100 Meaty Favorites

This is kind of how I imagine my eventual list is going to turn out. Great stuff.

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Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

54.An Evening with Kevin Smith



Smith tells some more stories about dumb dealings with infamous people , he couldn't make this stuff up if he tried (and he has tried - watch his movies).

53.The Shining



Isolated and incredibly tense - it never lets you settle down : it's unrelentlessly horrifying structure and uneasy family chemistry makes it believable.

52.Sunshine



The rare sci-fi flick that is fully engaging and widely imaginative , keeps you on your toes with it's fictitious technical situations. What really sells the whole concept are the strong performances that tell you right from the first 20 minutes - these people are sick of isolation and want to go back home.

51.The King of Kong : A Fistful of Quarters



This overly dramatic documentary gives you the best of both worlds , you get genuine real moments as well the glorified movie moments. A celebration of video games and game culture - easily my pick for best donkey kong flick.



"I wanted to be a hero. I wanted to be the center of attention. I wanted the glory, I wanted the fame. I wanted the pretty girls to come up and say, "Hi, I see that you're good at Centipede."

50.Se7en



The most evil and dark film I've seen - but for someone seeking a large variety of films , this one easily makes way into my favorites for it's sheer quality of film making. Top notch acting and cinematography.

49.Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea



How's that for variety ? The story is shallow but it's animation runs deep. Beautifully fluid and magnificently lit - this is one of the most visceral visual experiences I've been through. Director Miyazaki hand drew the water effects himself , which is quite amazing how he maintains complete control over the films look and does it so well. Arguably the best animation ever done on film to this day.

Text doesn't do this one much justice though ...

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I still haven't seen Sunshine yet, probably rent it this weekend. What do you think Meat, am I gonna like it?

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"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

Most likely you'll enjoy it , if not love it. Hey 2001 is your number one , so it would be the first thing I'd recommend to you.

48.Sweeney Todd : The Demon Barber of Fleet Street



Tragic musical revenge tale , now that's an original premise. Aside from South Park this is the only musical I've ever enjoyed , but damn did I enjoy it. The songs are so full of emotion , Johnny Depp sings all his own songs with anger and a dark heart.

Aside from him you have Helena Carter and Alan Rickman - both great picks for the roles and newcomer Jamie Bower who gives a great debut performance. It's a very visually eccentric movie , gray and white people with red splashes of guts.



"There's a hole in the world like a great black pit
And it's filled with people who are filled with s**t
And the vermin of the world inhabit it.
But not for long !"

47.E .T.



Spielberg's magical tale of life from other planets , it's the impossibly rare family film that doesn't shove dumb messages down your throat or run rampant with clichés. What it does offer is pure universal humanity.

46.Blade Runner : The Final Cut



This crisp clear restoration of a great film , highlights the visual qualities that have become muted down in previous releases. A beautiful dystopian noir film about the difference between human and machine thought.



"It's too bad she won't live , but then again who does ?"

45.There Will Be Blood



The rare story of an unredeemable evil man , it's shown through his eyes though so you will sympathize with him through all his horrible wrong doings. There is a whole layer of this film not said with words , but with subtle acting queues and music - a unique film to be watched by all.

44.Das Boot



The ultimate war movie , a claustrophobic intense 210 minute ride in a tiny german submarine. You become so invested in the characters and the well being of their ship , you might forget this is a war movie at all - it's message dosen't hit you until the final scene : but that's when you realize how foolish it's been done in every other movie.

43. L . A . Confidential



Wonderful casting for this noir set in the land of make believe - where everything has the polish of the press stamped right on it , beneath the surface as Devito tells you it's gritty and violent.

42. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade



Sean Connery joins as the excitement and adventure continue to roll out. This trilogy serves as an ultimate display of professionalism , lighting , camera work , and wonderful character performances make for a believable world where almost anything is possible.

41. Porco Rosso



Beautiful scenic as well as character animation , this story of a pig humanoid mercenary pilot is as outlandish and fun as it gets.

*Note : This goes for all the animated films above as well , I highly recommend watching them in Japanese with English subtitles - I despise watching them with the annoying english dubs*



"A pig that doesn't fly is just a pig. "

40.Zatoichi



Takeshi's take on the old Japanese cinema hero , amazing sword fights with big cartoony blood gushing everywhere and a wise suspenseful story that unfolds in only a manner Kitano would unfold it.

39.Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom



My favorite of them all for it's amazing over the top introduction and it's atmospheric descent into the jungle , into the temple , into the dark secret area , and then back out ! First rate adventure film !

38.Be Kind Rewind



Non-stop laughter , it's a touching homage to films and to people who love them. Jack Black and Mos Def are the perfect team as they run through every movie imaginable from Ghost Busters to Rush Hour to The Lion King.



"It's time for Robocop !"
"It's time for Robocop to get shot!"

37.Die Hard



The ultimate action movie , how many countless attempts have tried to mimic the authenticity of this movie - about a million and they've all failed. A perfect balance of characters , visual flair , and brutal action scenes. It absolutely feels like you are up in that huge Nakatomi skyscraper and Bruce Willis is getting worn down by the minute.

36.Boogie Nights



Who would have thought a film about the pornography industry could have such strong messages of the value of friendship and family. The gigantic cast allows you dive into the funny and surreal world of adult entertainment.

35.Pulp Fiction



Tarantino's mixture of cool entertainment and bizarre coincidence results in a unique vision that treats it's characters and dialogue importantly.

And the similarities

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34.Heat


Michael Mann clashes Deniro and Pacino together playing a professional game of cops and robbers. Strong performances and masterful camera work make this a heist movie where the audience reaps the dough.



"We've been face to face, yeah. But I will not hesitate. Not for a second."

33.Hard Eight



Each of PTA's films have a spot on my list and his debut deserves to stand right here. An amazing opening scene introduces you to how fragile and simple these characters are - a realistic tale of friendship in the city of bright lights and gambling.



"You know the first thing they should've taught you at hooker school? You get the money up front!"

32.Wall-E



Visually miraculous film with a universal appeal to all cultures and languages , it has a severe lack of dialogue and is all the better for it.



"This is called farming! You kids are gonna grow all kinds of plants! Vegetable plants, pizza plants"

31.Miller's Crossing



Thrilling film that dips into hundreds of different genres to give a balanced wildly entertaining stylized period piece and as suspected from the Coens colorful characters walk their skewed paths. I will never tire of them saying "What's the rumpus ?".

30.The Wrestler



Most will take Raging Bull , but I'll take The Wrestler - Rourke knows his character like's he playing himself and the screenplay comes together to form a tragic , heartbreaking story of a man who gets enjoyment out of one thing - but a thing that has destroyed his body and will kill him.

29.No Country for Old Men



Heavily symbolic suspense thriller that works because of it's visual appeal and strong acting performances. This one gets better everytime I watch it. Please Coens continue to give us more films , we like em !

"This country's hard on people, you can't stop what's coming"

28.The Godfather



Top class film that absorbs you in it's values of what is right and wrong - which rules can be bent and which can't. Expertly done atmosphere. They're so civilized and respectful , you tend to forget they're gangsters.

27.Ratatouille



It simply looks amazing , even when you bring your standards of what Pixar has done in the past - the lighting is brilliant and the food looks so good I get hungry watching. Looks aside , the heart of the story is about passion in your work and life.

26.Fireworks



Another film with a simple premise executed as planned , with his wife only having a few weeks to live - detective Nishi unfolds his plan to appreciate the last days of having his wife , leaving a trail of destruction behind him that will soon catch up.

I will give this my award for having the most clever title of all time.

25.Punch Drunk Love



Who knew Adam Sandler was an actor ? He gives one of the most surprisingly honest performances I've seen in this wonderfully strange and colorful romantic film. Oh yeah and it's really funny.

24.Star Wars



Yes it's been revisited with special effects and crisper picture (I don't mind) , but this film has still held up to this day as the major fantasy sci-fi flick of all time. Introducing inventive original characters and actors that take this strange universe seriously - it's not only entertainment , but a statement of how inventive films can be.

Along with Toy Story listed above , this was one of the few movies I grew up with and still love - so it's a very nostalgic experience for me.



"Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed; the ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force."


23.Clerks



A handfull of lovable flawed characters , some fine with their current posistion in life and some not. Done on a miniscule budget of less than $30,000 , it was giant risk on Smith's behalf to create it - but when your dedicated to creating such a funny and truthful film : you get better than great results.

22.The Science of Sleep



Profoundly personal and energetic , Gondry's directorial follow up to Eternal Sunshine is another dream themed deeply affecting film. I've had a strange viewing history with this one as well - the first time I saw I was extremely tired and when it was over the movie made me excited to go to sleep.

The second time I watched it right as the girl starts to imitate a truck reversing beep sound , I suddenly heard a very loud beeping and I wasn't sure if it was part of the movie or outside. I looked out the window , yep there's a garbage truck right outside.

21.Dr. Strangelove



Kubrick's cold war masterpiece takes the nuclear apocalypse with humor , it's the laughter before you die. Awesome cinematography and set design with hilarious classic actors.



"Okay. I'm gonna get your money for ya. But if you don't get the President of the United States on that phone, you know what's gonna happen to you ?"

"What?"

"You're gonna have to answer to the Coca-Cola company."

20.Magnolia



Paul Thomas Anderson's chance to say it all. An amazing cast , most of them give their best performances of their careers (Tom Cruise , John C. Reilly). This film is perfection , great scene after great scene - seamlessly woven together and eventually stack together for a powerful gripping drama , numerous wise lessons to be learned from this film.

"... and the book says we may be through with the past , but the past aint through with us"

19.Old Boy



Depressing , violent , and beautiful - the number one revenge flick of all time has the ability to expand it's scope numerous times and not feel out of place. Master framework makes this one of the best looking films as well.



"Smile and the world smiles with you. Weep and you weep alone."

18.The Empire Strikes Back



I love it. Not intent on being anything close to the original , it uses the existing characters to go ahead and have a completely new adventure. Complete with a bitter , but hope filled ending - it's the blockbuster that introduced people to an age of amazing films with big budgets.

17.Seven Samurai



Kurosawa's samurai epic tells a story full of very universal themes and lessons. It attaches you to it's samurai fighters as you learn why they act how they do. When it's all over , the samurai get exactly what they expected - it touches on almost every emotion , never sustaining a certain singular feel.

"What's the use of worrying about your beard when your head's about to be taken?"

16.Dawn of the Dead



This expansive zombie film takes every possible creative thing about them and does it in uproariously fun way. Everything you've ever thought of doing in a mall , they are just really having fun with these zombies and as much fun as the movie is - it successfully delivers it's social commentary and varied definitions of alive and dead.

15.Little Miss Sunshine



One of the few movies on this list I would feel comfortable watching with my family , heartwarming and funny - each character has their own problems to deal with and their bonding together to solve it seems unlikely. Very believable acting performances as well.

Tell you what Meat, epic respect. The turnaround from when you started out here is pretty crazy, can't imagine what your list will be like in a few years when you've seen even more flicks. Have to go through and rep these posts up when read them all. Bias of course for my mad love of #25

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For some reason I really didn't like The Science of Sleep, liking the list though Meat. I guess you're going to have to change your top ten as I've noticed a couple have fallen in the standings.

Very nice list so far, Meaty. We share several films in common in our Top 100 lists. It's been a very interesting read and I can't wait to see the new Top 10.

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"The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven."
John Milton, Paradise Lost

My Movie Review Thread | My Top 100

Great list so far, lots of my faves up there.

Also, Boogie Nights.

It almost scares me how many films on here I'm contemplating putting on the next list I'm doing. Excellent work, meatwad (and I should probably check out some of those Evening... videos).

14.Zodiac



Every time I watch this I get sucked into the amount of facts and contemplate every suspect , it tells you all this information about the killer , all the clues and you start to get absorbed in it yourself. Really this works to understand the main characters obsession with the Zodiac as years and years start to pass - you realize it's all been time wasted.

Stunning cinematography and great musical choices , a very strong cast , and an impossibly hard idea to film done right - make this the very best of suspense thrillers : if you could even call it that.

13.Sonatine



Takeshi's yakuza masterwork throws aside every convention you would associate with a gangster film and tells a completely original story with colorful scenic visuals.

"I wouldn't carry a gun if I were tough."

12.Synecdoche New York



Kaufman's horror film wants to gain an infinitely large scope and say everything there is to be said , who knows if this is really how he feels or if he is indeed writing with the confines of fear. Either way this marvelously convoluted film is one of the most entertaining I've seen - it's also the most depressing and hopeless movie I've seen.

These amazing acting performances will get overlooked simply because of the huge amount of them , with Phillip Seymour Hoffman giving his strongest of all time.

I should also comment on the amazing production design to make such realistic environments come to life , they really had to think this out how they were going to put a warehouse inside of a warehouse inside of a warehouse.



"Now it is waiting and nobody cares. And when you're wait is over this room will still exist and it will continue to hold shoes and dress and boxes and maybe someday another waiting person. And maybe not. The room doesn't care either."


11.The Dark Knight



It's not nearly as complex as the films listed above , it's a visual giant with iconic yet intricate characters battling it out across a city going mad. It's a simple but true evaluation of crime and what's sincerely right and wrong. The Dark Knight is also the absolute perfection of the action movie , by transcending into deep themes it not only entertains , but constantly keeps you thinking.

A booming awesome musical score sizes up everything you see and damn do you see a lot in this. Giant shots of skyscrapers being ripped apart and vast empty streets - I think visuals are important as anything in a movie , this one is right on the money.



"Because sometimes the truth isn't good enough. Sometimes, people deserve more."

10.Spirited Away



... and here's another with amazing visuals. Huge hand drawn landscapes and building interiors , with inventive characters , creatures running around. Quickly it draws you into it's fantasy world and serves as a true escape from your actual life.

Unlike The Dark Knight , this one makes you care about things that are completely unrelated to you - but it still feels authentic. From the musical score to the mysterious enjoyable pacing - I can't find a single problem with this one.

Such an awesome list mate nice one

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~In the event of a Zombie Uprising, remember to sever the head or destroy the brain!~

Intersting list mate, i'm particularly digging your Kitano fetish. Decent mix of undisputable classics with personal favourites. It looks very nice as well.

9. Reservoir Dogs



This is a good one to illustrate the very floppy standings of my top ten favorite films - it's impossible for me to lock in my 10 favorites , they change every day depending on how I feel.

"What we need here is a little solidarity !"

Each character here is assigned a color and each of them are their unique personality - I love the cast , I love the dialogue - I could quote this movie for hours. Brilliant usage of non-linear story telling and a surreal usage of music. Harvey Keitel is perfect as the veteran thief who's principles have fallen behind the times.

"OK ramblers let's get rambling"

8. LOTR : Fellowship of the Ring



"Your late"

"A wizard is never late , nor is he early , he arrives precisely when he means too"

7. LOTR : The Two Towers



"It's true you don't see many dwarf women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they are often mistaken for dwarf men. And this in turn has given rise to the belief that there are no dwarf women, and that dwarves just spring out of holes in the ground!"

6. LOTR : Return of the King



Any film seems small in comparison to this breath taking 12 hour epic trilogy , each film made on par of quality as each other. This is one of the largest collaborations of story telling , fictional universe , period situational acting , lighting , cinematography , visual effects , music , and the man charged with the monumental task of directing it. It's everything movies should strive to be , completely absorbing and emotionally effective.

5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind



Beautifully written and directed film within a dream , it's genius mixture of reality and impossibility makes for one of the most interesting - emotionally gripping movies that has ever resonated with me.

4. Hot Fuzz



This one never gets old , tells a unique and unexpected story of a top class big city cop trying to adjust to life in the quiet country. Even though there isn't even any shooting for the majority of the film it's shot in a hyper-exciting fashion and brings the thrills as well it does the laughs.

Coming towards the end of the show , you get the gigantic 30 minute epic action shootout extravaganza - perfectly in sync with the over the top techno orchestra soundtrack.

"Ever fired your gun in the air and yelled, 'Aaaaaaah?"


3. Kikujiro



Possibly the most unexpected film from the director of such bleak films as Sonatine , Fireworks - this is one of the happiest , funniest , most enjoyable films I've yet to see. Kitano's beautiful visual style works great here with the recurring theme of a scrapbook throughout. Critics didn't especially warm to this one , but it has really connected with me - one of the best of all time in my book.

"You're a farmer, huh?"

"No, no. I'm a banker."

"You're kidding. With a face like that?"

2. Goodfellas



I don't need to tell you how good this one is , extremely realistic atmosphere - the cast loves each other like family , it doesn't only tell you how gangsters live their life - but how almost everyone does. Scorsese's wild , fast style really works here as it continually churns out two and half hours of movie gold.

It really feels like a unique group effort , I mean you got DeNiro and Pesci talking to Scorsese's mom it feels like something right out of my very own life. I almost know these people , they do bad things - but they aren't exactly bad people , or maybe they are ... great film.

1. The Big Lebowski



I live my life by the dude's rules , I have no job and pretty much all I do is sit on my lazy behind and watch movies and play games. Obviously as both me and the dude realize it's not going to last forever , eventually you got to get paid and there's where I separate my own life from the film.

Big Lebowski features one of the most enjoyable soundtracks put on film. What a lovable cast of characters , scene after scene of gut busting hilarity - it's one of the most inventive creative films I've seen. The occasional dream sequences are a welcome intermission to this crime mystery , taken about as seriously as the dude takes anything.

Walter and Lebowski continually keep messing things up , they care but they're lazy - it's a impractically wise and deep film that perfectly captures many of my own sensibilities. Serious things are happening , but you that dosen't mean you need to take them seriously.

"F**k it dude , let's go bowling"