Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

Since a few of my friends keep asking me to compile and comment on my favorite top 100 movies and I keep stalling because I've seen too many movies to narrow it down to just 100, I've decided to sort of meet them half way by compiling and commenting on my 300 most memorable movies to date. Rather then going by some absolute ranking, I've decided just to list them numericaly for record keeping purposes and to try to have a balanced represantation from the many different categories. Although some of you may think that the movies listed at the top would necessarily be better than the ones listed at the bottom, this for me will not be the case as each of the movies I mention here is truly among the most memorable for me.
This will take a while for me to complete so bear with me as I go along a few movies at a time and feel free to make your own comments and observations.
To start, I will start with the top 10 movies I listed as my favorites.

1. The Godfather
To me, this is the epitomy of the American gangster movie. The Italian culture is richly dispalyed in the wedding scenes and inter-personal relationships. The cinematagrophy and the detailed environment were superb.Coppola's multiple action sequences, cut to cut, towards the end of the movie ushered in a new style of action movie making. What can one say about Brando other than that he was Don Corleone.

2. The Godfather Part II

A continuation of Godfather I but also a prequel, introducing the young Vito Corleone , superbly etched by Robert Di Nero, who forever leaves his mark as the the new star of his generation.
From Italy to the America of the roaring twenties, as De Niro becomes the aged Brando and the young Pacino takes the mantel from his father and consolidates the power of his family.
Powerfull screen story telling, so true to the original book, written by Mario Puzo.

3. Pulp Fiction

What do you get when you take a burger loving hitman, his philosophical partner, mix them up with couple of diner bandits, a drug loving gangster's moll and a washed up boxer? You gert Pulp Fiction, the dawn of new age cinema. Quentin Tarantino never shined so bright.

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

Strong opening, I like all of those films.

4. Deer Hunter

The epic Vietnam war movie that takes us into the lives of group of friends fom a small Russian American steel mill community before, during and after. Cristopher Walken with a stunningly vulnerable prformance emerges as a household name and Streep and Di Nero reafirm their acting greatness with enviable support from John Cazale and John Savage.

5. Full Metal Jacket

The most riveting preparation for war ever. It really showed that boot camp is hell.

6. Blackhawk Down

One of the most realisticly shot war footage in any movie. Unmatched tempo and pace.

7. Goodfellas

What can you say about a real good feel crime movie that has Joe Pesci in a serious role as a walking time bomb mobster, Ray Liotta as the anti-hero that winds up in the Witness Protection Program and Robert De Niro as an authentic wise guy? All that and based on the real life mobster Henry Hill story and directed to perfection by Martin Scorcese.

8. Lawrence Of Arabia

Based on the true story of Thomas Edward Lawrence, this epic and timeless master piece ws directed by master director David Lean. It's a fascinating study by Peter O'Toole as he unites the Arab tribes against the Turks.

9. Legends Of the Fall

A breathtakingly filmed movie, it won an Oscar for best cinematagrophy in 1995 and it's director, Edward Zwyck and lead actor Brad Pitt got nominated for Golden Globes.
It's an epic new age western set in the rural mountain plains of Montana, where three brothers vie for the love of a same woman.
This movie has a life of it's own as it goes through highs and lows, romance, tragedy and death.
The main character played very well by Brad Pitt is as wild and free as the mountains he lives in and it's hard for men not to admire him and women not to fall in love with him. Julia Ormond, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quin and Henry Thomas top off the great cast.

10. Tombstone

This is probably the most overlooked western of all time. Maybe because it was considered the remake of the Gunfight At The OK Coral (1957) by John Sturges, starring Burt Lancestar and Kirk Douglas, one of the best westerns of it's time. Actually, the same director, John Sturges, tried a re-make in 1968, with James Garner, Jason Robarts and Robert Ryan and called it Hour Of The Gun.
Tombstone was made in 1993 and directed by George P. Cosmatos, who was largely known for directing Silvester Stalone in Rambo: First Blood 2 and Cobra.
The cast was phenomenal and included: Kurt Russel (as Wyat Earp ), Val Kilmer ( as Doc Holliday ), Sam Elliot, Bill Paxton, Powers Booth, Michael Biehn, Charlton Heston, Jason Priestly, Thomas Hayden Church.
The action was great and Val Kilmer gave the performance of his life and all he got for it was a nomination for Best Male Actor MTV Awards 1994.
That's basically it for the whole movie, which I consider to be one of the best westerns of all time. Go figure!

Is this your "favourite films" or "most memorable"?

Of course, I'm including some of my favorite films in my most memorable movies. They certainly wouldn't be my favorites if they weren't most memorable to me. At least that's how I see it. That's why they are " mine " whichever way you look at it. And that's why I need clarity to deal with sticklers for semantics.:)
Remember these are my choices and you can agree or disagree all you want and that's your prerogative. What you can't change is how I feel about them.

11. Gladiator

This is one movie that really resonated with me. I like history and believe in past lives. If true, then surely I was a Roman and can identify with the arena.
In 2001 this movie garnered 5 Oscars which included Best Picture and Best Actor. I felt Russel Crowe to the bone and enjoyed the whole feel of the movie. I know some of you didn't feel this movie and that's ok. Even our fingerprints are unique, so why would anyone expect to feel the same?

12. Gandhi

I love epics and this movie is an epic in the true sense of the word.
Ben Kingsley did a marvelous job portraying a real life legend.
How can anyone forget the originator of passive resistance?
In 1982, this movie garnered 8 Oscars, including Best Actor ( Kingsley ), Best Director ( Richard Attenborough ) and Best Picture.

13. Black Robe

A visualy stunning movie that stayed with me a long time after I saw it. Peter James won The Australian Cinematographer Of The Year (1992) and also won the AFI Award for Best Achievement In Cinematography 1992.

14. Shawshank Redemption

An inspiring prison drama about a framed white banker, played by Tim Robbins and his friendhip with a wisened old black inmate, flawlessly portrayed by Morgan Freeman. The banker proves to be an upstanding kind of guy that has an unquenchable desire for hope and redemption.
More than any other movie I've seen, this movie truly is a movie about male bonding and intrepid resolve.
In 1995, it was nominated for 8 Oscars and won the ASC Award - Outstanding Achievement In Cinematography.

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

Great list so far. I could chatter away about most of these but for now I'll just mention that I think Gandhi is one of the greatest films I've ever seen. Even though it's a classic and won many awards, I still feel it doesn't get enough shout-outs.

15. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

In 1966, Sergio Leone, an Italian director, go figure, would make one of the best westerns of all time and usher in the era of spaghetti westerns and make Clint Eastwood a household name.
Although, Leone had allready made two westerns with Eastwood, A Fisfull Of Dollars And For A Few Dollars more, it took the signature musical score and the zany and colorfull characters of the Good, The Bad and The Ugly to bring Leone and Eastwood to the full attention of the world.
Interestingly, at the time ( 1959-1965 ) Eastwood had allready been starring in the television series Rawhide in the US, when Leone gave him the chance to become a serious cowboy and a legend, forever subsequently cast as the deadly quiet loner.

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

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

Yeah, that's so true. The more movies you see, the harder it is to rank them. When we limit ourselves to just top ten favorites, after the first 1000 movies that you really liked, top ten can be any of a hundred, depending on your mood and recollection.

16. One Flew Over The Cookoo's Nest

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

17. Schindler's List

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

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

Some great reviews of your top 300 here. Will stay tuned to see what else you offer. Keep it up. :)

Appreciate it. They are more like mini-reviews compared to yours.

18. City Of God

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

19. The Dark Knight

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

20. Once Upon A Time In The West

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

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

Love City Of God and The Dark Knight.

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

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

Ooops, you are absolutlely right. I remembered wrong. Thanks for setting it straight.

21. The Raging Bull

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

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

Gotta admit, I didn't care much for Raging Bull. De Niro's Awesome, don't get me wrong, but I just never found this film all that great.

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

Raging Bull is Scorsese's masterpiece. It's between it and GoodFellas for the title of Scorsese's best film.

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

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

22. Taxi Driver

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

23. Amores Perros (Love Is A Bitch)

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

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

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

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

City of God is a brilliant, truly great and harrowing film.

Thank you kindly Sirs, but seriously if you haven't seen Amorres Perros, you need to check it out. I watched it for the third time, the other day
and just kept marveling at the way it was put together.

24. Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King

Adapted to the screen from J.R.R. Tolkeins trilogy, based on the Hobbits and the smoking chasms of Mordor, director Peter Jackson surpasses all expectations in this final and best instalment.
Aragorn ( Vigo Mortensen ) is revealed as the heir to the ancient kings.
He is supported by Gandalf ( Ian McKellen ) and other members of the broken fellowship trying to save Gondor from Sauron's forces as Frodo ( Elijah Wood ) and Sam ( Sean Austin ) attempt to bring the Ring closer to the heart of Mordor, the dark lord's realm.
Pure cinematic magic, beautifuly filmed and staged, this epic won 11 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screen Play in 2004.

25. Silence of The Lambs

This is the first movie to truly memorably focus it's attention on serial killers. Masterfully directed by Jonathan Demme, Jodie Foster stars as a gifted trainee FBI Agent, mentored by Scott Glen, Head Of A Special Investigative Unit persuing serial killers.
Her task leads her to seek help from one of the most fascinating characters ever, incarcarated Hannibal Lecter, a deranged but brilliant psychiatrist turned hoimicidal cannibal, flawlessly brought to life by the marvelous Anthony Hopkins.
In 1991 this was the first suspence thriller to garner the coveted 5 Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor ( Anthony Hopkins ), Best Actress ( Jodie Foster ) and Best Adapted Writing For The Screen ( Ted Tally ).

26. Apocalypse Now

A war movie like no other, where Lt. Killgore, head of US Army Helicopter Cavalry Group, flawlesly portrayed by Robert Duval, wakes up in the morning, and as he stand on top of a hill overlooking jungle carnage, utters the now immortal line " Ahhh... I love the smell of napalm in the morning ".
Using a classic piece of literature as inspiration, Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness, Francis Ford Coppola creates a film of brutal war realism mixed with fantasy.
The cinematograpy is superb, interlacing scenes of technicolor smoke, as it paints a portrait of the Vietnam War, where a US army captain ( Martin Sheen ) is sent into Cambodia on a special mission to locate and terminate a renegade Green Beret Colonel
( ever so fleetingly presented by Marlon Brando ).
In 1979, this timeless movie was nominated for 8 Oscars, out which it received 2: Best Cinematography - Vittorio Storaro and Best Sound.

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King

Silence of The Lambs

Apocalypse Now

27. Chariots Of Fire

This beautifuly flimed movie, evokes feelings of inspiration and achievement. Two runners of different faiths compete for the British team in the 1924 olympics, facing intense pressure and personal tests of faith.
Ben Cross 's character is a free spirited but very introspective Jewish scholar (Harold Adams ) and Ian Charleston portarays a rigid Presbyterian missionary ( Eric Liddell ), based on a true story.
The music is an integral part of this movie and is extermely uplifting.
1981 this movie was directed by Hugh Hudson, who turned out to be a master at directing sports movies.
In 1982 it got 7 Oscar nominations and won 4 Oscars:Best Picture, Best Music Original Score ( Vangelis ), Best Screen Play ( Collin Welland ) and Best Costume Design Milena Canonero ).

28. Chinatown

One of the most classic fim neonoirs of all time, this master piece was fittingly directed by Roman Polanski.
Private eye J.J. Gittes, perfectly portrayed by the incomprable Jack Nicholson, gets hired by femme fatale ( Faye Dunaway ) and in the process gets his nose slashed uncovering crooked dealings in the La waterworks, while dicovering a nasty family secret.
In 1975, this movie was appropriately nominated for 11 Oscars but won only one for Best Original Screen Play - Robert Towne.
It also did win 3 Golden Globes for Best Director - Roman Polanski, Best Actor In A Male Role, Drama - Jack Nicholson and Best Screenplay Motion Picture - Robert Towne.

29. Psycho (1960)

The grand daddy of all suspense horror flicks, Psycho, is Alfred Hitchkock's masterpiece. With an uncanny knack for pace and anticipation, Hitch delivers ko suspense in this flick and ushers in a style often imitated but seldom duplicated.
Real estate clerk Marion Crane ( played by the beautiful and talented Janet Leigh ) absconds with her boss's money and winds up in a remote and isolated motel for the night.
Little does she know that the seemingly gentle young proprietor, Norman Bates ( played to perfection by Anthony Perkins ) has a dead mother in his bedroom, who still talks to him from her grave and prompts him to act out his fantasy, which is to brutaly terminate Marion, in the shower, of all places.
This timeless classic was nominated for 4 Oscars in 1961 and won the Golden Globe For Best Supporting Actress - Janet Leigh.

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

^My favorite film :yup: Some really brilliant choices here.

30. Seven Samurai

In 1954 Akira Kurosawa made the 3 and 1/2 hour long Japanese epic and established himself as one of the world's greatest movie directors.
The theme of the movie is seven samurai who are gathered together, coming from different backgrounds but with the purpose of defending a village from encroaching bandits. The character development is extraordinary and the culmination of the movie is one great cinematic battle masterpiece.
In the movie, Toshiro Mifune, brilliantly portrays the seventh samurai recruited, Kikuchiyo ( not really a samurai but a farmer's son who nevertheless holds his own in battle ), and goes on to establish one of the best director-actor collaborations ( Kurosawa-Mifune) in cinema.
Takeshi Shimura ( Kambei Shimada ) plays the leader of the Samurai band with astonishing intensity that makes his charrismatic character greatly admired and unquestionable.
In 1957, this movie was nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design.
To this day Seven Samurai remains a timeless masterpiece that set the bar for other movies to follow.

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

Everything I've seen, I've loved. Particularly Psycho and Silence of the Lambs.

31. Reservoir Dogs

In 1992, Quentin Tarantion wrote and directed Reservoir Dogs and became a legend.
The interplay of dilogue and violence among six criminals durring and after a robbery, cements Quentin as an icon of American cinema.
Quentin, Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn and Edward Bunker are outstanding in their combatible roles.
Of cousre, Quentin went on to make Pulp Fiction but Reservoir Dogs is the movie to first spotlight him on Hollywood's map.
It won numerous smaller awards but did not receive a single Golden Globe nor Oscar nomination, but is the kind of movie that has a very srong cult following and will be remmembered long after some of the movies that won big awards fade into obscurity.

32. Daas Boot

In 1981, Wolfgang Peterson captured the perfect feel of a Nazi Germany U-boat crew. A group of young nationalist boys find themselves in the iron confines of a submorine and the claustrophobia that ensues makes them begin to doubt their cause and their Fuhrer, whom they've been nurtured to love and trust.
The script and character development, as well as the directing and acting,
make this realistic portrait one of the finest war movies ever made.
In 1983, this movie was nominated for 6 Oscars.

33. The Last Emperor

Having lived in Asia, I'm a fan of many things Asian and am fairly informed of various Asian histories and cultures so I was pleasantly surprised how well made and informative this movie was when I saw it.
It's a movie about China's last emperor Pu Yi, whose dethroning ended the Ching Dinasty and ushered in Mao Tse Tung and comminism in China.
This lavish drama takes us into the life of Pu Yi, from childhood, as he became the absolute ruler of half a billion people, to his death, as he died in poverty as a poor citizen of communist China.
It is sad watching someone who had everything, and wasn't a bad man,
decline and fade into obscurity as just another Chinese peasant worker.
From a brief reign in the Forbidden city to a person left with nothing other than the dignity to die alone.
This unforgetabble epic was made in 1987 and lasted 163 minutes.
It was directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. Pu Yi was marvelously portrayed by John Lone and the able cast was rounded off with Joan Chen, Peter O'Toole and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa.
In 1988 this film won 9 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director,Best Cinematography and Best Adapted Screenplay.

34. Rashomon

One of director Akira Korosawa personal masterpieces. Made in 1950, it reamains a timeless classic about the relativity of truth.
Four witnesses to rape and murder report each own's varying version of the same event.
Cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa eeriely and beautifully creates perfect light angles that precisely capture the atmosphere of the woods, where the crime takes place.
In 1953, this movie was nominated for an Oscar - Best Art Direction and Akira Kurosawa received Outstanding Directorial Achievement In Motion Pictures from the Directors Guild Of America.

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

^ Great movie. Though I'm highly disappointed with the ending. Why end with such a false note? The rest of the movie was trying to drive home the point that humanity sucks, that we are deceiving idiots. And saving the baby wont change the fact that we are still lying idiots.

Man was born alone and will die alone and no matter the goodness orientation, man is predominantly selfish. It's his selfishness that colors his perception. That perception some call truth. Rashomon hits that nail on the point. Unfortunately reality is not geometry and what we hope for something to be is not necessarily so.

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That does not explain the orphaned baby... Or are you just writing to yourself? ;)

The orphaned baby becomes incidental to the plot or would you make it raison d'etre?

35. The Green Mile

A beautiful and best adaptation of a Stephen King novel, this finely directed movie by Frank Darabont, takes us into a 1930's death row Southern prison, where a gentle giant, so sensitively portrayed by Michael Clarke Duncan, performs the miracle of healing.
The story is captivating, even has a mouse to go with a villian, and the cast ansamble is very well put together.
Tom Hanks is the head cellblock guard, who recognizes the giant's power to heal and believes in his innocence, and desperately tries to prevent his execution. David Morse, Bonnie Hunt,James Cromwell , Michael Jetter, Harry Dean Stanton round-off the cast.
Where the Shawshank Redemption is a great movie about friendship, Miracle Mile is a great movie about a miracolous man and the way he affects the lives of others.
In 2000, this movie was nominated for 4 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor ( Michael Clarke Duncan ) and Best Adapted Screenplay.

36. Dances With Wolves

The ways of the Native American Indian tribes have often been misrepresented in movies. Not in this movie. Kevin Costner directs himself and others in this superbly shot movie about a Union soldier who befriends the Sioux Indian tribe. The characters: Stands With A Fist, Kicking Bird, Wind In His Hair, Smiles A Lot are marvelous and teach us a thing or two about American Indian culture.
Actually Stands With A Fist is a white woman brought up by the Sioux. She falls in love with Liutenant Dunbar (Costner), whom the Sioux name Dances With Wolwes, and she gets him to shed the white man's ways, although, to his credit, he personaly never exibited the staple cruelty towards Indians.
The cinematography is spectacular and makes us fall in love with nature, shown in all it's spleandor.
This movie is a tribiute to the beauty of the human spirit and shows us that true friendship can exist irregardless of culture or race.
In 1991, this movie was nominated for 12 Oscars, out of which it won 7,
including Best Picture, Best Director ( Kevin Costner ), Best Cinematography ( Dean Semler ) and Best Adapted Screenplay ( Michael Blake ).

37. On The Waterfront

Ok, so I was trying not to be overly biased:) so I avoided mentioning this movie up to now, but Stela forgive me, I just couldn't hold my breath any more. The Man's finest performance and the one that launched him as a super star. " I could have been a contender " still resonates with all those who perhaps missed a shot at greatness.
Director Elia Kazan does a wonderfully inspirational job directing everyman Terry Malloy ( Brando ), who with his can do attitude goes on to timelessly inspire others. A great supporting cast: Eva Marie Saint, Rod Steiger, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb all relevantly contribiute to this great movie.
In 1955, On The Waterfront was nominated for 12 Oscars, out of which it garnered 8, including Best Picture, Best Director ( Elia Kazan ), Best Actor ( Marlon Brando ), Best Supporting Actress ( Eva Marie Saint ), Best Cinematography( Black And White - Boris Kaufman ) and Best Writing, Story And Screenplay ( Budd Schulberg ).

This movie sounds a lot like Crash, have you seen that?

Sure, I've seen Crash. This is nothing like it. Remember, the dogs are key to the plots in Amores Perros and the pace of the movie is frantic, somewhat like Irreversible, but less garbled.

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

Is it on netflix at all? I might as well go look because it sounds like a good movie.

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

Very different films, and far superior to the overrated Crash.

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

Is it dubbed or subbed?

38. Incendies

A great example of why Americans should watch more foreign movies.
A very intricate and unbelievable story about the Middle East and the ties that bind a brother and a sister in search of their biological father.
Visualy, a stunning movie that keeps one riveted, as the story unfolds.
This movie was directed by Denis Villeneuve and in 2011 was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars.

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

Subtitled I hope! no other way to see films for a film fan. :eek:

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

I'm sure you can get either version though, as Nausicaa indicated, I don't know why you'd choose one of those options if both are available.

39. The Reader

In post WWII Germany, a Jewish boy falls in love with a German woman twice his age. Their physical relationship intensifies as he start reading various books to her and then she saddenly vanishes, leaving him heart-broken. Some ten years later, as a law student, the now grown up boy, attends a war crimes tribunal, only to discover that his vanished lover is a former concentration camp guard now being tried for war crimes.
Her co-defendents all plead not guilty but she pleads guilty so they turn on her and accuse her of being their leader and writing an order that led to the deaths of thousands in a fire during prisoner transport.
The thing is that she could not have written that order, as she can neither read nor write. No one comes to her defense and she gets the harshest sentence, twenty years to life.
Even her fomer lover, the law student, says nothing but out of a sense of guilt, starts sending her reading tapes, once a week, for twenty years.
He becomes her reason for living but on the date of her release, when for the first time he visits her, he demonstrates a cruel indifference that results in her taking her own life.
I don't know why, but this movie impacted me for reasons I can't quite comprehend.
In spite of Kate Winslets superb performance, there were inconsistencies in the story line that bothered me and stuck with me.
For me, there would be only two choices, if I was the law student. Either testify on her behalf and make the court aware that she can't read and hence can not be the main perpetrator of the crime or just forget about her completely.
But what does he do? He sends her a thousand tapes for twenty years and then treats her like **** as she is about to be released, thus causing her to kill herself.
I didn't read the book, so I don't know if in a twisted way the law student became the German people who did nothing as the Jews got slaughtered.
There is also irony in the fact that the law student sends her reading tapes and she learns to read and write, the very things thet erroneously lead to her conviction.
This movie undoubtedly raised a few questions and was food for thought,
having been nominated for 5 Oscars in 2009 ( Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Cinematography, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress ) and winning Best Supporting Actress - Kate Winslet.

40. Million Dollar Baby

A De Neroesqe performance by Hillary Swank triaged by Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman propels this movie over the top.
Brilliantly directed by Eastwood, it is a brutal shadow play left to movie goers to fill in the gaps.
Maggie Fizgerald ( Swank ) is a female Rocky and her grit and determination rival his. Once again Hillary Swank demonstrates her chameleon ability to fully transform herself into another being.
In 2005, this movie was nominated for 7 Oscars and garnered 4: Best Picture, Best Director - Clint Eastwood, Best Actress - Hillary Swank and Best Supporting Actor - Morgan Freeman.

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

This was a damn good film. The ending is bittersweet, but the rest of the film was fantastic all around. Eastwood was good in his role, but Swank and Freeman definitely stole the show.

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

Great to see MDB get some positive rep. Watch out for Honeykid response though:p

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

The main problem I have with many of Clint Eastwood's films (even some of his best like Million-Dollar Baby and Unforgiven) is that they're oftentimes needlessly depressing. I realize he wants to evoke emotion with his morality-based stories, but you don't need a gray filter, overtly depressing subject matter, and Eastwood always playing the mean grouch with a heart of gold. His films are excellent, don't get me wrong, but he needs to lower the depression factor a bit.

Depression is life's sad presence. Why ignore it?

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

I'm not saying get rid of it, but there is such a thing as too much of it, know what I mean?

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

Swank had the best female performance I've ever seen in that movie

Sure. I know what you mean but I don't think Clint is necessarily about depression. For him, it's just another of life's working elements that he can incorporate into a movie. When it comes down to it, what are females all about? Security. And males? Power. Everything else is just window dressing.

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

A Perfect World was the best Clint Eastwood film. Unforgiven was also stunning. I couldnt care about the rest of his films.

41. Miller's Crossing

This is the neo-noir of all neo noirs. The Coen brothers masterpiece dwells on gang rivalry in the prohibition era 1920's.
All the characters are richly developed and depicted. Arguably Gabriel Byrne's finest performance, his Tom Regan is a compellingly amoral character who takes his beatings from just about everybody but manages to glide through unscated. Alber Finney is great as Leo, the local crime boss and Jon Polito as Johnny Caspar is his chief rival, both funny and psychotic. The great cast is rounded off by John Torturro, J.E. Freeman and Marcia Gay Harden.
That this movie has not received more acclaim is a mystery but just like a " Touch Of Evil " , I believe it is destined for more belated accolades.

The:

42. Mystic River

This precisely and compactly directed movie should serve as a blueprint on how to make movies. No special effects, no sci-fi, it's pure acting and Sean Penn does a remarkable job at it, so ably supported by
Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon.
The story is engrossing and unfolds with ease as it rivets it's audience.
The death of Jimmy's ( Sean Penn ) daughter reunites three childhood friends: Jimmy , Sean ( Kevin Bacon) and Dave ( Tim Robbins ).
Sean is the lead detective in the murder investigation, while Jimmy launches his own. The clues lead to Dave, whose ghosts from the past come a haunting.
Clint Eastwood's directing is so exacting that every piece of the movie marvelously fits together at an even and upbeat pace.
In 2003, this movie won the AFI Best Picture Of The Year.
In 2004, it was nominated for 5 Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor and won for Best Actor: Sean Penn and Best Supporting Actor: Tim Robbins.

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

Millers Crossing is alright, though, Mystic River is a great Film.

43. Unforgiven

In one of the great westerns of all time, in 1992 Clint Eastwood hones his skills as a director and actor and realistically brings to life the American cowboy west. His character is intriguing as he is a contrasting combination of a remorseless killer and a humanitarian, a dose that many an American cowboy had to posses to survive.
The cast is enriched by the presence of Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris and Jaimz Woolvett.
In 1993, this movie was nominated for 9 Oscars out which it won 4:
Best Picture, Best Director - Clint Eastwood, Best Supporting Actor - Gene Hackman, and Best Film Editing - Joel Cox.

Truly great film. Haven't seen it in many years. Need to rewatch.

Masterpiece. :yup:

44. The Raid: Redemption

Not used to seeing action gems come out of Indonesia, so this movie rerally surprised me.
In 2011, director Gareth Evans put together a stupendous combination of fight choreography, cinematography and sound effect to create one of the best action movies ever. The pace and the realistic fight scenes resonadated without pause throughout the whole movie.
Using the same premise as the Game of Death II Seven Star Tower, a Swat Team ( unlike the poorly edited and incorporated individual Bruce Lee random fight scenes ) raids and fights through a number of floors in a fortified highrise against overwhelming odds and an extremely well prepared drug lord.
Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, Donnie Alamsyah and Joe Taslim put on a true fight clinic.
For this movie, in 2011, Gareth Evans, received The People Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival and in 2012, Gareth got acknowledged at the Deauville Asian Film Festival, Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival and Dublin International Film Festival for Best Director and Best Film.

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

Great to see you back around the forum CA. :yup:

And after recently watching it I've got to agree with you listing Unforgiven; terrific film!

Thanks, looking forward to reading some more of your great reviews.

45. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

I'm a big fan of intelligent comedies and this one was a beaut.
In 1988 Michael Caine and Steve Martin teamed up to create this
favorite. The chemistry between them was flawless. Both conmen and
gigolos ( one small time and the other a gourmet ) they compete with
one another for the affection of available rich women cruising the
French Riviera. This gem of a movie had me in stiches.
For his role in it, in 1989, Michael Caine got nominated for Best Actor
Golden Globes (Comedy/Musical).

Well I think there are a fair few you can catch up on so have fun! :p

No I haven't seen Bedtime Story. I don't think I've ever seen Brando in a comedy ( if I do I might not take myself so seriously:) ). I'll have to check it out anyway.

Re: Cinemaafficionado's 300 Most Memorable Movies
 

He did a few other comedies, such as The Freshman (spoofing Don Corleone) and Teahouse of the August Moon, which I like but you have to be able to laugh at Brando playing a Japanese.

Frankly, I intentionaly avoided those. Didn't want them to change my perception of Brando. It was sad enough to see him go as he did, Phillipina maid and all!

46. Old Boy

One of the best movies to come out of South Korea, Old Boy starts of with a simple premise: A man is imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years with no clues as to why and no one to hold accountable.
As the movie unfolds the truth is revealed and the man exacts his vengeance.
This thriller delivers with a Korean twist.
The story, coreography and cinematography are equisite.
This movie is part of the Vengeance Trilogy, directed by Chan-wook Park.
The other two movies are Simpathy For Mr. Vengeance and Simpathy For Lady Vengeance.
The main protagonist of Old Boy is superbly portrayed by Min-Sik Choi, who went on to be cast as the villian and unforgetable serial killer in I Saw The Devil.
Old Boy received numerous wins and nominations.
Among them, in 2004 it received Best Director and Best Actor at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival and in 2006 got nominated for Saturn Award - Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film.

47. Papillon

In 1973, Franklin J. Schaffner directs one of the best prison escapes of all time. Based on Henri " Papillon " Charierre's autobiography and adapted to the screen by Dalton Trambo, this movie is about the infamous French island penal colony and the two men ( Papillon - Steve Mcqeen and and Lois Dega - Dustin Hoffman), who serve time there and form a life long friendship.
Papillon, just like the butterfly, can not be contained in one place and his unconquerable spirit pushes him to escape, time after time, from a place that was considered escape proof.
This is truly an amazing story, majesticaly portrayed by Steve Mcqueen, who garnered 1974 Golden Globe for Best Actor.
Also, in 1974, Papillon was nominated for Oscar - Best Music Original Score.

48. Jaws

It's funny how this movie changed my ocean swimming awareness.
In 1975, Steven Spielberg created a cinematic masterpiece by masterfully directing and combining great dialogue, suspence and music to expose to the world the menacing great white shark.
The interplay of Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw , Richard Dreyfuss and The Shark is just pure joy and terror.
In 1976, this movie received 4 Golden Globe nominatons: Best Motion Picture, Best Director, Best Screen Play out of which it won Best Original Score -John Williams.
It was nominated for 4 Oscars: Best Picture and won Best Film Editing, Best Sound and Best Original Music.

Jaws