The Gunslinger45's top 50 favorite movies

36.
Day of the Dead: 1985 (NR)
USA / United Film Distribution Company
81%
While Zombieland was a lot of fun, there are no greater zombie movies made other than those by the zombie movie king, George A. Romero. And his original trilogy of zombie movie has stood the test of time. This movie is the final installment of the Dead trilogy, taking place in the bunker of a military facility located in Fort Meyer Florida. At this time the world has been overrun by zombies, George liked to blend in satire with each of his zombie movies, and this movie is a satire on the military and by extension the government. The military is represented by Captain Rhodes, and the science department is represented by Dr Logan (nicknamed Frankenstein) and Sarah. Sarah wants to continue experimenting on the zombies to find a cure, while Frankenstein has had himself a bit of a break down and believes he can get the zeds to behave; which is a very unpopular idea among the military members. Captain Rhodes (like many officers I have met) is a complete tool. He is very full of himself and is constantly at odds with Dr Logan. He has no interest in the science projects; he wants to kill all the zombies; which was the proper tactic in the beginning, but now that the zombie apocalypse is in full swing, the proper course of action is planning his ex-fil. The enlisted members are crude, racist, and undisciplined. Either these were the sh*t bags of the company who miraculously survived, or these were some ******** they pulled off the streets and pressed into service. And since a few of them are fat and all were privates despite being in the 30’s either interpretation is possible. Now granted we in the infantry are very foul mouthed crude and tell some very sick jokes, but we do so in the company of other infantrymen and not around females otherwise there are serious consequences. But then again Captain Rhodes seems to be the sole authority of military justice, and I doubt he is going to stop and hold a hearing about feeling getting hurt. Sarah and her friends are also uneasy around Rhodes as once he decides it is time to bug out, the majority of them will be expendable and they have to plan their escape as well. The movie is a great zombie flick and is one of the best examples I can give for practical gore effects in a movie. The make-up was also fantastic, and there were lots of great scary elements for fans of the genre. Over all a great movie, and it is number 36 on my list.

Day of the Dead is usually underrated, nice to see you approve of it. It's my second favorite in the trilogy behind Night and ahead of Dawn.

spoilers, all three make my list. In fact I only really really hated Survival of the Dead. *HATE!*

Diary I thought was pretty good, and Land was mediocre. Though I really dislike the CGI gore effects. It is a pet peeve of mine when it comes to horror movies.

I've never seen any of the Dead movies outside of the main trilogy. I pretty much agree about CGI gore. Tom Savini should be hired to handle the gore of EVERY horror movie. That guy is a legend.

Ikiru is a great movie it's probably on my top 30. Nice list so far !

It should be law! BUT NOOOOOOOO! Gotta go for the computer now! *sigh*

Thank you! Glad you are enjoying it!

35.
Cape Fear: 1991 (R)
USA / Universal
76% (CF)
I love Martin Scorsese as a director. To me he is one of those directors who very rarely turns out a bad movie. The man is a walking encyclopedia on film, film techniques and history and he has created some of the greatest cinematic works of all time. With that being said, he is also one of the few directors who can do a remake of a movie, and not only make it good, but actually make it better. Such is the case with Cape Fear. I have seen both the 1962 original movie with Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum and Scorsese’s version. And to be honest, not only do I like the remake better, I think it is the stronger movie. The original was a good movie (by no means bad) but I just did not think it was THAT great. But more importantly I thought Scorsese brought more to the table. The story deals with lawyer Saw Bowden, who is the attorney for one Max Cady. Max Cady is a rapist and gets sent to prison for it. Max has gotten out, and now wants his revenge of Sam. But instead of just going on a killing spree, he uses the law to taunt Sam knowing that he can get close to him, but there is nothing Sam can do legally to prevent it. In the original, the character of Sam Bowden was played by Gregory Peck, who played the character as a pretty squeaky clean guy from the start. He has a loving family in a wife and daughter, and a good job as a lawyer and is an upstanding citizen with a good relationships with the cops. And while that makes his future actions more shocking and desperate, it just felt weird to me. In the remake the role of Sam is played by Nick Nolte, he too has a wife and daughter and is a lawyer, but he is a much more flawed and I think interesting character. He is a philanderer and he suppresses evidence that could lead to Max getting off. To me this kind of role requires someone who has a greyer moral bearing and that I think helps the remake more. Going into watching the original Cape Fear, I knew of Gregory Peck playing Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, one of the most morally good fictional heroes ever. Here he is being asked to play a guy who hires thugs to kick the crap out of Cady. It just did not fit for me, and so I think Nolte’s character wins out there. Mitchum in the original was fantastic, and the actor was the best part of the original movie for me. But that being said, Robert De Niro just out does him. De Niro is an actor that is at his very best when his character is the more unhinged. In addition, there are scenes from the remake not in the original movie that adds to the fear created by Cady. Like the scene where he is working out in his prison cell covered in tattoos dealing with justice and punishment, the cigar at the movie theater scene, but especially when he introduces himself to Sam’s daughter at her school. By this time in the movie we have seen what this man is capable of and we know he is a monster, so for him to act nice and… seductive to this high school girl, the tension I felt in this movie sky rocketed! And speaking of which, I HATED the daughter in the original movie. She talked like a tiny adult and not like a kid. In this movie Juliette Lewis plays the daughter as a tad awkward, and a bit inverted. Just like a normal teenager! She got an Oscar nod for the role and so did De Niro. But this movie still stayed true to the original movie. It focused on what is right, and what is legal, it explored how far a man will go to protect his family and it also had cameo’s by Peck and Mitchum in the movie! What Scorsese added to the film was great, and what was weak in the original, I say he made better. And while a movie like this would have been improved by being in black and white, the film was not hurt by being in color. And what was made was a fantastic psychological thriller, and it is my 35th favorite movie.

34.
Night of the Living Dead: 1968 (NR)
USA / Public Domain
96% (CF)
Where the Day of the Dead first set the stage in the middle of the zombie apocalypse when the zeds had taken over, this movie was set right as the very first zombies were being encountered. It has a very boots on the ground feel to it, since it takes place predominantly inside of a little two story house and very rarely ventures out of it. The majority of the movie deals with fortifying the structure to ward of zombies, gathering whatever supplies they can from the house, and finding and improvising weapons. And while the scares of the zombies come from outside the house, the drama is on the inside as characters argue over whether to hide or escape. There is some commentary on racism with the butting of heads between Ben and Harry thought I still remain confused as to whether it was intentional or not. I have heard stories to attest to both. Either way the two have many a heated argument, and the topic of racism becomes a far more prominent and obvious theme in his later works. Once again, I really like this movie for the ability to put yourself into the situation. It is a scenario that is pretty ****ing scary. You are surrounded by a horde of the undead; you have limited food, water, and supplies on hand. You have limited ammo, and limited means of defense. What do you do? How do you solve this problem and how do you deal with the issues between the other people involved? I really like these kinds of movies and it shows. And it was the first of a great trilogy of zombie movies. And it is my number 34 favorite movie.

I agree with you about Scorsese's Cape Fear being the better movie. It's the first time I ever noticed Juliette Lewis and I became an immediate fan.

It was this movie where I created my remake formula.

1. Only remake a property that was not that good to begin with or is a foreign film not in the popular knowledge of the casual movie goer.
2. Get a damn good cast
3. Have a legit director at the helm.

33.
The King of Comedy: 1983 (PG)
USA / 20th Century Fox
93% (CF)
The King of Comedy is a movie that stands out on my list because it is a movie directed by Scorsese and features Robert De Niro, but it is very far away from the kind of work they usually do when they pair up. In a Scorsese movie De Niro usually plays a macho character that fits his on screen persona in a movie that often deals with urban crime or grit. In this movie De Niro plays a very un-De Niro kind of character. Contrast his role in this movie, with the role of his that the previous Scorsese movie he was in, Raging Bull, where he played boxer Jake Lamotta. Very macho, very flawed, very insecure, and sadomasochistic in the ring. But in this movie, the role is a complete 180. In this movie De Niro plays Rupert Pupkin, an aspiring stand-up comic and autograph collector. This is not a testosterone filled boxer, the man is a nerd who lives in his mother’s place and has day dreams about interacting with the subject of his fan-boy obsession Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis). These fantasies are so strong that Pupkin has difficulty telling fantasy from reality, and begins to try and get uncomfortably close to Jerry. With the help of his friend Masha (Sandra Bernhard) Pupkin sets into motion a plan to achieve the fame he wants, his ticket is Jerry’s show, and attempts to do so through very extreme means. The movie is a head of its time by giving us a glimpse of what will become almost common in the reality TV days of fame and celebrity. Pupkin shows the ridiculous and rather insane ways someone will try to achieve their 15 minutes of fame. Pupkin and Masha also show the dangerous extremes of celebrity obsession to the point of idolatry. It is a very interesting look at these kinds of characters and it told a very interesting story along with it. Unfortunately the movie going audience was less impressed at the time, hoping for another Raging Bull or Taxi Driver. As such the movie was a flop upon release, but the movie has garnered more than enough praise since then. It is also my third favorite movie Scorsese has done, and it is my 33rd favorite movie of all time.

Great list so far. I enjoyed every movie I watched from this list. I am also thinking of watching those post apocalyptic action movies like Escape From New York and Omega Man, since I love The Road Warrior.

I LOVE The King of Comedy, it was almost the film I nominated for the HoF.

Glad to see people are liking my list so far.

32.
Blade: 1998 (R)
USA / New Line Cinemas
55%
Blade is a not only a great action horror movie, but it is a milestone in fan boy history. Originally the only comic book movies that were good and hits were Richard Donner’s Superman (1978) and Tim Burton’s Batman (1989). But any attempts at other not as famous properties were much less successful, especially for Marvel Comics properties. And countless more properties were stuck in production hell. Comic movies around 1997 ranged from mediocre like Spawn, to the cinematic abomination called Batman and Robin. And then in 1998 came Blade, starring Wesley Snipes, the movie that saved the genre from mediocrity. This was the movie that started the comic book movie boom of the new millennium, and more good quality comic book movies were released. And while Bryan Singer’s X-Men (2000) and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man (2002) were much bigger successes critically and financially, Blade was the first financially successful Marvel comic book adaptation, and acted as the trail blazer for future comic book movies. It also showed that not only could comic book movies still be successful, but it could also be done with lesser know comic book characters at the helm. You did not need a Batman or a Superman anymore, opening the gates to endless possibilities. There were significant changes to Blade’s character from the source material though, and for the better in my opinion. In the comics Blade was a bit of a black stereotype. His mom was a prostitute; he was raised by a vampire hunter who was also a jazz musician and a heroin addict named Jamal Afari; he had to deal with supernatural street gangs, and the like. This adaptation cleaned up the more stereotypical parts of his origins, while still keeping true to his origin. Snipes made the role his, playing Blade as a combination swordsmen / gunslinger with a pinch of subtle humor. I like to think of him as one part Dirty Harry and one part Toshiro Mifune’s ronin samurai from Yojimbo and Sanjuro. Also his vampiric powers were more pronounced in the movie then they were in the comics. He has all of the vampire’s powers, none of their weaknesses, but still suffers from the bloodlust. Then they introduced Whistler (Kris Kristofferson) who replaced Jamal as his surrogate father, mentor, and weapons guy. Whistler was not in the comics, but actually first appeared in the Spider Man animated TV show. And Blade in the movie and TV show was an African American from Detroit, when in the comics he was actually British. The film does have one of his main villains from the comics in Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorf), who was also the vampire that attacked his mother and lead to Blade’s dhampir powers. The plot follows Blade’s eternal quest to hunt down and kill vampires which leads to him trying to foil Frost trying to resurrect an ancient vampire blood god. The cast is excellent and even Dorf gives a pretty good performance. And like I said, it was not a critical success but it was a financial success, and allowed for the green lights for X-Men and Spider Man and then a slew of other comic book movies. And it is my number 32 favorite film.

31.
The Terminator: 1984 (R)
USA / Orion Pictures
100% (CF)
As a kid who was raised on movies rented from Blockbuster Video, there was no bigger action star then Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was a staple of the action movies that defined the 80’s and 90’s. Tall, pumped, and with a very distinct vocal pattern that separated himself from the likes of other action movie stars like Stallone, Willis, Van-Damme, and Segal. And in my opinion, he is the greatest action movie star of all time. But solely as an actor… well let’s just say he won’t be playing Hamlet anytime soon. And that one scene from Last Action Hero doesn’t count! Arnold was always at his best when he was given roles that catered more to what he had. Characters that did not require the chops of say Laurence Olivier or Daniel Day Lewis, but could be made credible by his large stature and thick accent. His first break was in Conan the Barbarian, which gave him a name and credibility. But the role that sealed the deal was in The Terminator where he played an emotionless killing machine sent back in time to kill Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton). And Arnold in this role created one of the most recognizable characters, and his famous “I’ll be back” catch phrase. Needless to say the movie was a success. The movie is classic sci-fi; Arnold tries to kill Sarah Conner, and Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) who is also sent back in time acts as her protector. The movie combines time travel science fiction, with the pursuit thriller aspect of horror, with the shoot outs of an action movie to create on hell of a thrill ride. The effects used were all practical using animatronics and stop motion for some of the robot effects. And the make up for Arnold won a few awards, including a Saturn Award. It was a big hit for Cameron. The only real downside for Cameron was that Harlan Ellison sued Cameron for stealing from some of his Outer Limit episodes he wrote, and successfully sued Cameron to get acknowledgement for drawing from his material. But it is a great movie in its own right despite this, and it is the biggest franchise of my favorite action hero. The Terminator at number 31.

30.
M: 1931 (NR)
Germany/ Vereinigte Star Film
100% (CF)
Fritz Lang is one of two directors I became a big fan of in recent years (the other being Kurosawa). And this movie was the movie that started it all. M was the movie surrounding the search for a child killer that has the town in a panic. You feel the anxiety and paranoia in the opening scenes, as every one of the town’s folk is calling out others as the child killer over even the most innocent of occurrences like telling a child what time it is. And it is not just the police who want this killer found, it is the crooks too. Both sides are scrambling to find this killer (played by Peter Lorre), and I found this movie particularly interesting from my education in criminology. The explanations for the killings and methods used by the cops were of great interest to me for this reason. In addition, we have a killer who is very impulsive in his killings, but writes hand written notes to the papers announcing he will kill again. This is fascinating to me since Lorre is shown to be overcome by the urge to kill in one scene, but writes letters to the cops in a manner that seems to say he knows what he is doing is wrong. Is it possible that he wants to get caught, even maybe on an unconscious level hence the writing to the paper? Or is it more likely he does get pleasure out of it, and that is part of the fun. I am more inclined to believe the second explanation. Which makes one of my favorite scenes all the more desperate. One of my favorite scenes from the movie is when he is confronted by the guild of criminals who give him a mock trial before they try to kill him. Lorre puts on a great performance as he tries to save his own skin. The movie is shot beautifully in black and white, and is filled with shadows. But what do you expect from Fritz Lang who is the master of shadows? This movie laid the ground work for a lot of psychological thrillers to come as well as many a film noir. And it is my all time favorite from one of my favorite directors. I look forward to watching more of Lang’s filmography. Until then, M comes in at number 30.

29.
Die Hard: 1988 (R)
USA / 20th Century Fox
94% (CF)
Do I really have to go into detail here? It’s Die Hard! It is possibly the greatest action movie of the 80’s, and many would argue the greatest action movie ever. That alone seals the deal on this list. It was the first action movie role for Bruce Willis, who previously has been known for Moonlighting, and gave us the awesome character of John McClane. It was the first movie appearance for Alan Rickman who was fantastic as the villain Hans Gruber. Like a lot of action movies of the day the plot is simple. The Nakatomi Building is taken over by Hans and his boys, and McClane has to kill them. Unlike other action movies headed by say Stallone or Schwarzenegger, McClane is a man of average height and build thrust into an unusual situation where he sustains many injuries that affect his performance but has to fight through it. He is not the untouchable fighter like Segal in just about every movie he was ever in, or Stallone in First Blood: Part II, and he is not unstoppable like Schwarzenegger in the Terminator movies or Commando. In terms of action movie heroes of the 80’s and 90’s McClane was probably the closest we got to an actual human being. He has flaws, he has issues with his wife, he has insecurities, he is vulnerable to attacks, and he is not invincible. And in terms of other action movies, this is also the movie that is the most grounded in reality. Okay so a lot of this is very Hollywood, but when compared to other action movies, this is the one that is closest to reality. The action was fantastic, the characters were great, Bruce and Rickman were phenomenal, and it was a lot of fun to watch. This was defiantly one of the best action movies of the 80’s and a feather in the cap for director John McTiernan. And it is my number 29 favorite movie.

28.
Tropic Thunder: 2008 (R)
USA / Dreamworks Pictures
83% (CF)
As I said before, one of the quickest ways a movie can endear itself to me is by making me laugh. And this is a damn funny movie. The movie focuses on the making of a fictional Hollywood film called Tropic Thunder based of a fictional book set in the Vietnam War. The movie being made is a gigantic blockbuster film with fictional big name celebrities played by Ben Stiller (a fading action hero), Robert Downy Jr. (the multi award winning talent who goes overboard with his method acting), Jack Black (the Chris Farley character who stole Eddie Murphy’s fat suit shtick), rap star Alpa Cino (played by Brandon T Jackson) and an up and coming actor (played by Jay Baruchel). And the movie has Apocalypse Now levels of difficulty during its shoot. The director is forced to make a hard decision, and it ends up back firing leaving the stars of the film stranded in the jungles of Indochina. The cast was actually pretty awesome despite the fact that I am not the biggest fan of Ben Stiller, though he does play a role different then his usual fare. Robert Downey Jr. however is FANTASTIC! He plays Kirk Lazarus, who is an Australian born actor who undergoes a controversial operation to play the African American sergeant of the film. Robert Downy Jr. must then as a white man play an Australian, who must play an African American, but do so in a manner that an Aussie who would knows little of African American culture would see a black man and act like that. I don’t care who you are that is a hell of a character right there, and it was hilarious! But given the whole issue of a white guy in black face, the movie itself calls out the issues with that for us; so the audience does not have to. That was a big purpose of the Alpa Chino role, as well as a VERY interesting turn at the end of the movie. Jack Black was given a character that played to his strengths, and Jay Baruchel character was very funny. And out of nowhere, Tom Cruise in prosthetic make up, who steals the scene every time he is on screen. This movie was a Hollywood movie that mocked the process of making a Hollywood movie, and big Hollywood celebrities in general. It was very funny, and had me laughing my ass off. It also had one of my favorite DVD commentaries I have listened to, where Robert Downey Jr. does most of the DVD commentary in the voice of Kirk Lazarus. It was a lot of fun, a very self aware movie that made many its jokes at Hollywood’s expense, and had some very memorable characters and funny ass lines. And it is my 28th favorite movie.