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1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
2. Psycho (1960)
3. Pulp Fiction (1994)
4. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
5. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
6. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
8. City of God (2002)
9. Lost in Translation (2003)
10. Barton Fink (1991)
11. Taxi Driver (1976)
12. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
13. The Big Lebowski (1998)
14. Apocalypse Now (1979)
15. Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
16. Batman Begins (2005)
17. Jaws (1975)
18. E.T. The Extraterrestrial (1982)
19. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
20. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
21. Kill Bill, Vol. 1 and 2 (2003/2004)
22. Mulholland Drive (2001)
23. Donnie Darko (2001)
24. The Aviator (2004)
25. Sin City (2005)
26. Blue Velvet (1986)
27. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
28. Ed Wood (1994)
29. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
30. Eraserhead (1977)
31. Fight Club (1999)
32. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
33. Waking Life (2001)
34. Jurassic Park (1993)
35. Office Space (1999)
36. Se7en (1995)
37. 25th Hour (2002)
38. Back to the Future (1985)
39. Bowling for Columbine (2002)
40. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
41. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
42. Goldfinger (1964)
43. Evil Dead II (1987)
44. The Evil Dead (1981)
45. Clerks (1994)
46. Ghostbusters (1984)
47. Army of Darkness (1993)
48. The Blue Brothers (1980)
49. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)
50. The Sandlot (1993)
Reviews
Bad Santa (2003)
One of the best, and most surprising, films of the year
When I first saw the trailer for this film I thought that it was basically just gonna be a funny little dark comedy that would be a nice distraction from the annoying family movies that are being dumped into theaters around this time. However, leaving the theater after watching this, I discovered how much more it was than what I was expecting. Instead a good movie, I got a great one, with good direction and a wonderful script and, best of all, the performance of Billy Bob Thornton, who makes the film what it is. His foulmouthed, cynical, suicidal character might look two-dimensional on paper and, had another actor taken a stab at this role, come off as forced and tiresome, but Thornton finds just the right blend of humor and reality. The film is touching, but not on the surface. Many viewers will not get it; they'll see this film as a vulgar assault on the Christmas spirit, and, in a way, it is, but deeper than that there is a story here about a man who has lost all faith in the human race and has now been restored. Without being sappy, unlike almost any other film I've ever seen, "Bad Santa" is able to make this an emotional journey for a contemptable character, get us to like him, and disguise it behind dark, sick humor. It's a masterpiece of dark comedy and the best holiday film of the last 5 years. **** out of ****
Hulk (2003)
The bravest movie of the year (thus far)
Ang Lee's "The Hulk" is the bravest movie I've seen this year, if only in concept. It's the world's first character-driven, art-house inspired comic book adaptation that cares more about the psychological complexities of its characters than it does on its slam-bang special FX. Logical questions immediately pop up, such as "Do we really need a SERIOUS comic book film?" Well, probably not, but still, the idea is intriguing, and leave it to Ang Lee to make it somehow work. "The Hulk" is the "Natural Born Killers" of superhero movies; some absolutely love it, others dispise every bit of it. I'm in the limited crowd of its admirers; I thought it was brilliant in almost every way, from the acting, writing, directing, and musical standpoints (Danny Elfman's score is utterly incredibly). The movie reminded me much of last year's "Minority Report" in the way it sort of looks like a popcorn action movie but sort of rises above it; sort of a perfection. "The Hulk" is not the greatest comic book ever made ("X2" deserves that honor) but it is a maginificent film experience. You'll never see anything like it. Although Eric Bana plays Bruce Banner, the poor soul cursed with an inner green monster, the real star of the movie is Lee's inventive direction, which involves everything from ultra-cool split screen "panels" to bizarre, head-scratching close-ups on fungi. Lee is obviously having a wild time directing his little "big" movie, and brings the same sort of thoughtfulness and power that he brought to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." While "Hulk" is not where near as amazing as that film, it is quite a movie. Nick Nolte has to be seen to believed as the crazed father and the special FX range from amazing (the evil killer Hulk dogs) to mediocre (the Hulk jumping). Despite an awkward, out-of-place final scene that cries out for an ineviatable sequel, "Hulk" proves to be a successful non-conventional attempt at a conventional subject matter. Overall, I recommend this movie just for you to argue about it with someone. **** out of ****
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
Not as good as T2 but better than the first
T3 is the third best movie I've seen this summer (make that year, so far) after "X2" and "The Hulk," both of which were separated from the rest of the summer movie flock by their unusual amounts of depth and character detail. T3 on the other hand, lacks such depth, but, really, who needs it, with Jonathan Mostow's exciting, fast-paced direction and one of Arnold's best performances he's given since... T2. Although Cameron's films were sci-fi action movies that were based on ideas and frightening social commentary, T3 is more or less, simply, a popcorn action movie that rarely stops to ask the question "Why," or more importantly "How?". Occasionally this is distracting, and compared to T2, the storyline's twists and turns here are child's play. But the movie is directed and written with so much fun and flair, and with an experimental "balls-out" style of humor I found surprisingly appealing. Who could've thought Arnold's Terminator character could be so funny without losing any of its menace, mysteriousness, or power? Special thanks goes to Arnold, who's perfected these sort of movies, and director Mostow for not going too light and keeping an air of menace and doom near the unusual (yet somewhat rushed) finale. As far as cast replacements go, I thought Nick Stahl did a fine job replacing Edward Furlong as John Connor. Stahl gives the character some depth and interest that Furlong could never provide. As for Linda Hamilton, the movie gives us a rational explanation for her departure and I really didn't miss her all that much. This is John's story, not Sarah's. Claire Danes was decent as the romantic interest, although I think we could've had a few more scenes that would've made her character seem more... important. As for the female Terminator, she's a hot babe no doubt, but nowhere near the menace of Robert Patrick's T-1000 or Arnold's earlier evil Terminator, but she makes a good match for Arnold and certainly raises some eyebrows. Overall, T3 would probably have been better with Cameron's touch, but I think Mostow did an excellent job with it, I haven't had this much true FUN at the movies in a while, and I recommend you go see it if only for entertainment value. ***1/2 out of ****.
Office Space (1999)
Best comedy of the last 5 years?
"Office Space" is like the "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" of the 90s, a comedy that was dismissed upon release as being a mediocre and forgotten film, only to be discovered some time later on video by those who figured out that there is something more to it. While "Office Space" may not be a laugh-out loud hilarious film, which it's not supposed to be, it's defineatly the smartest comedy I've seen in years. Have you ever seen one of those movies where every single aspect of the movie is done exactly perfect? How many do we get a decade? Maybe 2. For the 90s it was "The Shawshank Redemption" and this. Maybe "T2" and "The Straight Story." Watching "Office Space" is like watching subtle, smart comedy done absolutely perfectly. It's up there with "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" in its perfect execution. Every single thing about this movie is good. Looking over it, I can find no noticeable flaws. The pace doesn't drag. The acting is top-notch (how Ron Livingston didn't immediately become a major Hollywood star after this is anyone's guess) and the gangsta rap soundtrack surprisingly works. "Office Space" is one of the best movies of the past few years, not for what it stands for, but for the simple fact it's just so dang good. ***1/2 out of **** Aw, heck, **** out of ****
Scream (1996)
Better now than when it came out.
I've heard a bunch of crap lately about how "The Ring" is SOOOO scary. About how it's the first great horror film since "The Exorcist," and how it blows "Scream" out of the water. Well, folks, I've seen both films, "Scream" many times, and "The Ring" twice, and I have to say, "Scream" is better. By a longshot. Fans of "The Ring" gripe a lot that "Scream" was an over-rated teen slasher film. I will give them that. It is over-rated, maybe because when it came out, there had not been a good teen slasher flick since "A Nightmare on Elm Street," although I'm not really a fan of that title. Also, it seemed cool; it was in that mid-90's cool dialogue trend, where every movie thought it was written and directed by Tarantino or Kevin Smith. So when this thing came out, hey, it was cool. It was cool to see a teen slasher movie MAKE FUN of itself. It was also good to see Wes Craven finally get a good movie, probably his best, and to see Neve Campbell light up the big screen with her radiant smile and perfect "girl-next-door" mannerisms. And it was over-rated. Like many other over-rated flicks of the 90s, "Titanic," "The Blair Witch Project," "The English Patient," it was forgotten in about 6 months. The sequels didn't help. While they weren't bad, not bad at all really, they sort of insulted the superior tone of the first film by cashing in on a statement AGAINST such actions. And of course, we got "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Valentine," "Urban Legend," and dozens of other movies EXACTLY LIKE THIS ONE that all pretty much sucked. But I watched this movie again the other day. And you know what? It's better now than when it came out. Like "Psycho" or "Halloween," this movie is the best of its particular sub-genre. We're watching the BEST way this type of movie can be made. We saw the sequels. The rip-offs. "The Ring." Now we see how much better this movie is than those, and we see it in a whole new light. "Scream" is not a great, great movie, no: The story line goes haywire at the end and wayyyy over-the-top. But it's a lot of fun.
Freddy Got Fingered (2001)
Not a bad movie in the least bit
Although it is a matter of taste and tolerance, this movie (which Roger Ebert designated "the worst" of the year 2001... obviously he never saw "Driven") is not really bad at all. True, a lot of the gags don't work (such as the little kid who continually gets maimed) but I wouldn't call the movie a disaster... Tom Green is actually a fairly better filmmaker than he is an actor. As a director he isn't afraid to do what Tom Green does best, which is shock people in disgusting and surprising ways. Anybody who went to this movie expecting to see a mainstream slapstick comedy obviously had the wrong idea in mind; this is a gross out dark comedy that actually keeps its jokes funny while keeping them gross. The childbirth scene in which Green swings the baby around his head to the chanting of some other patients is downright hilarious in its sur-real weirdness, and his first date is without a doubt the funniest and most creative thing in the movie. Too bad he can't film a good ending to go with any of this; the movie's pace sputters and dies about 20 minutes before the final frame, as the credits roll to unfunny outtakes. Throughout its beginning and half of its middle section, "Freddy Got Fingered" is not only good but different, and that's high praise for a film in this recent wave of lame gross out comedies ("Slackers" and "Saving Silverman" are two horrible examples). Not bad, not a misunderstood masterpiece, but just funny enough for Tom Green fans. **1/2 out of ****.