earth. His films were so out there, quirky and with a message that sometimes you wouldn't know what to think. Full Metal Jacket is more straight forward. But still has that Kubrick feel to it. It's one of those war films that does to you what most war films do. Ask you the question "is it worth it?".

79. http://freeimagesarchive.com/data/media/213/1_Reservoir+Dogs.jpg
Reservoir Dogs
Quentin Tarantino has a knack for making these classic films that makes us feel like we are in a different time. Reservoir Dogs does just that. It was his directorial debut as he sold True Romance. It is bloody. But also intriguing. It showed us what Tarantiono's style was and he wasn't done yet.

78. http://geektyrant.com/storage/2011-post-images/The-Departed.jpeg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1318889965752
The Departed
The Departed is a film that emobodies every thing that Martin Scorsese's film making style is. Probably the best reboot that Hollywood has ever made based off of Internal Affairs. Mark Wahlberg gives his best performance in this movie as well. Twist and turns like you wouldn't expect and plenty of bloodshed. This is Scorsese at his best.

77.http://www.edvella.com/deskdeco/finding_nemo/nemo7.jpg
Finding Nemo
I remember watching this movie while I was i elementary school opening weekend. I fell in love it. So much fun. So much heart. It has everything Pixar stands for. Beautiful animation as well.

76. http://www.joblo.com/posters/images/full/1998-poster-saving_private_ryan-1.jpg
Saving Private Ryan
Not a typical war film. This case they are looking for someone. Still heart wrenching. The opening scene is as close as we will get to showcasing war on screen as ever. Steve Spielberg usually makes great adventure films. Saving Private Ryan is among the few that he strays away from that. And does it beautifully.

[HitchFan97]

Full Metal Jacket and The Departed are great picks :yup:

[rauldc14]

:up: The Departed, Finding Nemo, Saving Private Ryan

[Flimmaker1473]

75. http://www.moviegoods.com/Assets/product_images/1010/188766.1010.A.jpg
Boogie Nights
PT Anderson's first real work of genius. This movie could have gone either way. But with the right actors it was a work of genius. Great performances by an up and comer named Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, and Don Cheade aide the film. Really feels like a porno.

74. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4e/Thetreeoflifeposter.jpg
The Tree of Lifehttp://www.impawards.com/2011/posters/tree_of_life_ver7_xlg.jpg:
The best film of 2011. Reminds me of 2001 A space Odyssey. Beautiful, strangely good, and leaves you wondering. Terrance Malick made a film about life, death, spirituality, a little Christianity as well. And how we feel a person when they have passed on. A beautiful film.

73. http://meansheets.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/risky-business-italy.jpg
Risky Business
Tom has about five films that he did an amazing job as an actor. This is one of them. Also happens to be the second film he made and that made him a star. Cool slick film that never seems to run out of steam.

72.http://benjaminbrandt.com/cutaways/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/snowwhite.jpg
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Walt Disney's first film. Amazing work that has stood the test of time. It set the standard for what is know as "the Disney Standard". Just a classic Hollywood production.

71. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jxyG9pX1DSY/TR3MqbsblhI/AAAAAAAADvM/g4-mFuDWTF0/s400/406746690_Airplane_I_II_1980_1982_DVDRip.jpg
Airplane!
This is one the best comedies of all time. It wouldn't fly in this day and age though. Juts never makes you stop laughing.

[HitchFan97]

Airplane! is my favorite comedy. I really need to watch Boogie Nights.

[honeykid]

What's #74?

[ChuckDee]

71. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_jxyG9pX1DSY/TR3MqbsblhI/AAAAAAAADvM/g4-mFuDWTF0/s400/406746690_Airplane_I_II_1980_1982_DVDRip.jpg
This is one the best comedies of all time. It wouldn't fly in this day and age though. Juts never makes you stop laughing.

Agree 100%. Never laughed so hard at a theater.....very underrated.

[The Prestige]

Good list but to echo what Justin said, I wish people would put more thought and variety into their lists. Check out Brodinski, Honeykid, Mark F...and mine. We put a lot of effort into them and now everyone thinks it's ok to make a thread and list 100 films with a poster or something.

[ChuckDee]

Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue..

[ChuckDee]

https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRlBWznrofbzztJt0IViOJyb0BmaOMBubM0q-aC-WkA0pQyBTkdlg

Great movie and my favorite villain of all time....a very dark mofo...

EDIT: No Country For Old Men...

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

Good list but to echo what Justin said, I wish people would put more thought and variety into their lists. Check out Brodinski, Honeykid, Mark F...and mine. We put a lot of effort into them and now everyone thinks it's ok to make a thread and list 100 films with a poster or something.

I prefer doing/reading these type of lists as well :)

Also, simply including the poster isn't enough as the picture doesn't always show up.

[Flimmaker1473]

Good list but to echo what Justin said, I wish people would put more thought and variety into their lists. Check out Brodinski, Honeykid, Mark F...and mine. We put a lot of effort into them and now everyone thinks it's ok to make a thread and list 100 films with a poster or something.
Don't really feel like putting in all that effort. Will do essays on the top ten though.

[Flimmaker1473]

What's #74?
Tree of Life.

[ChuckDee]

https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR6GXQZWQ6uJrSWMhXEcipo0C2WvBT3AU9_ZDFIavYtmXtrcvuL

The Deer Hunter....great flick with HOF cast...DeNiro, Walken and Streep

[TylerDurden99]

Boogie Nights is brilliant.

[Flimmaker1473]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7b/Blazing_saddles_movie_poster.jpg/220px-Blazing_saddles_movie_poster.jpg
70: Blazzing Saddles. This film slaps you with a rubber chicken and etc to just make you laugh. So politically incorrect and wouldn't fly today. But so funny too. One of the best satires.

69. http://cdn-5.nflximg.com/images/0205/1060205.jpg
The Terminator
Such a horrific film. Suspense, drama, action and emotions. James Cameron knows how to touch your emotions in ways most directors fail to do. This is the role that Arnold was born to play.

68. http://content9.flixster.com/movie/28/06/280603_det.jpg
A Clockwork Orange
Stanley Kubrick loves weird films. And A clockwork orange has no shortage of weird. Everything about this film is weird. Put weirdly good. And there are things in this movie that at the end will make you think. Kubrick was such a wonderful filmmaker and used a young Malcolm McDowell to create one of his best films.

67. http://www.disneydreaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Beauty-And-The-Beast-Movie.jpg
Beauty and the Beast. One of Disney's greatest films. The Beauty and the Beast is like no other. The characters act out as if we are watching a Broadway play. Which is perhaps why it went on Broadway play. It reminds me of a classic Hollywood production from the 40s.

66. http://content9.flixster.com/movie/11/15/55/11155547_det.jpg
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
The best film to feature animation alongside animation. Great plot, great acting by Bob Hopkins. It has everything you could want from a film. What makes this film so great is it's originality.

[rauldc14]

You need to make sure these pictures are coming out, or else we have no clue what the movie is. 70 is missing as well.

[donniedarko]

A solution is to put the title above it or in the description.
Pictures from wiki always work

[Flimmaker1473]

All these pics are coming up fine for me. I replaced 70. I'll be using those wilkipedia pics now so hopefully that makes a difference. I'll be adding names too.

[Flimmaker1473]

65. There's Something about Mary
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8f/There%27s_Something_About_Mary_film_poster.jpg/215px-There%27s_Something_About_Mary_film_poster.jpg
The Farrelly Brother's best work. Funny, sweet, thoughtful. I am not a fan of gross out humor. But in this film it was performed perfectly. The "hair gel" scene could have been so bad if not for the beautiful Cameron Diaz's easy going approach. Ben Stiller, the aforementioned Cameron Diaz and Matt Dillon all provide wonderful performances. This is also a film that benefits on its originality.

64. Glory
http://www.movieprop.com/tvandmovie/reviews/glory.jpg
A film that could make you cry. One of the best war films put out and easily the best war film about the civil war and before modern warfare. Matthew Broderick gives a very underrated performance and Denzel Washington gives a performance that won him his first oscar. This film shows the trails and tribulations of not only war, but that time period of how things were between Black and White people.

63. The Social Network
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7a/Social_network_film_poster.jpg/220px-Social_network_film_poster.jpg
This film about my generation. Davie Fincher uses his wonderful technique to create something so meaningful and wonderful to watch. Almost a window to look at this time period and what were are becoming. All anchored by a wonderful performance by Jessie Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg.

62. The Terminator 2: Judgement Day
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/85/Terminator2poster.jpg/220px-Terminator2poster.jpg
Never thought the sequel would have been better than the original. But it was. Terminator 2 Judgement day is a different kind of film than The Terminator. This one focuses more on action. But what isn't lost is the emotions. In fact it is even heavier. Who didn't cry when they were kids when the Terminator had to die?

61. The Muppet Movie
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a8/The_Muppet_Movie.jpg/215px-The_Muppet_Movie.jpg
I love the Muppets. Jim Henson created characters that were so loveable and so genuine that they were able to carry their own film. It is amazing to see Kermit the Frog walk! The Muppet movie like who Frame Roger Rabbit?, and There's Something About Mary also benefits from originality.

[Tyler1]

Pleasantly surprised to see Blazing Saddles and Glory.

[TylerDurden99]

Solid list so far, and the first two Terminator films, A Clockwork Orange and Boogie Nights are great choices (all of them are a bit too high)(or low, whatever). I'm interested to see what makes it into the top 50.

[DexterRiley]

73. http://meansheets.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/risky-business-italy.jpg
Risky Business
Tom has about five films that he did an amazing job as an actor. This is one of them. Also happens to be the second film he made and that made him a star. Cool slick film that never seems to run out of steam.


FYI it was the 6th.

[TylerDurden99]

Really interested to see what you find Tom's four other best performances are. He's my favourite actor, and I don't think I've disliked a single film I've seen him in.

[DexterRiley]

Born on the 4th of July
Rain Man
Last Samurai
and Tropic Thunders Cameo

[HitchFan97]

The Terminator, A Clockwork Orange, and The Social Network are favorites of mine as well :)

[rauldc14]

Born on the 4th of July
Rain Man
Last Samurai
and Tropic Thunders Cameo

I think Collateral's got to be in there, though I haven't seen born on 4th of july

[medusa2012]

Are you really a filmaker?

[TylerDurden99]

I'd have his top 5 best as Rain Man, Magnolia, Jerry Maguire, Tropic Thunder and Born On The Fourth Of July.

[DexterRiley]

I think Collateral's got to be in there, though I haven't seen born on 4th of july

Fair enough, well then id switch out Tropic Thunder i think. BoFoJ is a tour de force performance.

On second thought, A few good men might make the cut as well, bumping risky business i'd say.

[Flimmaker1473]

Really interested to see what you find Tom's four other best performances are. He's my favourite actor, and I don't think I've disliked a single film I've seen him in.
His performance in Minority Report is one of them (that is #95 on my list). And there is one more film on my list that has one of his five best performances.

The two films that are not on my list that make his top five are Born on the Fourth of July (he is the reason this movie is good), and Jerry MaGuire.

I am neutral on Tom Cruise. And I think he is crazy and a bit of a prima Donna. But he can act really well when he puts his mind to it. He was born to be a star.

[medusa2012]

jfk and born on the 4th of july are that directors best films

[Flimmaker1473]

Are you really a filmaker?
Going to school for it.

[Flimmaker1473]

60. Election
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1e/Election_1999film.jpg/220px-Election_1999film.jpg
Alexander Payne hasn't made a bad film yet. Election could be his best film. Starring Matthew Broderick and a young Reese Witherspoon, this satire was so prophetic that when the 2000 election came I am sure people were like "we should have seen this coming!" This film goes over several things, teacher students relationship that go over the limits, a teacher trying to not get attracted to a student, the campaign and election process, infidelity, and of course rigging of an election. Tracy Flick is one of the greatest characters not only in a high school film, but films in general.

59. Mystic River
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/93/Mystic_River_poster.jpg
A film that never lets up until the end. The start of the film does a great tie in to the overall plot later on. How would react to hearing that finding out that your daughter was murdered? Sean Penn and Tim Robbins were the champions of this film. Their performances were just about as perfect as you could be. Clint Eastwood's best directing work.

58. Catch me if you can
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4d/Catch_Me_If_You_Can_2002_movie.jpg/220px-Catch_Me_If_You_Can_2002_movie.jpg
Ever wondered about the life of a great con artist? If you do. Watch this film. Every bit of this film is enjoyable. Leonardo DiCaprio is actor that should have been around in the 50s because it seems that is the time period he plays alot. And he excels at it. Tom Hanks is of course top notch. Steve Spielberg goes away from his normal adventure films. But still makes this an adventure worth while.

57. High Fidelity
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e8/HighfidelityDVD.jpg/220px-HighfidelityDVD.jpg
It feels like I could go and meet all the characters in this movie after I finish watching it. That is how real the acting is. Perhaps John Cusack's and Jack Black's best work. High Fidelity is a film that anyone can relate too even if you are not a music junkie. But if you are this is for sure the film for you. It comes with an awesome soundtrack. This world is cool, easy going, but hectic at the same time. But that is life.

56. Juno
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ec/Junoposter2007.jpg/215px-Junoposter2007.jpg
Best film of 2007. Juno discussed issues that had been swept under the rug. What if you get pregnant at 16? Do you get an abortion? Do you keep it? Or do you give it away? Juno promotes pro life of course. The creation of the character Juno by Ellen Page's performance is phenomenal. One of the best characters in film in the last 20 years. She is quirky, punky, rude, but means well and in the end of the day is just a 16 year old girl just trying to figure things out. Jason Reitman created films with characters that we just grow to love and care about. Juno is the type of film that showcases that the most.

[TylerDurden99]

Ohh... Juno? Well, it was fun while it lasted.

[Flimmaker1473]

Ohh... Juno? Well, it was fun while it lasted.
What don't you like abut Juno?
It is a film I could watch over and over again. That and the character of Juno herself was a great character if your into character study. Ranks pretty high to me :shrug:.

[TylerDurden99]

It's a pretty weak film, in my eyes. I find Juno to be very pretentious, because it seems to think, just because it's quirky and offbeat, it's instantly brilliant. In truth, it's not nearly as clever, charming or funny as it thinks it is. Add to it the plain horrible acting (except for J.K Simmons, who is awesome in everything), the overrated screenplay, and the fact it seems to glorify teen pregnancy for most of the time (at least up until the end).

[Flimmaker1473]

Ah

You see I found the quirkiness wonderful. I thought it was funny, clever and charming. I didn't like the character Juno at first because she was being a punk, but the way her character shows vulnerability won me over The acting is great. Ellen Page was amazing (she was nominated for an academy award for this movie you know). The writing in itself I thought was genius. I felt it was a cautionary tale. And promoted pro life in case you ever found yourself in that situation.

It did everything it set out to do and more. I loved it so much. Many more people did too as it has 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. But it's not everyone's cup of tea I guess.

[Flimmaker1473]

55. Cool Hand Luke
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/19/Cool_Hand_Luke_Poster.gif
Paul Newman was one of the greatest actors of all time. Here he gives his best performance as Luke in Cool Hand Luke. This film is a movie that showcases a man that has been beaten, torn down. But he never gave up hope. And with Newmans charisma he makes the movie an irresistible.

54. The Shawshank Redemption
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/81/ShawshankRedemptionMoviePoster.jpg
The Shawshank Redemption is a hard film to get. Once you do you realize the greatness of this film. It shows what prisons really can be. And what a true friendship is. And what a man will do for his freedom when he was innocent all along. Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins were incredible and made this film go on a level it would not have gone on otherwise.

53. Almost Famous
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/dd/Almost_famous_poster1.jpg
Almost Famous is a movie that you wish would never end. So lovely, so nice. The music is so awesome. It is just so cool. Cameron Crowe creates something that resonates with all of us. All these characters are wonderful. It is a story that speaks not to one but all generations.

54. Say Anything
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8a/Say_Anything.jpg
This concludes the Cameron Crowe portion of this list. Cameron Crowe knows how to create films that can touch you. Say Anything is his best work. It uses the usual teen romance. But puts a tweak in it and makes it more realistic. It shows that love can come through, and even during a difficult situation that it will be okay.

51. 25th Hour
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25th hour shows what a Drug dealer does on his last day of freedom before a jail sentence. It is a film that shows anger and regret over choices that have shaped this person's life. Spike Lee is able to use his usual style with this film and realistically show this mans last day. Edward Norton always stands out. This role was no exception.

[TylerDurden99]

You've bounced back with Shawshank and 25th Hour. Both are really good films.

[Flimmaker1473]

You've bounced back with Shawshank and 25th Hour. Both are really good films.
Still think Juno is a great film :p.

[rauldc14]

Shawshank and Mystic River are awesome to be in this.

Juno was in my last top 100 as well, but it's definitely fallen off, and would probably be somewhere in the 150-200 range now.

[Flimmaker1473]

Shawshank and Mystic River are awesome to be in this.

Juno was in my last top 100 as well, but it's definitely fallen off, and would probably be somewhere in the 150-200 range now.
May I ask why it fell out of your top 100? Did you just watch other films you preferred?

[Flimmaker1473]

Top 50

50. The Wizard of Oz
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One of classics for sure. The Wizard of Oz is an adventure that isn't short on anything. It will make you laugh and cry. I remember watching this movie when I was younger a lot. Always enjoyed it. It was the standard for Hollywood productions back in the day. It had a message that was deep if you paid attention (like the yellow brick road).

49. Platoon
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Platoon is one of the best war films of all time. Guided by Oliver Stone (Mr. Political filmmaker), it showed a view of war that got downright gritty. Charlie Sheen and William Dafoe provided amazing performances. This movie was also one of the earlier movies of another star: Johnny Depp.

48. Planes, Trains and Automobiles
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Steve Martin back in the day was the master. Films like Dead Mn don't wear plaid and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels showed what a comic genius he was. Planes, Trains and Automobiles would be his masterpiece. And John Hughes masterpiece as well. Martin's and John Candy were so fun to watch in this odd coupleish type of movie. But this a film that has a heart of gold. It touches you at the end.

47. Traffic
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A Magonila type movie. An ensemble cast that are different. Yet somehow all touch each other. Perhaps Steven Soderbergh's best film. Traffic dicusses the chain of drug trafficking, the politics behind it, and how teens can get addicted to drugs. Each scene is realistic and it is because of the excellent cast.

46. Scarface.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5c/Scarface.jpg
Say hello to my little friend! One of Al Pacino's most famous roles. And written by Oliver Stone. Scarfare is an exhilarating, frightening and superb film. The length doesn't matter. You just keep watching every second to see what happens.

[Tyler1]

Say hello to an overrated movie. Sorry I just hate Scarface :(

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

Say hello to an overrated movie. Sorry I just hate Scarface :(

Apparantly the original's better.

Well done for Election :D

[honeykid]

Apparantly the original's better
In my experience, that's only people who hate Stone's version.

[TylerDurden99]

Big thumbs up for Platoon, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Traffic and Scarface.

[Flimmaker1473]

45. The Shinning
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I just love Stanley Kubrick films. The Shinning is the greatest horror film of all time. Based on the novel written by Stephen King, the Shining keeps that Stephen King feel. While also allowing Kubrick to put his touch on the movie. It is a movie that is filled with so much genius.

44. Edward Scissorhands
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Best Emo movie ever. This is the only real emo movie that I will watch anyway. And it made me tear up. Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands tells a beautiful tale of acceptance, friendship, hatred over being different, and love.

43. Close Encounters of the third kind
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One of Steven Spielberg's earlier films. It seems like a lot of great directors made some great science fiction films in the 70s. Close Encounters of the third kind uses human emotions and mixes it with an alien invasion which created something that was extraordinary. This is a movie that has stood the test of time.

42. Pinocchio
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He's got no strings to hold him down. And makes sure he doesn't hold down the movie. Pinocchio is one of Walt Disney's best movies. The story the wooden boy is a great one. Makes us all start feeling for a boy made out of wooden who just wanted to become a real boy. And his creator who just wanted a real soon. Walt Disney created so many great films in his lifetime and Pinocchio was apart of that tradition.

41. Blade Runner Director's cut
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Took Ridley Scott a few times, but he made Blade Runner into a great film. Harrison Ford is one of the best action film stars. Based on the short story "do andriods dream of electric sheep?" Blade Runner Director's cut is able to be visually stunning and emotionally as well. Do humans fall in love with robots? They can.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

Pinocchio scares me :(

[TylerDurden99]

Oh no, The Shining. Close Encounters is good, though.

[nebbit]

Loving this list :love:

[HitchFan97]

Blade Runner and The Shining are GREAT films, two of the best of the 80s in my opinion. Pinocchio is a favorite from when I was little :)

[Flimmaker1473]

40. Alien
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c3/Alien_movie_poster.jpg
Ridley Scott's Alien is his masterpiece. Many science fiction films were made in the 70s. His is among the best. Alien was the first film to really show Aliens in a gruesome way. It was a masterpiece on so many levels. The Aliens looked really well for the 70s. The performances were top notch. And it touched your emotions.

39. Aliens
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fb/Aliens_poster.jpg
Okay so James Cameron upped Ridley Scott with Aliens. This is James Camerson's masterpiece. Aliens does everything that Alien did. Only slightly better. James Cameron no matter he does finds a way to touch your emotions and get you to feel something. Aliens had more emotions than Alien. Who didn't go "aww that is so sweet" at the ending of this film?

38. Magnolia
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PT Anderson said he may not make a film better than Magnolia. He may be right. Magnolia is a long film. But you never lose interest. All these characters and their lives (albeit pathetic) are so interesting. It is a human story at it's best. The performances were amazing as well. This was the movie that made me realize that Tom Cruise was a great actor. His performance was simply incredible. Magnolia is a film that took advantage of the length and made something that is like treasure.

37. Toy Story
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When Pixar came out with Toy Story, the only thing that was computer animated was Veggie Tales. And that was on a small budget. This was the first full length feature done completely in computer animation. That is amazing in itself. What is truly amazing is how they were able to create a lovely story and make us care about Toys. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen do get credit for being Woody and Buzz of course.

36. E.T the Extra Terrestrial
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So I used to hate this movie. But how does it end up 36th on y list? Upon further review I saw just how great of a movie this is. Everything about it is great. It is almost a tragic movie. I guess I could have been too young during the first viewing to truly appreciate this movie for what it was. Steven Spielberg owned the 80s.

[TylerDurden99]

That last set is great, especially since you have both Magnolia and Toy Story, two of my very favourite films.

[HitchFan97]

Your best set yet, I love all 5 of those films.

[Flimmaker1473]

35. A Beautiful Mind
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/98/Abeautifulmindposter.jpg
Based on the Non Fiction book. A beautiful mind is a movie that shows you what a man deals with when he has Schizophrenia. Directed by Ron Howard. This film is so well done in every way possible. Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly were amazing in their performances. Without them not sure how good this movie would have been. You just want to cry at times and just hope everything turns out good.

34. Black Swan
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I love this film. It so so disturbingly good. Natalie Portman is on her A game in this film about the a ballerina who is slowly going insane. This film made Natalie Portman become one of my favorite actresses. Her performance was one with grace, beauty, and sadness. This whole movie makes you sad a little bit. After I watched it for the first time in theaters, I felt a little weird afterwards. Now that is a damn good movie.

33. Casino
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d8/Casino_poster.jpg

The last film that Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro worked with each other. They went out with a bang. Casino is one of the best biopics ever using Marty's usual mob story lines, mixed in with how life is in Las Vegas and Casinos. Every moment of this film was reverting. I was particularly impressed with Sharon Stone's performance.

32. The Prestige
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Christopher Nolan's best work yet. The Prestige could be the best movie involving jealously and competition. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman were nothing short of incredible. Scarlett Johansson was also great to watch.

31. Good Will Hunting
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What a great film. Written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, Good Will Hunting is just awesome. They take a humble story and turn it into something extraordinary. Robin Williams's performance was the best of his career (I guess that is why he won the academy award). I loved how Will Hunting was a smart kid. But he just needed direction. I am sure a lot of people can relate to that.

[TylerDurden99]

Nice one-two with Casino and The Prestige. Love both of those movies, but Marty and Nolan haven't made a bad film yet, in my eyes.

[HitchFan97]

Casino is great, one of Scorsese's best :up:

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

Like Black Swan and The Prestige. Detest Good Will Hunting but ah well :)

[Flimmaker1473]

30. Groundhog Day
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e8/189656%7EGroundhog-Day-Posters.jpg

Funny, sweet, touching, and insightful. Groundhog day is one of Bill Murray's best films. So original. Yet so deep. It makes you think about what if everyday didn't matter? And it makes you value life and look at your priorities.

29. JFK
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Ah back in the 90s when Oliver Stone was on his agenda and making good films. JFK is a very long film. But it is worth it. Every second is entertaining. The star studded cast that includes Kevin Costner and Tommy Lee Jones perfects it. This is Oliver Stone's masterpiece. He created art about the tragedy of one of America's most beloved presidents.

28. Do The Right Thing
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Spike Lee has made a few really good films. Two in particular really stand out. One is 25th hour. The other is Do The Right Thing. Do The Right Thing is a window to look at how even after the civil rights movement how there was still racism in America.

27. Jaws
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I saw Jaws late. This film could have been so little. But it was so great. Steven Spielberg steered it in the right direction. He created a griping tale about a shark that was terrorizing a small town. Funny I have been on Jaws the ride a few times at Universal Studios Orlando. Took me long enough to see the film. I wish I had seen it earlier. Such a great film.

26. Fantasia
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The music man! One of my favorite animated films of all time. Just a treat to watch. It is amazing that Walt Disney had the idea to combine animation with classical music. He was able to create art and a masterpiece as well. I will always remember the Soccer's apprentice the most.

[TylerDurden99]

I love JFK, and Jaws is also great.

[nebbit]

I love Groundhog Day :yup:

[honeykid]

Finally, some good films. :p:D

[Godoggo]

Good Will Hunting is one of those movies that it took me forever to get around to watching because I thought I wouldn't care for it, but ended up loving it. Same with A Beautiful Mind , but to a lesser extent.

[rauldc14]

I've only seen Jaws once, and I'd like to see it again. It was a borderline top 100 for me at the time, and I think it could be better upon repeated viewings.

[rauldc14]

I still have to see Goodwill Hunting yet. And I think I've rented it twice, but I never actually watched it.

[HitchFan97]

Jaws is a great film :yup:

[Flimmaker1473]

25. Fargo
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ac/Fargo.jpg

The Coens are just phenomenal filmmakers. Fargo is an excellent film that shows what stupid choices people will make because of money and what these choices can lead to. Just one of the best movies I have ever seen. This is an example of what movies should be. Something that shows a real life situation and turns it into art.

24. Lord of The Rings Return of The King
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I had a film who said Lord of the Rings was basically for losers. He also said that Armageddon was good movie. Lord of the Rings Return of the King was the ending to the trilogy. And was an ending. Perhaps the best finale to any trilogy out there. The story has heart. The intentions are pure. The lesson is worthwhile.

23. The Lion King
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3d/The_Lion_King_poster.jpg

The Lion King is my favorite animated film. Inspired by Hamlet, it a movie that just resonated with me. The characters were as believable as any live action movie. Some people look down at animation. Well animated films can be just as good as any live action film. This proves that.

22. Se7en
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/68/Seven_%28movie%29_poster.jpg

David Fincher is my favorite director. And his films just resonate with me so much. Se7en did so very much. About two detectives who are tracking down a serial killer who's victim committed one of the seven deadly sins. Gripping, horrifying, and in the end tragic. Se7en is one of those mystery thrillers that works to perfection.

21. The Color Purple
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/be/The_Color_Purple_poster.jpg

Hey Oprah can act! She did get nominated for an academy award for this film. Same for Whoopi Goldberg. Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple tells a tragic tale in a time period that hasn't been explored very much concerning black women. Steven Spielberg is known for some huge blockbusters. But he went less mainstream with this film and created a masterpiece.

Next the top 20. Each film was have an essay. Tune in tomorrow.

[TylerDurden99]

Fargo, Return Of The King, The Lion King and Se7en are all fantastic movies.

[Flimmaker1473]

20. Lost in Translation
http://i2.listal.com/image/572460/600full-lost-in-translation-screenshot.jpg
In my third viewing of Lost in Translation, I just ended up loving it more. The depth in the scenes that seem so simple. The direction of a young Sofia Coppla. Who clearly takes after her father very much. It is just a treat to watch Very rare to you see a film like this where it doesn't seem like anyone is acting. But reacting.

Bill Murray plays an actor named Bob Harris. He had a huge film career. But now he is stuck doing whiskey commercials in Japan. For a lot of money however. He has been married for 25 years and it is starting to wear on him. He and his wife have clearly drifted apart as he goes on the road and his wife stays with their kids. This is a man who is also a borderline alcoholic. He enjoys the product that he advertises very much. He just seems to be stuck or shall I say lost.

Then we go to Charlotte. No last name is given. Just Charlotte. She is played by the beautiful Scarlett Johansson. Charlotte is only 28 years old (when Johanasson got the part she was only 17 years old). She has been now married for two years to her husband John. She loves him. And he loves her. But he is busy with work. She herself seems to be confused with what she wants out of life. She feels she should be happy. But in reality she is not happy at all.

The two meet by chance at bar. She recognizes him and asks Bob what he is doing here. He explains in a dead pan way that could have turned her away. If not only for a joke at the end. That is what starts the little connection. Little by little they get closer. Each having a feel for each other. Understanding each other little by little.

The is a scene where they sing karaoke. Probably my favorite scene in the film. They both just let go and sing how they are feeling. Then Bob sings a song and starts looking at Charlotte. This is when the connection grew even stronger. It was beautiful.

They both figure out they are both lost. Both because of their professional and personal careers. Bob rather be doing a play somewhere. Bob wants to be closer to his wife and kids again. But he doesn't know how. Charlotte wants to have a career she likes. But she says she sucks at writing. She doesn't know what her purpose is in life yet. Charlotte is also struggling early on with her marriage. She isn't grasping how hard marriage really is. Bob sets her straight perfectly when he says "Marriage, that's hard, but it's fun".

They are both also lonely. Both without their significant other. And find each other just by chance. They know that they will never see each other again. But in a way that is okay. Because they only needed each other for that time period.

This is a film that the actors act in and react rather than act out. I think this is the closest we will ever get to know who Bill Murray is. He plays Bob Harris with such subtly, vulnerability and humility. He allows us to fully understand this man and his struggles through life. How he just wants more. It was his best acting job yet.

Scarlett Johanasson is a very underrated actress. Her performance warranted an academy award nomination. But she didn't get one. Got a British Academy Award win though. Johanasson is such a beautiful woman. Yet she plays up Charlotte's insecurities. She is able to allow the audience to see what she is going through. How tough of a time she is having. At only 17 years old it is unbelievable how she was able to how her own with Bill Murray.

Sofia Coppla won an academy award for the script of this film. I commend her for being able to create art with such a simple concept and idea. She kept the values in the movie and showed us a display of loneliness and truly being lost.

Lost in Translation is a film about two people who have a moment's connection. Not fall in love. But for the time they are with they connect. Sort of a "we'll always have France" thing. Everything about this movie is so meaningful and insightful. And the final scene between Murray and Johanasson is perfect.

[TylerDurden99]

I like this film. I've only seen it once and I don't think it's this brilliant masterpiece everyone else seems to, but Bill Murray is great, and there are some truly emotional moments.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

Great film, although I think she was nineteen when she did it, playing an early twenty-something.

[Flimmaker1473]

Great film, although I think she was nineteen when she did it, playing an early twenty-something.
I think she was 17 about to turn 18 when she was hired. But when filming started she was 19

[Flimmaker1473]

I like this film. I've only seen it once and I don't think it's this brilliant masterpiece everyone else seems to, but Bill Murray is great, and there are some truly emotional moments.
Bill Murray was for sure great.

[Flimmaker1473]

19. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
http://images4.static-bluray.com/reviews/3813_3.jpg
As human beings don't you ever just wish you could erase something from your memory sometimes? A bad moment. A bad day. A bad situation. A bad thought. Perhaps something you saw. Or even on some days a person. The closest to that is selective memory loss. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind shows us what that would be like if we could really erase someone from our memory.

Eternal Sunshine is mixed in with science fiction and an indie film that creates something so easy for anyone to relate to. It doesn't allow it's premise to take away from it's realism. It uses it to it's advantage. It makes us believe and shows us something we didn't expect. Everything that happens feels plausible. Nothing out of the extreme. And it touches of emotions.

Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) is a writer is emotionally withdrawn. He is a loner who only works and comes back home. That is all that is to his life. Then he meets a free spirit named Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet). Clementine just does whatever she wants to or feels like. This starts up an unlikely but seemingly happy relationship.

Funny thing is the start of the film is actually the ending. How is that? Rewind. Joel goes to see Clementine at work. And she does not recognize him at all. She is with some some guy. He is upset and confused. He doesn't get how his lover doesn't recognize him. He goes to a couple's home which is where he finds out that Clementine had him erased permanently from her memory.

It is called Targeted memory erasure. People have tough situations. And rather keep those memories. They want to have them taken away. So they come to Dr. Howard Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson). At first Joel is just there to find out what happened. But he is struggling with her erasing him from her memory so much that he decides to do the same.

So he walks in and does just that. He meets with Dr. Mierwiak and Stan Fink (Mark Ruffalo). They perform a few procedures. Such as him taking everything that reminds him of her out of his apartment and focusing on the memories of those objects. They use that to create a map so destroy those memories. Later that night Stan with his buddy and coworker Patrick (Elijah Wood) are now operating on Joel. Mary Svevo (Kristen Dunst) who is dating Stan and is a receptionist at the office they work at comes in to just hang out. It is revealed that Patrick was that young man kissing Clementine. That when they erased her memories that he stole her panties. He has basically been pretending he is Joel to get with her. And it is having effects on her.

The mapping of the memories is done astoundingly well. Joel is able to tell what is going on. And now he wants it stopped. He understands that good or bad that memories are meaningful and he must keep them. He doesn't want to forget Clementine. And he realizes that when she was doing this that she probably ended up feeling the same way too.

And there is something interesting that happened to Mary. Mary had an affair with Dr. Mierzwiak. She was truly in love with him. But she agreed to have it erased from her memory. She is devastated by this. She realizes that she is no different than any of the patients that have be "treated". She quits her job and steals the company records and sends them out to all the clients.

And then it is back to where we saw Joel and Clementine at the start of the movie. Clementine picks up mail and see a letter from Mary. Including the tape that all the patients had to do talking about why they anted their memories of this person erased. She plays it and they are both confused. And Joel angry. She leaves after he gets angry. But comes back to his apartment and he is playing his tape about her. They are both still confused. But they do realize that they have been together before. They almost give up on trying again. But Joel rushes back to her. Maybe somewhat remembering what happened and how he can't let her slip through her fingers.

Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind is one of those movies that after you go see you realize the genius about it. This is a film that talks about something everyone has. Memories. They are precious. Good or bad. You need to have them. We see it not only with Joel and Clementine. But also with Mary. She hated the fact that was blissfully unaware of her affair with her boss. She then realized how wrong this procedure was.

People have selective memory loss. People also have repressed memory loss. Both cases people forget things that are painful to them. It is natural. But there are also good memories involved with someone who might have hurt us at one point or another.

Eternal Sunshine jumps through different hoops. But despite that it doesn't take away from the film. It feels so easy to resonate with all these characters in one way or another. The ending of this film says a message that is so strong. Though they have an idea of what happened. They are willing to accept that and try again. Accept that they had bad times. But realize that they had good times and that is good enough to be together. And that is life.

[TylerDurden99]

Again, another solid film, not quite the masterpiece everyone says it is, though. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet are flat-out brilliant, but I've got some substantial problems with the tone and ending.

[Flimmaker1473]

I still can't believe that Jim Carrey was snubbed by the academy. Easily his best performance.

[nebbit]

Really like Eternal Sunshine :up:

[Tyler1]

ESOTSM is one of the finest movies of the last decade.

[Critics]

I remember watching Ferris Bueller's Day Off with my dad not too long ago after I got it from Netflix. Half way into watching this movie, I told my dad that if I had a chance to watch this when I was in High School I would of probably taken several notes on what he was doing.

This movie indeed is one of the last of it's kind. You just don't see them like this anymore.

(also LotR and MiB are golden)

edit: Groundhog Day never gets old, i've seen that movie a good dozen or so times and it's great each time. Especially since it revolves are the day I was born.

[Flimmaker1473]

18. The Big Lebowski
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http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews18/a%20Joel%20Coen%20The%20Big%20Lebowski%20Jeff%20Bridges%20DVD%20Review/old%20Joel%20Coen%20The%20Big%20Lebowski%20Jeff%20Bridges%20DVD%20Review%202820-lf.jpg
The dude. That is what they call him. Or you can call him his dudeness. A cool character who is unemployed. But without worries. I wish the few months this year when I was unemployed I could have been that cool. But perhaps that is why he is called the dude and not me.

Joel and Ethan Coen's the Big Lebowski is a mixture of different things that results in something pretty mind blowing. The surprising layers in the film. It is a story however about an attitude and a lifestyle. Those just get mixed up in the craziness of the plot being pursued.

Jeff Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) comes home one day and ends getting rough up by two thugs who are collecting money for Mr. Lebowski's wife's debt. Only they have the wrong Lebowski. They are looking for the rich Jeffery Lebowski. Jeff "the Dude" Lebowski is an unemployed bowler who smokes weed and drinks white Russians. They peed on his rug before figuring this out by the way. Why is that important? It sets up the events for the rest of the film.

While bowling after he told the story to friends and teammates Walter Sobchak ( John Goodman) and Theodore Donald "Donny" Kerabatsos (Steve Buscemi). Walter suggests (in a loud way) that he go see Jeffery Lebowski to get him to get him a new rug. The dude agrees with him. He goes to see Mr. Lebowski and is greeted by Brandt (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) who directs him to Mr. Lebowski (David Huddelston). Mr. Lebowski seems to not really care about the Dude's rug issue and dismisses him.

The Dude ends up just telling Brandt that Mr. Lebowski said he could take whatever rug he wants. On the way out he sees Mr. Lebowski's wife Bunny Lebowski (Tara Reid). Days later Mr. Lebowski contacts the Dude telling him that his wife has been kidnapped. He says the kidnappers wants $1 million. And that if he makes sure Bunny returns safely he will get $20,000. The Dude accepts.

On the way of doing the deed and whole on the phone with the kidnappers after picking up Walter the plan goes haywire. Walter decides to throw a ringer filled with his dirty underwater. He throws it, jumps out of the Dude's car (which he is driving) and the car wrecks. The kidnappers takes the ringer.

Walter thinks everything is okay. This Walter character was a great one. A Vietnam veteran who looks like he was at war yesterday. The war clearly did a number on him. He now loves bowling and his life seems almost centered around the bowling league that he is in. Walter tries to convince the Dude that everything is good. When they go to the car after bowling they see that the car is gone.

We see a shot of the Dude on the ground getting punched. It is later revealed after a phone call that Maude Lebowksi (Julianne Moore) hired criminals to knock him unconscious. Maude tells the dude that her father's new wife wasn't kidnapped. That she kidnapped herself. She also reveals that Bunny was a porn starlet with Jackie Treehorn. She offers the Dude a $100,000 to help her and sends him to doctor appointments. Maude is an interesting character. She is an artist. She also clearly has other motives too.

After meeting with Maude he is forced to Mr. Lebowski's limo where he and Brandt are waiting for him. He says that the Dude failed. He knows that a ringer was thrown. He even shows a toe that is supposed to be Bunny's. The Dude doesn't know what to believe. There is so much going on. One person says Bunny was kidnapped. One person says she kidnapped herself. In between that there is the truth.

The Dude gets a call from the police that his car has been found. He goes to it. But the briefcase is gone. He does find a school paper by Larry Sellers. He thinks that he has the money. So him. Walter and Donny pay him a visit. This results in Donny destroying a nice car that he thought Larry bought with the money. But in reality it was the neighbor's. The neighbor ends up tearing up the dude's car.

Jackie Treehorn's thugs bring the dude to his home in Malibu. Treehorn wants to know where Bunny has been and about the money. He evens offers the dude a cut if the money is recovered. Treehorn drugs the dude's drink (lsd)? And it the Dude goes through an acid flashback. The acid flashbacks were wonderfully done. They were free, and showed the dude's subconscious. It isn't be coincidence that Maude is in both of his acid flashbacks. And bowling was involved in both.

After getting beat up by the chief of police and kicked out of a cab he returns to his home which has been ransacked. But Maude is there. She wants to make love. And they do. It is later revealed that Maude is trying to get pregnant. But desires no social relationship with the father. Which works for the Dude. She also reveals that it was her late mother that has all the money and not Mr. Lebowski.

The Dude then realizes what has actually happened. When Mr. Lebowski realized that Bunny was kidnapped he was happy. He didn't like her. She only wanted money. So he decided to use the dude in an embezzlement scheme. That he took money out of the family's charity, kept it for himself, and gave the Dude empty briefcase. The Dude was simply going to be the fall guy.

It is revealed that Bunny just took a trip without telling anyone. The nihilists (her friends) just alleged a kidnapping to get money from her husband. The Dude and alter arrive at Mr. Lebowski's home to see that Bunny is there. They confront him about everything. The affair apparently over, The Dude and his bowling teammates are suddenly confronted by the nihilists, who have set The Dude's car on fire. They once again demand the million dollars. After hearing what The Dude and Walter know, the nihilists demand all the money in their pockets. Walter responds by biting one nihilist's ear off, throwing a bowling ball at another's ribs, and knocking the final nihilist unconscious with their portable radio. However, in the aftermath, Donny , a member of Walter and The Dude's bowling team, has a heart attack and dies.

The ending scenes result them scattering Donny's ashes. Only that goes wrong. Walter ends up ranting about Vietnam and basically throws the ashes in the Dude's face. The Dude gets upset. And Walter says something that set the tone for the movie "f**k it Dude lets go bowling." And they went bowling.

The Big Lebowski takes a guy who lives by his own rules in a short of way and throws into a situation that he wouldn't be in otherwise and shows how he reacts. The Big Lebowski is really about the Dude's attitude and lifestyle. Care free, bowler, no job, smokes weed, does whatever. It is just surrounded by this story. It is really great character study go look at how the Dude goes through these situations and handles them.

The supporting characters are excellent. Walter is a funny character. He does things that seem moronic. But there are point sin the movie that he realizes things that no one else does. He is angry. But bowling makes him happy. Which is why he obsesses over it. He just wants to go bowling with his friends and win. Maude is a woman who does things on her own. And wants to raise a kid on her own. This briefing discusses single parenthood. Nicely too. This is clearly pointing to women that go to sperm banks to have kids instead of doing it through having a relationship.

The situation happening is centered about something the Coens have touched on before "money and deceit". Those are key. Everything that went wrong is because of it. Just like in real life.

The Coens have a knack for telling a story with such grace, humor, humility, visual style and architectural detail. Long corridors, odd interior decoration, forced perspectives, lonely vistas, lurid cityscapes. Like I said the LSD flashbacks are a great example of this too. It feels as if we are having those LSD flashbacks.

The film is about Jeff Lebowski's reaction when he faced with all this. He is beaten, has his car stolen, he is lied to, has his apartment smashed up, has a fortunate dangled in front of his eyes, his car is set on fire, is seduced by a women only for his seed, and sees his friend die. He drinks the white Russians to help. He remains Zen the whole time. Like a buddhist he doesn't worry and stays focused.

The film is narrated by some random cowboy (Sam Elliott). He observes that there is a little Lebowski on the way. But the Dude isn't getting married. He doesn't have a woman in his life. Unless it is by chance. He doesn't have a job. Now is the Dude like us and gets the depressed? Does he let it bother him? No. Because as long as he has a roof over his head, white Russians, weed and his bowling buddies all is well. And that is all he needs.

[Flimmaker1473]

17. Mean Streets
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The Mafia is something that has been touched on a lot. Some great, some good, and so down right bad. Each one of them has a similar element. Someone did something that got them in trouble with the Mafia.

With Mean Streets, Martin Scorsese does his usual thing. He takes a situation, shows us an issue, shows us events that happen after this issue comes up, and shows us what the consequences are.

Charlie (Harvey Keitel) is a young Italian man in New York. He is trying to move up in the Mafia. He is respected, he is smart, he is professional, and he is a good guy. So what is stopping him? He is being held back by his reckless young friend Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro). Johnny Boy is a gambler who owes money to loan sharks. The first scene that we see Johnny Boy in is him putting a cherry bomb in a mail box and the bomb going off. He walks away like nothing happened but happy. This shows us what kind of character he is. He is a wild card. Wild cards don't mix well with the Mafia.

Michael (Richard Romanus) is the loan shark. He wants his money now. He has worked with Johnny Boy and is getting tired of waiting. But Charlie convinces him to wait. Another loan shark Giovanni (Cesare Danova) is having a hidden affair with Johnny Boy's cousin Teresa (Amy Robinson) too. She has epilepsy and is ostracized for it especially by Charlie's uncle.

There is another storyline going on. Charlie is struggling with two things. He is a devout Catholic. But he wants to be apart of the mafia. There are believers that are in the mafia. Especially Italians. But it is rather contradictory. And Charlie knows it. Charlie is also struggling with two other things. He loves Teresa and Johnny Boy. But he is forbidden to see them by Giovanni. That is the whole underline of the movie. His depression.

Johnny Boy grows very self destructive in the film. Gets into bar fights, and just gets more disrespectful to the debt collectors that he owes more to. Johnny Boy couldn't get redemption at Church. So Charlie does a noble thing and sacrifices himself. The film ends with Michael coming back to finally get his money from Johnny Boy. Johnny Boy calls him a jerk off. Johnny Boy clearly doesn't have the ability to mature. Instead he gets worse thinking that Charlie can save him every time. Michael lunges at Johnny who retaliates by pulling a gun on him. After a tense standoff, Michael walks away, and Charlie and Johnny decide to "get away for a couple of days" with Teresa. After a calm getaway by car, they eventually are pursued by Michael and his henchman, in another car. The henchman fires shots at Charlie's car, hitting Johnny in the neck, and Charlie in the hand. This causes Charlie to crash the car. The film ends with an ambulance and police arriving at the scene, and paramedics take them away.

Marty uses his Roman Catholic beliefs and upbringing in Means Streets. He shows how conflicted Charlie is. He wants to please God. He loves God. But he loves the mafia too. He wants to be in it so bad. He loves his friend Johnny Boy too. He loves him so much that he would sacrifice himself for Johnny Boy. Johnny Boy is the best character to follow in this movie. Robert De Niro truly showed the development of some who goes from doing juvenile things to do self destructive things. Johnny Boy is someone who just doesn't understand how everything works. He pushes it until he goes to far. He thins he has clout. And he takes advantage of Charlie. He say Charlie has a friend. As a mentor even. But he didn't know how to treat it. He was too immature.

Means Streets is an example of the string of events that not doing the right thing can lead to. How things start off so small. So simple. But as humans if we really want to we can make things complex and different. And that is exactly what happens. Everything that happens is a result of Johnny Boy not paying up. Johnny Boy not being honest. And things went out of control. It almost has a cautionary tale ring to it. But without the pretentiousness. And early film of Martin Scorsese shows what kind of greatness he had him in. And how he would only get better. Mean Streets was the foundation for all his future films.

[TylerDurden99]

The Big Lebowski is the funniest movie I have ever seen, so there's a thumbs up for that.

And despite being a huge Scorsese, I have not yet seen Mean Streets.

[Flimmaker1473]

16. American Beauty
http://cinemasights.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/americanbeauty-whataslacker.jpg
What is life? How many of us are truly happy with where we are at? Show of hands. Who professionally frustrated? Who is frustrated with their life at the moment? And who is sexually frustrated? These things are what make us human beings. As good as things look on the outside they are not as good when your living it.

American Beauty could be the ultimate human story. The characters and situations are very realistic. Anyone watching can relate to one of the characters and their issues. Director Sam Mendes shows us the life of average Americans. And who we really are.

Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is a middle age man. He is dead telling this tale. And we will watch the events that lead to his death. He has a pretty normal life on paper. a wife named Carolyn (Anette Bening) and a daughter named Jane (Thora Birch). He has a good paying job too working at an advertising company. But he isn't happy. The best part of his day is when he is jerking off when he is taking his morning shower. He and his wife are clearly not having sex. His daughter hates him as well. They both see him as a loser. And he admits it. But not in the way you think. He feels he has lost something in him.

His job is downsizing due to an executive trying to pay for a hooker gone wrong. All employees have to write about what they do and why they should keep their job. This disgusts Lester who has been working at the company for 17 years.

Carolyn is a real estate agent. She isn't a very good one at that. She can't sell a house to save her life. She is a very up tight person for that and other reasons. He is also frustrated with her marriage. She is stuck in a rut.

Meanwhile they have new neighbors. Retired United States Marin Crops Colonel Frank Fitts (Chris Cooper). Also with him are his introverted wife Barbra (Allison Janney) and their 18 year old son Ricky (Wes Bentley). Ricky is a secret chiefer who also sells weed. His past leads the Colonel to subject him to having to produce urine samples. Ricky has been sent to military school and a mental institution. He loves to videotape things that he thinks are beautiful. Jane happens to be one of those things.

Lester while at a basketball game get infatuated with Jane's cheerleader friend Angela Hayes (Mena Suvari) after seeing her perform during the half time show. He imagines her just being a alone and basically stripping for him. But roses come out when she opens her chest up. This is the first time he has been truly attracted to another human being in a while. Only it is a high schooler.

Jane and Angela notice that Ricky has been videotaping Jane. Jane seems bugged by it. But also seems intrigued as well. She sees someone who is different from everyone else. Someone who is kind of like her.

Carolyn takes Lester to a real estate party one night. There they meet a rival and successful real estate rival Buddy Kane (Peter Gallagher). Buddy and Carolyn hit it off. It is at this party that Lester sees Ricky who is doing one of his cover up jobs. He offers to smoke him up. This is the first time in a long time that Lefter is genuinely having fun and feeling alive. Only to have Carolyn cut the fun.

Lester over hears Angela saying that he is cute and if he worked out that he would be hot. This inspires Lester to start working out. He also decides to start smoking weed. That night is dreams of Angela and starts jerking off in bed. After his wife comments on it and says after a few words that she would divorce him so fast, he stands his ground and makes her speechless. This is the start of a change in Lester and huge character development. He becomes and completely different person. He basically quits his job and blackmails his former employers to give him a year's pay with benefits. He also starts working the drive thru at a burger joint. He also begins to flirt with Angela every time she comes by. He just decides to no longer care.

Carolyn has begun an affair with Buddy. The sex scene is short, but a powerful one. Carolyn too goes through changes. She is more happy now that her sexual needs have been filled. But she is still anal towards Lester. Their marriage is for show. They just want to look normal. There are many people like that. They do love each other. But they have grown apart.

Jane and Ricky start going out. He shows her his dad's nazi plate. After his dad notices he has been in there he beats Ricky. The colonel is a very tough man on his son. He is a very controlling man with his wife and son period. What he says goes. And he will use brute force to prove a point. He is also very homophobic. Ricky shows Jane a video of him videotaping a plastic bag being blown by the video. He gives a bit of a poetic speech about it that is simply beautiful to listen to. It really gives it meaning.

Lester discovers Carolyn's infidelity while working the drive thru. But he reacts indifferently. He doesn't really care. He knows a relationship isn't there anymore. He just goes on. Buddy ends the affair too citing that he facing a very expensive divorce. Frank starts to suspect that Lester and Ricky are gay. This is how homophobic this man is. He just can't have it. After looking through his son's window and seeing what he thought was his son giving Lester a blow job he concludes that Ricky is a gay prostitute. When he confronts him with this Ricky sees it as his way out as his father said he would kick him out if he is gay. He says he is gay and he gets kicked out. That same night Frank goes over to Walter crying and soaked in rain. This is one of the most powerful scenes in the movie. Frank is broken. He goes to Lester thinking he is gay and even kisses him. But of course Lester tells him he has the wrong idea. Frank walks away in shame.

Ricky goes to Jane asking her to come to New York with him. Angela calls them crazy. Ricky calls her out. In reality Angela is very insecure. He does not want to be ordinary. But she really is ordinary. She leaves in tears and Lester sees her. She is vulnerable and Lester sees his chance to get with her. They have some very sweet, but powerful scenes together. Just as he is about to have sex with her she confesses that she is a virgin. Lester now sees her a kid. Like her daughter. And the sexual attraction is gone. After letting her down easy he goes and sits in his kitchen and looks a picture of his family as he is shot. As he explains him having his life flash before his eyes it is revealed that Frank shot and killed Lester. You see Ricky come don and kind of smile when he looked at Lester. That is because Lester died with a smile on his face. Like he said in the last scene which features the plastic bag that "I should be pissed, but how could I be with so much beauty in the world?"

American Beauty touches on so many different thing. Mendes called American Beauty a rites of passage film about imprisonment and escape from imprisonment. It is the portrait on modern day America. Kevin Spacey has Lester is perfect. He embodies the everyday man who feels like he is in a prison and wants more out of life. He doesn't want to be in a rut anymore. The shower stall where he is jerking off represents the prison he is in. American Beauty also discusses the meaning of life. The video of the plastic bag being blown in the wind are the examples of this. Something that seems so meaningless. Is actually meaningful. Life can seem so meaningless. But it is actually very meaningful. That there is beauty everywhere. If we allow ourselves to it.

Spacey also gives Lester great character development. He takes him from being a drone to living his life the way he wants to. This film shows family perhaps like no other film. There is reasonable frustration. The husband has basically lost control as well.

When Lester is caught masturbating by Carolyn, his angry retort about their lack of intimacy is the first time he says aloud what he thinks about her. By confronting the issue and Carolyn's "superficial investments in others", Lester is trying to "regain a voice in a home that (only respects) the voices of mother and daughter". His final turning point comes when he and Angela almost have sex; after she confesses her virginity, he no longer thinks of her as a sex object, but as a daughter. He holds her close and "wraps her up".

Also like other 1999 films like Fight Club, Bringing out the dead, and Magnolia. American Beauty instructs the audience to live more meaningful lives. This film does put up a strong case against conformity. But the genius here is that it doesn't deny that people want it or need it. For example the gay couple that lives next door. They want to conform. They just want to fit in. Jim and Jim, the Burnhams, and the Fitts are satires of bogus couples. All of which have the numbling sameness that the film also criticizes in hetrosexual couples too.

Being really alive is also a central point. Lester after he says he is dead at the start of the film says he actually has been dead for a while. He has forgotten what it is like to truly be alive. And as human beings that happens. We feel like we are not making an progress. That he are not doing anything worthwhile. That we are not really alive. That we are just there.

Sexuality and repression are big central points too. Masculinity for starters. Lester has lost control of being the man of his house. He wants that back. He somewhat gets it back at the dinner he quits his job at after he throws a plate on the wall, yells at Carolyn and Jane as well. Also with Frank. He hates gay people so much. But in reality he is very gay. He just doesn't want to admit. Because he doesn't feel it is right to be gay that is how he grew up. That is repression. And this shows how that can lead to violence. People being sexually frustrated is a normal thing. But frustrating clearly. Lester and Carolyn are both sexually frustrated. They have grown so far apart that they don't have sex. This is why she has an affair and why Lester lusts over Angela.

The style of American Beauty is traditional. But the music and style in American Beauty is very unique. American Beauty follows a traditional narrative structure, only deviating with the displaced opening scene of Jane and Ricky from the middle of the story. Although the plot spans one year, the film is narrated by Lester at the moment of his death. Lester's claim that life did not flash before his eyes, but that it "stretches on forever like an ocean of time" shows that the film either will not waste time on something little, or take all the time it needs on explaining something. The music scenes are done wonderfully. Slow, steady, with the audience being able to have a feel for the situation each step of the way.

American Beauty is truly a masterpiece. It is one of those films that shows life the way it really is. It doesn't sugarcoat anything. It is a film that doesn't have one defined focus. But many and executes very well. And the last line is perfect "I should be pissed, but who could I with so much beauty in the world?"

[nebbit]

I am a big fan of the Dude :up:

[Flimmaker1473]

15. Dr Strangelove or how learned to stopped Worrying and Love the Bomb
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I had to watch this movie in Honors English 11. Best English class ever. Stanley Kubrick in his films likes to go different directions. Each and everyone of his films are different. But then again are somewhat the same. They have a redeeming quality and quirkiness to them and meaning to them. I am not sure one has more meaning to serious situation than Dr. Strangelove.


United States Air Force Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) is the commander of Burpelson Air Force Base, which hosts the 843rd Bomb Wing of nuclear-armed B-52s. The base's aircraft are currently part of a SAC airborne alert force, holding at their fail-safe locations only hours from Soviet airspace. Ripper calls Group Captain Lionel Mandrake (Peter Sellers), a Royal Air Force exchange officer serving as General Ripper's executive officer, and has him place the base on alert and issue attack orders to the aircraft. Mandrake initially suspects this is a drill, but Ripper tells him it is not.

Onboard the aircraft the attack code is received. Thing is the crew isn't so sure that is real or not. After receiving confirmation from Burpelson, they begin their attack. As part of this process, the aircrew enter a code into their CRM 114 Discriminator, which blocks any unauthorized radio transmissions. When Mandrake discovers the country is not at war, he confronts Ripper, demanding the code. Ripper refuses, locking them into his office.

There is a room in the Pentagon in this movie called the War Room. I laughed so hard when I heard that uttered. General Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott) briefs President Merkin Muffley (Sellers). When the president asks whether or not the bombers will stop at their fail-safe points, Turgidson notes they were already there, and only the recall code will be useful. He mentions the problems with the CRM and states they are trying every possible code, although he admits this will take over two days. When the president asks how the attack could be carried out without his direct authorization, Turgidson notes the president himself signed the orders to remove this requirement to allow counterattacks in the event a Soviet first strike obliterated Washington. When President Muffley angrily begins to question the wisdom of the plan, the general states he does not "think it's quite fair to condemn a whole program because of a single slip-up".

Muffley has an idea. He proposes that proposes that troops be sent to the Air Force base to seize Ripper (and hopefully force the recall code from him), Turgidson warns that General Ripper will have put the security forces there on high alert. The Army general however rejects this concern stating the airborne units being sent would brush them aside. In the meantime, Turgidson tries to persuade Muffley to seize the moment and eliminate the Soviet Union by launching a full-scale attack. The general believes that a first strike would destroy the majority of the Soviets' missiles before they could retaliate. Even if the remainder were launched, the US would suffer only "ten, maybe twenty million dead". Muffley refuses to have any part of such a scheme, and instead summons the Soviet ambassador, Alexei de Sadeski (Peter Bull). The Ambassador calls Soviet premier Dimitri Kisov on the "Hot Line" and gives the Soviets information to help them shoot down the American planes, should they cross into Soviet airspace.

The soviet premier and ambassador have a heated, but very funny discussion in Russian. This is when the ambassador reveals that his side has installed a doomsday device. This doomsday device has a series of 50 buried bombs with Cobalt Thorium G. This will automatically detonate and destroy all life on earth if there is a nuclear attack on Russia. The U.s president is amazed and shocked that anyone would decide to build such a device that destroy the earth. he ambassador notes the Soviet Union could not afford to keep up with the "arms race, space race and peace race" while the citizens demanded a better life. When a New York Times article stated that the US was working on such a device, the Soviets decided to build their own, fearing a "doomsday gap". The president's science adviser, wheelchair-using Dr. Strangelove (Sellers), a former Nazi, and a weapons expert, admits that it would be "an effective deterrent ... credible and convincing." However, a recent study by an American think tank had dismissed it as being too dangerous to be practical — reasons that he points out are now obvious. He further points out that the "whole point of the doomsday machine is lost if you keep it a secret", and demands to know why the Soviets didn't announce it. Ambassador de Sadeski sheepishly answers it was supposed to be announced the following Monday at the (Communist) Party Congress because "the premier loves surprises."

The U.S army forces have now arrived and have come to arrest general Ripper. Ripper told his men that the enemy might come attacking dressed as Americans. So because of this the base's security forces open fire on them. As a battle is going on Rippers tells Mandrake and explains his paranoid belief about there being a communist conspiracy involving water fluoridation and contamination of everyone's "precious bodily fluids" (this also just made me crack up). When the army is eventually victorious, Ripper shoots himself, fearing torture to extract the recall code. Colonel "Bat" Guano (Keenan Wynn) forces his way into Ripper's office and immediately suspects that Mandrake, whose uniform he does not recognize, is leading a mutiny and arrests him. Mandrake convinces Guano he must call the president with the recall code (OPE) which he has deduced from Ripper's desk blotter doodles. Off camera, Mandrake finally contacts the Pentagon and is able to get the code combinations to the president and Strategic Air Command.

The actual recall code is issued to the planes and the ones the Soviets did not report have been shut down and and coming back to base. But the happiness is short lived.
Soviet defences note that for one of the four planes they hit they are not sure whether it was actually downed. Onboard this aircraft a near-miss by an anti-aircraft missile has punctured its fuel tanks, and caused the self-destruct device on the CRM to fire, rendering it unable to receive the recall code. Knowing the bomber's orders, President Muffley has instructed the Soviets to concentrate all available defences at its primary and secondary targets (missile complexes at, respectively, Laputa and Bordkov, "seven miles east of Barshaw"). However, as the crew continues to monitor the fuel situation they realize they cannot make it to either target, so the pilot instead heads for the nearest target of opportunity, an ICBM complex at Kodlosk. On the bomb run they discover that the missile has also damaged the bomb release. Aircraft commander Major T. J. "King" Kong (Slim Pickens) goes to the bomb bay to open the damaged doors manually, straddling a nuclear bomb as he repairs arcing wires overhead. When he effects his repairs, the bomb bay doors suddenly open, the bomb releases and Kong rides it to detonation like a rodeo cowboy, whooping and waving his cowboy hat. The H-bomb explodes and the doomsday device's detonation is inevitable.

In the War Room, Ambassador de Sadeski says life on Earth's surface will be extinct in ten months. Dr. Strangelove recommends the president gather several hundred thousand people to be relocated into deep mine shafts, where the radioactivity would never penetrate. Strangelove suggests a sex ratio of "ten females to each male," with the women selected for their stimulating sexual characteristics and the men selected for youth, health, intellectual capabilities and importance in business and government. He points out that with proper breeding techniques, the survivors could work themselves up to the present gross national product in 20 years and emerge to repopulate the United States after the radioactivity has ceased in about 100 years. Fearing the Soviets would do the same, General Turgidson warns of a possible "mineshaft gap".

Just as Dr. Strangelove miraculously gets up from his wheelchair, takes a couple of steps and shouts, "Mein Führer! I can walk!," the Doomsday Machine activates. The film then cuts to a montage of nuclear detonations across the world, accompanied by Vera Lynn's recording of "We'll Meet Again."

So many things about Dr. Strangelove make it such a great film. First off one is Peter Sellers. He plays three roles in this film. Each done with such a high level of excellence that is second to none. We watch films like the Nutty professor and see Eddie Murphy do a good job. Well Peter Sellers did an amazing job. He gives each of his characters something distinct and made them so interesting.

Another is the film basically was satirizing the cold war. The whole arms race situation and who would strike a nuclear attack first. It so wonderfully shows how ridiculous the whole situation was. People would get paranoid about it. The U.S and Russia would threaten each other. There were and are nuclear bombs that could destroy the whole world. That was called mutual assured destruction (MAD) and that is what the film particularly pokes fun at the most.

Military strategist and former physicist Herman Kahn, in his 1960 On Thermonuclear War, used the theoretical example of a doomsday machine to illustrate the concept of mutual assured destruction (MAD) in effect, Kahn argued, both sides already had a sort of doomsday machine, since their nuclear arsenals were large enough to destroy most life on Earth. Kahn, a leading 1950s critic of American strategy, urged America to plan for a limited nuclear war, and later in the 1960s became one of the architects of the MAD doctrine. Kahn held that a nuclear war was inherently suicidal (because it is unwinnable) thus neither side would be willing to engage in all-out nuclear war. Kahn came off as cold and calculating, for example in his willingness to estimate how many human lives the USA could lose and still rebuild economically. This attitude is reflected in Turgidson's remark to the president about the outcome of a pre-emptive nuclear war: "Mr. President, I'm not saying we wouldn't get our hair mussed. But I do say no more than ten to twenty million killed, tops, uh, depending on the breaks." Turgidson has a binder that is labelled "World Targets in Megadeaths", a term coined in 1953 by Kahn and popularized in his 1960 book On Thermonuclear War.

The plan to regenerate the human race from the people sheltered in mineshafts is a parody of Nelson Rockefeller's, Edward Teller's, Herman Kahn's, and Chet Holifield's 1961 plan to spend billions of dollars on a nationwide network of concrete-lined underground fallout shelters capable of holding millions of people. This proposed fallout shelter network has similarities and contrasts to that of the very real and robust Swiss Civil Defense network, Switzerland has an overcapacity of Nuclear fallout shelters for the country's population size, and by law, new homes must still be built with a fallout shelter.

Stanley Kubrick was simply a genius. He was able to take what was the the time the most serious event going on and turn it into art. He doesn't make it preachy. He makes us be able to laugh at ourselves. Satire is an art. And only a few people can do it well. And when it is done well it is amazing to watch. Films like Thank you for smoking learned from this on how to do a piece period satire, and make it realistic, humorous and entertaining. Dr. Strangelove is written with unbelievable wit, grace, humor, and a sense of not taking it self too seriously.

I think the tell tale sign of what kind of movie this is, is the end. The world blows up. Unlike in Fail Safe when New York blows up and everyone else is safe were sad. But in Dr. Strangelove were not. Why? Because we laughed our asses off.

[TylerDurden99]

Dr Stangelove is great. One of my favourite Kubrick films.

[Masterman]

American Beauty is a great movie, nice pick.

[Flimmaker1473]

14. Raging Bull
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Jake LaMotta was a great boxer He won a lot and he was a tough man. But he had personal problems and he was filled with rage. He eventually hit rock bottom. He wrote a memoir called "Raging Bull: my story". Martin Scorsese saw an opportunity to create a biopic on this man. He saw something there. And when he put Robert De Niro at the helms, he created a masterpiece.

Raging Bull is one of the most flawless biopics ever made. One where we actually get to see what is going on in the head of the main character. Marty knows how to do biopics. He made others after this like The last temptation of Jesus Christ, Casino, Goodfellas, and Aviator. All great films. Marty just understands film in a way few do. He concentrates on the right things to a tee and makes art out of it.

In 1964 an aging overweight Italian American , Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro) is practicing a comedy routine. Doesn't look like much of a boxer. Flashback to 1941 he has just lost his first major match to Jimmy Reeves. Jake's brother Joey LaMotta (Joe Pesci) informs Jake of a way to have a shot at a middleweight title via one of his mafia connections Salvy Batts (Frank Vincet). Jake later sees a beautiful 15 year old girl. Her name is Vickie (Cathy Moriarty). Jake is already a married man. But that doesn't stop him from pursing a relationship with her. Jake defeats Sugar Ray Robinson once in 1943 and has another win three weeks later. Despite the fact that Jake dominated Robinson during the bout, the judges surprisingly rule in favor of Robinson and Joey feels he won only because he was enlisting into the US Army the following week. Jake is married to Vickie by 1947.

Jake is starting to get a bit paranoid. He is fearing that Vickie is lusting over other men, Tony Janrio in particular the opponent for his forthcoming fight. When he beats him he decides to show of his sexual jealousy in front of the local Mob boss Tommy Como (Nicholas Colasanto), and Vickie. As Joey discusses the victory with journalists at the Copacabana, he is distracted by seeing Vickie approach a table with Salvy and his crew. Joey speaks with Vickie, who says she is giving up on his brother. Blaming Salvy, Joey viciously attacks him in a fight that spills outside of the club. Como later orders them to apologize, and has Joey tell Jake that if he wants a chance at the championship title, which he has control over, he will have to take a dive first. In a match against Billy Fox, Jake does not even bother to put up a fight. He is suspended shortly thereafter from the board on suspicion of throwing the fight, though he realizes the error of his judgment when it is too late. Despite the suspension, he eventually wins the middleweight championship title against Marcel Cerdan in 1949.

A year later, Jake asks Joey if he fought with Salvy at the Copacabana because of Vickie. Jake then asks if Joey had an affair with her; Joey refuses to answer, insults Jake, and decides to leave. Jake directly asks Vickie about the affair and she sarcastically states that she had sex with the entire neighborhood (including his brother, Salvy, and Tommy Como) after he breaks down the bathroom door where she briefly hides from him. Jake angrily walks to Joey's house and brutally beats him up in front of Vickie and Joey's wife and children. After defending his championship belt in a brutal fifteen round bout against Laurent Dauthuille in 1950, he makes a call to his brother after the fight, but when Joey assumes Salvy is on the other end and starts insulting and cursing at him, Jake says nothing and hangs up. Estranged from Joey, Jake's career begins to decline slowly and he eventually loses his title to Sugar Ray Robinson in their final encounter in 1951.

By 1956, Jake and his family have moved to Miami. After staying out all night at his new nightclub there, Vickie tells him she wants a divorce (which she has been planning since his retirement). He is later arrested for introducing under-age girls (posing as 21-year-olds) to men and serves a jail sentence in 1957 after failing to raise enough bribe money by taking the jewels out of his championship belt instead of selling the belt itself. In his jail cell, Jake pounds the walls, sorrowfully questioning his misfortune and crying in despair. Upon returning to New York City in 1958, he happens upon his estranged brother Joey, who forgives him but is elusive. Going back to the beginning sequence, Jake refers to the "I coulda' have been a contender" scene from the 1954 movie On the Waterfront starring Marlon Brando complaining that his brother should have been there for him but is also keen enough to give himself some slack. After a stage hand informs him that the auditorium where he is about to perform is crowded, Jake starts to chant "I'm the boss" while shadowboxing.


Raging Bull shows a man with so much talent, so much worthwhile in front of him. Yet he is so paranoid and angry that he throws it all way. He becomes a sham of a man. Jake LaMotta is really a sad man. He treated everyone like crap in his whole life who was good to him, took family and friends for granted, make the wrong decisions, and ended up washed up.

Robert De Niro is one of the greatest actors to ever walk the earth. He transforms himself into Jake LaMotta. He method acts to a tee and probably literally to a fault. He gets all buffed up an strong to be Jake at the start of the film. But he actually loses himself and gains weight to become Jake. It was his best performance more than likely. Never have I seen an actor so devoted to a role like De Niro was.

Marty tells his stories of importance. He tells us stories that have relevance. Stories that we want to hear. He is the filmmaker's filmmaker. He uses these classic approaches to create art. He made the film in black and white for a reason. This gave it even more of a dramatic effect. This made it feel like it was actually filmed in the 1940s.

The film ends with a Biblical quote. This quote was a reference to Martin Scorsese's film professor, Haig Manoogian to whom the film is dedicated as he died just before it was released. Scorsese credits Manoogian with helping him "to see".
"So, for the second time, [the Pharisees] summoned the man who had been blind and said: 'Speak the truth before God. We know this fellow is a sinner.' 'Whether or not he is a sinner, I do not know.' the man replied. 'All I know is this: once I was blind and now I can see.' John IX. 24-26 the New English Bible"

[TylerDurden99]

Love Raging Bull. Even though it isn't my favourite Scorsese, it's undoubtedly his best.

[HitchFan97]

^Agreed on Raging Bull. A great pick, and I really ought to re-watch it.

[ChuckDee]

So did Larry Sellers steal the car? I'm assuming so because of his homework but it was never confirmed.

18. The Big Lebowski
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[Flimmaker1473]

13. Dog Day Afternoon
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Only a few actors can provide a performance so amazing, so astounding, that a film is great because of them. People like Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, Daniel Day Lewis, Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks. Al Pacino is perhaps the master of that. His amazing performance in Dog Day Afternoon is perhaps why this movie is so revered today.

The film based on a true story starts out with a rookie bank robber named Sonny (Al Pacino) and his friend Sal (John Cazale) who is one of his accomplices. They are robbing a Brooklyn bank. The plan starts falling apart as one of the accomplices backs out just after Sal pulls out his gun. Sonny looks into the vault when he finds out that the daily pickup has been done and there is only $1,100 left. To make up for this he decides to take traveler's cheques. But as he is taking these cheques smoke is triggered coming out of the building which alerts the business across the street. At first the owner from across comes to see if anything is alright and Sonny makes sure the manger says yes. But within minutes the building is surrounded by police officers.

Police Sergeant Eugene Moretti (Charles Durning) calls the bank to tell Sonny that the police have arrived. Sonny warns that he and Sal have hostages and will kill them if anyone tries to come into the bank. Sal tells Sonny that he is ready to kill the hostages if necessary. Detective Moretti acts as hostage negotiator, while FBI Agent Sheldon monitors his actions. Howard, the security guard has an asthma attack, so Sonny releases him when Moretti asks for a hostage as a sign of good faith. Moretti convinces Sonny to step outside the bank to see how aggressive the police forces are. Using head teller Sylvia (Penelope Allen) as a shield, Sonny exits the bank, and begins a dialogue with Moretti that culminates in his shouting "Attica! Attica!" (invoking the recent Attica Prison riot in which 39 people were killed), and the civilian crowd starts cheering for Sonny.

After realizing they cannot make a simple getaway, Sonny demands that a helicopter be landed on the roof to fly him and Sal out of the country. When they're informed that the roof of the bank is not sturdy enough to support a helicopter, Sonny demands that a vehicle drive him and Sal to an airport so that they can board a jet. He also demands pizzas for the hostages (which are delivered to the scene) and that his wife be brought to the bank. When Sonny's wife, Leon Shermer (Chris Sarandon), a pre-operative transsexual, arrives, he reveals to the crowd and officials one of Sonny's reasons for robbing the bank is to pay for Leon's sex reassignment surgery, and that Sonny also has a legal wife, Angie (Susan Peretz), and children.

As night sets in, the lights in the bank all shut off. Sonny goes outside again and discovers that Agent Sheldon has taken command of the scene. He refuses to give Sonny any more favors, but when the bank manager, Mulvaney (Sully Boyar), goes into a diabetic shock, Agent Sheldon lets a doctor through. While the doctor is inside the bank, Sheldon convinces Leon to talk to Sonny on the phone. The two have a lengthy conversation that reveals Leon had attempted suicide to "get away from" Sonny. He had been hospitalized at the psychiatric ward of Bellevue Hospital until the police brought him to the scene. Leon turns down Sonny's offer to join him and Sal to wherever they take the plane. Sonny tells police listening to the phone call that Leon had nothing to do with the robbery attempt.

After the phone call, the doctor asks Sonny to let Mulvaney leave and Sonny agrees. Mulvaney refuses, instead insisting he remain with his employees. The FBI calls Sonny out of the bank again. They have brought his mother to the scene. She unsuccessfully tries to persuade him to give himself up and Agent Sheldon signals that a limousine will arrive in ten minutes to take them to a waiting jet. Once back inside the bank, Sonny writes out his will, leaving money from his life insurance to Leon for his sex change and to his wife Angie.

When the limousine arrives, Sonny checks it for any hidden weapons or booby traps. When he decides the car is satisfactory, he settles on Agent Murphy to drive Sonny, Sal, and the remaining hostages to Kennedy Airport. Per Sonny's earlier agreement, an additional hostage, Edna (Estelle Omens) is released, and the remaining hostages get into the limousine with Sonny and Sal. Sonny sits in the front next to Murphy while Sal sits behind them. Murphy repeatedly asks Sal to point his gun at the roof so Sal won't accidentally shoot him. As they wait on the airport tarmac for the plane to taxi into position, he again reminds Sal to aim his gun up so he doesn't fire by accident. Sal does so, Agent Sheldon forces Sonny's weapon onto the dashboard, creating a distraction which allows Murphy to pull a revolver hidden in his armrest and shoot Sal in the head. Sonny is immediately arrested and the hostages are all escorted to the terminal. The film ends with Sonny watching Sal's body being taken from the car on a stretcher. Subtitles reveal that Sonny was sentenced to 20 years in prison; Angie and her children subsisted on welfare; and Leon had sex reassignment surgery.

Dog Day Afternoon takes a failed bank robber's situation and allows us the chance to view him as a person. All thanks to Al Pacino. His performance was subtle. But electrifying. Pacino didn't even look at pictures of the real life Sonny. Yet he was able to become Sonny visually and emotionally. There are actors like De Niro, Brandon that are touched by God. Pacino is one of them. Sonny was a sad man. He had issues. He was bisexual, he had just gotten back from the war. He didn't know what to do. He was broke and had a family to support and a boyfriend he wanted to help Many people have been in a situation similar. The thing is he acted and they didn't. Pacino is able to show the human side to Sonny. Sonny isn't a bad guy. More like a guy who made a bad mistake and paid for it.

Sidney Lumet was one of the greatest directors of all time. He had the ability to take these everyday stories and turn them into art and and they were thrilling to watch. He was such an amazing craftsman, a vigorous storyteller, and he has the ability to add social realism to his work like perhaps no other. He certainly did that with Dog Day Afternoon. He involved the Vietnam war and what was going on at the time into and somehow gave it more meaning.

Dog Day Afternoon is a film that has stood the test of time and is still considered to be a masterpiece. It's smart performance by Al Pacino, and it's direction by Sidney Lumet gave it the ability go from some period piece to something more than that. To something damn amazing to watch.

[nebbit]

Very exciting list :yup:

[mark f]

It's your list but we really don't need super long plot synopses from Wiki in your posts. Your personal opinions are what make them interesting. :) Just sayin'.

[Flimmaker1473]

It's your list but we really don't need super long plot synopses from Wiki in your posts. Your personal opinions are what make them interesting. :) Just sayin'.
I only use their plot synopses because I haven't had time to write those parts myself (It took me 45 minutes to write number 20, 19, and 18 and about 30 minutes to write number 17 and an hour to write number 16 which all had nothing from Wikipedia). Who cares anyway? All it is there for to explain the plot (no matter who writes it the plot is the plot). Then that is where my opinion comes in. That is how I work. I guess I might as well not even write the essays then :shrug:.

[Flimmaker1473]

12. Taxi Driver
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So what is Taxi Driver? It's something with different meanings. It is apart of the eight films that Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro made together. And perhaps their best collaboration with De Niro has the starring role.

The films follows honorably discharged marine Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro). Bickle is lonely, depressed and lives in Manhattan. He also has insomnia. He decided in order to deal with his insomnia to become a taxi driver and drive late at night. He also spends his time at porn theaters and keeping a diary. He starts crushing on a girl named Besty (Cybill Shepherd) who is a campaign volunteer for Senator Charles Palantine (Leonard Harris), who is running for President. After watching her through her office window, interacting with fellow worker Tom (Albert Brooks), Travis enters to volunteer as a pretext to talk to her and takes her out for coffee. On a later date he takes her to see a sex film, which offends her, so she goes home alone. His attempts at reconciliation by sending flowers are rebuffed so he berates her at the campaign office, before being kicked out by Tom.

Travis confides in fellow taxi driver Wizard (Peter Boyle) about his thoughts, which are beginning to turn violent, but Wizard assures he will be fine. Disgusted by the street crime and prostitution that he witnesses through the city, Travis finds a focus for his frustration and begins a program of intense physical training. He buys guns from dealer Easy Andy (Steven Prince) and constructs a sleeve gun to attach on his arm with which he practices drawing his weapons. One night, Travis enters a convenience store moments before a man attempts to rob it and shoots the robber. The shop owner (Victor Argo) takes responsibility and Travis leaves. On another night, 12-year-old child prostitute Iris (Jodie Foster) enters Travis's cab, attempting to escape her pimp Matthew "Sport" (Harvey Keitel). Sport drags Iris from the cab and throws Travis a crumpled twenty-dollar bill, which continually reminds him of her. Travis arranges to meet Iris and persuades her to quit prostitution. They meet again the next day for breakfast and Travis becomes obsessed with helping her return to her parents' home, sending her money to do so and a letter in which he states he will soon be dead.

After shaving his head into a mohawk, Travis attends a public rally where he attempts to assassinate Senator Palantine, but Secret Service agents notice him and he flees. He returns to his apartment and then drives to the East Village, where he confronts Sport. Travis shoots him in the stomach, then walks into Iris’ brothel and shoots off the bouncer's fingers. After Sport arrives and shoots Travis in the neck, slightly wounding him, Travis shoots him dead. Another thug appears and shoots Travis in the arm, but Travis reveals his sleeve gun and kills the thug. The bouncer continues to harass Travis, causing Travis to shoot him in the head and kill him. As a horrified Iris cries, Travis attempts suicide but, out of ammunition, resigns himself to a sofa until police arrive. When they do, he places his index finger against his temple gesturing the act of shooting himself. Recuperating, Travis receives a letter from Iris's parents who thank him for saving her and the media hail him as a hero. Travis then returns to his job and encounters Betsy as a fare. She discusses his newly found fame, but he denies being a hero and drops her off for free. He glances anxiously at an object in his rear view mirror as he drives away.


Taxi Driver is a movie with so many meanings that are all wrapped up into one. It lightly touches on treatment of Vietnam vets like Dogs Day Afternoon. It discusses how times were back then. Could you fathom seeing a 13 year old hooker? It even has a political message.

The character Travis Bickle is one of the most complex characters in film history. This man has insomnia, he is a vet, he is so long in a way. He wants to do something of meaning. He just does things that fill up his time like driving a taxi, going to pornos and keeping a diary. It is almost sad to watch his existence and how he turns. Robert De Niro the master actor in one of his best performance once again transformed into another character. He shows Bickle go from some loon, to even sympathetic towards the young hooker. Yet he keeps Bicke's attitude, his view in way. His Anti hero attitude.


Jodie Foster was excellent as Iris. Only 13 and she got an academy award nomination for this role. She plays it easy. She makes Iris seems really mature and grown up. Gives her a sense of independence. But she gives her a vulnerability that allows us not to forget that she is only 13. To see that she is just a kid that has been swept up in a adult world. That is an amazing feat. For any actress or actor regardless of age. Glad to say that Jodie has never lost that ability.

Martin Scorsese was on a role back them. He has shown he can rule biopics. But he has also shown he use fictional characters and create a world with such realism, such depth that we can't turn away. His techniques are truly something special. His style of filmmaking always shows us character growth, an ultimate consequence as well. He won't feed the audience some fairy tale reality. He gives you reality.

Taxi Driver is so smooth and swift. The pacing is great, blood bath scene was done for a 70s films phenomenally well. This is a movie that for many reasons way groundbreaking. And continues to be respected because of that.

The ending of Taxi Driver is interesting. There are newspaper clippings seen about Travis's heroism for saving Iris. Besty comes into the Taxi cab and acts all nice to Travis and gives him admiration. While before she was disgusted by him. Is this just a dream? Is this what he sees why he is dying? Or is he alive? Should this scene even be taken literally? I honestly don't know. The end is like music, not a scene. The end of the film is about emotion. It doesn't end with a blood bath and death. But with redemption. And that is the way most Scorsese films are.

[HitchFan97]

A fantastic pick, my favorite of Scorsese's films and one of my favorite films of all time. :up:

[Flimmaker1473]

11. Apocalypse Now
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War films. They are made to give us a glimpse of what goes on. The terror, blood, horror and everything that is war. There are many great war films. Platoon, Glory, Saving Private Ryan, and Full Metal Jack. But none are quite like Apocalypse Now. Apocalypse Now goes the extra mile and shows things that other war films don't dare to show. Does things that other war films don't dare to do. Francis Ford Coppla being that kind of director decided to create something so unique and so insane. That it ended up being pure genius.

U.S. Army Captain and special operations veteran Benjamin L. Willard (Martin Sheen) has returned from action to Saigon where, alone in his room, he experiences hallucinations. Intelligence officers Lt. General Corman (G. D. Spradlin) and Colonel Lucas (Harrison Ford) approach him with an assignment: Willard must follow the Nung River into the remote Cambodian jungle, find rogue US Special Forces Colonel Walter E. Kurtz (Marlon Brando) and kill him. Kurtz apparently went insane and now commands his own Montagnard troops inside neutral Cambodia.

Willard joins a Navy PBR commanded by George "Chief" Phillips (Albert Hall) and crewmen Lance Johnson (Sam Bottoms), Jay "Chef" Hicks (Frederic Forrest) and Tyrone "Mr. Clean" Miller (Laurence Fishburne). For escort they rendezvous with reckless Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore (Robert Duvall), who commands a squadron of attack helicopters. Initially scoffing at them, Kilgore befriends Johnson as both are keen surfers. When Willard suggests the Viet Cong-filled coastal mouth of the Nung River, Kilgore accepts due to the surfing conditions there. After napalm strikes and Ride of the Valkyries playing over the chopper loudspeakers, the beach is taken and Kilgore orders others to surf it amid enemy fire. While Kilgore nostalgically regales everyone about a previous strike, Willard gathers his men to the PBR, which had been transported from a helicopter.

Willard sifts through files of Kurtz, learning he was a model officer and possible future general, a top soldier in the field. Navigating upstream, the crew encounters a tiger and later visit a supply depot USO show featuring Playboy Playmates. The crew search a civilian sampan they come across, but Mr. Clean snaps and kills almost all onboard, while Willard coldly shoots an injured survivor to prevent any delay of his mission. On reaching a US outpost at a bridge under constant attack, Willard is informed that a Captain Colby (Scott Glenn) was sent to find Kurtz, but is now missing. Lance and Chef are continually under the influence of drugs and Lance becomes withdrawn, smearing his face with camouflage paint.

The next day the boat is fired upon by an unseen enemy in the trees, killing Mr. Clean and turning Chief hostile toward Willard. Later, they are ambushed again, by Montagnard warriors. They return fire and Chief is impaled with a spear, who then tries to kill Willard by pulling him onto it, but eventually succumbs to the wound. Afterwards, Willard confides in the remaining Chef and Lance about his mission, and they reluctantly agree to continue upriver where they see the coastline is littered with bodies. Arriving at Kurtz's outpost, Willard takes Lance with him to the village, leaving Chef behind with orders to call an airstrike on the village if he does not return.

In the camp, the two men are met by a manic freelance photographer (Dennis Hopper), who explains that Kurtz's great philosophical skills inspire his people to follow him. As they proceed, they see bodies and severed heads scattered about the nearby temple that serves as Kurtz's living quarters, and encounter the missing Captain Colby, who is nearly catatonic. Willard is brought before Kurtz in the darkened temple, where Kurtz derides him as an errand boy. Meanwhile Chef calls in the airstrike but is kidnapped. Bound to a post, Willard screams helplessly as Kurtz drops Chef's severed head into his lap. After some time, Willard is released and given the freedom of the compound. Kurtz lectures him on his theories of war, humanity and civilization while praising the ruthlessness and dedication of the Viet Cong. He asks Willard to tell his son everything about him in the event of his death.

Apocalypse Now is the best war film out there. It puts aside political correctness and shows things we would have never thought in our wildest dreams that we would see. War is such a terrible thing. It can make a man go crazy. I don't think I have seen anyone go as insane in a war than like people did in Apocalypse Now. Many people went insane in this film. The war got to them. They saw friends and fellow soilders die right in front of their eyes at times in this movie. That is enough to make any normal person go a bit crazy.

The Colonel Walter E. Kurtz character is the most interesting one in this film. The man is a highly decorated American Army Green Beret officer with the 5th Special Forces Group. But he goes renegade. He created his own operation in Cambodia. He put the natives in place as his soldiers. The U.S Army ended up fearing him just as much as the the North Vietnamese and Vietcong. Marlon Brando's performance as the Colonel was so scary and so interesting. I have performed this monologue at many auditions. He performs it with such depth that shows why he was the greatest actor who ever walked the earth. In that monologue Walter discusses that Martin Sheen's character Captain Benjamin L. Willard has the right to kill him. But that he doesn't have the right to call him a murder. That he talks about how he went to a camp to inoculate children of polio. And that after that people came and hacked off every single arm. He cried but was impressed by how they were able to kill in cold blood. He came to the conclusion that they needed men like that. "Men who have morals but who can kill without feeling, passion, judgement, and judgement. "Because it is judgement that defeats us". Those lines say it all. Robert Duvall in his small role was excellent as well. He shows us in story in a way. And he makes an impact.


Francis Ford Coppla is all about going against normal filmmaking. His films are so different than most. This is what makes him so great. He is able to do things and achieve a level of perfection that not many directors can achieve. His name goes right there with Kubrick, Spielberg, Scorsese, Hitchcock, Fincher, Cameron, Ridley Scott and Lucas. I love his style of flimmaking. He never lets up on his goal of achieving perfection. He employs the best talent and makes his vision come to fruition.



Apocalypse Now is a film that is daring, smart, scary, creepy and so chilling yet so true. It shows character development like perhaps no other. It shows war like I said like no other. It is an example for all war films to take after. But then again, maybe not. No one will be able to achieve that level of perfection.

[HitchFan97]

My favorite war movie. A great pick :yup:

[Flimmaker1473]

10. Pulp Fiction
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Pulp Fiction. Geez where do I start? First off there is so many things that makes this film not only one of my favorite films. But one of the greatest of all time. It is so smooth in every sense in the word. Maybe more so than any other film out there. The dialogue is a major part of that. Some movies gloss over this. But this one embraces it. Nothing is said without meaning. Absolutely nothing.

Take for example when Butch (Bruce Willis ) discovers the man he killed the man that he beat in the ring. He comes back to the motel room he is staying with where his girlfriend Fabienne (Maria de Mederios) is awaiting him. he says she's been looking in the mirror and she wants a pot belly. "You have one,'' he says, snuggling closer. "If I had one,'' she says, "I would wear a T-shirt two sizes too small, to accentuate it.'' A little later she observes, "It's unfortunate what we find pleasing to the touch and pleasing to the eye are seldom the same.''

That is what I am talking. Excellent dialogue about something. Not just talking to be talking. And this comes when Butch was supposed to take a dive on a fight. Only thing is he bets heavily on himself and won. He is about to be a rich man if he can leave town before Marsellus Wallace(Ving Rhames) gets to him or his hit-men Jules Winnfield (Samuel L Jackson) and Vincent Vega (John Travolta). In just another movie, the dialogue would have just been plot driven. And nothing else would have discussed. Basically it would have made no difference what they said. Butch would have just explained to his girl what he, she and we as the audience already knows. Here Quentin Tarantino puts a random conversation and it does so much. It shows not only what kind of person she is. But what kind of relationship they have.

Tarantino feels like a throwback filmmaker. He makes sure everything works with his characters. He realizes what more filmmakers should that dialogue is very important. Most will just gloss over it because it is hard. But Tarantino embraces it. Like the conversation between Jules and Vincent about hamburgers and how Vincent brings up that they call a Quarter Pounder with cheese in France a McRoyales. And other topics likes drug laws in Amsterdam, or what one implies sexually with a foot rub. Then when they reach their destination, Jules says lets go in.

Tarantino doesn't sacrifice dialogue. He gives it meaning and purpose. He uses it to allow us to see into his characters. To really get to know them. You can get to know someone with what they say pretty well. And Tarantino could be the very best at using this as a tool. The Hamburgers conversation is brought a few minutes later in a more intense scene. And the story of how Marsellus had a man thrown out of a fourth-floor window for giving his wife a foot massage turns out to be a set-up: Tarantino is preparing the dramatic ground for a scene in which Vincent takes Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) out on a date, on his bosses' orders. When Mia accidentally overdoses, Vincent races her to his drug dealer Lance (Eric Stoltz), who brings her back to life with a shot of adrenaline into the heart.

Even that scene has wonderful irrelevant dialogue. We get to see Lance's girlfriend Jody (Rosanna Arquette). She is pierced practically everyone and goes on talking about her love of piercing. Then Lance finally injects the needle into Mia's heart. Instead of it being a gruesome scene it ends up being just kind of epic. And there is the genius of Tarantino. The scene is even funny.

The movie's setup inspired the way I am writing this essay. The restaurant hold-up with Pumpkin and Honey Bunny (Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer) begins and ends the film while the other story lines come and go. But somehow there is a continuity in the dialogue where everything that is said sets up a later scene. That is a hard trick to pull.

Another scene that could have seemed so gruesome but didn't because of dialogue is when Vincent accidentally kills a passenger in the car. The Wolf (Harvery Keitel) is called in to handle it. There is so much bloods and guts everywhere. This for sure looks like it is going to serious. But The Wolf's professionalism is too funny. He doesn't get sidetracked. He just remains focused. There are several scenes of pure violence like when Jules and Vincent open fire in the apartment. But Tarantino uses different camera angles, long shots, and cutaways and accomplishes to make it look less violent.

My favorite scene in the film is basically the end. Jules and Vincent are at restaurant that Pumpkin and Honey are at in the beginning of the film. Jules is telling Vincent that he wants to get out of the business. But Vincent doesn't like that idea. While Vincent is in the bathroom, the hold-up commences. "Pumpkin" demands all of the patrons' valuables, including Jules's mysterious case. Jules surprises "Pumpkin" (whom he calls "Ringo"), holding him at gunpoint. "Honey Bunny", hysterical, trains her gun on Jules. Vincent emerges from the restroom with his gun trained on her, creating a Mexican standoff. Reprising his pseudo-biblical passage, Jules expresses his ambivalence about his life of crime. As his first act of redemption, he allows the two robbers to take the cash they have stolen and leave, pondering how they were spared and leaving the briefcase to be returned to Marsellus, finishing the hitman's final job for his boss. There was a part where he tells one of them to hand his wallet. They ask which one is it. He replies that is the one that says bad mother f**ker. That is one my favorite lines in a film. Classic.

Pulp Fiction's style can been seen in films like The Usual Suspects and Memento. Both good films. But Pulp Fiction perfected it. It did something that hadn't really been explored before in film. When I first watched Pulp Fiction I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew a lot of people loved it. When it was all said and done I understood why.

I have come to the realization that dialogue in films is all plot driven. That most writers feel that is the way to go. And that makes sense. But Pulp Fiction uses it in so many different ways. It create comic relief, it sets up the next scene as well. It is genius and beautiful to watch. Filmmaking at it's best.

[HitchFan97]

Another favorite of mine. One of the most entertaining movies I've ever seen :yup:

[Nausicaä]

I adore that sequence in Pulp Fiction. I watched that scene over and over when I first got it on dvd.

[Flimmaker1473]

9. 2001 A Space Odyssey
http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Ejacko/v2/wp-content/uploads/2001-a-space-odyssey-original.jpeg

Masterpiece. That word alone describes Stanley Kubrick's 2001 A Space Odyssey. Ambitious, Ambiguous, beautiful, stunning and so intriguing will all suffice. Kubrick and Arthur C. Clakre wrote the screenplay while Clarke along wrote the novel at the same time. This film has so much going for it. So much that makes it the work of art that it is considered today. It's stunning space scenes are one thing. But the music is another. Kubrick used music to his advantage every single chance he got. He didn't put it into a scene just because he wanted to. He did it because it enhanced the scene, helped it convey it's message, and helped set the tone for the scene.

An example is when a tribe of herbivorous early humans is foraging for food in the African desert. A leopard kills one member, and another tribe of man-apes drives them from their water hole. Defeated, they sleep overnight in a small exposed rock crater, and awake to find a black monolith has appeared in front of them. They approach it shrieking and jumping, and eventually touch it cautiously. Soon after, one of the man-apes (Daniel Richter) realizes how to use a bone as both a tool and a weapon, which they start using to kill prey for their food. Growing increasingly capable and assertive, they reclaim control of the water hole from the other tribe by killing its leader. Triumphant, the tribe's leader throws his weapon-tool into the air as the scene shifts (via match cut) from the falling bone to an orbital satellite millions of years in the future. The music in this scene is absolutely stunning. It goes right along with the scene. It is triumphant and shows victory. It makes us feel that.

Part of Kubrick's genius was his feel of music and his timing with music. He shows that with other films he made later. He just understood how to add music to a scene to evoke emotion and makes us feel what the scene wants us to feel. His pick of music for his score was genius too. He used classical music. And it worked to perfection. It feel like we were in a planetarium or a museum at times. Another example of his music is when a Pan Am space plane carries Dr. Heywood R. Floyd (William Sylvester) to a space station orbiting Earth for a layover on his trip to Clavius Base, a US outpost on the Moon. After making a videophone call from the station to his daughter (Vivian Kubrick), he encounters his friend Elena (Margaret Tyzack), a Russian scientist, and her colleague Dr. Smyslov (Leonard Rossiter), who ask Floyd about "odd things" occurring at Clavius, and the rumor of a mysterious epidemic at the base. The American politely but firmly declines to answer any questions about the epidemic.
At Clavius, Floyd heads a meeting of base personnel, apologizing for the epidemic cover story but stressing secrecy. His mission is to investigate a recently found artifact—"Tycho Magnetic Anomaly One" (TMA-1)—"deliberately buried" four million years ago. Floyd and others ride in a Moonbus to the artifact, a black monolith identical to the one encountered by the apes. The visitors examine the monolith, and pose for a photo in front of it. While doing so, they hear a very loud radio signal emanating from within the artifact. So stunning, so satisfying.

Kubrick brings to forefront something that was huge back in the 60s. That is technological advances. Back then we were just getting into space. We developing and advancing more and more robots. We were as a nation and a world relaying more and more on technology then ourselves. I feel Kubrick is trying to send a bit of a message about how he views where our technological advances are going to go with this film.

Eighteen months later, the American spaceship Discovery One is bound for Jupiter. On board are mission pilots and scientists Dr. David Bowman (Keir Dullea) and Dr. Frank Poole (Gary Lockwood), and three other scientists who are in cryogenic hibernation. Most of Discovery's operations are controlled by the ship's computer, HAL 9000 (voiced by Douglas Rain), or simply "Hal", as the crew call it. While Bowman and Poole watch Hal and themselves being interviewed in a BBC show about the mission, the computer states that he is "foolproof and incapable of error." Hal also speaks of his enthusiasm for the mission, and how he enjoys working with humans. When asked by the host if Hal has genuine emotions, Bowman replies that he appears to, but that the truth is unknown.

Hal asks Bowman about the unusual mystery and secrecy surrounding the mission, but interrupts himself to report the imminent failure of a device which controls the ship's main antenna. After retrieving the component with an EVA pod, the astronauts cannot find anything wrong with it. Hal suggests reinstalling the part and letting it fail so the problem can be found. Mission control concurs, but advises the astronauts that results from their twin HAL 9000 indicate the ship's HAL is in error predicting the fault. When queried, Hal insists that the problem, like all previous issues with the HAL series, is due to "human error". Concerned about Hal's behavior, Bowman and Poole enter one of the EVA pods to talk without the computer overhearing them.

Hal is a satire of robots that NASA created. He waits on the crew's every need. And as they use him and develop him more, he becomes smarter, perhaps too much for his and the crew's own good. Interesting enough they both have suspicions about Hal, despite the HAL series' perfect reliability, but decide to follow his suggestion to replace the unit. As the astronauts agree to deactivate the computer if it is proven to be wrong, they are unaware that Hal is reading their lips through the pod's window.

While Poole is attempting to replace the unit during a spacewalk, his EVA pod, controlled by Hal, severs his oxygen hose and sets him adrift. Bowman, not realizing the computer is responsible for this, takes another pod to attempt a rescue, leaving his helmet behind. While he is gone, Hal terminates the life functions of the crew in suspended animation. When Bowman returns to the ship with Poole's body, Hal refuses to let him in, stating that the astronaut's plan to deactivate him jeopardizes the mission. Bowman manually opens the ship's emergency airlock and bodily enters the ship risking death from lack of oxygen. After donning a helmet, Bowman proceeds to HAL 9000's memory core intent on disconnecting the computer. Hal first tries to reassure Dave, then pleads with him to stop, and finally begins to express fear—all in a steady monotone voice. Dave ignores him and disconnects each of the computer's memory modules. Hal eventually regresses to his earliest programmed memory, the song "Daisy Bell", which he sings for Bowman.

When the computer is finally disconnected, a pre-recorded video message from Floyd plays. In it, he reveals the existence of the four million-year-old black monolith on the Moon, "its origin and purpose still a total mystery". Floyd adds that it has remained completely inert, except for a single, very powerful radio emission aimed at Jupiter.


What Kubrick is saying is that perhaps we are too involved with technological advances. That it could end up biting us one day. Why must we have to be so complex? Why? Does everything have to be complex? Couldn't be more simple? Do we need robots? Those are his questions. The answers to that is everyone's opinion.

Music plays a big role again in the last segment. At Jupiter, Bowman leaves Discovery One in an EVA pod and finds another monolith in orbit around the planet. Approaching it, the pod is suddenly pulled into a tunnel of colored light, and a disoriented and terrified Bowman finds himself racing at great speed across vast distances of space, viewing bizarre cosmological phenomena and strange alien landscapes of unusual colors. He finds himself, middle-aged and still in his spacesuit, standing in a bedroom appointed in the Louis XVI-style. Bowman sees progressively older versions of himself, his point of view switching each time, alternately appearing formally dressed and eating dinner, and finally as a very elderly man lying in a bed. A black monolith appears at the foot of the bed, and as Bowman reaches for it, he is transformed into a fetus-like being enclosed in a transparent orb of light. The new being floats in space beside the Earth, gazing at it. The music allows this scene to get really epic. It shows how big of a deal it is. And what does it mean? The answer is not clear. I really don't know. That is up for interpretation. But I take it meaning a rebirth in a way. It is rather ambiguous. But the whole movie is ambiguous. That is the genius of it. It allows us to come to our own conclusions Rather than have one made up for us.

The space scenes are absolutely stunning. Combined with the choice of music, it is beautiful to watch. The stars, galaxy, and open space. Feels like we are there. For the 60s it is an amazing achievement. Something well before it's time. Kubrick experimented and use different cameras and camera angles to get the shots he wanted. He used his special effects so well. Everything fits, everything works, everything follow. It feels as if we are along for the ride. Long shots, nice cutaways. It is breathtaking filmmaking.

2001 A Space Odyssey has inspired films like Tree of Life, Close Encounters of the third kind, and even the Terminator. In fact I'd say that every science fiction out there was inspired by this film. It is sublime and numinous. The score brings out emotion. But unlike music in most movies that is brought out to give emotional cues, it uplifts. It is sublime. It is outside the action. It brings a seriousness and beauty to the film like it is a painting.

[rauldc14]

I hope when I actually do get to watching 2001: A Space Odyssey that I'm not disappointed. In actuality, I don't think I've been impressed with Kubrick yet though it's a small sample size for me.

[HitchFan97]

All things considered, the greatest film ever made. One of my very favorite ones, too.

[Watcher545]

The Game with Michael Douglas

[nebbit]

Do like 2001 :yup:

[Flimmaker1473]

8. Goodfellas
http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/goodfellasn.jpg

Goodfellas is based on the non fiction book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi who co wrote the screenplay with Martin Scorsese. It is based on the true story of the rise and fall of the of Lucchese crime family associates Henry Hill and his friends over a period from 1955 to 1980. Scorsese seems to work best in the mafia genre. It is astounding what he has done in that genre. Mean Streets, Casino, even Raging Bull had parts of it about the mafia. Goodfellas is a movie that rivals The Godfather. But it all wraps up nicely in one movie.

Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) admits, "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster," referring to his idolizing the Lucchese crime family gangsters in his blue-collar, predominantly Italian-American neighborhood in East New York, Brooklyn in 1955. Wanting to be part of something significant, Henry quits school and goes to work for them. His Irish-American father tries to stop Henry after learning of his truancy, but the gangsters threaten the local postal carrier with dire consequences should he deliver any more letters from the school to Henry's house. Henry is able to make a living for himself, and learns the two most important lessons in life: "Never rat on your friends, and always keep your mouth shut," the advice given to him after being acquitted of criminal charges early in his career.

Henry is taken under the wing of the local mob capo, Paul "Paulie" Cicero ( Paul Sorvino) and his associates, Jimmy "The Gent" Conway (Robert De Niro), who loves hijacking trucks, and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci), an aggressive armed robber with a hair-trigger temper. In late 1967 they commit the Air France Robbery, marking Henry's debut into the big time. Enjoying the perks of their criminal life, they spend most of their nights at the Copacabana with countless women. Henry meets and later marries Karen (Loraine Bracco), a Jewish girl from the Five Towns. Karen is initially troubled by Henry's criminal activities, but is soon seduced by his glamorous lifestyle. When a neighbor assaults her for refusing his advances, Henry pistol-whips him in front of her. She feels aroused by the act, especially when Henry gives her the gun and tells her to hide it.

On June 11, 1970, Tommy (with Jimmy's help) brutally beats Billy Batts (Frank Vincent), a mobster with the Gambino crime family, for insulting him about being a shoeshine boy in his younger days. However, Batts was a made man, meaning that he could not be touched without the consent of his Gambino family bosses. Realizing that this was an offense that could get them all killed, Jimmy, Henry, and Tommy need to cover up the murder. They transport the body in the trunk of Henry's car and bury it upstate. Six months later Jimmy learns that the burial site will be developed, forcing them to exhume the decomposing corpse and move it.

Henry begins to see a mistress named Janice Rossi (Gina Mastrogiacomo), setting her up in an apartment. When Karen finds out, she goes to Janice's apartment building to confront her, but is not let in past the front door. She then confronts Henry, points a revolver at his face, and threatens to kill both of them, demanding to know if he loves Janice. Karen cannot bring herself to kill him and an enraged Henry threatens Karen with the gun and says he has bigger concerns, like being murdered on the streets. Henry goes to live in the apartment with Janice. Paulie soon directs him to return to Karen after completing a job for him; Henry and Jimmy are sent to collect from an indebted gambler in Florida, which they succeed at after beating him. However most of the crew are arrested after being turned in by the gambler's sister, a typist for the FBI.

In prison, Henry sells drugs to support his family on the outside. Soon after he is released in 1978, the crew commits the Lufthansa heist at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Despite Paulie's warning to stop, Henry further establishes himself in the drug trade, convincing Tommy and Jimmy to join him. Jimmy has the other participants in the Lufthansa robbery killed after they ignore his command to not immediately buy expensive things with their share of the stolen money. Then Tommy is killed for the murder of Billy Batts, having been fooled into thinking that he is going to be made.

Goodfellas may or may not be Scorsese's best film. But it is up there and my favorite of his films. Marty has been making films for many years. Each of his films are so resonate and interesting. Each have a great story. Each have his set of morals. He brings his religion into a film like perhaps no other director does. He always shows consequences like no other director does. He is one of the best if not the best at showing social situations and real life situations in his movie and making them well look rather real.

Goodfella's strong suit it it's writing. We are taken into Henry Hill's eyes. We see what he sees and experience what he experiences. It is like walking in the man's shoes. It's so intriguing and so rich. The flow of this movie just works so well. The pieces of this movie are so perfectly in place. And it all makes sense. Scorsese adds his touch in. But he keeps true to the source. That is a lesson that many of today's young directors can take from him.

Organized crime is a subject that gets shown a lot in films. There is no finer film abut organized crime than Goodfellas. Not even the Godfather part 1 and part 2 (which I like more). It gets as close to being a documentary and still is a drama. It goes in depth into how everything works in the mafia. It shows up very violent scenes that other films have shown, but as in depth as Goodfellas. This is the most you are going to learn about the mafia from a movie period. If you want to learn anything more then you would have to join the mafia.

Goodfellas is a classic masterpiece from Martin Scorsese. His films are so great, so grand. I have six of his films in my top 100. But there are many more of his that I enjoyed watching. He is a gift to filmmaking. He continues to give us gifts today. This is my favorite gift of his. Probably his best gift.

[HitchFan97]

Another great movie :yup:

[TylerDurden99]

GoodFellas is a brilliant film.

[nebbit]

An other great movie :yup:

[Flimmaker1473]

7. The Silence of the Lambs
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=EB&Date=20010218&Category=REVIEWS08&ArtNo=102180301&Ref=AR&Profile=1023&Maxw=366

Something creepy, something interesting though. That describes The Silence of the Lambs. Serial Killers are sadly apart of society and rear their ugly heads. A lot if not all these serial killers are rather crazy and disturbing. Their motives are also not always clear. They do it because they get power and enjoy it. That is truly crazy. It is also rather frightening. Which is the biggest strength of this film. It is what makes it so great.

Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is pulled from her training at the FBI Academy at Quantico, Virginia, by Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) of the Bureau's Behavioral Science Unit. He tasks her with interviewing Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a former psychiatrist and incarcerated cannibalistic serial killer, believing Lecter's insight might be useful in the pursuit of a serial killer nicknamed "Buffalo Bill" (Ted Levine), who skins his female victims' corpses.

Starling travels to the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, where she is led by Dr. Frederick Chilton (Anthony Heald) to Lecter's solitary quarters. Although initially pleasant and courteous, Lecter grows impatient with Starling's attempts at "dissecting" him and rebuffs her. As she is leaving, one of the prisoners flicks semen at her. Lecter, who considers the discourtesy "unspeakably ugly", calls Starling back and tells her to seek out an old patient of his. This leads her to a storage shed where she discovers a man's severed head. She returns to Lecter, who tells her that the man is linked to Buffalo Bill. He offers to profile Buffalo Bill on the condition that he be transferred away from Chilton, whom he detests.

When Buffalo Bill kidnaps a U.S. senator's daughter, Catherine Martin, Crawford authorizes Starling to offer Lecter a fake deal promising a prison transfer if he provides information that helps find Buffalo Bill and rescue the abductee. Instead, Lecter begins a game of quid pro quo with Starling, offering comprehensive clues and insights about Buffalo Bill if Starling will give him information about her own past, something she was advised not to do. Chilton secretly records the conversation and reveals Starling's deal as a sham before offering to transfer Lecter in exchange for a deal of Chilton's own making. Lecter agrees and is flown to Memphis, where he reveals personal information on Buffalo Bill to federal agents.

As the manhunt begins, Starling visits Lecter at his special cell in a Tennessee courthouse and confronts him with her decryption of the name he provided ("Louis Friend", an anagram of "iron sulfide", also known as fool's gold). Lecter refuses Starling's pleas for the truth and forces her to recount her traumatic childhood. She tells him how she was orphaned and relocated to a relative's farm, where she discovered a lamb slaughterhouse and made a failed attempt to rescue one of the lambs. Lecter gives her back the case files on Buffalo Bill after their conversation is interrupted by Chilton and the police who escort her from the building. Later that evening, Lecter kills his two guards, escapes from his cell and disappears.

Starling analyzes Lecter's annotations to the case files and realizes that Buffalo Bill knew his first victim personally. Starling travels to the victim's hometown and discovers that Buffalo Bill was a tailor, with dresses and dress patterns identical to the patches of skin removed from each of his victims. She telephones Crawford to inform him that Buffalo Bill is trying to fashion a "woman suit" of real skin, but Crawford is already en route to make an arrest, having cross-referenced Lecter's notes with hospital archives and finding a man named Jame Gumb, who once applied unsuccessfully for a sex-change operation. Starling continues interviewing friends of Buffalo Bill's first victim while Crawford leads an FBI tactical team to Gumb's address in Illinois. The house in Illinois is empty and Starling is led to the house of "Jack Gordon", who she realizes is actually Jame Gumb. She pursues him into his multi-room basement, where she discovers that Catherine is still alive, but trapped in a dry well. After turning off the basement lights, Gumb stalks Starling in the dark with night-vision goggles but gives his position away when he cocks his revolver; Starling turns around just in time and kills him.

Some time later at her FBI Academy graduation party, Starling receives a phone call from Lecter, who is at an airport in Bimini. He assures her that he does not plan to pursue her and asks her to return the favor, which she says she cannot do. Lecter then hangs up the phone, saying that he is "having an old friend for dinner" and begins following a newly-arrived Chilton before disappearing into the crowd.

The Silence of the Lambs is so perfectly frightening. Each scene with Hannibal Lector is electrifying. He is creepy and disturbed. But a smart character. Like I said before how serial killers motives are not always clear. He is a prime example. He also eats people. Why? We don't know. All we know is that he does it because he can. That makes Lector so interesting to watch. Anthony Hopkins is a master actor probably one of the best of all time. He can turn on a role second to none. He has since brought Lector back to the screen a few times. But nothing like The Silence of the Lambs. They haven't been able to capture how frightening it is.

Clarice Starling is an interesting character. Jodie Foster is a big part of that. Foster has that girl next door look. She is pretty and just has charisma to her. Yet you can tell there is more to her. That is kind of like Starling is. At the start of the film she is just seen as a hard working newbie in the FBI who is dedicated to her job. She of course is pretty, but she isn't interested in relationships. When Lector forced her to talk about her past and how she became an orphan it created vulnerability around her. It also gave us motive for her career choice. It all makes sense why she does what she does. And how strong she is.

The soundtrack is killer. It adds to how frightening this movie is. All the music comes in perfectly. Something like a Stanley Kubrick film. It works so perfectly and so fine. It isn't an emotional cue. It just illustrates the scene. Music is another beautiful art form. When used well in film is absolutely beautiful to watch. Films that have tired to be like The Silence of the Lambs have failed to grasped that. Even the song that Buffalo Bill was dancing to is frightening. He is a crazy guy and the song itself is a different beat. The whole scene is rather creepy.

The Silence of Lambs feels like a look almost to how these situations work. Haven't you ever wondered how these serial killers are handled? They are interesting and hectic situations. That is another strength of the film. It keeps it's realism. It is frightening. But that is what makes it so frightening. Any of this could happen. Any of this. That is why it was a great book and a great film. The things that scare us the most are things that could actually happen to us. Not aliens attacking, but a crazy serial killer.

Is The Silence of the Lambs of scary movie or a thriller? I say it is a thriller that perfectly blends crime and horror. I have never seen a film like this and still haven't it. It gets to human emotion with a subtle punch. It it frightening and intriguing. The writing is masterful and the direction is masterful. The scene where Clarice is looking for Buffalo Bill was done great. Foster could actually see during this scene. But she was still able to convey to us a struggle. And triumph when she was able to to kill Buffalo Bill before he could kill her.

The Silence of the Lambs is a one of a kind film. It is something that I am not sure we will see like a again. So smart, so daring, so frightening. Every scene is done to perfection. That is what makes it a masterpiece. If it isn't perfection it is pretty damn close.

[HitchFan97]

One of the best thrillers I've ever seen. Hannibal Lecter may be my favorite movie villain.

[nebbit]

A good movie but not one I want to watch over and over :nope:

[honeykid]

Silence is a good film, but I think horribly overrated... As I've stated many times on this site. :D

[TylerDurden99]

Silence Of The Lambs used to be my all-time favourite movie, at least tied with Terminator 2, at one point. Nowadays, I don't know where I'd rate it in my favourites, but I still know it's a quality, well-made film.

[Flimmaker1473]

6. Indian Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-THdWFmCkc6w/T_P5gt63n3I/AAAAAAAABlU/U5Vi193ffMM/s1600/raidersofthelostark.jpg
I am sure Indian Jones could be the ultimate cool guy in movie history. His day job is being a professor. But he likes to go on adventures. Some cool adventures. Alright some pretty damn awesome adventures. I had a friend of mine who is becoming a director once tell me that Spielberg's specialty. He was right. Spielberg is a master at this genre. He doesn't just put on a show. He makes it more than that. He adds to it. He perfects it.

In 1936, archaeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) braves an ancient Peruvian temple filled with booby traps to retrieve a golden idol. Upon fleeing the temple, Indiana is confronted by rival archaeologist René Belloq and the indigenous Hovitos. Surrounded and outnumbered, Indiana is forced to surrender the idol to Belloq and escapes aboard a waiting Waco seaplane.

Shortly after returning to the college in the United States where he teaches archaeology, Indiana is interviewed by two Army intelligence agents. They inform him that the Nazis, in their quest for occult power, are searching for his old mentor, Abner Ravenwood, who is in possession of the headpiece of an artifact called the Staff of Ra and is the leading expert on the ancient Egyptian city of Tanis. Indiana deduces that the Nazis are searching for Tanis because it is believed to be the location of the Ark of the Covenant, the biblical chest built by the Israelites to contain the fragments of the Ten Commandments; if the Nazis acquire it, their armies will be invincible. The Staff of Ra, meanwhile, is the key to finding the Well of Souls, a secret chamber in which the Ark is buried. The agents subsequently authorize Indiana to recover the Ark with the promise of displaying it in a museum. Indiana travels to Nepal, only to find that Ravenwood has died and that the headpiece is in the possession of his daughter, Marion (Karen Allen), Indiana's embittered former lover. Indiana offers to buy the headpiece for three thousand dollars, plus two thousand more when they return to the United States. Marion's tavern is suddenly raided by a group of thugs commanded by Nazi agent Major Toht (Ronald Lacey). The tavern is burned down in the ensuing fight, during which Toht burns his hand on the searing hot headpiece as he tries to grab it. Indiana and Marion escape with the headpiece, with Marion declaring she will accompany Indiana in his search for the Ark so he can repay his debt.

They travel to Cairo where they learn from Indiana's friend Sallah (John Rhys Davies), a skilled excavator, that Belloq and the Nazis are currently digging for the Well of Souls with a replica of the headpiece modeled after the scar on Toht's hand. In a bazaar, Nazi operatives attempt to kidnap Marion and as Indiana chases after them it appears that she dies in an explosion. While deciphering the markings on the headpiece, Indiana and Sallah realize that the Nazis have miscalculated the location of the Well of Souls. Using this to their advantage, they infiltrate the Nazi dig and use the Staff of Ra to determine the location correctly and uncover the Well of Souls, which is filled with snakes. Indiana fends off the snakes and acquires the Ark, but Belloq and the Nazis arrive to take it. They toss Marion into the well with Indiana and seal them both in, but they manage to escape. After a fistfight with a giant Nazi mechanic, blowing up a flying wing on the airstrip, and chasing down a convoy of trucks, Indiana takes back the Ark before it can be shipped to Berlin, despite being shot in the arm in the process.

Indiana and Marion leave Cairo to escort the Ark to England on board a tramp steamer. The next morning, their boat is boarded by the Nazis, who once again steal the Ark and kidnap Marion. Indiana stows away on their U-boat and follows them to an isolated island in the Aegean Sea where Belloq plans to test the power of the Ark before presenting it to Hitler. Indiana reveals himself and threatens to destroy the Ark with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, but Belloq calls his bluff, knowing Indy cannot bear to eradicate an important historical artifact.

Indiana surrenders and is tied to a post with Marion as Belloq performs a ceremonial opening of the Ark, which appears to contain nothing but sand. Suddenly, spirits, which resemble the Old Testament description of seraphim, emerge from the Ark. Aware of the supernatural danger of looking at the opened Ark, Indiana warns Marion to close her eyes. The apparitions suddenly morph into demonic creatures, and lightning bolts begin flying out of the ark, gruesomely killing Belloq, Toht and the Nazis. The fires rise into the sky, then fall back down to Earth and the Ark closes with a crack of thunder.

Back in Washington, D.C., the Army intelligence agents tell a suspicious Indiana and Brody that the Ark "is someplace safe" to be studied by "top men". In reality, the Ark is sealed in a wooden crate labeled "top secret" and stored in a giant government warehouse filled with countless similar crates.

Indian Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark has a few things going for it that make it such a great film and classic. The humor involved for starters. Some of the things that happen during some of these serious situation provides genius comic relief. It lightens things up a bit. And that works so well. Indian Jones himself is a bit of a funny character. He is serious about his job. But he can remain light about things and not seem uptight.

The characters in this movie are so interesting. All have serious things to. But their personalities are droll. No two characters are alike. They are not your normal action and adventure film heros. They are different. That helps the film differentiate itself from other films. The focus on the characters in different than most. They were not stiff and gave the audience and chance to get to know them.

Also the way this movie is able to string everything together and make something of it is remarkable. So much goes on. So much action is happening. And all it is happens fast. But it all adds up and makes something wonderful. And it just works. Spielberg and George Lucas right there with him, put their creative heads together and created the first smart adventure film. It is part of this movie's legacy for sure.

Harrison Ford as Indian Jones is excellent of course. This is the same guy who was Han Solo. He just knows how to play a man on the go. He brings a level of intensity and fun to the roles he plays. He is part of the reason Jones has a personality. He brings that out and him and makes it believable. And it works so well.

Indian Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is the definition of a rip snorting good time. It set the standard for all adventure films and few if any have come close to being as good. I have eight films in my top 100 from Spielberg that he directed. Ten in all if you include Men in Black and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (he produced those films) And there are many more from him that I have enjoyed. He likes what audiences like. And he brings it to them with the highest of quality. And this was his best.

The top five should be coming around the 10th. I will be out of town until then.

[nebbit]

Aww love the Indie Movies :yup

[HitchFan97]

One of these days I'll get around to seeing Raiders.

[Watch_Tower]

Silence Of The Lambs used to be my all-time favourite movie, at least tied with Terminator 2, at one point. Nowadays, I don't know where I'd rate it in my favourites, but I still know it's a quality, well-made film.

Great to see another Terminator 2 fan!!

As for the list, I haven't had a chance to go through it all but your top ten is solid :)

[Flimmaker1473]

5. Star Wars Episode Four A New Hope
http://img2-3.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/040713/165732__starwars_l.jpg

I love Star Wars. I just love them. I love everything about them. I love talking about them. I was brought up around Star Wars. My dad (who I am not particularly close to) both enjoyed watching them together and even reading the books. I watch the prequels of course first before even hearing about the classics. I enjoyed Phantom Menace despite the fan boys not liking it. I enjoyed Clone Wars even. And I loved Revenge of the Sith. But when I watch the first three films I found out just how short the first two prequels fell in comparison with the greatness of those films. And it all started with A New hope. George Lucas's is one of the greatest directors of all time. And one of the most creative minds out there. He created a universe of spectacular characters and a lesson that is rather wonderful. He created something mind blowing.

The film begins with an opening crawl explaining that the galaxy is in a state of civil war and that spies for the Rebel Alliance have stolen plans to the Galactic Empire's Death Star, a weaponized space station capable of annihilating an entire planet. Rebel leader Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) is in possession of the plans, but her ship is captured by Imperial forces under the command of the evil lord Darth Vader (David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones). Before she is captured, Leia hides the plans in the memory of an astromech droid called R2-D2 (Kenny Baker), along with a holographic recording. The small droid flees to the surface of the desert planet Tatooine with fellow protocol droid C-3PO (Anthony Daniels).

The droids are quickly captured by Jawa traders, who sell the pair to moisture farmers Owen and Beru Lars (Phil Brown and Shelagh Fraser) and their nephew, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). While Luke is cleaning R2-D2, he accidentally triggers part of Leia's message, in which she requests help from Obi-Wan Kenobi. The only "Kenobi" Luke knows of is an old hermit named Ben Kenobi (Alec Guinness) who lives in the nearby hills. The next morning, upon finding R2-D2 after he escapes to seek Obi-Wan, Luke meets Ben Kenobi, revealing himself to be Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan tells Luke of his days as a Jedi Knight, one of a faction of former galactic peacekeepers who were wiped out by the Empire. Contrary to his uncle's statements, Luke learns that his father Anakin Skywalker fought alongside Obi-Wan as a Jedi Knight before he was betrayed and killed by Vader, Obi-Wan's former pupil who turned to the "dark side of the Force", and gives Luke his father's lightsaber.

Obi-Wan views Leia's complete message in which she begs Obi-Wan to take the Death Star plans to her home planet of Alderaan for her father to retrieve and analyze. He then asks Luke to accompany him and learn the ways of the Force. Luke initially refuses, but changes his mind after discovering that Imperial stormtroopers have destroyed his home and killed his aunt and uncle in search of C-3PO and R2-D2. Obi-Wan and Luke hire smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his Wookiee first mate Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) to transport them on their ship, the Millennium Falcon.

Upon the Falcon's arrival at Alderaan, they find that the planet has been destroyed under the orders of the Death Star's commanding officer Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing) to demonstrate the Death Star's power. The Falcon is caught by the nearby Death Star's tractor beam and brought into its hangar bay. While Obi-Wan goes off to disable the tractor beam, Luke discovers that Leia is imprisoned on board and, with the help of Han and Chewbacca, rescues her. After several harrowing escapes, they make their way back to the Falcon, but Obi-Wan is killed in a lightsaber duel with Vader. The Falcon escapes the Death Star but the Empire has placed a tracking device on the ship to follow them to the rebels' hidden base on Yavin IV.

The rebels analyze the Death Star plans, disclosing a vulnerable exhaust port leading to the station's main reactor. Luke joins the assault team, but Han collects his reward for the rescue and plans to leave despite Luke asking him to stay. The rebels suffer heavy losses after several failed attack runs, leaving Luke one of the few surviving pilots. Vader and a group of TIE fighters are about to destroy Luke's ship, but Han Solo returns at the last moment and destroys the TIE Fighters and the blast sends Vader spiralling away. Then Luke successfully destroys the Death Star seconds before it can fire on the rebel base. Luke and Han are subsequently awarded medals by Leia for their heroism.
The film begins with an opening crawl explaining that the galaxy is in a state of civil war and that spies for the Rebel Alliance have stolen plans to the Galactic Empire's Death Star, a weaponized space station capable of annihilating an entire planet. Rebel leader Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) is in possession of the plans, but her ship is captured by Imperial forces under the command of the evil lord Darth Vader (David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones). Before she is captured, Leia hides the plans in the memory of an astromech droid called R2-D2 (Kenny Baker), along with a holographic recording. The small droid flees to the surface of the desert planet Tatooine with fellow protocol droid C-3PO (Anthony Daniels).

The droids are quickly captured by Jawa traders, who sell the pair to moisture farmers Owen and Beru Lars (Phil Brown and Shelagh Fraser) and their nephew, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). While Luke is cleaning R2-D2, he accidentally triggers part of Leia's message, in which she requests help from Obi-Wan Kenobi. The only "Kenobi" Luke knows of is an old hermit named Ben Kenobi (Alec Guinness) who lives in the nearby hills. The next morning, upon finding R2-D2 after he escapes to seek Obi-Wan, Luke meets Ben Kenobi, revealing himself to be Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan tells Luke of his days as a Jedi Knight, one of a faction of former galactic peacekeepers who were wiped out by the Empire. Contrary to his uncle's statements, Luke learns that his father Anakin Skywalker fought alongside Obi-Wan as a Jedi Knight before he was betrayed and killed by Vader, Obi-Wan's former pupil who turned to the "dark side of the Force", and gives Luke his father's lightsaber.

Obi-Wan views Leia's complete message in which she begs Obi-Wan to take the Death Star plans to her home planet of Alderaan for her father to retrieve and analyze. He then asks Luke to accompany him and learn the ways of the Force. Luke initially refuses, but changes his mind after discovering that Imperial stormtroopers have destroyed his home and killed his aunt and uncle in search of C-3PO and R2-D2. Obi-Wan and Luke hire smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his Wookiee first mate Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) to transport them on their ship, the Millennium Falcon.

Upon the Falcon's arrival at Alderaan, they find that the planet has been destroyed under the orders of the Death Star's commanding officer Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing) to demonstrate the Death Star's power. The Falcon is caught by the nearby Death Star's tractor beam and brought into its hangar bay. While Obi-Wan goes off to disable the tractor beam, Luke discovers that Leia is imprisoned on board and, with the help of Han and Chewbacca, rescues her. After several harrowing escapes, they make their way back to the Falcon, but Obi-Wan is killed in a lightsaber duel with Vader. The Falcon escapes the Death Star but the Empire has placed a tracking device on the ship to follow them to the rebels' hidden base on Yavin IV.

The rebels analyze the Death Star plans, disclosing a vulnerable exhaust port leading to the station's main reactor. Luke joins the assault team, but Han collects his reward for the rescue and plans to leave despite Luke asking him to stay. The rebels suffer heavy losses after several failed attack runs, leaving Luke one of the few surviving pilots. Vader and a group of TIE fighters are about to destroy Luke's ship, but Han Solo returns at the last moment and destroys the TIE Fighters and the blast sends Vader spiralling away. Then Luke successfully destroys the Death Star seconds before it can fire on the rebel base. Luke and Han are subsequently awarded medals by Leia for their heroism.



A New Hope feels like I took some crazy LSD and I am having an out of body experience (okay that is more like special K). The special effects which were very important to Lucas, feel like something from 2001 A Space Odyssey. What makes this epic so great is the narrative. It is astounding. Its great to follow. The plot from start to finish is just so intriguing that there is never a dull moment. That is a strong asset that is hard to grasp. But when it is grasped, it is like lightning in a bottle. It is something special.


A New Hope has a message too. It is space opera after all. The common story of good vs evil. And a young nobody coming out on top in the end. It takes that common story and turns it into something more. It turns it into this epic film that goes into new depths about space. Seeing wars in space is just quite incredible. It looks so real. Though it helps that Lucas also edited it with today's current technology. That turned people off. I have seen both the original version and thew edited one. Who cares? It is his art. And it is just f**king awesome art you know? And he wanted to make it look the way he had envisioned it.



Darth Vader is one hell of a villain. Perhaps the most known villain ever. He is terrifying, mean, brute, and angry. Since I watched these films backwards (which is actually forward) I understood what was going on. I understood how and why he got there. The message here is just like in real life, he was like some people are lured to the dark side. Lured to evil. Something clicked for him. It was his missing link. And he couldn't help himself. What a great character who also gets to be more developed as this story goes on. James Earl Jones's voice is perfect. It brings a great level of power to his voice to establish who he is and to strike fear.


The writing is amazing. One could say that Star Wars is political. A little bit yeah. But Lucas doesn't make it preachy. He does make it political. But in a way that everyone can appreciate it. In a way that no really cares and can enjoy the show. And enjoy a great piece of filmmaking. Everything in this film happens for a reason too. Nothing is left without a reason. And the ending is one of the coolest endings out there. It is nice to see the decorated and the robots as well. Being a kid when I first watched these just got me all excited. Who didn't play with a light saber?


A New Hope is a masterpiece. The special effects were inspired by 2001 A Space Odyssey. But it is a film unlike any other in another way. It is so enchanting with such a rich story that it doesn't feel real. It feels like a dream really. And that is what makes it so great. Science Fiction has some great films that everyone can enjoy. And Stars Wars made it okay to like science fiction.

[gandalf26]

Solid choices, especially the top 20, can't wait to see top 4.

[nebbit]

Ditto :yup:

[Flimmaker1473]

4. The Godfather
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Francis Ford Coppola was still a young director in 1972. Al Pacino was still an actor trying to prove himself in 1974. Then one day Pacino comes in to audition for Coppola's newest film "The Godfather" which he had hope would just be a mild success. Ford love Pacino and wanted him for the role of Michael Corleone. The studio didn't think Pacino would be good for the part (of course). But Coppola fought the studio and got Pacino for the part. That is just one piece to the amazing cast for The Godfather. A film that Stanley Kubrick said is the greatest film of all time and had the best cast of all time. The Godfather is a look into a Sicilian mafia family and their nuances. The way that things are ran. It's approach makes the film a masterpiece. Not making these characters larger than life, but adding a human element to these characters. The writing is amazing, Coppola's direction is too. Perhaps the reason the film is so great is because of it's modest beginnings.

On the day of his only daughter's wedding, Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) hears requests in his role as the Godfather, the Don of his New York crime family. Vito's youngest son Michael (Al Pacino), on military leave, introduces his girlfriend, Kay Adams (Diane Keaton), to his family at the sprawling reception. Vito's godson Johnny Fontane (Al Martino), a popular singer, pleads for help securing a coveted movie role, so Vito dispatches his consigliere Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall) to the abrasive studio head, Jack Woltz (John Marley), to secure the casting. Woltz is unmoved until the morning he wakes up in bed with the severed head of his prized stud horse.

Shortly before Christmas 1945, drug baron Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo (Al Lettieri), backed by the Corleones' rivals, the Tattaglias, asks Vito for investment and protection through his political connections, but Vito disapproves of drug dealers. Instead, he sends his enforcer, Luca Brasi (Lenny Montana) to spy on them, but a fish is returned to the family wrapped in Brasi's vest, confirming he "sleeps with the fishes". Sollozzo's assassination attempt on Vito lands Vito in the hospital, so eldest son, Sonny (James Caan), takes command. Sollozzo kidnaps Hagen to pressure Sonny to accept his deal. Michael thwarts a second assassination attempt on his father at the hospital, but is accosted by corrupt police Captain McCluskey (Sterling Hayden), who breaks his jaw.

Sonny retaliates by having Bruno, Tattaglia's son, killed. Michael comes up with a plan to hit Sollozzo and McCluskey that his brother approves over Hagen's objections. On the pretext of settling the dispute, Michael lures the pair to a restaurant, retrieves a planted handgun and murders them. Despite a clamp down from the authorities, the Five Families erupt in open warfare and the brothers fear for their safety. Michael takes refuge in Sicily, and Fredo (John Cazale) is sheltered by associate Moe Greene (Alex Rocco) in Las Vegas. Sonny attacks his brother-in-law Carlo on the street for abusing his sister Connie (Talia Shire). When it happens again, Sonny speeds for her home but assassins ambush him at a highway toll booth and riddle him with machine gun fire.

Vito is saddened to learn that, despite his hopes, Michael has become involved in the family business. However, Michael has fallen in love with Apollonia Vitelli (Simonetta Stefanelli) and married her in Sicily. His peace is shattered when a car bomb intended for him takes the life of his new wife.

To end the feuds, Vito meets with the heads of the Five Families, withdrawing his opposition to the Tattaglias' heroin business and swearing to forego revenge for Sonny's murder. He deduces that the Tattaglias were under orders of the now dominant Don Emilio Barzini (Richard Conte). With his safety guaranteed, Michael returns home and over a year later marries Kay. Seeing his father at the end of his career and his surviving brother too weak, Michael takes the reins of the family and promises his wife to make it legitimate within five years.

Biding his time, Michael allows rival families to pressure Corleone enterprises and plans to move family operations to Nevada, while delegating New York operations to members who stay behind. Michael also replaces Hagen with his father as his consigliere; Vito explains to an upset Hagen that they have long range plans for him and the family. Later, Michael travels to Las Vegas, intending to buy out Greene's stake in the family's casinos. Instead, Greene derides the Corleones as a fading power, and Michael's anger is fueled when Fredo falls under Greene's sway.

Vito collapses and dies in his garden in 1955 while playing with Michael’s son Anthony. At the funeral, Salvatore Tessio (Abe Vigoda) arranges a meeting between Michael and Don Barzini, signalling his treachery as Vito had warned. The meeting is set for the same day as the christening of Connie and Carlo's son, to whom Michael will stand as godfather. As the christening proceeds, on Michael's orders, Corleone assassins murder the other New York dons and Moe Greene. Tessio is told that Michael is aware of his betrayal and taken off to his death. After Carlo is questioned by Michael on his involvement in setting up Sonny's murder and confesses he was contacted by Barzini, he is escorted to a car whereupon Clemenza kills him with a garrotte. Michael is confronted by Connie, who accuses him of having her husband killed. He denies killing Carlo when questioned by Kay, an answer she accepts. As Kay watches warily, Michael receives his capos, who address him as the new Don Corleone.

The Godfather has many elements that makes it one of the best films ever made. The difficulty of casting a film is an underrated art. And it is done to perfection with this movie. You got the legendary Marlon Brando. Who is probably the best actor that ever lived. He is perfect as Vito Corleone. He has this stature about him and goes a certain way with things that is perfect. He is so powerful. Yet he is approachable. His performance is some of the best acting that you will ever see. He is so smooth and calculated. That is why Brando was the best. He was always two steps ahead of everyone. Al Pacino was also amazing. He plays Tony so calm and with so much confidence. He doesn't really break that until one second at the end. It is masterful. That is Pacino. He dives into a character and can just change himself into that said character. And Robert Duvall what more can you say about him? He is right there with Brando and Pacino as some of the greatest actors ever. It is like he isn't even acting. He is just that good.

The writing is astounding. Everything goes so smoothly. Everything makes sense. Everything is said for a reason. The lines in Sicilian work too. It is a beautiful piece of writing. It is really remarkable how this happened. And the directing too. Francis Ford Coppola created perfection with The Godfather. It almost makes me never want to try to direct. I could never achieve perfection. He did. It is art what he made. It is treasure what he created. He never goes over the top with violence. He fits it in perfectly. He doesn't hold back either. He gets everything right. It is perfect.

The Godfather is a good look at the Sicilian Mafia. I do believe Goodfellas is a better made film though. But there is something about The Godfather part one and two that is so special. Goodfellas feels more of a documentary. The Godfather is like we are right there apart of the action. By the middle of the movie you are going "damn why couldn't I be Sicilian?" Many former and current Sicilian mobsters who have watched this say it is very realistic. That these characters were people they knew. And that is probably the biggest compliment to the film.

The Godfather has been around for so long. Yet it is huge in pop culture still. The lines are still enriched in this generation. This is perhaps the reason everyone will still know about the great actor Marlon Brando. The Godfather is a classic and a work of art. It is something that is an experience each time you watch. Something that is so intriguing. Is the greatest film of all time? Maybe.

[HitchFan97]

Two great picks right there :yup:

[Flimmaker1473]

3. The Godfather Part Two
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What films could be considered the best of all time. I mentioned the Godfather yesterday. I would add 2001 A Space Odyssey to that discussion. Goodfellas and Fight Club deserve nods. Even something like Pulp Fiction or Empire strikes back. The Godfather Part Two deserves to be in that conversation. I love mafia films. Goodfellas, Mean Streets, Casino, The Departed, American Gangster just to name a few. But the Godfather trilogy is just so incredible. Everything from top to bottom is perfect. The writing, the acting, the directing. It is filmmaking at it's best. A standard that is set so high that few if anyone could ever achieve. I would watch the Godfather Part Two over the Godfather Part One anyday.


In 1901 Corleone, Sicily, nine-year-old Vito Andolini’s family is killed after his father insults local Mafia chieftain Don Ciccio. He escapes to New York and is registered as "Vito Corleone" on Ellis Island.

On the occasion of the 1958 first communion party for his son, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) has a series of meetings in his role as the Don of his crime family. With Nevada Senator Pat Geary, he discusses the terms of a fourth state gaming license for the Corleones, but the two only trade insults and demand payoffs. Johnny Ola (Dominic Chianse) arrives to express support for Michael on behalf of Florida gangster Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg). At the same time, the Don struggles to manage his depressed sister Connie (Talia Shire) and older brother Fredo (John Cazale). Corleone caporegime Frank Pentangeli (Michael V. Gazzo) is very unhappy that his boss will not help him defend New York against the Rosato brothers, who work for the Jewish Roth. That night, Michael survives an assassination attempt at his home and puts consigliere Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall) in charge, reassuring him of their fraternal bond.

In 1917, Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro) lives in a tenement with his wife Carmela and son Sonny, and works in a New York grocery store owned by the father of a close friend. A member of the Black Hand, Don Fanucci, who extorts protection payments from local businesses, forces the store owner to fire Vito and give his job to Fanucci's nephew. As a favor to his neighbor, Peter Clemenza (Bruno Kriby), Vito hides a stash of guns; in return, he is invited to the burglary of a rich apartment. His share of the loot is a plush rug, which he lays in his own living room.

In Miami, Michael tells Roth that Pentangeli was behind the assassination attempt; he then tells Pentangeli that Roth ordered it and asks him to cooperate. Pentangeli meets the Rosatos but their men garrote him, saying they act on Michael's orders.

Geary finds himself in Fredo's brothel with a dead prostitute and no memory of how he got there; he accepts Tom's offer of "friendship" to cover up the incident.

After witnessing a rebel suicide bombing in Havana, Cuba, Michael becomes convinced of the rebels' resolve to overthrow the dictator Fulgencio Batista. Fredo brings Michael the money for a deal with Roth, but instead of turning it over to Roth, Michael asks who put out the hit on Pentangeli. Roth is reminded of his late friend Moe Greene – dead in a spate of Corleone killing – saying, "This is the business we've chosen. I didn't ask who gave the order because it had nothing to do with business!" At a New Year's Eve party, Fredo lets slip that he knew Johnny Ola despite his previous denial. Dismayed, Michael embraces his brother, revealing that he knows he was behind the plot on his life, and a frightened Fredo flees in the chaos. Michael's bodyguard strangles Ola but is killed by police before he can finish off the ailing Roth. Back home, Hagen informs Michael that Roth is recovering in Miami and that Kay's pregnancy has miscarried.

Three years later, Vito has two more boys (Michael and Fredo). He and his partners (Clemenza and Sal Tessio) face extortion by Don Fanucci, who demands they let him "wet his beak" from their recent burglary or he will have the police ruin Vito's family. Vito persuades his partners to pay Fanucci less than he asks and promises he will "make him an offer he don't refuse" as a favor to them. During a neighborhood festa, Vito meets with Fanucci and earns his respect. He then follows Fanucci, surprises him in his apartment foyer, shoots and kills him, takes back his partners' money and escapes.

In Washington, D.C., a Senate committee investigating the Corleone family cannot find evidence to implicate Michael until a surprise witness is called. Pentangeli, ensconced in FBI witness protection and ready to avenge the attempt on his life, is prepared to confirm accusations against Michael until his Sicilian brother attends the hearing at the Don's side; Pentangeli denies his sworn statements and the hearing dissolves in an uproar.

Vito has become a respected figure in his New York community. He confronts a landlord who doesn't know him, offering extra money to let a widow keep her apartment. The landlord says he has already leased it and becomes angry when Vito demands that he allow her to keep her dog. A few days later the landlord returns, terrified that he may have unwittingly offended Vito, assuring him that the widow can stay, along with her dog, at a reduced rent.

Michael and Hagen observe that Roth's strategy to destroy Michael is well planned. Fredo has been found and persuaded to return to Nevada, and in a private meeting he explains his betrayal to Michael; he was upset about being passed over to head the family, and helped Roth, thinking there would be something in it for him. He swears he was unaware of their plan to kill Michael. He tells Michael that the Senate Committee's chief counsel is on Roth's payroll. Michael disowns Fredo and instructs Al Neri that " nothing is to happen to him while my mother's alive." Afterwards, Michael violently prevents Kay from leaving with their children; she retaliates with the revelation that her miscarriage was actually an abortion.

In 1923, Vito, together with his young family, visits Sicily for the first time since leaving for America. He is introduced to the elderly Don Ciccio by Don Tommasino as the man who imports their olive oil to America, and who wants his blessing. When Ciccio asks Vito who his father was, Vito says, "My father's name was Antonio Andolini, and this is for you!" He then plunges a large knife into the old man's stomach and carves it open. As they flee, Tommasino is shot, confining him to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Michael's mother dies. At the funeral, a reformed Connie implores Michael to forgive Fredo. Michael relents and embraces Fredo, but glances at Neri. Roth is refused asylum and even entry to Israel. Over Hagen's dissent, Michael plans his revenge. Hagen visits Pentangeli and offers to spare his family, reminding him that failed plotters against the Roman Emperor took their own lives.

Connie helps Kay visit her children, but Michael closes the door on any forgiveness.

As he arrives in Miami to be taken into custody, Hyman Roth is shot in the stomach and killed by Lampone, who is immediately shot dead by FBI agents. Frank Pentangeli is dead in his bathtub with slit wrists. Neri shoots Fredo while they are fishing on Lake Tahoe.

The Corleone family gathers to surprise Vito for his fiftieth birthday. Sonny introduces Carlo Rizzi to Connie. Tessio comes in with the cake, and they discuss the attack on Pearl Harbor earlier in the month. Michael announces he has left college to enlist in the Marines, leaving Sonny furious, Tom incredulous, and Fredo supportive. Vito is heard at the door and all but Michael leave the room to greet him.

Michael sits alone by the lake at the family compound.

The Godfather Part Two is just another amazing piece of art by Francis Ford Coppola. The man was on a roll. Later in the 70s he would direct another masterpiece called Apocalypse Now. He had these visions and transferred them on to screen so wonderfully. He said these films are somewhat autobiographical. Maybe that is why these movies feel the way they do. His subtle way to the Godfather Part Two works again like it did in the first one. Nothing rushed. It just happens. And we are just along for the ride. And what a wild ride it is.

The casting is once again done masterfully. Al Pacino gives probably the best performance of not only his career, but the best performance I have ever seen in my life. He is Michael. He embodies a man who has come into so much power and is struggling with personal issues and professional ones as well. He implodes as an actor. The times when Michael does lose his cool (which is rare) is done with such sincerity that only a few actors today get close to doing. It is an embarrassment to the academy that Pacino didn't win the academy award for his performance. That level of excellence is only seen once in a lifetime.

Speaking of that. Robert De Niro also gives the best performance of his career and one of the best performances ever. It is amazing two of the greatest actors ever were in the same movie, with no scenes together, and gave these amazing performances. How many people could have played a young Vito Corleone? Not sure. But De Niro could and did. So smooth. Italian accent was flawless. He looks like De Niro. But doesn't sound like him. He was completely turned into Vito. He went to live with Sicilian mafia members. Now that is dedication. And it paid off with an amazing performance and an academy award.

The differences between The Godfather and The Godfather Part Two are the amount of violence. Part one had more violence. Part two focuses more on certain situations that came about because of violence. And the Vito Corleone flashbacks. It plays as a prequel/ present type film. That is a work of genius. Few could have done that and made it so convincingly. Well Francis Ford Coppola did it. And he didn't look back.

There are scenes here that almost make you want to cry. Like when after their mother dies, Michael and Fredo reconcile with a simple hug. How touching. How deceiving too. Or when Kay tells Michael how she had their baby aborted because she didn't want to bring another one of his kids into the world. Coppola hits us with that real life emotions right then and there without killing the tone of the film.

The Godfather Part Two is another classic that has stood the test of time. It is another masterpiece from Francis Ford Coppola. A director who has a vision like no other. He allowed us to view a Sicilian family who was in the mafia and see their nuances. He has given so many gifts to filmmaking. And this is a gift that keeps on giving.

[nebbit]

:love: these movies :yup:

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

Only two left :D

[Flimmaker1473]

2. Star Wars Episode Five: The Empire Strikes Back
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So what does the Miss Piggy have to do with Star Wars? Well one of the most beloved Star Wars characters Yoda is the same muppeteer who performed Miss Piggy (also Foozie Bear, Animal, Sam the Eagle among many muppets). That is just one part of the great movie that is Star Wars Episode Five: The Empire Strikes back. A movie that is stronger than it's original (if you can imagine that). Star Wars was a film that took the beauty and amazement that Stanley Kubrick showed with 2001 A Space Odyssey and added different elements to it. And created an epic space opera for many generations of fans to enjoy. It is so glorious and different. That is perhaps what makes these films so great.

The film begins with a opening crawl explaining that three years after destroying the Death Star, the Rebel Alliance has suffered setbacks in their struggle against the Galactic Empire. Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) now leads a contingent that includes Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in a hidden base on an icy planet of the Hoth system. A probe droid, one of many sent by Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones) throughout the galaxy in hopes of finding Luke and the other rebels, lands on Hoth. Luke goes to investigate but is ambushed by a monstrous, furry wampa. While Han Solo searches for him, Luke frees himself from the wampa's cave with his lightsaber but soon succumbs to the freezing temperatures of the snowy wasteland. The spirit of his late mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), appears before him and instructs him to go to the planet Dagobah to train under Jedi Master Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz). Han manages to find Luke and uses the warmth of his dead tauntaun mount to keep him alive while they wait to be rescued.

Just as Luke recovers, the Imperial fleet, having been alerted to the location of the Rebel base by the probe droid, launches an attack using gigantic AT-AT Walkers. The Rebels mount a strong defense, and Luke brings down a walker single-handedly after his fighter is disabled, but the base is nonetheless captured. Han and Leia escape on the Millennium Falcon with C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), but their hyperspace drive malfunctions, and they must hide in an asteroid field. Luke escapes with R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) in an X-wing fighter and crash lands on Dagobah. He is soon found by the diminutive Yoda, who at first pretends to be a simple swamp inhabitant in order to test Luke's patience. After conferring with Obi-Wan's spirit, Yoda accepts Luke as his pupil.

Han and Leia end their bickering and grow closer, but their courtship is interrupted when they must flee a giant asteroid worm. They avoid capture again by attaching the Millennium Falcon directly to the side of a Star Destroyer in Vader's fleet. Frustrated at having lost them, Vader turns to several notorious bounty hunters, including Boba Fett (Jeremy Bulloch, voiced by Jason Wingreen/Temuera Morrison). Meanwhile, Luke begins a brief period of intensive training, during which his power in the Force grows exponentially. He suffers a setback when he fails a test and sees the vision of his own face inside Darth Vader's helmet. Then he becomes troubled by premonitions of Han and Leia in pain and despite Yoda and Obi-Wan's disapprovals, leaves to save them, promising to return to complete his training.

Having escaped detection, Han lets his ship float away with the star destroyer's garbage and sets a course for Cloud City, a floating gas mining colony in the skies of the planet Bespin. Boba Fett secretly follows the Millennium Falcon to the planet Bespin and arrives just before Han and Leia. Bespin is run by Han's old friend Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), but shortly after they arrive he turns them over to Vader to prevent the takeover of his city. Over Lando's objections, Vader uses them as bait to bring Luke into his trap.

Vader intends to hold Luke in suspended animation and selects Han as a test subject for the process. Han and Leia profess their love for each other, after which Han is frozen in a block of carbonite. Reneging on his deal with Lando, Vader gives Han's hibernating form to Boba Fett, who plans to present this "prize" to Jabba the Hutt who put a price on Han's head for not paying a debt that he previously owed to Jabba. Lando frees Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO, but they are too late to stop Fett from escaping with Han, forcing them to flee in the Falcon without him.

Meanwhile, Luke has arrived at Cloud City, as Vader planned. Luke and Vader engage in a lightsaber duel that leads them over the central air shaft of Cloud City. Vader severs Luke's right hand, disarming him, and reveals that he did not kill Luke's father, but actually is Luke's father. Horrified by this fact, Luke refuses Vader's offer to rule the galaxy at his side, choosing instead to throw himself down the air shaft. He slides through a tube system and is ejected but catches onto an antenna under the floating city. He makes a desperate telepathic plea to Leia, who senses it and persuades Lando to return for him. Its hyperdrive finally repaired by R2-D2, the Falcon escapes. Aboard a Rebel medical frigate, Luke is fitted with an artificial hand. As Luke, Leia, R2-D2, and C-3PO look on from the medical center, Lando and Chewbacca set off in the Falcon to rescue Han from Boba Fett and Jabba the Hutt.

I just love these Star Wars films did I say that already? The older films were just so well done. They have emotion, action, feeling, and passion. The Empire Strikes back is easily the most thought provoking film of the series. Maybe one of the most thought provoking films of all times. I think the interesting thing about this one is it is dark. It is sinister. But it works. Even moreso than New Hope. It is just fine. But it has a goal. And it reaches it so well.

It is the the most moral, most ambitious, and darker movie in the Star Wars films. It's message is pretty political. These small little everyday creatures turning against the republic. French Revolution anyone? And that adds to the genius. Lucas. He gives us a story and turns it into something else. And here he did something so radical. The the payoff is huge. You just root for the underdogs the defeat the evil empire so bad. I know I did. You see yourself in them too. And then all of a sudden it hits close to home. It hits you emotionally. And that is just amazing how science fiction can do that. But it does.

Frank Oz as Yoda is genius. Originally George Lucas wanted his good friend Jim Henson to create and perform Yoda. Henson would create Yoda. But he was too busy to perform him and put Frank Oz in for him. It is great. Oz differentiates from the muppets so we believe Yoda in this world. Not that we don't believe the muppets because we do. But we believe them in their world. Here Yoda is another character. A very important character. Wise and zen. He is one of the best characters in film history. And so cool too.

The technological achievements in this movie is endless. Lucas just got better with this as the years gone on and technology allowed him to fully see his vision. He is truly a visionary. He just ran away it. His imagination is probably endless. His thoughts must be acid influenced. Because these movies just feel like some incredible trips.

Star Wars may be my favorite film series. I like all but one of the moves. That is Clone Wars. The prequels with the exception of revenge of the Sith don't capture the greatness of the first three. But that is quite alright. These will always be here to watch. And watch I will. Star Wars are not just movies. The are experiences.

[nebbit]

Awww a movie with our leader in it :laugh:

[HitchFan97]

The great films keep on coming. Empire is my favorite of the Star Wars films :yup:

[shadowbrown]

LOTR needs to be waaaaay higher up man

[Watch_Tower]

Empire is the greatest sci-fi ever....possibly, Terminator 2 was pretty amazing. Great list from what I've seen so far.

[Flimmaker1473]

1. Fight Club
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LWYChQCRT00/TZ4fj7sfSMI/AAAAAAAAAV8/qtoRbpXuhtE/s1600/fight_club_020.jpg
I was in High School at the time early in my senior year in 2010. I had never seen Fight Club before. My friends asked me "how could you have never seen Fight Club?" So I made it my mission to go and look for this movie. To see what all the rage was. To see just what it was all about. I found it on the internet and watched. And forever I was changed. Fight Club as David Fincher the director describes is a coming to age film about an everyman who tries to fit in and do the "normal things". But he isn't happy. He realizes that it is meaningless. And he wants meaning. He wants purpose in his life. Fight Club is so brilliant, smart, stunning an a wild ride. It takes yu through all these avenues and makes sense of it.

The movie starts at the end. So we must go right to the actual beginning. So we have the narrator (Edward Norton). He works for a major car company. The name is not told. I just assume Ford. He lives this normal life. Nice apartment with things in it from Ikea. He has insomnia and combats it by attending these support groups. He goes to meetings for people with testicular cancer for example. And it helps him sleep. He even makes a friend called Robert Paul Paulsen (Meatloaf)

But then one day Marla Singer (Helen Bonham Carter) comes in doing the same thing our narrator feels threaten. He is somewhat attracted to the proactively dressed woman (she for whatever reason the whole movie just has this sexiness to her). But she is doing exactly what he is doing and he doesn't like it. They talk and split up the days and meetings they will go to and he gets her number. One day as he is on a flight after having a conversation with someone what he he does, he is seated next to Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt). Tyler makes and sells soap to stores. Tyler also works many different jobs at night since he can't sleep. He is a cool looking guy and lives his life with freedom. The narrator is very intrigued by Tyler.

Tyler gives him a business card. As the narrator comes to his apartment he finds his apartment is destroyed. He first calls Marla to see if he could stay with her. But he hangs up. He then calls Tyler. Tyler picks him up and treats to a beer and they talk. As they walk out, Tyler tells the narrator to hit him. The narrator is confused. Tyler asks him if he has ever been in a fight. He says no. Tyler says he has never been in a fight. The narrator his Tyler in the ear and they have a fight. This makes the narrator feel alive. More alive than he has in a while. He goes to stay with Tyler in his big. But old house. This is the start of the narrator's change. He starts living a wild life. Doing crazy things. Then he and Tyler start Fight Club.

There are rules to Fight Club.
1st RULE: You do not talk about FIGHT CLUB. 2nd RULE: You DO NOT talk about FIGHT CLUB.
3rd RULE: If someone says "stop" or goes limp, taps out the fight is over.
4th RULE: Only two guys to a fight.
5th RULE: One fight at a time.
6th RULE: No shirts, no shoes.
7th RULE: Fights will go on as long as they have to.
8th RULE: If this is your first night at FIGHT CLUB, you HAVE to fight.

And that is the start of fight club. It starts out modest. But it grows and grows. People recruit other people to join as well. Meanwhile Tyler and Marla are starting to like each other. They become friends with benefits after Tyler comes to get Marla from her apartment after an attempted suicide. This bothers the narrator clearly. He starts wanting Marla more and more. Marla seems mad and confused by our narrator's actions too.

Fight Club starts to grow to more than a Fight Club. It becomes national. And they start committing crimes against the man and establishment. It is becoming something the narrator didn't want it to become. But what Tyler had envisioned all along. It his masterpiece if you will. Tyler goes away after a crazy experience where he nearly his a car head on and drives into a ditch. And doing an illegal act, Robert is killed. This is apart of project mayhem. And there are no names in project mayhem. But the narrator doesn't like that and says he has a name and his name is Robert Paulsen. This gets repeated several times in a very cult like way.

The narrator goes on a search looking for Tyler. Trying to figure out where he might be. High and low he can't find him. He then asks this one man who he thinks he is. And he says "you're Tyler Durden sir". This shocks the narrator. He calls Marla and after a short but interesting conversation confirms that he is Tyler Durden. Then Tyler appears. Tyler reveals all. That he is Tyler. Tyler is just someone he had created in his head and believed to be real. He didn't fight Tyler at the bar. He fought himself. Tyler wasn't having sex with Marla. He was. Tyler didn't start Fight Club or project mayhem. He did. Tyler doesn't work all those jobs at night. He does. He has fabricated Tyler all along. This is such an amazing twist by the way.

He goes to Marla to explain everything apologizes to her. He realizes that he actually loves Marla. Marla is rather upset with all this as he sends her off on a bus. She utters that she wishes she had never met him. The narrator turns himself into the police who are actually apart of project mayhem who got orders that if he does something like this that they should cut off his balls. He narrowly escapes. But he confronted by Tyler Durden. His conscious. He then starts to fight Tyler. It is beautiful because he is of course fighting himself. He is trying to stop himself. But at the same time go on.

He ends up being tied up by Tyler in the building overlooking the buildings of banks and credit card companies they are going to blow up. The narrator realizes there is only one way to get rid of Tyler. And to do this he shoots himself and kills Tyler. And Tyler is no more. Marla is brought in by his workers. He gets her and as he is talking to her the bomb goes off and we see these skyscrapers fall down one by one in probably the best ending in film history.

Fight Club is many things. One of which is it instructs it's audience to go and live meaningful lives. The narrator lived the life that society wanted him to live. He did the things that society wanted him to do. He did seems right to fit in. But it didn't make him happy. He was filled with discontent. He had no meaning. No purpose. And he was looking for that. He created Tyler because Tyler was who he wanted to be. Tyler represents a free spirited guy that we can't be. As guys we are told to do things and act a certain way. Be a certain person. We are trapped in a way in our own lives.

Consumerism is brought up too. Look at how they destroy the Volkswagon. Everyone is affected by this. Companies make these products and advertise them as if we really need them. When in reality we really don't. They just make it seem that way. And it makes us feel empty when we don't buy those things.

The narrator uses to Tyler to create Fight Club as a way to feel powerful. And it gives him power. He can rebel. He can feel alive. He can whatever he wants to do. He live how he wants to live. He is able to push the walls away and feel free. All the while not realizing who he actually is.

Fight Club also is a romantic comedy. The narrator seeks intimacy. But he avoids it with Marla Singer. He sees too much of himself in Marla. And that scares him. Marla is seductive and an negativist person for the narrator. While Tyler brings in excitement and freedom. He embraces becoming friends with Tyler and connects with him. But he feels threatened when Tyler starts to date Marla. And when he begins to question their friendship Tyler said it is secondary to the actual goal. And Tyler suggests that they do something about Marla. Meaning to get rid of her. This makes the narrator realize that he should have made a relationship with Marla instead of with Tyler and then tries to break free of him. Fight Club is about people avoiding healthy relationships because of our fear of them.

David Fincher is an amazing director. His style is very different. Look at his movies like Seven, Zodiac, and The Social Network. Or The Girl with the dragon tattoo. He likes to take stories that have characters and things that people can relate to. All the while making it art and making it something amazing and out there. With Fight Club he does that. He uses the book and creates a window into the modern day world. Something glaringly real.

Edward Norton, Brad Pitt and Helen Bonham Carter all gave amazing performances. Norton had just did American History X so he had to lose a ton of weight. And that he did. He embodies an everyman. He is so believable. And he is so vulnerable. He acts like any average guy. Pitt is amazing as Tyler Duden. He gives him so much action and so much passion. Tyler is a passionate guy. He believes in what he does like religion. And he embodies that. Carter is able to be usually sexy and seductive the whole movie. You can't take your eyes off of her.


The writing is so well done. The direction of course is so well done. The violence shown is not there to promote violence. But instead it is there to show people trying to experience feeling in an otherwise numb society. And that is why Fight Club is there. To experience feeling. The experience being alive. I believe the fighting here strips the fear of pain from these men. And takes away the reliance of material things as meaning of self worth. It allows them to actually experience something valuable.

Fight Club is a masterpiece. One of the best movies I have ever seen. It's ability to be thought provoking and evoke feelings from me is like no other. My life and the way I view some things were forever changed. Movies can be just entertainment. But they can also be so much more. They can be something to show you things and allows you to take away something. They can be teaching tools in a way. Fight Club isn't preachy. It is just art. It shows us society as it is in a way that we haven't seen before and in a way we will never seen again.

[nebbit]

Great work :yup: finished at last http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk143/faeini1/c.gif

[donniedarko]

Started this on the 4th of July and just ended. Solid list