Movies to be stranded on a desert island with
My favorites. If I was shipwrecked, I would ultimately choose food and water over these movies, but I would have to think really hard about it.
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- DirectorBryan SingerStarsKevin SpaceyGabriel ByrneChazz PalminteriThe sole survivor of a pier shoot-out tells the story of how a notorious criminal influenced the events that began with five criminals meeting in a seemingly random police lineup.Genius. This is neo-noir at its best: dark, sharp plot twists, hard-as-nails dialogue, and the greatest surprise ending since "Rosebud is a Sled". Whatever else Kevin Spacey may be, he is an undeniably gifted actor, and here he gives his best performance as the mysterious, slippery con artist Verbal Kint. I've seen this movie countless times, and l still love every minute.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsJohn TravoltaUma ThurmanSamuel L. JacksonThe lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption."Pulp Fiction" has my vote for coolest movie of all time. Tarantino creates a hip, shiny world of sex, drugs and ultra-violence, peoples it with the kind of quirky pop culture nerds you wish you knew in real life, and gives them guns. Every time I watch it, it's like the first time I ever saw it.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsAnthony PerkinsJanet LeighVera MilesA Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.Hitchcock's best movie - beating out "Vertigo" by a hair - is both deeply disturbing and incredibly entertaining, a popcorn horror movie about twisted psyches and Oedipal rage. Anthony Perkins gives one of the best performances in movie history as the pitiful-yet-terrifying Norman Bates, and the shower scene is still scary as hell, no matter how many times you've seen it.
- 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."The Godfather Part II", the bloody, enthralling tale of a criminal empire in decline, elevates the gangster movie to the level of Greek tragedy. As the ruthless, yet human, mob boss Michael Corleone, Al Pacino pulls off the rare feat of being both sympathetic and despicable. It's a great story, with a wonderful script and first-rate performances from the whole cast, particularly John Cazale as Michael's pathetic, doomed brother Fredo ("I'm smart!").
- DirectorMel BrooksStarsGene WilderMadeline KahnMarty FeldmanAn American grandson of the infamous scientist, struggling to prove that his grandfather was not as insane as people believe, is invited to Transylvania, where he discovers the process that reanimates a dead body.Greatest. Comedy. Ever. Mel Brooks' crowning achievement is, I say without fear of hyperbole, the funniest movie ever made. Brooks' script is a comedic model, with instantly lovable characters and dialogue that dances with perfect comic rhythm. The cast - including Madeleine Kahn, Marty Feldman and Gene Wilder - are first-rate, both fall-down funny and genuinely sweet. This movie is pure joy.
- DirectorOrson WellesStarsOrson WellesJoseph CottenDorothy ComingoreFollowing the death of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, reporters scramble to uncover the meaning of his final utterance: 'Rosebud.'Most movies lauded among "the best movies of all time" are over-rated, but Orson Welles' magnum opus deserves every accolade it's ever gotten. A saga about a wealthy narcissist who tries to buy the love he's incapable of giving, it's the rare example of master filmmaking that's also great fun to watch. Smart, funny, tragic, massive but intimate, "Citizen Kane" comes dangerously close to being the perfect film.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsMarlon BrandoAl PacinoJames CaanThe aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son."Part II" is better, but the original is still a masterpiece that deserves to be in the company of "Citizen Kane" and "Schindler's List". The story of the Corleone crime family is epic in every way, from patriarch Vito's struggle to maintain his empire to youngest son Michael's journey from nice college kid to cold-blooded mob boss. Brando gives arguably his best performance, and Pacino is both tender and chilling. A+
- 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.Woody Allen at the peak of his powers. For my money, it's his best movie: it's both scathing and sweet, making fun of the world and everything in it while wearing its heart on its sleeve. Like Allen's other masterpieces "Manhattan" and "Stardust Memories", it speaks to the closet romantic in us while making us laugh our asses off.
- DirectorRob ReinerStarsCary ElwesMandy PatinkinRobin WrightA bedridden boy's grandfather reads him the story of a farmboy-turned-pirate who encounters numerous obstacles, enemies and allies in his quest to be reunited with his true love.There are two kinds of people: Those who love "The Princess Bride" and those without souls. It's so much fun, a mix of swashbuckling adventure and witty romantic comedy. Don't tell me you've never said "Inconceivable!" or "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." Plus, the "Battle of Wits" scene is a reason to live.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartKim NovakBarbara Bel GeddesA former San Francisco police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with the hauntingly beautiful woman he has been hired to trail, who may be deeply disturbed.It's a testament to Hitchcock's Hollywood clout that he could make such a twisted movie - about a man who tries to make a woman over into the image of his dead girlfriend - in 1958. "Vertigo" is both a first-rate thriller and fascinating character study about loneliness and obsession. Jimmy Stewart, Hitchcock's best leading man, and Kim Novak, the most talented of the "Hitchcock blondes", are incredible, and the ending is a knockout.
- DirectorMichael CurtizStarsHumphrey BogartIngrid BergmanPaul HenreidA cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco."Casablanca" is the definitive epic romance, spawning generations of imitators and setting generations of romantics up for the disappointing realization that no one will ever look at them the way Ingrid Bergman looked at Humphrey Bogart. Scratch the surface of a cynic, and you'll find someone who gets a lump in his throat every time Bogart says "Here's looking at you, kid."
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleHeath LedgerAaron EckhartWhen the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.By far the darkest movie in the "Batman" series, and easily the most entertaining. It's the rare movie you can see multiple times, and always leave it wanting more. The late, great Heath Ledger's snarling, anarchic Joker dominates every scene he's in, while Christian Bale plays Batman as an actual human being who wants a life outside of the Batcave. My favorite action film, and a first-class film, period.
- DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsJodie FosterAnthony HopkinsScott GlennA young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.Yes, Anthony Hopkins is amazing as Hannibal Lecter. But there's so much more that makes "Silence of the Lambs" one of the best thrillers ever: Jodie Foster's brilliant performance as Clarice Starling, the creepy, claustrophobic atmosphere, and Ted Levine's (literally) skin-crawling performance as the deranged serial killer Buffalo Bill.
- DirectorGeorge ArmitageStarsJohn CusackMinnie DriverDan AykroydMartin Blank is a professional assassin. He is sent on a mission to a small Detroit suburb, Grosse Pointe, and, by coincidence, his ten-year high school reunion party is taking place there at the same time."Grosse Pointe Blank" has a cynical wit and laughs at death, but it's romantic at heart and leaves the audience smiling. Its one-of-a-kind premise - an assassin going to his high school reunion to win back his old girlfriend - is buoyed by priceless sight gags and sharp, witty dialogue. John Cusack is stellar as the "morally flexible" killer for hire Martin Blank, and Dan Aykroyd gives his last great performance as Blank's unhinged rival hit man.
- DirectorStephen FrearsStarsJohn CusackIben HjejleTodd LouisoRob, a record store owner and compulsive list maker, recounts his top five breakups, including the one in progress.This perfect adaptation of Nick Hornby's brilliant novel is a romantic comedy for guys - nerdy, quirky, socially awkward guys who live in their own worlds of movies and records. John Cusack is the patron saint of such guys, and he's at his best here as a thirtysomething manchild who wants to get his life together, just as long as he doesn't have to grow up. This movie speaks to the geek in all of us, and it's pure pleasure to watch.
- DirectorDavid LynchStarsIsabella RosselliniKyle MacLachlanDennis HopperThe discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.Scary, twisted noir about a college kid who stumbles into an underworld of drugs and sexual sadism festering beneath his wholesome hometown. This is David Lynch at his best: weird, mysterious and dark as pitch. Dennis Hopper is nightmare fuel as Frank Booth, a nitrous oxide-huffing psychopath with a taste for BDSM and the titular blue cloth, and Isabella Rossellini is both sexy and sad as Dorothy Vallens, a singer whom Frank has enslaved. If you can take it, you're gonna love it.
- DirectorTerry GilliamTerry JonesStarsGraham ChapmanJohn CleeseEric IdleKing Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table embark on a surreal, low-budget search for the Holy Grail, encountering many, very silly obstacles.Sublime silliness from the Python crew, edging out "Monty Python and the Meaning of Life" as their best movie. It boasts some of the group's best material, including foul-mouthed French knights and a killer bunny rabbit. It's a movie for everyone who loves a good belly laugh, from Python virgins to people who can recite the "Holy hand grenade" speech from memory.
- DirectorMichael MannStarsAl PacinoRobert De NiroVal KilmerA group of high-end professional thieves start to feel the heat from the LAPD when they unknowingly leave a verbal clue at their latest heist.The definitive cops and robbers movie. This epic story of a cop's obsessive hunt for a master thief plays with your sympathy - you're not sure who to root for. It keeps you riveted with its great story, masterful action sequences and powerful cinematography. Robert De Niro is incredible as a career criminal who wants a real life, while Al Pacino is wonderfully over-the-top as the eccentric cop chasing him down.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsLiam NeesonRalph FiennesBen KingsleyIn German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.Powerful stuff, one of the few films that looks without flinching into the depths of human evil, yet does not lose hope that humanity is worth saving. Liam Neeson gives a measured, heartfelt performance as reluctant humanitarian Oskar Schindler, while Ralph Fiennes is evil incarnate as death camp commandant Amon Goeth. Beautiful, haunting, often horrifying, and wonderful from first to last.
- DirectorBarry LevinsonStarsRobin WilliamsForest WhitakerTom T. TranIn 1965, an unorthodox and irreverent DJ named Adrian Cronauer begins to shake up things when he is assigned to the U.S. Armed Services radio station in Vietnam.Robin Williams in top form. He brings the manic, improvisational energy of his standup to this bright, bittersweet comedy about an unconventional DJ who ruffles the military's feathers during the Vietnam War. Watching Williams riff like a master jazz musician - creating brilliant routines seemingly off the top of his head, and loving every minute of it - is a joyful experience, tempered with a little bit of sadness for what the world lost when he died.
- DirectorAlex CoxStarsGary OldmanChloe WebbDavid HaymanThe relationship between Sid Vicious, bassist for British punk group Sex Pistols, and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen is portrayed.The story of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious' ill-fated romance with groupie Nancy Spungen does the impossible: it succeeds as both a heartfelt love story and a grim tale of co-dependence and addiction. Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb don't play their characters, they become them. The best film in the "biopic" genre, and a must-see for any serious fan of punk rock.
- DirectorKevin SmithStarsBrian O'HalloranJeff AndersonMarilyn GhigliottiA day in the lives of two convenience clerks named Dante and Randal as they annoy customers, discuss movies, and play hockey on the store roof.Kevin Smith's first and best movie perfectly captures the minimum wage life - slaving away at menial tasks, dealing with obnoxious customers, and goofing around with coworkers to stay sane. Smith is a master of dialogue - his characters riff hilariously on everything from Star Wars to necrophilia - and he has a genius for infusing scabrous, sarcastic material with an underlying sweetness. This movie makes a hard day just a little bit better.
- DirectorBlake EdwardsStarsAudrey HepburnGeorge PeppardPatricia NealA young New York socialite becomes interested in a young man who has moved into her apartment building, but her past threatens to get in the way.Mickey Rooney as a nasty "yellowface" stereotype of a Japanese person is inexcusable, and asking a viewer to get past it it is asking a lot. If you can, though, you will be rewarded with a breezy, effortlessly charming film, anchored by Audrey Hepburn's living poem of a performance as "urban geisha" Holly Golightly. The racism cannot - and should not - be ignored, but there's so much more to see.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsMalcolm McDowellPatrick MageeMichael BatesIn the future, a sadistic gang leader is imprisoned and volunteers for a conduct-aversion experiment, but it doesn't go as planned.A smart, creepy, perversely entertaining satire about a sociopath tortured into being a good citizen against his will. Stanley Kubrick's dystopian London of the future is like an Expressionist painting, and, with his truly scary yet completely charismatic performance, Malcolm McDowell does something few actors can do: Get us to genuinely like a monster even while we fear him.
- DirectorSofia CoppolaStarsBill MurrayScarlett JohanssonGiovanni RibisiA faded movie star and a neglected young woman form an unlikely bond after crossing paths in Tokyo.A sweet, funny, utterly charming movie about two lonely tourists who make each other's lives good again, if only for a few days. Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray are wonderful, and the movie is full of classic scenes: try not to get misty when he whispers in her ear. Even a cynic like me needs to smile wistfully now and again. When I feel that need, I watch this movie.