Good choice with Shawshank. Personally I would put it higher though.

The Shawshank Redemption is a good, yet most overrated movie of our time.

I'm back, though busy for the rest of the night, the list will have to continue tomorrow.

If anyone wants to guess top 20 choices... go ahead.

So, where will Garden State and All About Eve end up?

I only remembered Lawrence of Arabia is in the top 10.

Shack said it wouldn't be on the list since he hasn't seen it in a while.

I'm sure Garden State is in the Top 10. It was his favorite "comedy" of the decade, so it's gotta be high.

He already said it wasn't going to make the list and kinda explained why, a page or two back. (I think, not sure where exactly).

I have time to begin the top 20 tonight:

20.


Groundhog Day

I consider Bill Murray to be one of the finest comedians of our time, and Groundhog Day is above all, his finest achievement. One thing it has going for it, is that it has just about the greatest premise for a comedy ever. The idea of a man waking up and re-living the same wretched day over and over, is pure gold for a film like this. Then, enter Bill Murray. With his sarcastic demeanour and dejected puppy dog look and timing, he is the perfect dejected man for the role. There is also the moral factor, Phil is a man who doesn't appreciate life, he works all day and loves noone. And thus, when he is smited to living the same day repeatingly, over time what is really important stands out to him, what really matters comes out. But in reality, Groundhog Day is just a really funny and perfectly executed concept comedy. Nearly everything in the town Ramis creates for this man is perfect, from the motel he wakes up in, Ned, the restaurant, his relationship with Andie McDowell, the alarm clock, the groundhog himself, watching Phil wake up every day, and the smashing of the alarm clock, the scenes where he tries to kill himself, the groundhog being driven off the cliff, and finally near the end where he grows to help everyone in the town and master things like the art of piano and ice-carving, in all of it the film never stops. Groundhog Day is through and through a flawless comedic creation, that I believe will stand the test of time.

Fantastic choice.

I saw that film so many times during the summer after it came out that I can now pretty much quote it line for line. I also drove my mom to hate Bill Murray. It's such a good film though that if it came on right now, I could easily watch it without it seeming old even though I've seen it 30+ times.

19.


Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

I am a Pirates of the Caribbean whore. Well, of the first film anyways. The Curse of the Black Pearl stands in my mind, as essentially the perfect entertainment and adventure film. It's just... so much fun. I've always liked Pirates, so when the definitive pirate film was released, I couldn't be happier. Gore Verbinski hasn't gained name-status yet, but I honestly believe that with this franchise and The Ring, he is one of the big directors of the future to watch. What makes the first Pirates film better than the second, is that it doesn't rely on gloss and big visual effects, corny humor, it makes things simple and purely entertaining. Johnny Depp gives a definitive role as Jack Sparrow, it is true that without him it just wouldn't work as well. He is humourous, but has depth underneath that as well... he carries the movie. Keira Knightley makes you love her as Elizabeth, Rush is a perfect villain, and even Bloom isn't that bad. The first Jack and Will fight and the final showdown on both the boat and in the cave, are some of the better orchastrated and choreographed fight scenes I have seen. What can I say, for me it stands as the perfecture adventure bliss. I only hope that the 3rd can improve on the 2nd which drops in my mind every time I think of it, so the series can stand as a great trilogy despite a weak second film a la Indy, over a one shot greatness two shots weakness a la Back to the Future or The Matrix. One more thing, Pirates of the Caribbean also has the advantage of standing as a generational film, when I look at my movie experiences as a youngin in the future, it will no doubt stand out maybe more than anything else, as this generation's defining blockbuster and series.

YAY! GREAT choice Shack!

18.


Gladiator

"The general who became a slave. The slave who became a gladiator. The gladiator who defined an empire."

Gladiator is probably one of the most 'awesome' movies I've seen. It is swords and sandals greatness, Scott created an absolute epic with this movie. His filmmaking skills in here is just a clinic, from the opening battle scene in on, he crafts a masterpiece that is all at once powerful, unbelievably entertaining, finesse in quality, and epic. Russell Crowe has grown to be one of my favorite actors, and in here, Crowe gives probably his defining work. Nearly as good is Phoenix in the villain role and Hounsou as Juba, the entire cast is near flawless actually. The battle and fight scenes... some of the greatest orchastrated and filmed fight scenes to ever be put on film. Scott in Gladiator balances visceral blood and gore, emotional impact, beauty, and storyline finesse. As perfect for a historical epic as you can possibly get, and another film that will always stand in my memory in the years to come.

Another excellent pick!

17.


Taxi Driver

Taxi Driver is magnificence for two reasons: Firstly, Martin Scorsese directing his head off. The atmosphere, cinematography, pacing, settings, he is a master here. I feel Rear Window may be the finest pure directing triumph that I've seen, though Taxi Driver is right behind it, and on given days, can sometimes surpass it. Nearly every scene in the film is artistic greatness, from the opening shot in the taxi, to when he sits in the front seat and listens to a man talking about how he's going to kill his wife, to De Niro just walking on the street, to the conversation with Foster, in every moment, it is an absolute director's clinic. It is this film that solidifies Scorsese as one of cinema's finest directors.

Secondly, the subverse messages and themes of the character in New York is something that causes it to be more deep than anything Scorsese has touched before, quite easily. As Travis goes through the film, when he narrates about the scum in the city, when he sees that girl and tries to take her out only to be rejected, the character combined with De Niro's acting is working on an incredible level. He starts working out, building himself, training his gun-play, what we get isn't a full explanation, but it is clear he has a clear goal that he is preparing for, he is putting some sort of meaning in his life. He goes more and more off the edge, gets the mohawk, this is not the same Travis from the beginning of the film. When he goes to the political rally, it appears he may attempt an assasination, but that never happens... instead comes in one of the greatest scenes of its decade, he goes on a rampage and saves the well-being of a befriended prostitute. He affected the life of one person, he wiped the scum off of one pimp and horrible being, and thus he now has meaning. Well, that's the way I interpreted it at least... you could pretty much write a book on the meaning of Travis and this film.

Taxi Driver is Marty's best film and one true masterpiece, for it is flawless on all levels, from his direction and cinematography itself, to De Niro giving one of the greatest performances ever, to it's pure depth in every way. The arc that it presents in its character, combined with Marty's mastery, make it an absolute masterpiece, the greatest dramatic and cinematic accomplishment of the 70s, though there is one film from the decade slightly higher overall.

Taxi Driver... Gladiator... Taxi Driver... Gladiator...

This part of your list is the polar opposite of the rest of your list.

Shack, rumor has it Freddy Got Fingered is on your top 100.

To quote Joseph Welch:

Have you no sense of decency?

WORST MOVIE EVER

Haven't seen the movie, and I probably won't after I found out what the "Freddy Got Fingered" part meant!

16.


Se7en

I don't think this one needs all that much introducing. Se7en is essentially a perfect noir/thriller in every way, a defining piece of disturbing and graphic intelligent cinema, and a defining piece of the 90s. Kevin Spacey in the 90s delivered a handful of the greatest characters of all time, and John Doe sits right up there with the best of serial madness, villiany, and evil. The story itself and the idea of using the 7 sins as murders is excellent, and the way Fincher unveils them one by one is greatness. The use of blood, gore, and shock to the senses is extremely well-utilized. And of course, the ending would rank as one of the very best and most brilliant ever, wrapping the entire film together into one moment and just leaving you with a wow. Pitt, Freeman, Paltrow, and all others in the film are used perfectly, and with everything put together as once. Se7en is a horrific beautiful masterpiece, and I apologize for calling Shadow of a Doubt the greatest thriller ever in the previous blurb, I had forgotton to include Se7en in that statement... It is the best thriller, and overall, simply a classic.

YES!

The film looked and sounded horrible, but was ridic!

15.


Monty Python and the Holy Grail

For some reason for a large early portion of my life, I wasn't a huge fan of the Holy Grail. Since then I've watched it numerous times though, and I now have to count myself in the fanbase... It's one of the funniest comedies ever and one of the best overall. For a movie like this, it just wants to make you laugh, and it certainly exceeds in that area. Medeival movies haven't had the greatest time in cinema adaptations, but this is simply a classic. It's a measure of a comedy's greatness, when the thought 'funniest scenes ever' comes into your head, and too many scenes to count on one hand from the Holy Grail pop up. Coconuts, black knights, french blockade, the bridge, the rabbit, knights that say neh, and it goes on and on, all of it is just... hard to breathe. Monty Python is lunacy at its best, and a film that has lived on through time very well... Who knew that the best film of the 1970s could come from a wacky British comedy troupe? Monty Python is a must watch for, well... everybody! Brilliant.

Se7en's definitely in my top twenty. Nice work.

Rumor has it that the rumor is true.

Love the Monty Python pick though. I haven't seen it in years, but a theater 45 minutes away is having two screenings of it this weekend, and I REALLY hope to make it.

14.


The Untouchables

I actually saw The Untouchables just a few months ago, and it blew me away. I make no apologies for Brian De Palma, for the most part the guy is clearly a hack. But I have to give credit where credit is due... This is a masterful masterful feature. It is for me, the definitive mob and/or cops film, it has everything that it needs to succeed in that area. For one thing, a great cast of characters and actors making both the heroes and the villains, and a perfect storyline unraveling the two against one another. Costner does a very good job, Garcia and De Niro do better, Connery does the best in a turn that deserved the Oscar. The film is also not only one of the most entertaining that has been made, but contains one of the very best uses of style that I have seen as well. The films cinematography and atmosphere and scenes such as the road and cabin standoff, Malone's death, De Niro's baseball kill, and especially the chase at the end, is magnificence. The Untouchables is a film that defines cinema greatness, in entertainment, acting, cinematography, storytelling, it is a perfect feature, and as it stands in my mind one of the top 2 films of the 1980s, in a relatively weak decade it stands out completley.

Good pick.

Your list has steadily been getting better, but it still doesn't make up for Jackass/Clerks II/Freddy Got Fingered/Goldmember...