so far 11ish on my list...

14 matches

Sorry folks, there was indeed an unexpected distraction yesterday. So I'll have to go HAM today in order to make my Monday deadline. Also complicating this is the return of FOOTBALL! I'll have to manage my clock Harbaugh style.

41. Starship Troopers (1997)



Yet another movie that brilliantly combines large scale violence with humor. "Would you like to hear more?" It's weird that those over-the-top kind of propaganda videos were, and arguably still are, so prevalent in all societies. Earth probably didn't need much prodding to become scared of giant insects, and shooting an astroid into Buenos Aires isn't going to help matters. Yet there are always there, sometimes complete with NPH explaining exactly where to best shoot a bug. A behind the scenes things I find hilariously perplexing is that test audiences reacted very negatively to the idea of Denise Richards being in love with two men, so much so that they had to reedit her part in the film. Nowadays its weird if a woman ISN'T in love with two men at the same time. Those kind of choices drive box office. Starship Troopers could have been the first Twilight! With more bullets!

40. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)



My earlier comments may have made it seem as though the Trek remake was my favorite of the films, when this is not the case at all! The Voyage Home and The Undiscovered Country would also sit somewhere the 100-200 range if I ever went that far. The original cast had some great chemistry, and after the disastrous pacing failure of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, they could combine that with a watchable movie. I've never seen the "Space Seed" and I don't really feel like it's necessary. Unlike most sci-fi/fantasy franchises, a detailed knowledge of the lore is unneeded. All they ask is you sit along and enjoy the ride.

39. Reservoir Dogs (1992)



One of my favorite filmmakers, Quentin Tarantino, burst onto the scene and took Hollywood by storm with this heist movie that does not show the actual heist. He went from working at a video store to changing film with no warm up like Piranha 2 in between. Everybody knows about Reservoir Dogs, and the Browns just started, so this will be a short write-up.

38. South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (1999)



South Park is my favorite TV show. Even it's down episodes are a pleasure to watch. Trey and Matt take their own battle with censorship and turn it into an all out war between America and Canada. "War" is perhaps the wrong term, as Canada is only able to target America's celebrity families vs America bombing entire cities. A somewhat eery premonition of the war in the Middle East. Complete with Sadam Hussein having homesexual intercourse with Satan.

37. Young Frankenstein (1974)



"It's Frahnkinsteen!" Poor Frederick Frankenstein tries so hard to separate himself from his family's grave robbing legacy, but gets sucked back in by a large inheritance and Frau Blucher (NEIGH!). This is the right way to make a parody. Rather than just having the classic monsters turn up and get kicked in the nuts, Brooks and Wilder affectionately look at this classic tale of human resurrection and put more hilarious emphasis on the already ridiculous parts. "Werewolves? There wolf. There castle."

36. Gladiator (2000)



"Are you not entertained?" I sure am Gladiator comes on cable. It's one of those movies that I put on for at least a few minutes every time it is on. Watching blood shed on film may be comparable to the old days of watching it live in the colosseum. Should we judge the Romans as savage or bored like us? I choose the latter. Civilization always needs distractions to keep from tearing itself apart. I always go back and forth on whether the ending is tragic or not. Maximus did only want to kill Commodus and see his family again. Even if the latter is only a hallucination, he succeeds in both. If only they had real medicine back then, Maximus could have had his cake and eaten it too.

35. Psycho (1960)



I felt bad only including one Hitchcock film in my top 100. You can argue that films like Rear Window and Vertigo are better made, but just having the balls to kill your star 30 minutes into the movie puts Psycho at a much higher starting point. Imagine not knowing that when you went into the screening, in 1960, with the "lead" being a woman. Not say their aren't some incredible shots as well. The set up and payoff to Arbagast entering the Bates motel stands with anything else Hitchcock ever shot.

34. Animal House (1978)



Togas, "Shout!", Donald Sutherland and Karen Allen getting stoned and everything John Belushi are among the many things to love about Animal House. It's are a groundbreaker that inspired many of the comedies that have appeared so far (and maybe after). So thank John Landis and the fine people at National Lampoon. "The negroes stole our dates!"

33. Casablanca (1942)



We all know Casablanca is famous for being a timeless love story, expertly crafted and acted with a beautiful score. I think Casablanca's humor is actually underrated though. "I am shocked, shocked to discover that gambling is going on here!" holds up as well as the classics "We'll always have Paris" and "Here's looking at you, kid."

32. The Big Lebowski (1998)



I can't say that I agree with the Dude's musical opinion (The Eagles are awesome) or beverage choices (milk with alcohol is not), but anything the Dude does seems right for him. The Dude is not all-knowing and not always cool (or he would have just let the rug go), but is generally satisfied with what he is and what he has. That is something we can all get behind.

31. The Princess Bride (1987)



"You only think I guessed wrong! That's what's so funny! I switched glasses when your back was turned! Ha ha! You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders - The most famous of which is "never get involved in a land war in Asia" - but only slightly less well-known is this: "Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line"! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha..." William Goldman knows how to write the hell out of dialogue. This is one of dozens of equally great quotes in this movie.

good to see south park on there. brilliant satire.

now 14 matches...

30. Jurassic Park (1993)
29. Jaws (1975)



Spielberg brings his running count up to 3 with these two mega blockbusters. Both of these books are also pretty damn good, if you were looking for something to read. It's a chicken and the egg situation determining whether I love these two because of the shark and dinosaurs, or if I love sharks and dinosaurs because of these movies.

28. Half Baked (1998)



Since I'll probably never make a list of it, I'll go ahead and spoil that Chappelle's Killing Them Softly ranks as my #1 all-time stand up specials. I think my entire top 4 in that area are by black comedians, just as diverse as this very very white movie list. His delivery is just spot on every time, comedic or serious. The $8 date scene and Brian's explanation of the dog's murder duke it out for my favorite scenes in the film.

27. The Iron Giant (1999)



Stop trying to make me cry, not-Disney. #1 animated movie on the list, and also one of last great 2D movies before CGI completely took over.

So far you've got about 20 that were in my top 200. Some out there choices. I'm actually surprised that you think The Iron Giant is the best animated film of all time.

Disney doesn't have anything to do with The Iron Giant. If it did it probably wouldn't bomb as it (unfortunately) did.

Wow. You folded with Psycho and Casablanca. Your list is getting worse. All the big, well-loved movies. Jurassic Park, The Princess Bride, Jaws, Gladiator, The Big Lebowski....zzzzzZZZZZZZ.

I suppose I was just hoping for some individual taste. Is your taste so correctly aligned with the IMDB contingent? or the WOKJ acceptance bar? I don't think so...but your list implies that. Here's hoping for more of an individualistic Top 26.

Sorry to be so ordinary, algen. And you are right, axiom, that one is my bad.

Anyways, quick update before I go do my thing, and then hopefully I'll finish tonight.

26. Coming To America (1988)



Eddie's finest cinematic hour, or two hours rather. I think I would be OK with the life of a Prince. Eddie, though, finds his lack of choices in life unsatisfying. So he flees to New York with Arsenio Hall and plays five other characters in a church and a barbershop. That is definitely one way of expanding your life options.

25. A Clockwork Orange (1971)



Although I'll never apologize for it, I am having a hard time coming up with something new to say about these classics. A Clockwork Orange is what it is, really fucking great.

And just like that I'm already out of time. Why must it go so fast when I want it not to?

I believe we still only have two matches.

I don't want to give away our two matches, but one is set in the desert and the other prominently features an origami unicorn.

13 matches so far if I'm not mistaken.

24. Airplane! (1980)



Like a lot of this list, this is a great movie to watch over and over, and it comes on cable a lot. One huge problem I've always had is that they remove the last part of the scene I just posted! It's one of my favorite in the movie. The girl's dry delivery and the boy's face afterwards are so perfect.

23. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)



I just read this book earlier this year and can't decide which version I like better. The Dawn of Man section is definitely better in the book, as we go inside the head of Moonwatcher and the other man-apes. I was pretty bummed when that part ended as it was unlike most everything I've read. The rest I have to give to the movie, so it's powerful imagery and score. I think the book is also more accessible. The movie is an acquired taste. I saw this when I was 13 and naturally had no idea what the hell was going on. Years later I revisited and have watched it a dozen times since.

22. Shaun of the Dead (2004)



Zombies plague Shaun's world before anybody dies and comes back to life. And he is stuck in the monotony of every day life, juggling what he wants and what his girlfriend wants him to want. Because of this, it takes Shaun a little while to even notice that society has collapse around him and there are hoards of living dead everywhere.

21. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)



Life of Brian was very close to making it, in case you were wondering. I still have not seen The Meaning of Life. The swallows conversation, the flesh wounded black knight, storming the castle to save the "maiden" in need and the holy hand grenade are my favorites laughs, but there are very many only slightly less equal.

20. Fight Club (1999)



It still puzzles me how a guy fighting himself in an alley could gain such a huge following. I guess it was the ideals of Tyler Durden they followed, but c'mon, no matter how boring life is if you see a guy like that you are going to walk away awkwardly. Or call the police. The ending (and rest of the movie) is so shocking (I didn't see it coming at all) and great that we can forgive these symbolic lapses in logic.

Still at two matches here.

81 matches.

19. Die Hard (1988)



The highest action movie without any science fiction elements. I do love the third and fourth as well, but I think Michael Scott best summed up why the first still reigns supreme. You can relate to John McLaine as a man who is just in the wrong place in the wrong time rather than just view his exploits as a superhero. And because Alan Rickman plays one of the best villains ever.

18. Blazing Saddles (1974)



Mel Brooks' 1974 still continues to astonish me. How could one man direct two of the greatest comedies ever in so small a span of time? I think we need to go back in time and test Mr. Brooks for PEDs. And through the nefarious use of "rustlers, cutthroats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperadoes, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, half-wits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswagglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass kickers, shit kickers – and Methodists."

17. Memento (2000)



OK so most of the movie is backwards? My mind is already blown. I think that is always Christopher Nolan's aim, and it usually hits, but not always ten minutes into the movie. A thrilling narrative about the perils of selective memory and waking up in the middle of a chase scene help Memento last through multiple viewings, which a lot of other movies that initially blew my mind were not able to.

84 matches.

16. Heat (1995)



I think Heat changed the way we use the word epic. The location never changes, time progresses slowly, it's set in modern times and there is not a clear hero. It is very long though. So I think we can just changed the meaning. Because the movie is epic, the shoot out is epic and the meeting between Deniro and Pacino is fucking epic! Proper diction took a hit the day Heat was born. And Al Pacino talking about big butts is hilarious.

15. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)



This is where shit gets really hard to rank. I feel like Raiders should be higher than this, but then I look at the movies above it.. Spielberg and Lucas set the standard for adventure films with older stars, who didn't have time to go through a Hero's Journey. Raiders starts anything but ordinary, climaxing with a giant boulder chasing Indy and just when it looks like he's made it out safe a damn nazi comes in a steals everything he's worked so hard for. F U Nazis.

14. The Matrix (1999)



I'd probably take the blue pills honestly. The real world didn't have wifi or pizza. I wonder why the machines chose 1999 and not some year like 1022, when there were no computers and nobody to question what was happening to them. If somebody switched bodies then they were the devil and that was that.

13. Pulp Fiction (1994)



Travolta dies and then comes back with some crafty editing. Samuel L. Jackson becomes a quote machine "What ain't no country I ever heard of, do they speak English in what?" Bruce Willis uses a sword to rescue his nemesis from ass rape. This movie is still fucking crazy. Tarantino is the master of dialogue.

12. Aliens (1986)



Just watching that clip and thinking about Aliens is getting me pumped up. Get some! Though the best scene is the one with they watch the dots on the radar coming closer and closer, building up the tension, until they realize they are too close and aren't coming through your precious doors! Shit goes crazy and the action does not stop for the rest of the movie (which is at least half an hour).

OK top eleven coming later and then somebody new can go tomorrow. Yay!

Yo, three matches.

An astonishing 89 matches!

I wish Magnus, Algren, and/or myself had signed up before Thegun. We dropped the ball.

2001: A Space Odyssey? Flava'd has hit a new low.

11. The Shining (1980)



I'm not usually that into traditions or holidays, but I do try to watch The Shining once a year around Halloween time. Those little girls are still scary as shit. "Come play with us forever and ever." No thank you.

10. The Dark Knight (2008)



As much as I love Heat, the one big thing it was missing was Batman. The Dark Knight solves this issue. It's also based on the best Batman comic series, The Long Halloween.

9. Zoolander (2001)



The funniest movie of all time, IMO. And it still manages to get funnier every time I see it. Hopefully we'll finally see a sequel after Anchorman 2 tears up the box office this December.

8. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)



James Cameron proudly wins the battle for director with most films on the list. He edge out Spielberg, Kubrick and Nolan who all have four. And he didn't even need Avatar. T2 is obviously just the most boss action movie ever.