A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top 50+
 

It has been a year since I joined this very fine website. I joined to meet fellow cinephiles of a caliber similar to or superior to mine, discuss film with those who have a passion for the art, and to broaden my horizons and explore cinema I have not experienced yet. And in that regard it has been very successful. I have found a place I hope to continue to frequent for many years to come. And to celebrate this occasion I felt it was time for another Top 50 list. I have experienced many new films and directors and while there are new entries on my list, we hit a snag. While a few films rose and fell here or there, plus a few re-connections with films I had not seen in several years, there were only a handful of films in my new Top 50 that were brand new that I have experienced since I joined the site. And while there is still a significant amount of change, it would not be very different from last time. What can I say; my tastes have stayed pretty consistent. But we have a simple solution to this problem.

A few months back I watched a documentary called A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese through American Movies. For three and a half hours Marty talked about his own experiences with movies growing up. Starting with Duel in the Sun (the first movie he remembered seeing by title in the theater). He also discussed movie making, the old studio system, certain directors, the roles of a director, and basically showcased his encyclopedic knowledge of film. Needless to say I loved it. But it also inspired me to try something similar this time around. I want this to be a personal journey through film as well. Now many of my favorite films already include personal cinematic milestones, movie movements I greatly enjoyed, films that spoke to me personally, films that genuinely moved me, and a few movies that have changed my life. And my Top 50 reflects a lot of that. But in order to try and get the greatest possible snapshot of my cinematic experiences I am going to need more than 50 films. So in addition to this being my Top 50 favorite films, I will have sections of Honorable Mentions as the list progresses; about every eight films or so until I reach my top 10 favorite films of all time. These films will be made up of movies that I do love, or films I loved at a certain point in time in my life. And while they did not making my Top 50 or might not even make my top 200, they certainly deserve mention because they were either significant to my cinematic growth or very fond childhood memories.

Now for my last list I wrote full scale reviews for the 50 films I had there. I am not going to do that this time around. I am not really going to go into too much detail about the film’s plot or the director and such. Instead I will try to focus on what the film meant to me personally. Why I really liked it, whether or not it had an influence on my own life, how I was introduced to the film, and things of that particular nature. This allows me to stay on the path of this being a personal journey, as well as saving me the hassle of writing a crap ton of new reviews. It will also keep each film entry short and pithy. A blessing for those with ADD.

So sit back, relax, and allow me to take you down my own personal journey through the cinema.

50.

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Sansho the Bailiff: 1954 (NR) NEW
Japan / Daiei
100%

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Even before joining this website I had an appreciation for classic Japanese cinema. But my level of experience with the Japanese Golden Age at the time I joined was limited to Akira Kurosawa and the first Godzilla movie. And I had only seen maybe 6 or so of Kurosawa’s movies at the time. One of the things that came out of this website is my continued expansion of this passion for the Japanese Golden Age with the introduction to other directors from that time. One such film maker was Kenji Mizoguchi. It first was introduced to him through Ugetsu, but it was this film I was truly moved by. They story follows the tale of a noble family who end up being sold into slavery and the hardships they suffer. We see how each family member tries to survive. Some coop better than others. But it is in one line that not only makes this a beautiful film, but also really sums up the film.

“Without mercy, man is not a human being.”

Now being someone who tries to be a good Catholic this movie really strikes the cord that reflects Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. Granted this movie takes place during a time when Buddhism and Shinto were the prevalent religions in Japan, but the call for mercy does hit it home with a guy like me. As well as the perseverance of will to survive as well as the heart break of the tragedy of the film. And it is presented in a classic Japanese period piece that I love so much. It rips at the heart strings and shows the importance of retaining one’s humanity.

49.

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Ikiru: 1952 (NR) -12

Japan / Toho
100%

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This was one of the Kurosawa movies I watched after joining this site. Set in then contemporary times, Kurosawa proved to me he did not have to make a period piece to make a fantastic film. This is another film whose message really hit home for me. The film follows a bureaucrat who is not long for this world. And since he has spent 30 years at the same post in the same office and is estranged from his son, he questions what he has done with his life. He feels a big chunk of his life has passed him by, and facing his own mortality, he wants to find some kind of meaning to it. He tries many avenues, some of which are rather shallow, but concludes the best way to spend the rest of his time alive is to try and get a park made. A film that tries to tell the viewer to live life while you can, which is a message I am sure will get even stronger the closer I get to the grave. Kurosawa’s direction is fantastic and Takashi Shimura excels as the meek paper pusher. A beautiful film that once again knows how to play my heart strings.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

Looking forward to it Gunslinger. I will say Happy Anniversary in your new thread. This really is a great site for discovering films I probably would have let go by the wayside. My taste is probably more mainstream than yours but I echo your sentiments.

48.

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Dogma: 1999 (R) NEW
USA / Lions Gate
67%

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The quickest way to my heart is though laughter. And this film introduced me to the comedic director who became to my teenage and early adult years what Lucas and Spielberg were to my childhood. I was introduced to this film oddly enough through my parents of all people. Both were raised Catholic and decided to take me and my brother to see this movie in the theater when it came out. I get the felling however I liked it A LOT more than they did. And as soon as Jay and Silent Bob hit the big screen I was instantly sold, and had to seek out the rest of Kevin Smith’s filmography as soon as I could. This movie is downright hilarious and Smith would go on to be my favorite comedic director.

But more than that it is a film that is in Smith’s strange own way, a reaffirmation of faith. The movie starts out with the main character Bethany experiencing a crisis of faith. Not only does she doubt God’s existence, she is very bitter at the world. But by the end of the film and some really wacky and funny stuff throughout the film, by the end of the movie she has a solid grasp on her religious beliefs. Still snarky, but far less cynical. This was a movie written during director Kevin Smith’s own crisis of faith, and was made as his own reaffirmation of his religious beliefs. All be it with less emphasis on religious dogma (hence the title) and with more dick and fart jokes and Ethan Suplee dressed in a giant rubber poop monster costume. But still a movie that gets the point across without being as heavy handed as the 700 Club.

And it it’s strange own way it helps to reaffirm my own faith. Particularly in the day and age of the notorious church scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church. This movie helps to say “It is okay to believe in God and that Christ died for your sins even though you think the Church has made some MAJOR mistakes.” Because we Catholics are complicated like that; lots of guilt from our own sins and having to deal with a lot of BS out of Rome. But this film still helps me keep focus on what is important, and it is that important stuff that helps me keep going to church. Or I am just insane, who knows. Either way I love Dogma, and the people who think I am going to Hell for liking this movie need to find their sense of humor.

I have a very wide taste in films so I guarantee you films you will like will most certainly show up.

And thank you for the Happy Anniversary!

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Bansho the Bailiff struck me with its violence much more than any gore film I have seen. It's widely recognised as melodrama due to its tearjerking ending, but to me it's way more than your ordinary soppy flick. The slavery topic is relevant to this day and cinematography is simply outstanding. I also think it's better than Ugetsu and damn me, I have to see more Mizoguchi.

I liked Ikiru, but didn't love it. Recently, I was on kind of Kurosawa streak and enjoyed his films more, so I will for sure rewatch Ikiru sooner or later and hopefully like it even more the second time.

Never saw Dogma, but heard about it.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

I think the only film that rivals Sansho the Bailiff among Mizoguchi's films is not Ugetsu, but The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums. The rest of his work is great, but pales in comparison to these supreme masterworks.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

47.

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Raiders of the Lost Ark: 1981 (PG) NEW
USA / Paramount
95% (CF)

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Kind of hard to do a walk down memory lane without talking about this movie. As I just mentioned, both George Lucas and Steven Spielberg were a HUGE part of my childhood. Especially Spielberg. Between his movies and the animated TV shows he produced like Tiny Toons and Animaniacs. If Disney could somehow pry him away from Dreamworks (fat chance) they would practically own a monopoly on my childhood. And my very first introduction to his films came in the form of my favorite Fedora wearing, whip cracking, Nazi killing archeologist. The man who made a very boring job, look AWESOME! Along with Lucas as the producer, they made one of the best trilogies ever made. An homage to the film serials of old, Indiana Jones in pure unadulterated fun and visual spectacle; having brought so many classic scenes and lines to the masses. From the idol scene, Indy running away from the natives, the Ark of the Covenant being opened, and especially the scene where faced with a swordsmen of considerable skill and flair, Indy brushes him off by shooting him all nonchalantly. Add in the classic score by John Williams, and we have one of the best movies for pure entertainment! For as long as I can remember watching movies, I have always been aware of Indiana Jones. There was never a time I remember where I did not know who he was. And Indiana Jones IS my all time favorite cinema character. And considering all the other great characters I like, that should say a lot! This movie is one of my all time childhood favorites. It was one of the two trilogies I watched as a kid that made me fall in love with movies in the first place.

I tried watching Dogma last week but I was half asleep; I'll try again this week.

I haven't seen any of the Japanese classics, but I want to. I'm going to have to break down and get a Netflix account because I never see them on cable.

Absolutely love Raiders of the Lost Ark.:up:

Most everyone loves Raiders! Hope you like Dogma!

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

Dogma was the first Kevin Smith movie I ever saw. It came out in November '99, the weekend of my 16th birthday, and I went to see it. I really like it.

46.

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Empire Strikes Back: 1980 (PG) NEW
USA / 20th Century Fox
96% (CF)

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Well I already sang Spielberg’s praises in the last slot, so how about that other film trilogy that was a childhood favorite? You know; the one from the other guy who defined my childhood. STAR WARS! As a child born in the 1980’s it was hard to escape the cinematic titan that was the Star Wars franchise. And while I may not have had the chance to see this movie in theaters I watched the hell out of it on VHS. And while George Lucas did not direct this particular film, he did write the story, created the characters, the universe, and was an unaccredited writer on the script. I don’t know how many times I have watched these movies, but it has to be well over 100 times by now. Where Indiana Jones is film serial homage to more grounded titles, Star Wars is pure space opera like Flash Gordon. Lots of space travel, dog fights, and with a very large cast of very memorable characters this movie is almost impossible to hate when you are 4 years old. And easily one of the greatest surprise endings ever makes this a sci-fi classic! It also features yet another great score by John Williams. The only reason this does not show up on my list higher is that I have not watched it in so long. And that is because I can’t get a version of the UNTOUCHED cut of the film on DVD. I don’t want the special edition dammit! I might have to invest in a laser disc or shell out big bucks for old copies of the VHS one day. But regardless, this is one of the trilogies that made me fall in love with the movies and is a fantastic film in its own right. And deserves a spot on this list.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

Love Empire and Raiders. I think we will get the original trilogy back one day now that Disney is involved.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

If Disney is smart they will know that the fans want NONE EXTENDED EDITION DVDs!

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

Huge thumbs up for Ikiru and Empire. I've never been a big fan of Raiders, but it's a fine movie. Not seen the others. Sansho the Bailiff has been on my watchlist for ages.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

Sansho the Bailiff is a masterpiece! Mizoguchi's best that I have seen so far.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

Very glad people are liking this. It was a pleasure to create, now I get to share it!

"My God. It's full of rep."

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Much truth in this statement. I got like 55 rep points already today!

45.

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Mulholland Drive: 2001 (R) NEW
USA / Universal
81% (CF)

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We move from the film directors of my childhood, to a film director who has become one of my favorites only recently; the strange and surreal David Lynch. And while I was first exposed to his work when I was a kid via the Sci-Fi Channel with Dune; that is a film that is still pretty far and away from his usual oeuvre. This film on the other hand is much closer to his usual style, and many people (MoFo or otherwise) consider it his masterpiece. This film does have that Lynchian touch to it, but it does not go FULL Lynch the same way Eraserhead and Inland Empire did. It is a perfect balance between the surreal nature of his films, and a somewhat traditional narrative. Showing enough restraint where you have enough to go on to try and follow a story (in this case an erotic mystery), but still plenty of surreal images and sequences. And let’s face it; I am still trying to find out the meaning to a lot of this movie. But that is half the fun of Lynch’s work. His films are meant to be rewatched, multiple times if needed to try and get a better understanding of his work. And even though you may not know what exactly is going on, the films are still beautiful to watch. Whether you see this film as some sort of commentary on the Hollywood system, or the comparison of the fantasy and reality of becoming a big star in Tinseltown; the man is certainly unique in his vision and execution. I really wish he would make another movie. This is the first, but not the last Lynch film on this list.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

Love Lynch.

You need to watch On the Air. It's Lynch's take on the sitcom, obviously it didn't last long. It's on youtube. Only 6 episodes. It's great.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

Is that the stuff with the bunny things? Yeah I need to watch it!

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

That's something else, which I also need to see.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

I will check it out anyways. I think the bunny stuff which was in Inland Empire came from something else before that movie...

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

Checked out his IMDb page. I will (probably safely) assume the bunnies comes from Rabbits.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

That is it. That I need to check out too.

Honorable Mentions #1 Disney Mania: The Third Man who made me fall in Love with Film

As I said this is more than a Top 50, it is also an exploration of my personal journey through the cinema. And I am rounding out my official top 50 favorite films with about 30 or so honorable mentions to show my progress and wide range of movies I enjoy. But unlike the other films present, instead of doing Honorable Mentions one post at a time, I will do one giant one. And what better place to start then at the beginning of my cinematic experiences. As I said with my reviews of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Empire Strikes Back; that George Lucas and Steven Spielberg were synonymous with my childhood. But there was a third man who helped shape my love of movies, and that was the architect of the House of Mouse, Walt Disney. I did not start watching films as a kid by jumping in head first with Scorsese movies; I had to walk before I could run and Uncle Walt was there to see me through.

Also keep in mind: I was not born in the United States; I was actually born in Japan, and was raised for the first five years of my life in Asia, particularly Seoul South Korea. And since we did not speak Korean (and a lot of what was in Korean cartoons were not quite kid friendly), my brother and I were forbidden from watching any form of Korean television. As such we were raised on VHS tapes sent over from my grandparents living in the States. They contained movies, box sets, and some taped children’s programming. And since we only had so many tapes, we would watch them over and over again. This is particularly true of the first two honorable mentions.

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Sleeping Beauty 1959 (G)
USA / Disney
91%
Of all the classic Disney movies (IE pre Disney Renaissance) this is the one I watched the most as a kid. This movie is based off the classic fairy. So why did I like this one so much? The excellent score and third act! Prince Phillip rides to her rescue with the help of the fairies to fight my favorite Disney villain of all time Maleficent! And the music is absolutely beautiful, using the classically composed music of Tchaikovsky from the ballet of the same name. I saw this movie recently for the first time in two decades. Before that I could barely tell you anything about Princess Aurora. Maleficent on the other hand I distinctly remembered and could describe in detail how evil and scary she was! And as a young boy, it was awesome to see the Prince ride his horse through the thorns and ultimately fight Maleficent as a dragon and coming out on top! After the battle all is well and we get our big happy ending. Classic Disney and I look forward to the live action version Maleficent coming out this summer.




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The Little Mermaid: 1989 (G)
USA / Disney
92% (CF)
Now of ALL the Disney movies I watched on VHS in Asia, this is easily my favorite. The animation is fantastic, the songs are timeless, and we have a Disney princess that is actually proactive and not asleep for half the flick. Ariel was even praised as being proactive and adventurous. She actually does stuff besides being a passive individual waiting for the movies deus ex machina. Granted she is doing it for reasons important to a 16 year old fangirl, but still progress was being made. And while Maleficent is my favorite Disney villain, Ursala easily takes second place. Although of all the villain designs, Ursala’s is my favorite. She was modeled after John Waters star and drag queen Divine. The prince was a bit of a bore though. No getting around that.




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Beauty and the Beast: 1991 (G)
USA / Disney
93% (CF)
Beauty and the Beast not only represents another classic film in the Disney Renaissance, but was also part of the turning point where Disney princesses became more modern, and not feminist punching bags. Becoming less damsel in distress (Princess Aurora), or “wishing for my prince to come” (all of them really) and began to knock the typical mold of the past princesses. Bell also has more personality then past Disney princesses. She is intelligent, likes to read, and is not just a pretty face. She is not looking for prince charming, and while she does end up with the Beast at the end, it only becomes a romance after the Beast starts to ease up on being a prick. Also, due to the fact that I did live overseas, I never got to go to the movies until my family moved back to the States. And when I got here, this became the first movie I got to see in theaters; starting a love of going to the movies. A childhood treasure.




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Aladdin: 1992 (G)
USA / Disney
94% (CF)
While the three movies listed above are indeed important films to me, this is my favorite animated movie from Disney. Yet another movie I remember seeing in the theater. This had two very good protagonists in Aladdin and Jasmine, an excellent villain, and probably one of the best supporting characters ever with the Genie (voiced by Robin Williams). The story sets up a very compelling fantasy world in old school (but Disney-fied) Arabia with lots fantastic imagery, excellent animation, and arguably the best Disney song ever written, “A Whole New World.” Not only did I have the toy line, a stuffed animal of Raja the tiger, and other various merchandise; but this was the only one of the Disney movies where I actually bothered to watch the direct to video sequels. And wouldn’t ya know it they were actually pretty good. Something that cannot be said of other Disney direct to video sequels. Heck I even watched a fair amount of the TV show. Can’t say that about other Disney movies that is for sure. Making Aladdin my favorite childhood Disney movie.



Now around the time I was 10 or so, I like many kids wanted to establish myself as older and not seen as a child. At this point in time that meant to me and my friends started turning our backs on Disney. We wanted to watch movies and other media that we thought were not “kids stuff.” And at that time we had gotten Super Nintendo, and what was synonymous with cool was Mortal Kombat (both the game and the first movie). Defiantly not kids stuff. As such after the Lion King I turned my back on Disney animated movies for the most part and the fandom was gone at this point. Never cared to see movies like The Hunchback of Notre Dame or Pocahantas. Exceptions to the rule of course applied. The two exceptions were when I saw Hercules because at that time I was heavy into Greek myths, and Mulan which was shown actually years after its release while I was in high school. And that was because my world history teacher wanted to do something cool for us. Both good films, but none of them great or particularly spectacular. At least not to me. And with Pixar movies unable to replicate what made Disney a big part of my childhood and the Dreamworks movies I actually saw generally being one and done; for well over a decade my cinema fandom was absent of the brand of films Disney made when I was a kid. Even the movies I have listed I had not watched in well over two decades. That was until I started hearing a lot of good things about this movie on the internet…


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The Princess and the Frog: 2009 (G)
USA / Disney
84% (CF)

So I eventually rented this movie via iTunes, and I got to say it was a very good film. Not only was the main character Tiana played by Anika Noni Rose from Dreamgirls (which is an excellent movie), but it reconnected me with the 2D Disney style that dominated a large chunk of my childhood. A rediscovery if you will. It was a return to the fairy tale premise that they had strayed away from, updated to modern times, lots of musical numbers and funny characters, and it stayed very close to the usual Disney formula (for better or worse). The villain was played by Keith David (which is always a plus) and his villain song “Friends on the Other Side” was friggen awesome. As I said, a very good flick worth checking out; but I would not officially return to Disney fandom until this next movie.




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Frozen: 2013 (PG)
USA / Disney
89% (CF)
This is the film that put the final nail in the coffin. Where The Princess and the Frog, started the reconnection with Disney, this is the one that help reignite the spark I long felt was lost and got me excited for the future. From traditional animation to digital animation, 2D to 3D, and showing a continual evolution of the Disney formula. Still close to the tried and true Disney princess brand, but putting plenty of twists to keep it fresh and up with modern times. The set up to the film has you expecting a typical Disney version of a Hans Christian Anderson story. But by the end of the movie all those expectations you had in the first 20 minutes have been turned upside down, making for a very clever story. And the singing is simply fantastic helped in large part by the Broadway alumni. Kind of hard to complain about the singing when the Witch from Wicked is in one of the leads. Also, I started laughing my ass off when I realized Olaf the Snowman was voiced by Josh Gad who played Elder Cunningham in the Broadway hit “The Book of Mormon.” This was not just another great movie, but I really got into the story and the world they lived in. Which sounds silly for a 28 year old man to say about a kid’s movie but it is true. I want to see what happens after this story and it would be awesome if I got a legit sequel and not some straight to DVD crap. Plus seeing this in 3D in the theater really gives you a greater appreciation for the film and what can be done with 3D. This not only was just a really good family film, it is the film that makes me excited for future Disney releases, returning me once again as a fan of the House of Mouse. Definitely my number 2 favorite Disney movie. What can I say other than it is great movie.



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Ursula transformed as Vanessa is still freaky

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJgR8yuxGEE

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

Thanks for reminding me! I was meaning to watch it for a long time now!

Don't hesitate! Do it now!

This will be my final entry for today as I have already gotten off to a great start. Expect a few more every day for the next week or so.


44.

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The King of Comedy: 1983 (PG) -10
USA / 20th Century Fox
93% (CF)

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I first saw this movie towards the end of what I like to call “The Scorsese Binge.” A period of time after I joined this site where I resolved to watch the rest of Scorsese’s impressive feature filmography. Which amounted to a total of fifteen films. During which time I saw many films that were good like Kundun, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and Cape Fear (which was on my last Top 50); plus some bad ones (New York New York). But the real stars were quite a few under appreciated gems like After Hours and Bringing Out the Dead. But this movie was my favorite film I saw during this period and most certainly is Scorsese’s most under appreciated work. When most people think of Robert De Niro in a Martin Scorsese movie, usually they think of films like Raging Bull or Goodfellas. These are movies where De Niro plays a very macho character in a film with themes of urban crime and grit; generally also accompanied by an endless stream profanity. This film in many regards is the anti Scorsese / De Niro movie, and for that reason a lot of people stayed away from this movie at the theater. But it is because of these same reasons, why it is also so brilliant. De Niro is not some tough guy, he is a nerd in this film. Urban crime is not discussed, this is not a gangster picture, and the movie is rated PG with very little if any profanity. And while it does have a protagonist who is probably more mentally disturbed then Travis Bickle (let that sink in); he is nowhere near as violent. It does make for some very awkward and creepy moments, but the movie does touch on subject matter that was ahead of its time. Here we have a guy who will do ANYTHING to get his fifteen minutes of fame and the film highlights the part of our culture OBSESSED with celebrities. Dear Lord, Scorsese practically predicted the Octo Mom's, Kardashians, and the like who will go to extreme lengths to get famous. And the lengths Rupert Pupkin went to get his slot in the spot light resemble it more then a little. And credit to Sandra Bernhard for putting on one heck of a performance. A pity she did not do more movies (although I am sure Hudson Hawk helped with that). Either way this is a brilliant and criminally under discussed movie when compared to the rest of Scorsese’s work.

Love your picks, Gunslinger! Ikiru is one of my personal favorites, Dogma is OK (although it's not one of my favorite Kevin Smith films, I still think it's worth watching), the Indiana Jones series and the Star Wars series are of course awesome, Mulholland Drive is great and I should definitely rewatch it in the very near future as I feel that I will love it instead of only liking it the second time around and of course you know that I'm also a big fan of Disney animation and Scorsese! ;)

Just one thing: why didn't you like New York, New York? I watched it a few months ago and I though it was fantastic. I'm a fan of (classic) musicals and I thought Scorsese did a great job revitalizing that classic genre, but in a typical Scorsese-like dark way. What were your main issues with the film?

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

I was expecting a typical musical and I only got that toward the end of the movie (best part of the movie). De Niro's character seemed to be generic compared to his other roles he has done with Scorsese, and it was way too long for me. Liza was great, but the rest of the movie is a let down. At least for me it was.

I see.

I also thought the third act was the best part (from the moment Liza becomes a star), but somehow I also appreciated all the other stuff a lot. Maybe it were the visuals that enchanted me so much that I didn't care for the film's tiny flaws. I can see why you think this film is a little bit too slow, especially in the beginning. It didn't bother me personally, but I guess it indeed has certain pacing problems.
Thanks for clarifying your thoughts on it! Looking forward to the rest of your top! :)

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

I hope you enjoy it. :)

Empire & Raiders are the two i've seen so far from your list, aside from the Disney honorable mentions. can't go wrong there, two of the best

have Mulholland Drive on my watchlist. almost blind bought Sansho & Ikiru several times, but haven't pulled the trigger yet

off to a strong start. this thread is gonna be a winner

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Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

I am enjoying your list so far and I love the details you give about why the films made a impact to you. The ones in your list that made a huge impact on my cinema film experiences so are Raiders of the Last Ark and The Empire Strikes Back so far.

43.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._II_poster.jpg

Evil Dead II: 1987 (R) -1
USA / Rosebud Releasing
98% (CF)

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http://i18.tinypic.com/4yfjnmr.gif

The man… the legend… The chin. My friends this is the perfect blend of two awesome genres; horror and comedy! With all the blood and practical effects of a slasher flick with all the slapstick of The Three Stooges; and when you add in the charisma and sheer awesomeness of Bruce Campbell and some one-liners; you get a pretty spectacular movie. If the premise of a man reading from an ancient tome that resurrects undead beings called the Deadites in a cabin in the woods, and he has to fight them off with a chainsaw and a boom-stick does not appeal to you, you can pass on this one. It is just as it sounds, and I absolutely love it!

This is another movie that was discovered on the shelves of Blockbuster Video. Though it was not through this movie, I was first introduced to this series via Army of Darkness. Fell in love with the premise and character, and eventually saw the other two movies. But my clear favorite is this installment. A reimaging of the first Evil Dead rather than a true sequel, this is a fan favorite for any true fan boy.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

42.

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The Ten Commandments 1956 (G) -2
USA / Paramount
91%

http://www.turnbacktogod.com/wp-cont...6-movie-08.jpg

While I touched on Dogma as a film that inspires faith in a very unconventional sense, this movie does so in far more traditional terms. A true classic in every sense of the word. This tells the Book of Exodus in the form of a Biblical epic with all the scale and ambition one would expect from Cecil B. DeMille. I first saw this movie when I was 12 or so and visited my aunt and uncle in Santa Fe. We were given free reign of the TV room and my uncle’s computer which at that time had dial up AOL. And since AOL took an hour to load a single page back in those days, we watched this movie after trying the web. This was back when long movies like this came in a double VHS box. I liked it then, but I admit my love for the movie grew as my own personal journey with my faith has progressed.

Subsequent viewings allowed me to appreciate the film more; not only in its inspiring message but in the production values and design. I have a special place in my heart for old school big budget studio pictures before the rise of computer generated effects. The scene where Moses parts the Red Sea is a breath taking scene and has become iconic in its own right. And who better to play the lead of Moses then one of my all time favorite actors, Charlton Heston; a man with the voice, stature and talent to pull of playing one of the most important Judeo-Christian figures. I will throw this movie on every so often and I still get chills when Moses climbs Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments from God. Epic, grand, and inspirational, The Ten Commandments remains one of my all time favorites.

this is pretty much exactly my experience of this movie as well. saw Army of Darkness first, thought it was a cool premise, and then LOVED Evil Dead II on first impact... you rented yours from Blockbuster Video, i rented mine from my school's library

What a great, solid work you are doing with this list, Gunslinger. Your entries are a very enjoyable read and I agree with some of them. Keep on it!

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

Obviously I approve of Evil Dead II, but my experience with the trilogy was a little different. Iwatched Army of Darkness first, loved it and continued to love it most after seeing the other two. Evil Dead II is my second favorite of the three.

Not me! I find it, for the most part, dull and uninteresting. That's not to say I can't watch it, I can, but I'd rather not.

And right there is the problem for me.

That'd be nice. Shame he has none. :p

Despite that, I'm loving this list. Personal is almost always more interesting, IMO, so even when I'm not interested in the film, I can still often enjoy the story, as it has nothing to do with the film. That said, I skipped most of the Disney stuff. There are limits. ;)

Looking forward to the rest. :)

You are so, so very wrong about that. Bruce has charisma in spades and not just in his movies.
And he is pure awesome.

Thumbs up for Empire, Mulholland Dr, and Evil Dead 2.:up:

I still have to see The Ten Commandments.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

I love Bruce Campbell.....in Army of Darkness. The first two Evil Dead movies are dookie though. You are a good MoFo though, so I will let this one slide, Gunslinger. :p

41.

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Serenity: 2005 (PG-13) NEW
USA / Universal Pictures
82% (CF)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpIySM5Qgvk

Not only is this one of my favorite movies, but it is a continuation of my all time favorite TV show. A TV show that strikes a perfect balance between the genres of science fiction and the western, but also manages to bring in plenty of funny moments as well. Which is to be expected considering this is a Joss Whedon production who is the master at inserting quick comedic beats into his works (whedonisms).

Now as the unashamed fanboy that I am, I surprisingly do not get the same fangasm from Joss Whedon in the same way I get one from say Scorsese, Lynch, or Kurosawa. I was never a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the spin off Angel. I had seen a few of the episodes for both shows, and never cared to check out the series in its entirety. In fact I only checked out this series on the recommendation of online critic, internet personality, and fellow Florida State alum, Eric Rodriguez aka The Blockbuster Buster. E-Rod is from one of my favorite websites That Guy with the Glasses.com, and one of his reviews was an April Fools episode for the movie Serenity. At the end of the review he highly recommended the movie, but only after watching the TV show. On his recommendation I watched the show first, and I loved every second of it! It would go on to become my favorite TV show of all time, and I could not wait to see the movie. Needless to say, the film blew me away! Not only was this a great sci-fi flick it brought closure to the TV show’s story lines. In addition after I saw this movie in late 2011, a lot of the anxiety I had about Joss directing The Avengers movie was alleviated.

But on its own it is still a great film. It is blessed with an excellent cast, an awesome story, and with the budget greatly increased over the TV show, allows for some fantastic imagery and effects. And it is just a whole lot of fun to watch, and a film I will rewatch many more times to come. After I rewatch the series of course.

40.

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Vertigo: 1958 (PG) -19
USA / Paramount (original) now Universal
98% (CF)

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http://sensesofcinema.com/wp-content...o-dangling.gif

It’s kind of hard to proclaim yourself to be a true cinephile and not have seen at least one of Hitchcock’s movies. If Hitchcock is not your thing, we can agree on differences, but you have to at least give the man a try. And my personal favorite film from Hitchcock is Vertigo.

A while back before I joined this fine website, I resolved to watch every movie that is on the current AFI Top 100 Movies list. I had seen about half of the films when I started this quest, and after I was done quite a few of these movies wound up becoming some of my all time favorite films. Vertigo was one of them. I first saw this movie during a month long detail, where I worked 12 hours on, and had 12 hours off with only one day off during the week. Needless to say, the detail stunk. On one day off I decided to watch this movie I had rented via iTunes on my computer. By the end of the film my eyes were glued to the screen and my jaw was on the floor. Excellent cinematography, fantastic twists, and the film oozed fear and suspense. In my opinion it is the perfect psychological thriller. Very glad I saw it.

39.

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The Road Warrior (AKA Mad Max 2): 1981 (R) -19
Australia / Warner Brothers
100%

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This ladies and gentlemen was a film I first saw in my early years of college. And at one point in time it was also my favorite movie. But times change and while still a much loved film, the stock has taken a hit. Sadly part of that was slightly due in part to certain Mel Gibson scandals.

But as a film itself this film boasts an absolutely brilliant production design and concept. From the look of Max’s Ford Falcon (one of the best movie vehicles ever), the desert scenery, to the costumes for Humongous and his band of raiders, this movie set the standard for post apocalyptic fiction. The film would go on to influence everything from Fist of the North Star, Fallout, to countless Italian rip-offs. And as a rookie college prepper, my fascination with post apocalyptic fiction was due in large part to the Mad Max world. And this movie is action galore with vehicular carnage! And all the stunts are done with practical effects and no unnecessary CGI. Which is always a good thing.

Throw in plenty of unique characters like the Gyro Captain, the Feral Kid, and Humongous himself and you got a pretty memorable movie! Fun times for all!

Oh, not you, too!

I hate the hatred towards Mel Gibson.

I love this movie after having recently rewatched it on Blu-ray. It's the best Mad Max movie and I think it's a fantastic, powerful film in general.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

It is not a hatred, more of a realization that the Hollywood image is just that, an image, and they too have very glaring flaws. All be it better hidden. I got over that stuff years ago. But by the time that happened the damage had been done. I still watch his movies a lot.

But yeah The Road Warrior is still an awesome movie.

That girlfriend of his -- who recorded him -- was a bitch. I have no sympathy for her.

Ozana or what ever the Russkie name was right?

Honorable Mentions #2: Fun Times with VHS! Adventures in home entertainment!

Time for more honorable mentions folks! As I said during the Disney retrospective I spent the first 5 years of my life living in Asia. As such, all we had for video entertainment was a bunch of VHS tapes sent by my grandparents. Now a big chunk of that was Disney, but we had plenty of other videos we watched during this time. These are a few of my most favorite movies I watched as a kid from the period that ranged from my time in Seoul, to when we moved to Illinois and Maryland. Prepared fro a great diversity of films here folks...

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Superman: 1978 (PG)
USA / Warner Brothers
93% (CF)

Here is a real doozy of a childhood favorite. SUPERMAN! Loved comic book characters as a kid (like that has changed any), but this was my first introduction to the character in live action. I did endless laps around the couch screaming with a blanket for a cape to the soundtrack on the folk’s stereo system. Christopher Reeves to this day is Superman for me the same way that Kevin Conroy is Batman. It goes without saying why this movie shows up as an honorable mention. It was my first comic book movie! And in my opinion still the best movie version of the character.




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Back to the Future: 1985 (PG)
USA / Universal
96% (CF)

Another of the film series I watched when I was a kid via a VHS box set sent to us by Grandma and Grandpa; it is kind of hard to talk about fun movies without mentioning this series. The quintessential time travel movie. Classic characters Doctor Emmitt Brown and Marty McFly travel back to 1955 in the coolest movie vehicle EVER and nearly undue Marty’s existence by nearly having Marty’s mom… fall in love with him. Yeah this was back when there was a lot more cursing and adult content in PG films. And between this and Star Wars potential incest was a surprising theme in my early movie days. God bless the 80’s!
Sure these kinds of movies are filled with plot holes, but you are here for the story and the ride, not scientific facts. Fantastic effects, fun characters, and one of the biggest movie douche bags getting what he gets coming to him. Also, back when it was an attraction, Back to the Future: The Ride was probably the greatest thing at Universal Studios in Orlando.




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Ghostbusters: 1984 (PG)
USA / Columbia
96% (CF)

I was introduced to this film at a very young age. Looking back I was probably too young for some of the subject matter. This was when you could get away with a lot more stuff in a PG movie. But just like a lot of movies some of the more adult themes went over my head and I was focused on what made this movie awesome. Bill Murray, Dan Aykryod, Harold Ramis (RIP), and Ernie Hudson running around New York City catching a bunch of monsters and ghosts! What more can a kid ask for? Not to mention it has one of THE best opening themes EVER MADE!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9We2XsVZfc



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Who Framed Roger Rabbit: 1988 (PG)
USA / Touchstone Pictures
98% (CF)

This movie deserves special credit as actually one of my early childhood favorites. However having seen it since I was a kid, and even just going on what I remember this was a movie that dealt with more than a few topics not suitable for my 5 year old self. And I am surprised so many of the jokes went over my head. Then again I was five. Had no clue the baby was THAT much of a perv. But then again I was all about the cartoons anyway. I mean come on, Disney and Warner Brothers cartoons in one movie? I loved it! Especially the dueling piano bit between Daffy and Donald.
Now that I think about it, arguably this was my first noir film, or at the least my first neo noir. You have the PI, a femme fatale, crooked villains, and a seedy (or as seedy as they could show for PG) side of Hollywood. And the blend of animation and cartoons was excellent! Plus Bob Hoskins is in it as well as Christopher Llyod. Also I know I was only 5 at the time, but between Jessica Rabbit and Princess Leia in that slave outfit in Jedi, I knew from a very young age what felt right. Though I had no idea exactly why… I just knew.




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The Great Muppet Caper: 1981 (G)
USA / Universal
79%

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ip4rfxii3U

Okay who the hell did not love the Muppets as kids? I mean seriously, you show me someone who hated the Muppets and I will show you someone with an unhappy childhood! And of all the Muppet movies I watched as a kid this one was my favorite growing up. I have not seen this movie since I was a kid, but I can still remember the heist aspect and a number of the musical numbers. Like Hey a Movie and The First Time it Happens. Also the water ballet with Miss Piggy. One part musical, one part crime drama, set in England, but pure Muppet entertainment.




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The Land Before Time: 1988 (G)
USA / Universal
74%

In addition to Disney, I was exposed as a kid to a heavy amount of movies from former Disney animator Don Bluth. I watched everything from All Dogs Go to Heaven, An American Tail, and ultimately what was probably my favorite of his films, The Land Before Time. I loved dinosaurs when I was a kid, so an animated feature with talking dinosaurs, and all of whom seemed to be around my age really connected with me as a kid. I put heavy emphasis on the AS A KID part. Not going to lie, any time I have tried to revisit something Don Bluth related the movies REALLY do not hold up as well as I remembered. Disney seems to fare better in that regard. So yeah this is one of those movies I mention in regards to my growth as a cinephile, but have no chance in hell of making my top 200 let alone my top 50. Sorry Miss Vicky.





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King Kong vs Godzilla: 1962 (NR)
Japan / Toho + RKO
33%

One of the things I took away from living in Asia was a love of old kaiju movies, and Godzilla was the king of them all! Long before I came to love Kurosawa, to me, Toho meant GODZILLA! I must have seen at least a dozen or so Godzilla flicks multiple times when I was little. And the one that not only do I still have very clear memories of, but was still pretty awesome in a very campy sort of way was when Godzilla fought King Kong. I mean come on, two of the most recognizable giant monsters fighting each other in a movie? My 5 year old brain nearly exploded from the awesome! I love crossovers like this!
Sure looking back now those movies were silly, but they are childhood classics to me. I didn’t care it was a bunch of people in rubber suits, they still were better than that crappy Roland Emmirech movie! I remember how they would get King Kong to go to sleep by getting him drunk and having the natives sing him a song. Either way even though Godzilla lost this fight, it is still a very memorable film for me even to this day. Nothing says fun like giant monsters beating the crap out of each other!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9OvbsENziQ

38.

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Night of the Living Dead: 1968 (NR) -4
USA / Public Domain
96% (CF)

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http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mb...en2io6_250.gif

Speaking of being a college prepper, let talk about the other kind of fiction I like in that regard, the zombie movies! Of all the ways for the world to end, the zombie apocalypse is one of the most popular and looked forwards to way to go. Socioeconomic collapse, war, and totalitarian governments with itchy trigger fingers and nukes are far more likely, but the zombies are just seen as more fun! And the best kinds of post apocalyptic fiction are the kinds that allow you to insert yourself into the world presented. And one of the best films in that regard is Night of the Living Dead. The film presents a very boots on the ground feel to the movie. You see the characters building fortifications, gathering weapons, inventorying supplies and weighing their options for escape and survival.

Now there is also subtext dealing with racism, and how the movie is a metaphor for the revolution that never happened in the 60’s, old worlds being swallowed up by the new, and things of that nature. And while it does make for a richer picture, I admit I watch these movies over and over again for the reasons I have state, and less to do with the intended message Romero made. It is a scary zombie movie that I will be watching many more times in the future.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

I like your list of honorable mentions much more than I like your list of favorites.

Harumph.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

The best part of the movie: The girl slaps the guy.

He bitchslaps her and makes her fall unconscious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjURs1dG1eA

Hilarious.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

Why didn't I look at this thread before; I love you .http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/love/love0010.gif

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

It's only been up a day! And without Viagra too. :)

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

People's obsession with zombies have ruined zombie movies for me. It seems to have really started a decade ago with Shaun of the Dead and the Dawn of the Dead remake.

First of all, a zombie apocalypse would be the worst thing ever. You do not want to pray for it to happen. To me, people wishing for zombie apocalypses is like wishing for AIDS if it didn't already exist. It is that stupid and nuts to me. Not only do you have to deal with dying if there's a zombie apocalypse, but even worse than that -- there's UNDEATH. Staying alive forever as a zombie. Eating PEOPLE. Every day. Several times.

Come on! And you all want a zombie apocalypse? Do you all really want to go chasing around all kinds of people to eat them? Fat people, old grannies, the handicapped, the severely ugly -- you'd be wanting to eat every last bit of their flesh? This is the world we live in? Where people want this? People are hoping for a zombie apocalypse??? There's nothing sicker! My God -- if you must pig out, go to an All You Can Eat Buffet. There's something incredibly disturbing about everyone's desire for a zombie apocalypse to break out. THIS IS HOW PEOPLE WANT THE WORLD TO END??? By eating everything that moves?! SICK, SICK, SICK! Caligula wouldn't even understand this zombie apocalypse worldwide fetish. I mean, this is as foul as it gets. And don't tell me you just want the chance to fight off zombies with various tool shed weapons -- you must face the reality that you could lose in a battle with zombies and turn into a zombie yourself. And then you'll be eating everybody in sight. That is sick, man. That is real sick.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

No one wishes for any of this to happen. I want the sun to rise and fall, for the trains to work on time, and for my internet to continue to happen.

However if the world HAS to end? If Scenario A, B, or C all involve the literal end of the world to happen and there is no None of the Above Option, I will take the zombies any day of the week. But given a real choice: give me normalcy any day.

I agree with this, although there are plenty of good zombie flicks. Night of the Living Dead, for example, is pretty fantastic.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

Also for the record, Shaun of the Dead? I never cared for that movie. :shrug:

This movie is an Kurosawa movie set in post-apocalyptic Australia, one of the best movies ever made indeed, it's very iconic and extremely memorable with it's very creative view of a post-apocalyptic world.

I also considered placing it as my favorite movie of all time though now it fallen a lot, it still remains in my top 100. I might re-watch it though, since it has been 4 years since I watched it.

Even if the world HAS to end, I would not want a zombie apocalypse. That's what I can't understand. If there's a zombie apocalypse, chances are, you'll turn into a zombie! Don't give me any of this bull about being a survivor and a fighter and being able to fend off all the zombies -- YOU PROBABLY WON'T. You'll probably get eaten. And then you'll turn into a zombie yourself. And you'll eat people FOR ALL ETERNITY. Until everyone's been eaten. And then all of the zombies will be eating themselves. For eternity. Until the last mouth wins.

That is sick as Hell. Disturbing as Hell. WORSE THAN HELL. And you want the end of the world to be like this????? THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR!

But I am not asking for it though. And yes. It would be Hell. Any way the world will end will be literal Armageddon. The Zombie Apocalypse thing is more of a power fantasy played out by nerds who have too much time on their hands. Which did describe me in college.

But I would rather DIE for good than die and be a zombie forever! You, however, don't want that option! That's what I don't understand. Why would anybody want a zombie apocalypse?????

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

But I do not want it to happen in the first place.

I understand you don't want it to happen in the first place, but you said that if there was an apocalypse -- if something like that had to happen -- you'd take a ZOMBIE apocalypse. That's what I can't believe.

Whereas I would rather take a definitive end -- a comet wipes us all out, nuclear bombs -- something like that. Something that kills you and keeps you dead.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

Well given the choice between nuclear holocaust, a literal Armageddon (Hell on Earth), and a zombie apocalypse while still horrible, zombie seems the more preferable option. Call it my innate desire to survive.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

I would much prefer a quick end than a seemingly endless nightmare like a zombie apocalypse.

Oh, God, no. I would totally go for the nuclear holocaust. Hell on Earth with demons and such might be worse than a zombie apocalypse, but a nuclear holocaust is a much better way to die/experience the end of the world -- than a ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE!

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

I see you prefer the quick way.

I prefer the option that gives me the best chance to try and survive. No matter how slim. But to each their own.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

37.

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Die Hard: 1988 (R) -8
USA / 20th Century Fox
92% (CF)

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_OL-Rdm-Gg...0/die+hard.gif

Do I really need to go into detail? It is DIE HARD! Nuff said!

I grew up on the action movies of the 80’s and early 90’s. I must have rented damn near every action flick of that nature from Blockbuster multiple times growing up. And the quintessential action movie from the 80’s has to be Die Hard. Which is odd since this was first penned to be Commando 2. But that is a very long story. Die Hard was the movie that made Bruce Willis into a huge action star, made John McClane into a very popular action hero, and gave us Alan Rickman.

I will say I like this film quite a bit because McClane is normal guy in this action movie. A man with flaws and is not an unstoppable killing machine. He is a schmuck in the wrong place at the wrong time that has to try and survive. And that concept works really well. Makes for a great film and an 80’s classic.

In a zombie state? Eating people all day, every day? Decaying? Smelling foul? Having a miserable life?

I prefer that to death

EDIT: I thought by state you meant zombies ruling the world. No I would not like to be a zombie ever.

Yeah, and a Zombie apocalypse may be extremely emotionally exciting journey for survival.

Indeed, my life is worth very much that 1% chance of survival in a Zombie apocalypse even though I would have to undergo to an extremely traumatic experience is better than a 0% chance of survival.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

You guys have horrible views on life. Life would NOT be worth living in a zombie world. Imagine watching people you love turn into zombies and feasting on other people. Trying to eat you, too. I think it's so sad. I would rather die remembering a good world than trying to live in a dark world like that.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

Living as an undead for eternity > Dying and not existing anymore.

Great picks, by the way, Gunslinger! I love your honorable mention posts!

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

I was more going for living for as long as I can as a human and NOT a zombie. But Glad you are liking the picks! :D

But see -- that's the problem. Everyone expects to survive a zombie apocalypse. Everyone thinks they're badass and can use weapons right and will defeat every zombie that comes their way.

It would be a big zombified shock to suddenly find yourself in a zombie apocalypse and you find yourself surviving it for a total of five minutes -- AND THEN -- and then you have to spend eternity as a zombie, eating whoever you can grab, ALL THE TIME.

That is why a nice, simple little death in a nuclear holocaust would be much more practical, sane and enjoyable than dying and undying in a zombie apocalypse.

hmm, i'll go with alien invasion, where they destroy everyone and everything.. except- they read MoFo.com and decide we get to live, so they abduct us onto their a spaceship

http://media.giphy.com/media/gpkstDZ9FGGXK/giphy.gif
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Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

That would depend on what the aliens do to you in their spaceship and what world they take you to next, if they do.

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

No aliens. I have seen what happens there. It is either chest bursters or anal probes. Both are no bueno!

What if they take you to something like Playboy World?

What like I get to bang things that look like every Playboy bunny ever? I will have to pass since one of those girls would end up looking like my aunt! :sick:

Re: A Personal Journey with The Gunslinger45 through the Movies: A Top
 

Ebony Playboy World then?

Throw in some Latinas and you have me sold.

Those aliens don't even need to come in a UFO.

:rotfl:

I don't remember that top image from Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, although that's the ship from it. :)

36.

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Tropic Thunder: 2008 (R) -8
USA / Dreamworks Pictures
83% (CF)

http://mrwgifs.com/wp-content/upload...ic-Thunder.gif
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2008 was a damn good year for me. Not only did I graduate college, I enrolled in grad school, and it gave me some of my favorite movies of all time. Regrettably though, I did not see this in the theater. I first saw this when it came out on DVD. About 10 minutes into the film I thought this was one of the funniest movies ever made, and started kicking myself for not seeing this on the big screen.
Now I love movies, and this is a movie about making a movie. In addition it is making a movie similar in tone to an old Vietnam War movie like Apocalypse Now or Platoon (which are referenced quite frequently). The movie within the movie also has Apocalypse Now levels of issues going on, and that leads to the big comedic payoff of having 5 pampered actors wandering through South East Asia alone without any link to the outside. The comedy stems from that premise but is also greatly aided by the comedic ensemble. Robert Downy Jr. as Kirk Lazarus is hilarious and very un PC in the Sgt Osiris get up, Jack Black is funny as hell as a fat “Chris Farley-esque” druggie, Jay Baruchel plays the smart nerdy one, and finally there is Brandon T Jackson who might actually play my favorite character of the film Alpa Chino. Alpa is the commercially prioritized and sometimes annoying hip hop artist. Doing the film to promote his energy drink and candy bar he argues a lot with Kirk, and he has one hell of a character twist at the end of the movie! This dude needs to be in more movies! Also Ben Stiller is actually pretty funny in this role which is thankfully far removed from some of his other work. Add in Tom Cruise in heavy prosthetics, plus Nick Nolte and Danny McBride and you have one of the best comedic casts I have ever seen. And the fact that they are essentially spoofing the movie making process and Apocalypse Now is pretty f**ken brilliant! Now I do prefer the Director’s Cut to the theatrical cut. The only thing I wished they kept from the theatrical cut was Run through the Jungle by Creedence in one of the scenes. This is simply a really funny movie with an excellent cast which also sports one of my favorite DVD commentaries. True to his word, Kirk does not drop character until the DVD commentary was over.

I dig The Road Warrior but I've always preferred Mad Max.

I haven't seen Serenity but it seems to have quite a few fans. I'll put it on my to see list.

I love Vertigo, Tropic Thunder, Night of the Living Dead, and especially Die Hard.

By the way, I believe the first picture from your Evil Dead 2 post, is actually from The Evil Dead.

I think you might be right. How embarrassing. lol

I haven't seen part 2 in a while, but I seem to remember some flashbacks in it from the first movie, so I wasn't certain if the picture maybe wasn't in both. Doesn't matter either way; your list is awesome.

35.

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Ben-Hur: 1959 (G) -12
USA / MGM
87%

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I already touched on The Ten Commandments and why I liked that movie. And I like this movie for much of the same reasons. An epic big budget studio piece with massive sets and stars that once again features a film steeped in religion. While The Ten Commandments was an adaptation of scripture, Ben-Hur is an adaptation of a novel influenced and set in Biblical times. And just like The Ten Commandments this movie not only stars Charlton Heston, but features some of the most iconic movie imagery as well. From the chariot scene to the many intersections this film has with the life of Christ, you get some very powerful scenes. I particularly liked how you never get to see Jesus’ face or hear him speak. You see everything else but his face. The true power of these scenes comes not from seeing Jesus himself, but the other character’s reactions. Theirs is a face that says “I have just stared in to the face of God himself.” The movie itself is an inspirational tale dealing with one man whose life gets turned upside down via persecution and false imprisonment, but by the grace of God he is free, and eventually his soul is saved by the end of the film. Epic drama and epic set makes this an easy all time favorite film.

34.

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The Book of Eli: 2010 (R) -25
USA / Warner Brothers
48%

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Okay I am going to have to explain this one a bit. Do anyone else have one film they felt was made specifically for their own tastes? Well this is the film that I feel was made just for me. It is a post apocalyptic movie with an excellent setting and production design, has religious themes, a BIG twist at the end, and stars one of my all time favorite actors Denzel Washington. Plus it is also an action movie! Holy crap do I think this movie is awesome! And while it has taken the biggest drop on my list, it does not take away from how much I love it.
Now I know this movie will not show up on many other people’s Top 50’s or 100’s, but that suits me fine. This movie just appeals to a wide range of my tastes. And I admit a lot of people can be put off by the end twist, (which I go into much deeper review of in my last top 50) but thanks to the fact I saw this on iTunes, it did allow me to rewatch it again with my brother so I could watch it again with the ending in mind. And the twist is pretty well foreshadowed. Probably a bit too subtly foreshadowed, but better too subtle then too obvious. Either way, Denzel messing up wasteland raiders and bad guys with religious symbolism makes for a rocking good time for me!

33.

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The Road: 2009 (R) -14
USA / Dimension Films
75% (CF)

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There was a time during my college years where I sought out post apocalyptic and zombie movies regardless of the quality that they may have had. This lead to encountering some very bad movies like Automaton Transfusion to the strange like The New Barbarians: Warriors of the Wasteland; but I also found some excellent movies as well. Of all the movies I have seen that deal with the post apocalypse; this one is probably my favorite. While The Road Warrior has the most iconic production design for a post apocalyptic world, this movie’s design is probably the most accurate. The heroes are not cruising the high ways in muscle cars, they are moving along on foot. They do not dress in crazy leather outfits or have crazy haircuts; they opt for practical cloths for protection from the elements. Every day is a struggle, the setting is extremely bleak and they even consider ending it all multiple times. Needless to say the setting is extremely depressing, but the end result of the movie is hope. That small unlikely chance of coming through the trial and making it through the day fueled by that hope is in a strange way beautiful. Here is a man who knows the easy way out will bring comfort and sweet relief. But they still drive on, for years in fact. Why is that? Despite their horrible circumstances, they choose to try and live and survive because life and especially the life of his son is precise. Viggo does cannot bring himself to kill his boy, and so they struggle on. Even in the face of almost certain death and untold misery… they struggle on.

It has its own religious symbolism, but in a far less ham fisted way as The Book of Eli. And that hope that shines from even the bleakest of circumstances is really beautiful. And the performances by Kodi Smit-McPhee, Viggo Mortensen, Chalize Theron, and a brief appearance by Robert Duvall really stand out. Making for an outstanding movie.