Iro's Top 100 Movies

To TheUsualSuspect and Pyro_Tramp, with impudent admiration.

#100-#91

#100: The Italian Job

"The movie that made the Mini cool. Great car chases for 1969, as well as *the* cliffhanger ending."

#99: Planet of the Apes

"The ape faces look fairly dated, but the film works well as an equal harbinger of style and substance."

#98: Shanghai Noon

"Absurd idea becomes comedy gold combining Jackie Chan action with Owen Wilson aw-shucks charisma."

#97: The Incredibles

"Fairly overrated as a Pixar picture, but it's got some very good jokes and enjoyably cheesy superhero clichés."

#96: Casablanca

"Still a classic romance that has been imitated but never bettered. Has the greatest characters and even greater lines."

#95: Die Hard

"The ultimate one-man-army movie. Bruce Willis's finest hour."

#94: Midnight Cowboy

"Depressingly realistic, but it works well based on the star performances."

#93: 12 Angry Men

"A slow, yet compelling film that needs no stunning set-pieces to burn into people's minds. Proof that talking does solve problems."

#92: Alien

"Definitely one of the scarier alien-based horror films made in the last thirty years. Slow to begin with, but builds up to well-balanced shocks."

#91: Ghost in the Shell

"It's no Akira, but this is probably one of the better animé films out there. Action gives way to the philosophical side - like an animated Blade Runner."

More coming soon!

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Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

Liking it so far dude- Ghost in the Shell so very nearly made me list.

Layout's very familiar

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With Casablanca in the bottom 10%, I can't wait to see how this progresses...

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My Reputation: Holy Crap, I'm Well thought of!!!?? I think we're going a little far here??

great list so far can't wait too see more

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"A good film is when the price of the dinner, the theater admission and the babysitter were worth it."
- Alfred Hitchcock

WOW Alien at #92...

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Suspect's Reviews

If anyone else who has previously believed that their lists may cop some crap from discerning MoFo-ers, they haven't seen my list.

#90-#81

#90: Blues Brothers 2000

"Doesn't live up to the original by a long shot, but this still retains enough of the charm to stay entertaining. Elwood is still the king."

#89: Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

"The best of the Star Wars prequels, with a great turn from McGregor as Obi-Wan. Anakin's fall from grace is one of the greatest corruptions since Michael Corleone's."

#88: 2001: A Space Odyssey

"Long, slow and confusing as hell, but 2001 was never meant to be an exciting flick. No explanation can ever really reoslve what the film is about, and that's what's so great. It keeps you guessing."

#87: Sunset Boulevard

"An all around great picture which is almost overshadowed by Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, who sticks in my memory for being the prime example of deluded old movie starlet. Nothing compares to her."

#86: Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over

"One of those guilty pleasures. There are some decent action sequences mixed with an over-the-top performance by Sylvester Stallone as the Toymaker. It makes up for the impossibly hackneyed dialogue and morals involved."

#85: Un Chien Andalou

"Old and silent, but it's still pretty off-the-wall by today's standards. It's the surrealist short film that defies description."

#84: Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels

"This threads together subplots incredibly well into one massive plot with some half-decent Cockney dialogue and action - the raid on the pot-growers sticks in the mind."

#83: Memento

"The prime example of having a big twist at the beginning and a bigger twist at the end. Suitably nervy performance from Pearce holds the film together well."

#82: Love, Actually

"An out-and-out romance film with both genuine feeling and great comic moments. The all-star cast all turn in brilliant performances, but none as good as Bill Nighy as the comic relief guy."

#81: Saving Private Ryan

"A sublime WWII film that can balance graphic violence and barbarism with emotions and internal conflict. And you care about the characters."

20 down, 80 to go.

#80-#71

#80: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

"It doesn't match up to Smith's earlier works but this is still a pretty entertaining piece. As Wes Craven says in the movie, 'our research shows that everyone loves monkeys!'"

#79: Heat

"Pacino. De Niro. Cop. Robber. Guns. Violence. A fiery showdown that's been a long time coming - the subplots in this movie all buckle when compared to this massive battle between two cinema greats. The best showdown movie."

#78: Minority Report

"As is the case with movies based on Philip K Dick's works, the movie attains two things - A) a remarkable visual style and world and B) potent messages through the plot and the actions of the characters. Great combination."

#77: Desperado

"Plot goes out the window for all-out action in this movie. As fun as an exploding piñata and twice as explosive."

#76: City of God

"This film is the evidence that kids are dangerous. Brutal and disturbing, one of those truly confronting foreign-language films."

#75: Bubba Ho-Tep

"Cult comedy horror that works with a preposterous notion - Elvis and JFK battle a soul-sucking mummy - and turns it into a touching film about old guys recapturing their former glory."

#74: The Godfather

"Often acknowledged as one of the greatest crime films of all-time. It works on so many levels, from story to characters to visuals."

#73: Terminator II: Judgment Day

"Considered a better film than the original, I have to disagree. Superb special effects and Schwarzenegger are the highlights."

#72: One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

"One of the great 'institution' movies. It deserved every single Oscar it won."

#71: Life of Brian

"The world's best (perhaps only) biblical comedy. The usual over-the-top Python humour is here in spades."

30 down.

#70-#61

#70: Harold and Maude

"My favourite love story."

#69: Julius Caesar

"Hollywood does Shakespeare. Great sets and costumes are overshadowed by the performances and dialogue (well,it's Shakespeare, isn't it?)"

#68: Walkabout

"A film that makes you ask questions and then gives you no answers. A very visual piece with little emphasis on plot as you just watch the outback and the creatures that live there."

#67: Superman II

"Easily better than the original and it has three very memorable baddies - Zod, Ursa and Non own Houston."

#66: Trainspotting

"An amoral drug movie that lets you make up your own mind about the characters. Are they bad? Are they good? Choose..."

#65: The Wild Bunch

"This is worth watching for the climatic battle alone. If that's not enough, there's plenty to the rest of the movie."

#64: A Better Tomorrow

"Does for Hong Kong crime movies what 'The Wild Bunch' did for American westerns. Over-the-top shootouts coupled with character conflict regarding friends, brothers and loyalties. Chow Yun-Fat as Mark is easily the best here."

#63: Monty Python and the Meaning of Life

"This is as random as the average 'Flying Circus' episode and just as entertaining. Covers the seven stages of man (complete with musical numbers and unforgettable scenes) with considerable aplomb, especially Mr Creosote. Python gold."

#62: The Deer Hunter

"No doubt about it, this is *the* anti-Vietnam film."

#61: Blade Runner

"One of the most influential science-fiction films ever, it has all the hallmarks of the usual Philip Dick film adaptation, plus it asks a lot of questions and just leaves us hanging..."


40 down.

Very interesting so far, I'm very curious to see your next films, since they seem to be so random, lol.

#60-#51

#60: Total Recall

"This is Philip Dick with less of the philosophical points and more of the action and special effects. Pre-CGI special effects are foil for gold, as is Arnie as Quaid."

#59: Army of Darkness

"The most accessible B-movie ever, complete with pre-CGI effects, absurd plot and a shameless sense of fun. And Bruce Campbell is the bomb in this movie."

#58: Easy Rider

"The movie is cool, even if hippies aren't any more. Bikes, drugs and deeper messages abound."

#57: Sin City

"Now this is how you turn good comics into good movies. This is 'Pulp Fiction' in black-and-white with sh*tloads of special effects."

#56: Se7en

"Still pretty striking, even in the age of CSI. Great performances from Pitt, Freeman and the guy who plays the killer."

#55: Star Wars Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

"The better of the Star Wars sequels. It has better lightsabre fights, better locations and of course one of the greatest lines in cinema history - 'I am your father.'"

#54: For a Few Dollars More

"Reasonable sequel with Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef making an iconic pair as two nasty mofos after a bandit."

#53: Equilibrium

"Not just another Matrix wannabe, it's a film with enough material to call its own. The greatness of this film can be summed up in two words - 'gun kata'."

#52: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

"Delivers a truly satisfactory conclusion to the epic story of LOTR. The effects are the real stand-out here."

#51: The Evil Dead

"One of the few films that really scared me, it provides some farcical horror moments and a predictable, yet enjoyable story. I've said it already but I'll say it again - Bruce Campbell is the bomb."

50 down.

#50-#41

#50: Monsters, Inc.

"Underrated piece of Pixar genius. Great-looking monsters and comedy galore from Billy Crystal as Mike."

#49: The Godfather Part II

"The best sequel ever. De Niro and Pacino deliver equally brilliant performances as Vito builds his empire up and Michael brings it crashing down."

#48: Crackerjack

"Great Australian comedy with clichéd plot, but the jokes and acting more than make up for it. The pinnacle of lawn bowls movies."

#47: Jaws

"The undisputed classic, it still works 30 years on. Gotta love monster movies."

#46: Finding Nemo

"The movie that made fish cool again. It works as a family film on so many levels."

#45: The Warriors

"This brings new meaning to the term "gangs of New York". Horribly dated action and dialogue is dispersed by the aura of cool that this movie perpetuates."

#44: Toy Story

"Cowboys and spacemen make for another Pixar great. 'To infinity and beyond!'"

#43: Brazil

"A cult classic of the highest order with a unique look that is utilitarian, yet colourful."

#42: A Clockwork Orange

"It might not be as striking as it was 34 years ago, but it's still striking enough. Don't f*ck with free-will, people."

#41: Dogma

"Who needs 'The Da Vinci Code' when you have this? There's more of the unusual yet believable theories, plus a hefty helping of d*ck and fart jokes."

#40-#31

#40: Pink Floyd - The Wall

"Captures the idea of the album perfectly and pisses on all the stories that make rock stardom out to be a big party. This isn't a party - this is a hangover of thoroughly depressing proportions."

#39: Snatch

"More convoluted and more entertaining than 'Lock, Stock' with plenty more of the memorable characters, funny lines and intertwined plotlines. Bonus for having the ultimate incomprehensible speaker in the form of Mickey the pikie."

#38: The Big Lebowski

"Definitely an oddball movie with a variety of interesting characters - even the walk-ons are as entertaining as the leads (one word: Jesus). Packed with great use of repetitive dialogue too. Shomer shabbos!"

#37: The Toxic Avenger

"It's gory, it's stupid, it's titillating and it's fun - all at the same time! This inspired a generation of film-makers and film lovers and gave the world an impossibly alternative superhero in the form of Toxie. Lloyd Kaufman is a genius."

#36: Jurassic Park

"Dinosaurs never looked so good before this. Great use of CGI and action combined with strong philosophical discussion."

#35: Goodfellas

"This is *the* gangster movie. There is nothing elegant or redeeming about it, and that is where the fun comes from. All the players give brilliant performances during a well-crafted tale in the hands of Scorsese."

#34: The Matrix

"No-one can deny that this was definitely a defining moment in science-fiction movies. Outrageously impossible action, existential philosophy and haute couture came together in perfect harmony for this superlative cyberpunk film."

#33: Full Metal Jacket

"Worth watching for the first 50-60 minutes alone. Lee Ermey gives a career-best performance and delivers a thousand lines more fun and unforgettable than 'I love the smell of napalm in the morning...'"

#32: Goldfinger

"The epitome of Bond movies. None of the subsequent films have come close to matching up against Goldfinger."

#31: Shaun of the Dead

"Another cult comedy horror. Combines traditional British humour with a heartfelt homage to zombie movies in one of the funnier movies of recent times."

#30-#21

#30: Withnail & I

"Small, quirky, out-of-the-way British film that relies more on characterization than plot. Richard E Grant shines as Withnail among the smaller yet important parts in the movie. There are some incredibly funny sight-gags and dialogue involved which is even funnier if you remember the 60s."

#29: Escape from LA

"A decent enough sequel to 'Escape from New York' with more action yet it has more or less the same plot. Kurt Russell f*cking rules as Snake."

#28: The Usual Suspects

"A crime thriller that has an exceptional script unhindered by the equally exceptional performances. And it has one of the best film endings of recent times."

#27: Boondock Saints

"This is 'Taxi Driver' for the 'Trainspotting' generation. The intricate action sequences are the star, although Willem Dafoe and David Rocco give some funny performances."

#26: The Princess Bride

"A loving tribute to adventure movies of old with everybody involved giving stellar performances. The story and dialogue complement the characters and direction perfectly."

#25: Escape from New York

"B-movie classic that trades blockbuster action for a more realistic kind of violence. As I said earlier, Kurt Russell f*cking rules as Snake."

#24: Repo Man

"The 80s movie to end all 80s movies, it criticizes brand-name consumerism, nuclear war, the U.S. government and punk counterculture all in one hit. Mix sci-fi clichés and teen drama clichés together and you would get something like this. Repo man's always intense."

#23: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

"The weakest of the Indiana Jones series, but by no means a bad movie. All the hallmarks of a Jones movie - chases, fights, romance, evil, etc - are present and accounted for."

#22: Clerks

"Kevin Smith's only really independent film, this works so well based on the two main characters and the joke-ridden dialogue they share together and with others. Low-budget talent."

#21: Akira

"No Hollywood blockbuster can match the sheer scale of destruction on offer in this, the definitive animé classic. It's like Blade Runner with sh*tloads more action."

80 down.

Hmmmmm. Can't really say Episode 3 belongs anywhere near as high as you've placed it, hence mixed feelings.....

#20-#11

#20: This Is Spinal Tap

"A sterling example of good parody where you pick what the jokes are. You can just go back to it again and again and still love every number and gag."

#19: A Fistful of Dollars

"The movie that got me into Westerns. An ample remake of Yojimbo with plenty of action - and Clint - for everyone."

#18: Taxi Driver

"De Niro's movie all the way - as Travis he is the most memorable 'nobody' in the history of movies."

#17: Scarface

"The anti-Godfather, this is full of all the shocking 80s styles and compliments them with an epic rise-and-fall story and unforgettable action. And Tony Montana owns Michael Corleone as far as Pacino performances go."

#16: Once Upon a Time in the West

"A truly epic Western that focuses on a more political context than the outlaw greed of earlier Leone films. The four leads - Cardinale, Fonda, Bronson and Robards - all turn in brilliant performances. And there's the haunting harmonica theme..."

#15: Team America: World Police

"The kick in the ass Hollywood action-fests have been needing is here. Every action cliché and stereotype is milked for maximum comedic effect, as is the physical limitations of marionette puppets. And this has killer dialogue too."

#14: Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb

"An exercise in futility which has some biting satirical elements still relevant in the age of terrorism. Sellers is exceptional as Captain Mandrake/President Muffley/Dr. Strangelove and George Scott puts up a good performance as Buck Turgidson. And you can't forget the 'riding-the-bomb' shot."

#13: Battle Royale

"Ultra-violent horror-drama with eye-popping violence, spectacular set-pieces, great performances and so many things that make it worth watching several times over."

#12: Reservoir Dogs

"The flick that spawned a new wave of crime movies and added the word 'Tarantinoesque' to filmgoers' vocabulary. A character piece with unforgettable dialogue and the best ending ever."

#11: Apocalypse Now

"The madness of war, captured on celluloid. An impossibly colourful attack on the sense that, whilst inconsistent, makes for a highly-watchable odyssey through a country in the throes of war."

Top 10

#10: Pulp Fiction

"The 'Star Wars' of indie movies. This bolstered the independent film market, made Miramax famous, put Tarantino on the map and gave birth to countless classic lines that are still quoted in modern society (e.g. 'royale with cheese'). And has there ever been a cooler mofo than Jules Winnfield?"

#9: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

"Every family's favourite movie. Bright and saccharine but this was definitely ahead of its time, pleasing to children and adults alike. Gene Wilder gives an undescribably good performance as Wonka, quoting some crazy lines and getting vengeance on bratty kids for wrecking his factory. And nobody can mess with the Oompa Loompas!"

#8: Lawrence of Arabia

"A true epic in every sense of the word. Cast of thousands? Check. Charismatic lead actor? Check. Breath-taking action? Check. Eye-wateringly brilliant landscapes? Check. Every frame of this film is perfection. Steven Spielberg put it best when he called this 'a miracle of a film'. I concur."

#7: Monty Python and the Holy Grail

"The funniest movie ever made. Instantly quotable, still watchable and it never gets old. This is the perfect comedy movie."

#6: Fight Club

"Urban nihilist epic, with Brad Pitt and Edward Norton giving marvelous performances as Tyler and Jack respectively. Incredible use of CGI coupled with a brilliant story of social disaffection and profound characterisation."

#5: The Terminator

"I'm often scorned for loving this movie over the flash-bang sequel, but that's because this has more to offer. 'Terminator' is the perfect example of how to combine consistent science-fiction, decent low-budget action, a time-travel love story and Schwarzenegger in a way that elevates it above B-grade crap and almost makes it a serious piece of work. One of the greatest action films I've ever seen."

#4: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

"An exceptionally grand conclusion to my favourite film trilogy of all time. There's a flawless star combination between Harrison Ford and Sean Connery as Indy and his cantankerous dad. This also has the greatest use of tanks in a movie EVER."

#3: Star Wars

"The film that ushered in a new era for science-fiction, creating a world that nobody can forget. This was the film that gave the world such pop-culture staples as stormtroopers, droids, the Force, lightsabers, the Millennium Falcon, and a galaxy far, far away. Utterly brilliant."

#2: The Blues Brothers

"One of the coolest movies ever. Even though it's based off a Saturday Night Live sketch, this is one of my favourite movies of all-time. Musical numbers, car chases, classic one-liners, widespread destruction and two guys in black all join together in perfect harmony in this movie."

#1: Raiders of the Lost Ark

"My favourite movie of all-time. The greatest adventure movie ever made, with some truly unforgettable set-pieces - Indy runs from massive boulders, fights thugs at airstrips and in bars, smashes tombs, chases trucks and retrieves the Ark of the Covenant, all in one movie. Indy is one of cinema's greatest heroes - nobody can deny it. All adventure movies afterwards owe something to this movie. Perfect."

And ther you have it. Now that it's over, any comments? (I'd love to see what Holden thinks of this list)

Interesting picks, should stir up some talk about where you placed certain movies.......good job.

I reckon the fact that I put Spy Kids 3-D ahead of Casablanca might piss people off...

HELLO! Episode 3 making the list???

Felt a bit cheated having two Indy movies in the top 5, but it was nice to see some personal choices like Willy Wonka and Toxic Avenger. Shame there's a lack of foreign films- only Battle Royale, Akira, GITS, Leone's Westerns and City of God, though some are better none.

To address each one of your points

A - Meh, Episode 3 was filler. A fair few of those films are. I should have given the spot to Harold and Maude.
B - I like Indy. And Willy Wonka. And Toxie.
C - The lack of foreign films is because out of all the foreign movies I've seen, those are the only ones I believed worthy of my 100 list.