My 9 out of 10's
I have watched and rated thousands of films on IMDb. I'm a film fan of every era and these are all the films I feel that to me, are worthy of 9 stars out of 10. I have left out documentaries as they really qualify as a different kind of film altogether in my view. I have only listed the films by year.
Also see my 10 out of 10's, my 9.5 out of 10's lists and my 8.5 out of 10's list.
Also see my 10 out of 10's, my 9.5 out of 10's lists and my 8.5 out of 10's list.
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- DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinEdna PurvianceEric CampbellCharlie is an immigrant who endures a challenging voyage and gets into trouble as soon as he arrives in America.Insanely creative, for the time especially.
- DirectorLuis BuñuelStarsPierre BatcheffSimone MareuilLuis BuñuelLuis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí present 16 minutes of bizarre, surreal imagery.The beginning and perhaps even the pinnacle of truly against the grain filmmaking. An absolute landmark in film history. It is the Mother of all exploitation films, but yet it is far, far more than that. The dream-like film is completely revolutionary. Defying all convention, defying human conscious thought itself. In a sense, this film is probably even more truly Zen than any actual Buddhist film is.
- DirectorLuis BuñuelStarsGaston ModotLya LysCaridad de LaberdesqueA surrealist tale of a man and a woman who are passionately in love with each other, but their attempts to consummate that passion are constantly thwarted by their families, the Church, and bourgeois society.A sequel, purposely an even far more offensive film aimed at the intellectual bourgeoisie and the ruling elite. Buñuel was so repulsed by the fact that the French bourgeoisie loved his first film 'Un chien andalou' aka 'An Andalusian Dog', that he along with Salvador Dalí set out to make a much more overt statement that would separate them from the acceptance of the European elite; But still delivered in a similar surrealist style. Dali was far less interested it seems in the controversy and the overt statement against the powers that be. He and Luis actually fell out of favor with each other before the filming of The Golden Age began, but Dali has always received a partial writing credit. Buñuel himself was interested in artistic and political revolution and challenging the hearts and minds of the people. "What can I do about the people who adore all that is new, even when it goes against their deepest convictions, or about the insincere, corrupt press, and the inane herd that saw beauty or poetry in something which was basically no more than a desperate impassioned call for murder?". What can he do? What he did was this film. The film inspired riots and was quickly banned in France soon after release, and Buñuel found the separation from the elite that he sought. It was in fact banned only 5 days after it's opening, it was a ban which lasted for nearly 50 years in France. A very small cut portion of the film is still somewhat hard to find to this day. It has rarely ever been released to the public in any recorded form. There are likely very few pieces of art in all of history that have so unrestrictedly and openly threw mud and insults at the upper classes especially, and the ruling elite of the current day.
- DirectorJames WhaleStarsClaude RainsGloria StuartWilliam HarriganA scientist finds a way of becoming invisible, but in doing so, he becomes murderously insane.Easily among the greatest sci-fi films ever made.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsHenry FondaJane DarwellJohn CarradineAn Oklahoma family, driven off their farm by the poverty and hopelessness of the Dust Bowl, joins the westward migration to California, suffering the misfortunes of the homeless in the Great Depression.Simply chilling
- DirectorJosef von BákyStarsHans AlbersWilhelm BendowMichael BohnenThis lavish, impudent, adult fairy tale takes the viewer from 18th-century Braunschweig to St. Petersburg, Constantinople, Venice, and then to the moon using ingenious special effects, stunning location shooting.A little seen gem that should be seen by any and every classic film lover.
- DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinMady CorrellAllison RoddanA suave but cynical man supports his family by marrying and murdering rich women for their money, but the job has some occupational hazards.One of the best Chaplin films and performances.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartJohn DallFarley GrangerTwo men try to convince themselves they've committed the perfect murder by hosting a dinner party after strangling a former classmate to death.To me this is among Hitchcock's very best films.
- DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsGary CooperGrace KellyThomas MitchellA town Marshal, despite the disagreements of his newlywed bride and the townspeople around him, must face a gang of deadly killers alone at "high noon" when the gang leader, an outlaw he "sent up" years ago, arrives on the noon train.One of the greatest slow burn Westerns of all time.
- DirectorFred M. WilcoxStarsWalter PidgeonAnne FrancisLeslie NielsenA starship crew in the 23rd century goes to investigate the silence of a distant planet's colony, only to find just two survivors, a powerful robot, and the deadly secret of a lost civilization.An amazing 1950's sci-fi adventure that rivals nearly every other sci-fi film ever made.
- DirectorJean-Luc GodardStarsEddie ConstantineAnna KarinaAkim TamiroffA U.S. secret agent is sent to the distant space city of Alphaville where he must find a missing person and free the city from its tyrannical ruler.Undoubtedly, this is both one of the best and one of the weirdest films I've ever seen. Come to think of it, this must be David Lynch's favorite film of all time. :)
- DirectorVera ChytilováStarsIvana KarbanováJitka CerhováMarie CeskováAfter realizing that all world is spoiled, Marie and Marie are committed to be spoiled themselves. They rip off older men, feast in lavish meals and do all kinds of mischief. But what is all this leading to?Full of chaos, full of life.
- DirectorGillo PontecorvoStarsBrahim HadjadjJean MartinYacef SaadiIn the 1950s, fear and violence escalate as the people of Algiers fight for independence from the French government.Seems like it could have been made today. There is a timelessness to this film that few other films can measure up to.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsJack MacGowranRoman PolanskiAlfie BassA noted professor and his dim-witted apprentice fall prey to their inquiring vampires, while on the trail of the ominous damsel in distress.To me, the greatest vampire film of them all; And one of the greatest comedies of them all as well.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsMia FarrowJohn CassavetesRuth GordonA young couple trying for a baby moves into an aging, ornate apartment building on Central Park West, where they find themselves surrounded by peculiar neighbors.Near perfect horror.
- DirectorDennis HopperStarsPeter FondaDennis HopperJack NicholsonTwo bikers head from L.A. to New Orleans through the open country and desert lands, and along the way they meet a man who bridges a counter-culture gap of which they had been unaware.A cult legend that in my view still doesn't get nearly as much respect as it deserves.
- DirectorLuis BuñuelStarsCatherine DeneuveFernando ReyFranco NeroShortly after her mother's death, an innocent and youthful woman will find refuge into the household of her middle-aged aristocratic guardian, who will submit her to his sexual advances.An amazing work by Buñuel. One of his very best in my view. The film may indeed haunt you with the feelings of real life like few other films in history. As usual, Buñuel is doing things like few, if any others have ever done in the world of film.
- DirectorKen RussellStarsVanessa RedgraveOliver ReedDudley SuttonIn 17th-century France, Father Urbain Grandier's protection of the city of Loudun from the corrupt Cardinal Richelieu is undermined by a sexually repressed nun's accusation of witchcraft.This Ken Russell historical horror is based upon Aldous Huxley's non-fiction novel, 'The Devil's of Loudun'. It's definitely not a film for everyone. However for those who enjoy being challenged, this is a great monster.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroHarvey KeitelDavid ProvalIn New York City's Little Italy, a devoutly Catholic mobster must reconcile his desire for power, his feelings for his epileptic lover, and his devotion to his troublesome friend.An under-appreciated Scorsese classic. In my view, Marty's first truly great film.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsAl PacinoRobert De NiroRobert DuvallThe early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York City is portrayed, while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on the family crime syndicate.To me, nearly as good as the original film, and overall my second favorite sequel of all time.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroJodie FosterCybill ShepherdA mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action."Take it and flush it all down the *beep* toilet" One of the best decent into madness films that has ever been made.
- DirectorJohn G. AvildsenStarsSylvester StalloneTalia ShireBurt YoungA small-time Philadelphia boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight the world heavyweight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.Perhaps the greatest underdog film of them all.
- DirectorDavid LynchStarsJack NanceCharlotte StewartAllen JosephHenry Spencer tries to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the unbearable screams of his newly born mutant child.Probably one of the hardest films in existence to watch, however that doesn't mean it isn't brilliant and also one of the best films of all time. How can one even put David Lynch into words?
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenDiane KeatonTony RobertsAlvy Singer, a divorced Jewish comedian, reflects on his relationship with ex-lover Annie Hall, an aspiring nightclub singer, which ended abruptly just like his previous marriages.Among cinema's greatest comedies.
- DirectorPaul SchraderStarsRichard PryorHarvey KeitelYaphet KottoWhen three automotive factory workers who're struggling financially try to steal from their own labor union, they discover corruption, and reluctantly decide to use this information for blackmail.Richard Pryor made few serious films, but this is just that. A very serious film that is a true underground standout.