Friday, December 30, 2016
Movie #1: The Godfather
Movie #: 1
Movie Title: The Godfather
Year Released: 1972
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Notable Cast: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Cann, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Talia Shire, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, Diane Keaton
Short Description: The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #2
IMDB.com: #2
Ranker.com: #1
Lifed.com: #1
Empire.com: #1
FilmCrave.com: #3
FlickChart.com: #3
Date Watched: 12/29/2016
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
Rationale: The best parts about The Godfather, without a doubt, are the story and characters, particularly Don Corleone, played by Marlon Brando, and his son Michael, played by Al Pacino. There wasn't a point where I found myself disinterested in what was happening and how those events or actions would affect the family going forward. My issues with The Godfather and why it didn't receive a higher grade are the little action that exists is very weak, the visuals aren't impressive at all, and I felt the movie was longer than necessary. During the scene in which Michael's brother Santino beats up their brother-in-law you can clearly see punches being pulled. I mean, some of those swings aren't even close to hitting. The gun fight scenes aren't much better with overdramatic or unrealistic reactions to being shot and incredibly fake looking pink-ish blood. Hopefully when I recall my feelings towards The Godfather in the future I can focus on the characters and story more so than the negatives.
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Top Graded Movies By Year
Below is the list of the top graded movies by year and the grade I gave the movie. I feel this is an interesting way to look at the top 251 movies of all time because movies differ so much nowadays compared to 100 years ago. When a tie breaker was needed I used whatever movie appeared higher on my overall grade list. Not every year since 1916 is represented, especially years in the early 1910's and 1920's and anything after 2012, but most years are present.
| Year | Movie Title | My Grade |
| 1916 | Intolerance | 1 out of 5 |
| 1925 | The Gold Rush | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 1927 | Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans | 3 out of 5 |
| 1928 | The Passion of Joan of Arc | 1 out of 5 |
| 1931 | M | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 1933 | King Kong | 2.5 out of 5 |
| 1934 | It Happened One Night | 3 out of 5 |
| 1935 | A Night at the Opera | 1 out of 5 |
| 1936 | Modern Times | 3 out of 5 |
| 1937 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | 2 out of 5 |
| 1938 | Bringing Up Baby | 3 out of 5 |
| 1939 | The Wizard of Oz | 4 out of 5 |
| 1940 | His Girl Friday | 3 out of 5 |
| 1941 | Sullivan's Travels | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 1942 | Casablanca | 3 out of 5 |
| 1943 | The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp | 3 out of 5 |
| 1944 | Double Indemnity | 3 out of 5 |
| 1946 | It's a Wonderful Life | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 1948 | The Treasure of the Sierra Madre | 3 out of 5 |
| 1949 | Kind Hearts and Coronets | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 1950 | All About Eve | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 1951 | Strangers on a Train | 2.5 out of 5 |
| 1952 | Singin' in the Rain | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 1953 | Shane | 1.5 out of 5 |
| 1954 | Seven Samurai | 4 out of 5 |
| 1955 | The Night of the Hunter | 2 out of 5 |
| 1956 | The Searchers | 2 out of 5 |
| 1957 | 12 Angry Men | 4 out of 5 |
| 1958 | Touch of Evil | 1.5 out of 5 |
| 1959 | Some Like It Hot | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 1960 | Psycho | 4 out of 5 |
| 1961 | West Side Story | 2 out of 5 |
| 1962 | To Kill a Mockingbird | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 1963 | The Great Escape | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 1964 | A Fistful of Dollars | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 1965 | The Sound of Music | 2 out of 5 |
| 1966 | Persona | 4 out of 5 |
| 1967 | In the Heat of the Night | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 1968 | Rosemary's Baby | 3 out of 5 |
| 1969 | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid | 4 out of 5 |
| 1970 | MASH | 2.5 out of 5 |
| 1971 | The Last Picture Show | 2.5 out of 5 |
| 1972 | Cabaret | 4 out of 5 |
| 1973 | The Sting | 4 out of 5 |
| 1974 | The Godfather Part II | 3 out of 5 |
| 1975 | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 1976 | Rocky | 3 out of 5 |
| 1977 | Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope | 5 out of 5 |
| 1978 | The Deer Hunter | 2.5 out of 5 |
| 1979 | Alien | 3 out of 5 |
| 1980 | Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back | 5 out of 5 |
| 1981 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 1982 | Sophie's Choice | 4 out of 5 |
| 1983 | Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 1984 | Amadeus | 4 out of 5 |
| 1985 | Back to the Future | 4 out of 5 |
| 1986 | Platoon | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 1987 | Full Metal Jacket | 4 out of 5 |
| 1988 | Cinema Paradiso | 4 out of 5 |
| 1989 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | 5 out of 5 |
| 1990 | Goodfellas | 4 out of 5 |
| 1991 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 1992 | Reservoir Dogs | 4 out of 5 |
| 1993 | Jurassic Park | 5 out of 5 |
| 1994 | Forrest Gump | 5 out of 5 |
| 1995 | Braveheart | 5 out of 5 |
| 1996 | Fargo | 3 out of 5 |
| 1997 | Titanic | 5 out of 5 |
| 1998 | American History X | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 1999 | The Green Mile | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 2000 | Gladiator | 5 out of 5 |
| 2001 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | 5 out of 5 |
| 2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | 5 out of 5 |
| 2004 | Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 2005 | Batman Begins | 4 out of 5 |
| 2006 | The Prestige | 4 out of 5 |
| 2007 | The Bourne Ultimatum | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 2008 | The Dark Knight | 5 out of 5 |
| 2009 | Avatar | 4 out of 5 |
| 2010 | Inception | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 2011 | The Intouchables | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 2012 | Argo | 4.5 out of 5 |
Movies I Had Previously Seen
Besides being excited about watching some movies that I hadn't seen before in the top 251 movies of all time, I was really looking forward to "having" to watch movies I knew I already enjoyed. Most of the previously viewed movies were already among my favorites, but some exceptions existed. Still, I knew I could tolerate having to watch a couple of exceptions again if it meant "being forced" to watch my favorites too.
Below is the list of movies I had previously seen before I started to watch the top 251 movies of all time and the grade I gave the movie. A lot of this list skews newer, which fits right in with past observations I've made about tending to like prefer newer movies over older movies. The list averaged a grade of 3.877 out of 5 and that strong number was built on the backs of movies I adore like the Star Wars trilogy and The Lord of the Ring trilogy. Thankfully others that I didn't enjoy as much, like Donnie Darko and West Side Story, didn't severely impact the grade.
| Movie # | Movie Title | My Grade |
| 2 | The Shawshank Redemption (1994) | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 6 | Schindler's List (1993) | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 7 | Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 9 | Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) | 5 out of 5 |
| 10 | Fight Club (1999) | 4 out of 5 |
| 11 | Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) | 5 out of 5 |
| 12 | The Dark Knight (2008) | 5 out of 5 |
| 14 | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 18 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) | 5 out of 5 |
| 20 | The Matrix (1999) | 4 out of 5 |
| 21 | The Silence of the Lambs (1991) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 22 | Back to the Future (1985) | 4 out of 5 |
| 24 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) | 5 out of 5 |
| 26 | Forrest Gump (1994) | 5 out of 5 |
| 30 | 12 Angry Men (1957) | 4 out of 5 |
| 31 | The Shining (1980) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 32 | Saving Private Ryan (1998) | 4 out of 5 |
| 34 | Inception (2010) | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 35 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 44 | Jaws (1975) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 46 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 57 | American History X (1998) | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 58 | Gladiator (2000) | 5 out of 5 |
| 60 | Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) | 3 out of 5 |
| 61 | The Wizard of Oz (1939) | 4 out of 5 |
| 66 | To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 69 | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) | 4 out of 5 |
| 73 | Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 77 | The Green Mile (1999) | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 80 | WALL-E (2008) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 83 | Toy Story (1995) | 4 out of 5 |
| 84 | Rocky (1976) | 3 out of 5 |
| 85 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) | 5 out of 5 |
| 86 | Toy Story 3 (2010) | 4 out of 5 |
| 88 | Batman Begins (2005) | 4 out of 5 |
| 89 | The Dark Knight Rises (2012) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 90 | The Lion King (1994) | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 93 | No Country for Old Men (2007) | 3 out of 5 |
| 100 | The Pianist (2002) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 101 | The Terminator (1984) | 3 out of 5 |
| 104 | Jurassic Park (1993) | 5 out of 5 |
| 108 | Titanic (1997) | 5 out of 5 |
| 115 | Ghostbusters (1984) | 3 out of 5 |
| 118 | Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) | 2 out of 5 |
| 119 | Slumdog Millionaire (2008) | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 120 | Avatar (2009) | 4 out of 5 |
| 121 | Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 127 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) | 2 out of 5 |
| 138 | Inglourious Basterds (2009) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 140 | The Hangover (2009) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 146 | The Avengers (2012) | 4 out of 5 |
| 152 | West Side Story (1961) | 2 out of 5 |
| 153 | Donnie Darko (2001) | 2 out of 5 |
| 158 | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 159 | Casino Royale (2006) | 4 out of 5 |
| 166 | Finding Nemo (2003) | 4 out of 5 |
| 168 | The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 186 | The Prestige (2006) | 4 out of 5 |
| 192 | The Breakfast Club (1985) | 3 out of 5 |
| 193 | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 198 | Apollo 13 (1995) | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 200 | The Bourne Identity (2002) | 4 out of 5 |
| 207 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) | 4 out of 5 |
| 209 | Iron Man (2008) | 4 out of 5 |
| 212 | Argo (2012) | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 238 | Ocean's Eleven (2001) | 4 out of 5 |
| 241 | Grease (1978) | 2 out of 5 |
| 246 | Shaun of the Dead (2004) | 3 out of 5 |
| 249 | Star Trek (2009) | 4 out of 5 |
Best Picture Oscar Winners
As of the end of 2016 there are 88 movies that have been awarded the Best Picture Oscar at the Academy Awards. Of those 88 movies, 39 appear on the list of the top 251 movies of all time. Of those 39 movies, I had not seen 27 of them previously. That leaves 12 movies on the list that I had seen before. In addition, there are six other Best Picture Oscar winners I've seen that either didn't make the cut (Dances with Wolves, A Beautiful Mind, Chicago) or were released after the top 251 list was compiled (12 Years a Slave, Birdman, Spotlight). Without this project I would likely only be at 18 of 88 seen instead of 45 of 88 seen.
Below are two lists of Best Picture Oscar winners in the top 251 movies of all time and the grade I gave the movie. The first list is of Best Picture Oscar winners that I hadn't previously seen, which had an average grade of 3.074 out of 5, and the second list is of Best Picture Oscar winners that I had seen before, which had an average grade of 4.042 out of 5. Breaking the list into two, along with listing the Best Picture Oscar winners above that I've seen that didn't make the top 251, makes it easier to compare where I was at and where I am now in terms of seeing all of the Best Picture Oscar winners in history. That may be a goal of mine at some point after my addendum project is finished.
Best Picture Oscar Winners I've Not Previously Seen
| Movie # | Movie Title | My Grade |
| 1 | The Godfather (1972) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 3 | The Godfather Part II (1974) | 3 out of 5 |
| 4 | Casablanca (1942) | 3 out of 5 |
| 50 | Gone with the Wind (1939) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 52 | The Departed (2006) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 55 | Braveheart (1995) | 5 out of 5 |
| 56 | Lawrence of Arabia (1962) | 2.5 out of 5 |
| 67 | American Beauty (1999) | 3 out of 5 |
| 72 | The Apartment (1960) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 81 | On the Waterfront (1954) | 2.5 out of 5 |
| 99 | Unforgiven (1992) | 3 out of 5 |
| 102 | Annie Hall (1977) | 1 out of 5 |
| 112 | The Sound of Music (1965) | 2 out of 5 |
| 113 | All About Eve (1950) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 114 | It Happened One Night (1934) | 3 out of 5 |
| 128 | The King's Speech (2010) | 3 out of 5 |
| 130 | The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) | 2.5 out of 5 |
| 131 | The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) | 2.5 out of 5 |
| 133 | Platoon (1986) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 139 | Midnight Cowboy (1969) | 3 out of 5 |
| 154 | The Deer Hunter (1978) | 2.5 out of 5 |
| 164 | Amadeus (1984) | 4 out of 5 |
| 202 | In the Heat of the Night (1967) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 226 | Rain Man (1988) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 237 | The French Connection (1971) | 2.5 out of 5 |
| 250 | The Sting (1973) | 4 out of 5 |
| 251 | Ben-Hur (1959) | 3 out of 5 |
Best Picture Oscar Winners I've Seen Before
| Movie # | Movie Title | My Grade |
| 6 | Schindler's List (1993) | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 14 | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 21 | The Silence of the Lambs (1991) | 3.5 out of 5 |
| 24 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) | 5 out of 5 |
| 26 | Forrest Gump (1994) | 5 out of 5 |
| 58 | Gladiator (2000) | 5 out of 5 |
| 84 | Rocky (1976) | 3 out of 5 |
| 93 | No Country for Old Men (2007) | 3 out of 5 |
| 108 | Titanic (1997) | 5 out of 5 |
| 119 | Slumdog Millionaire (2008) | 4.5 out of 5 |
| 152 | West Side Story (1961) | 2 out of 5 |
| 212 | Argo (2012) | 4.5 out of 5 |
My Top 100 From The Top 251 List
Now that all of the top 251 movies of all time has been watched, I'm able to present what I feel are my top 100 movies from list. My top 100 only includes movies I watched for this project, which means personal favorites that didn't make the cut, like The Last Samurai, and any movie from 2013 through 2016 will not appear. Using this list as a starting point, maybe some day I will post an update that includes all movies I've seen and feel are top 100 movies.
| My Rank | Movie Title | My Grade |
| 1 | Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) | 5 out of 5 (Exceptional) |
| 2 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) | 5 out of 5 (Exceptional) |
| 3 | The Dark Knight (2008) | 5 out of 5 (Exceptional) |
| 4 | Gladiator (2000) | 5 out of 5 (Exceptional) |
| 5 | Jurassic Park (1993) | 5 out of 5 (Exceptional) |
| 6 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) | 5 out of 5 (Exceptional) |
| 7 | Braveheart | 5 out of 5 (Exceptional) |
| 8 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) | 5 out of 5 (Exceptional) |
| 9 | Titanic (1997) | 5 out of 5 (Exceptional) |
| 10 | Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) | 5 out of 5 (Exceptional) |
| 11 | Forrest Gump (1994) | 5 out of 5 (Exceptional) |
| 12 | Apollo 13 (1995) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 13 | The Lion King (1994) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 14 | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 15 | Inception (2010) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 16 | Slumdog Millionaire (2008) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 17 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 18 | The Shawshank Redemption (1994) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 19 | Gran Torino (2008) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 20 | Argo (2012) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 21 | The Intouchables (2011) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 22 | Django Unchained (2012) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 23 | Schindler's List (1993) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 24 | Life Is Beautiful (1997) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 25 | American History X (1998) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 26 | The Green Mile (1999) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 27 | Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 28 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 29 | Batman Begins (2005) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 30 | Toy Story (1995) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 31 | Avatar (2009) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 32 | Sophie's Choice (1982) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 33 | Cinema Paradiso (1988) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 34 | Memento (2000) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 35 | The Prestige (2006) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 36 | The Avengers (2012) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 37 | Pulp Fiction (1994) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 38 | Back to the Future (1985) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 39 | Amadeus (1984) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 40 | Toy Story 3 (2010) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 41 | Groundhog Day (1993) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 42 | Finding Nemo (2003) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 43 | Fight Club (1999) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 44 | Oldboy (2003) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 45 | Saving Private Ryan (1998) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 46 | Star Trek (2009) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 47 | Reservoir Dogs (1992) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 48 | Goodfellas (1990) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 49 | The Matrix (1999) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 50 | Persona (1966) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 51 | Cinderella Man (2005) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 52 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 53 | Training Day (2001) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 54 | Ocean's Eleven (2001) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 55 | Casino Royale (2006) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 56 | The Wizard of Oz (1939) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 57 | 12 Angry Men (1957) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 58 | The Sting (1973) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 59 | Tootsie (1982) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 60 | Iron Man (2008) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 61 | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 62 | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 63 | The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 64 | The Bourne Identity (2002) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 65 | Cabaret (1972) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 66 | Seven Samurai (1954) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 67 | Psycho (1960) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 68 | Full Metal Jacket (1987) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 69 | Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 70 | The Dark Knight Rises (2012) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 71 | Once Upon a Time in America (1984) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 72 | WALL-E (2008) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 73 | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 74 | The Shining (1980) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 75 | The Departed | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 76 | L.A. Confidential (1997) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 77 | Scarface (1983) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 78 | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 79 | To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 80 | The Apartment (1960) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 81 | The Godfather (1972) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 82 | M (1931) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 83 | Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 84 | Pan's Labyrinth (2006) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 85 | Platoon (1986) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 86 | The Gold Rush (1925) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 87 | The Hangover (2009) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 88 | All About Eve (1950) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 89 | The Princess Bride (1987) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 90 | Die Hard (1988) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 91 | In the Heat of the Night (1967) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 92 | Rain Man (1988) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 93 | Jaws (1975) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 94 | Sullivan's Travels (1941) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 95 | Singin' in the Rain | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 96 | Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 97 | Up (2009) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 98 | The Big Lebowski (1998) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 99 | Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 100 | Inglourious Basterds (2009) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
Recap of Movies #1-25
Adjustments
Movie #: 9
Movie Title: Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Original Grade:4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding)
Adjusted Grade: 5 out of 5 (Exceptional)
Movie #: 17
Movie Title: Psycho (1960)
Original Grade:3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
Adjusted Grade: 4 out of 5 (Excellent)
My Best to Worst of #1-25
| Movie # | Movie Title | My Grade |
| 11 | Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) | 5 out of 5 (Exceptional) |
| 18 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) | 5 out of 5 (Exceptional) |
| 12 | The Dark Knight (2008) | 5 out of 5 (Exceptional) |
| 24 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) | 5 out of 5 (Exceptional) |
| 9 | Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) | 5 out of 5 (Exceptional) |
| 2 | The Shawshank Redemption (1994) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 6 | Schindler's List (1993) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 22 | Pulp Fiction (1994) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 22 | Back to the Future (1985) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 10 | Fight Club (1999) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 8 | Goodfellas (1990) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 20 | The Matrix (1999) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 15 | The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 17 | Psycho (1960) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 14 | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 1 | The Godfather (1972) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 7 | Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 25 | The Usual Suspects (1995) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 21 | The Silence of the Lambs (1991) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 3 | The Godfather Part II (1974) | 3 out of 5 (Good) |
| 13 | Citizen Kane (1941) | 3 out of 5 (Good) |
| 4 | Casablanca (1942) | 3 out of 5 (Good) |
| 19 | Taxi Driver (1976) | 2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory) |
| 23 | Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) | 2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory) |
| 16 | Apocalypse Now (1979) | 2 out of 5 (Fair) |
25 Movie Block Comparison
In an attempt to set goals for watching 251 movies I ended up breaking them into groups of 25 (or 26 for the last group). That made it a bit easier to do occasional recap lists of the movies I had watched as well as allowing for a sense of accomplishment when I finished a block of movies.
Below is a comparison of the movie blocks by average year and by average grade given to the movies in the block. I'm not surprised at all that the average grade for the blocks usually got better the farther I made it up the list starting from the bottom, but I am a bit surprised at the dip in block 151-175 after two fairly good blocks in 176-200 and 201-225.
| 25 Movie Block | Average Grade | Average Year |
| 1-25 | 3.82 out of 5 | 1982 |
| 26-50 | 3.404 out of 5 | 1974 |
| 51-75 | 3.385 out of 5 | 1977 |
| 76-100 | 3.212 out of 5 | 1981 |
| 101-125 | 3 out of 5 | 1972 |
| 126-150 | 2.942 out of 5 | 1972 |
| 151-175 | 2.654 out of 5 | 1976 |
| 176-200 | 2.827 out of 5 | 1978 |
| 201-225 | 2.962 out of 5 | 1979 |
| 226-251 | 2.75 out of 5 | 1976 |
Movie Age To Grade Comparison
One of the most obvious facts I confirmed while watching the top 251 movies of all time is that I tend to prefer recent movies to older movies. That's not to say there aren't good older movies or that there aren't bad recent movies. I just feel advances in technology and more refined modern actors make today's offerings generally better than those of yesteryear.
Below is a comparison of movies by decade and the average grade given to the movies in that decade. I'm not surprised that the grade for the 1930's is decent because I know I enjoyed a few of the classics from that era, but the 1960's being as strong as they were compared to the poor showing of the 1940's and 1950's is noteworthy.
| Decade | # Of Movies | Average Grade |
| 1910's | 1 | 1 out of 5 |
| 1920's | 5 | 2.1 out of 5 |
| 1930's | 13 | 2.731 out of 5 |
| 1940's | 21 | 2.571 out of 5 |
| 1950's | 27 | 2.5 out of 5 |
| 1960's | 28 | 2.804 out of 5 |
| 1970's | 30 | 2.633 out of 5 |
| 1980's | 38 | 3.211 out of 5 |
| 1990's | 38 | 3.697 out of 5 |
| 2000's | 41 | 3.707 out of 5 |
| 2010's | 9 | 4.056 out of 5 |
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Movie #2: The Shawshank Redemption
Movie #: 2
Movie Title: The Shawshank Redemption
Year Released: 1994
Director: Frank Darabont
Notable Cast: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler, Clancy Brown, Gil Bellows, James Whitmore
Short Description: Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #72
IMDB.com: #1
Ranker.com: #3
Lifed.com: #2
Empire.com: #4
FilmCrave.com: #1
FlickChart.com: #5
Date Watched: 12/27/2016
Grade: 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding)
Rationale: The beauty of The Shawshank Redemption can be found in the extremely methodical storytelling by writer/director Frank Darabont. Every detail is planned and executed so well that once the plot twist unfolds there's no way to poke holes in the story and question the setup for the twist. All of the actors, especially Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman as inmates Andy Dufresne and Ellis "Red" Redding and Bob Gunton as Wardon Norton, do exquisite work portraying their characters in a convincing manner throughout the movie. The score by Thomas Newman is subtle but wonderful, particularly during the scene where Andy stands in the pouring rain after he escapes from Shawshank Prison. While I don't unequivocally adore The Shawshank Redemption as much as some people do, evident of the fact that it's ranked in the top 5 on six of the top 100 lists I used, I do like the movie a lot and will gladly watch it whenever I have the chance.
Movie #3: The Godfather Part II
Movie #: 3
Movie Title: The Godfather Part II
Year Released: 1974
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Notable Cast: Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, Talia Shire, Morgana King, John Cazale, Marianna Hill, Lee Strasberg
Short Description: The early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York is portrayed while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on his crime syndicate stretching from Lake Tahoe, Nevada to pre-revolution 1958 Cuba. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #32
IMDB.com: #3
Ranker.com: #4
Lifed.com: #8
Empire.com: #19
FilmCrave.com: #16
FlickChart.com: #8
Date Watched: 12/26/2016
Grade: 3 out of 5 (Good)
Rationale: I really enjoyed the occasional flashbacks to Vito Corleone's youth and his rise from an orphaned nine-year-old immigrant to "Godfather" status. I also thought the "present day" storyline of Michael Corleone attempting to run the family after his father's death was good. I just wish The Godfather Part II had a better idea of what it wanted to be. In my opinion there was no reason to mix flashbacks of Michael's father with Michael's current problems because they seemed so unrelated. Either the film should have focused on just Michael or it should have been a complete prequel featuring Vito. Honestly, I would have preferred the latter of those two options because Robert De Niro was impressive as a young adult version of Vito Corleone and with all of the people killed off in the first Godfather, a "present day" only movie would have been even more stretched thin plot and character wise.
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Movie #6: Schindler's List
Movie #: 6
Movie Title: Schindler's List
Year Released: 1993
Director: Steven Spielberg
Notable Cast: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall, Jonathan Sagall, Embeth Davidtz
Short Description: In German-occupied Poland during World War II, Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazi Germans. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #8
IMDB.com: #8
Ranker.com: #10
Lifed.com: #3
Empire.com: #44
FilmCrave.com: #10
FlickChart.com: #56
Date Watched: 12/19/2016
Grade: 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding)
Rationale: Schindler's List, more so than any other movie I've watched, exposes how emotional I'm becoming as I age. The inhumane brutality of the Nazis towards the Jewish people, particularly during the purging of the ghetto and the exhuming and burning of corpses in the concentration camp, was incredibly hard to watch and Steven Spielberg did the right thing by not shielding the audience from these atrocities because they happened and it would be wrong to sugar coat the facts. The main scene that had me absolutely bawling, though, was near the end of the movie when Oskar Schindler himself becomes an emotional wreck after acknowledging that he could have done more to save more Jewish people, even though he did end up saving around 1,200 people from a likely death. Schindler's List may turn off a lot of people because of its content, but I do recommend everyone at least try to watch it once because it is a historically significant film that tells an important story.
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Movie #5: Pulp Fiction
Movie #: 5
Movie Title: Pulp Fiction
Year Released: 1994
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Notable Cast: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Maria de Medeiros, Ving Rhames, Eric Stoltz, Rosanna Arquette, Christopher Walken, Bruce Willis
Short Description: The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster's wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #94
IMDB.com: #4
Ranker.com: #2
Lifed.com: #14
Empire.com: #9
FilmCrave.com: #5
FlickChart.com: #6
Date Watched: 12/20/2016
Grade: 4 out of 5 (Excellent)
Rationale: In Quentin Tarantino I trust? It sure seems that way. I love the use of inner connected storylines in Pulp Fiction and, as I've come to expect from Tarantino over the course of this movie project, the action scenes are top notch. Oddly enough I'm not typically a fan of John Travolta, Bruce Willis, or Uma Thurman, but as an ensemble along with Samuel L. Jackson the combination worked well and I dug it. The only disappointment of note was that a large portion of the movie between the beginning and end didn't include Jackson's character, Jules Winnfield. The storyline with Jules kicks off with such a bang that it's a shame having to wait to see him again until the latter portion of the movie when that storyline picks back up.
Monday, December 19, 2016
Movie #19: Taxi Driver
Movie #: 19
Movie Title: Taxi Driver
Year Released: 1976
Director: Martin Scorsese
Notable Cast: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Albert Brooks, Harvey Keitel, Leonard Harris, Peter Boyle, Cybill Shepherd
Short Description: A mentally unstable Vietnam War veteran works as a night-time taxi driver in New York City where the perceived decadence and sleaze feeds his urge for violent action, attempting to save a preadolescent prostitute in the process. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #52
IMDB.com: #54
Ranker.com: #27
Lifed.com: #27
Empire.com: #17
FilmCrave.com: #38
FlickChart.com: #29
Date Watched: 11/17/2016
Grade: 2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory)
Rationale: At this point I'm at a loss as to why most of Robert De Niro's "best" movies seem average to me. I know he's a good actor so I don't feel he's at fault, but it's unexplainable other than the common connection of De Niro. In the case of Taxi Driver, I wasn't hooked right off the bat and by the time De Niro's Travis Bickle shaved his head and massively armed himself to become some sort of an avenger, too much of the movie had passed for me to become excited about his continued mental breakdown and forthcoming killing spree.
Movie #7: Raiders of the Lost Ark
Movie #: 7
Movie Title: Raiders of the Lost Ark
Year Released: 1981
Director: Steven Spielberg
Notable Cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies, Denholm Elliott
Short Description: Archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #66
IMDB.com: #27
Ranker.com: #15
Lifed.com: #20
Empire.com: #2
FilmCrave.com: #15
FlickChart.com: #4
Date Watched: 12/15/2016
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
Rationale: Simply put, Raiders of the Lost Ark doesn't connect with me the same was that Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade does. Maybe it's the fact that Indiana Jones is a better developed character by the third movie or that Sean Connery is a better sidekick than Karen Allen is. I don't know. What I do know is that the jungle and temple escape scene at the beginning of Raiders is justifiably iconic. I do know that I'm a fan of John Rhys-Davies so it was nice to see him have a larger role in Raiders compared to The Last Crusade. Finally, I do know that Harrison Ford commands the screen and no one is a better fit for the Indiana Jones character.
Movie #8: Goodfellas
Movie #: 8
Movie Title: Goodfellas
Year Released: 1990
Director: Martin Scorsese
Notable Cast: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, Paul Sorvino
Short Description: Henry Hill and his friends work their way up through the mob hierarchy. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #92
IMDB.com: #15
Ranker.com: #5
Lifed.com: #9
Empire.com: #6
FilmCrave.com: #11
FlickChart.com: #11
Date Watched: 12/13/2016
Grade: 4 out of 5 (Excellent)
Rationale: It's nice that the only "big concern" I had with Goodfellas was that Joe Pesci's character is too similar to his role in other mob/gangster movies, and by "big concern" I mean it's not really a problem because the role suits him well. Other than that, Goodfellas was written in a way that the story never tires or bores. I enjoyed the narration throughout by Ray Liotta's character Henry Hill and was pleasantly surprised by the occasional use of two narrators once they introduced Karen, Henry's future wife, played by Lorraine Bracco. Ok, maybe I wasn't a fan of the ending as well since I was expecting something very different regarding the fate of Liotta's character, but that's what you get with a movie based on a true story and important facts that can't be changed.
Friday, December 16, 2016
Movie #9: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Movie #: 9
Movie Title: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Year Released: 1980
Director: Irvin Kershner
Notable Cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, James Earl Jones, Frank Oz, Alec Guinness
Short Description: After the rebels have been brutally overpowered by the Empire on their newly established base, Luke Skywalker takes advanced Jedi training with Master Yoda, while his friends are pursued by Darth Vader as part of his plan to capture Luke. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: #11
Ranker.com: #13
Lifed.com: #12
Empire.com: #3
FilmCrave.com: #13
FlickChart.com: #2
Note: This is the last movie on my list to appear on only six of the top 100 lists I used to compile the 251 movies I’m watching.
Date Watched: 12/9/2016
Grade: 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding)
Adjusted Grade: 5 out of 5 (Exceptional)
Rationale: Take the best parts of Episode IV: A New Hope, improve the acting (I'm looking at you, more refined Mark Hamill), add in two of the coolest characters in the entire Star Wars saga (Yoda and Lando Calrissian), add in three of the more popular locations in the Star Wars universe (Hoth, Dagobah, and Cloud City), give us a longer, better choreographed battle between Darth Vader and the good guy, then top it all off with one of the greatest twists/cliffhangers in cinematic history and you end up with Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. I still personally believe A New Hope has the most miniscule edge over The Empire Strikes Back, but I can easily see why The Empire Strikes Back is generally considered to be the best Star Wars movie there is.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Movie #10: Fight Club
Movie #: 10
Movie Title: Fight Club
Year Released: 1999
Director: David Fincher
Notable Cast: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf Aday, Jared Leto
Short Description: An insomniac office worker, looking for a way to change his life, crosses paths with a devil-may-care soap maker, forming an underground fight club that evolves into something much, much more. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: #10
Ranker.com: #9
Lifed.com: #19
Empire.com: #10
FilmCrave.com: #2
FlickChart.com: #12
Date Watched: 12/7/2016
Grade: 4 out of 5 (Excellent)
Rationale: The chemistry in Fight Club between Edward Norton and Brad Pitt is as exceptional as the writing is. The fight scenes are well done and the preachings by Brad Pitt's character are both thought provoking and cerebral. I do find it interesting how, even after watching Fight Club a half dozen times or so over the years, there's still little tidbits I missed previously throughout the movie that I pick up that hint towards the ending. Fight Club is likely not a movie that'll come to the forefront of my mind when I'm asked to list what I believe are the best movies I've seen or of all time, but it deserves a place somewhere on the list.
The Top 10
I made it. Almost four years after this project was conceived I'm down to the last 10 movies. The struggle was real; 251 movies is a lot to watch in general and there have been a lot of bad ones along the way that affected my desire to finish. Thankfully I didn't give up, like I've done with so many goals in the past, and I plowed through 171 movies so far in 2016 alone. Now there's only 10 left to go.
Looking ahead it's hard to argue against any of these movies belonging in the top 10 just based on their reputation. I've only seen five of them previously, so I look forward to watching the five I haven't seen for the first time and re-watching the five I've previously seen.
Thank you for following me during this journey. The end will be worth the wait.
Looking ahead it's hard to argue against any of these movies belonging in the top 10 just based on their reputation. I've only seen five of them previously, so I look forward to watching the five I haven't seen for the first time and re-watching the five I've previously seen.
Thank you for following me during this journey. The end will be worth the wait.
Movie #11: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Movie #: 11
Movie Title: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Year Released: 1977
Director: George Lucas
Notable Cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, James Earl Jones, Peter Cushing
Short Description: Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee, and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle-station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the evil Darth Vader. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #13
IMDB.com: #16
Ranker.com: #76
Lifed.com: #18
Empire.com: #22
FilmCrave.com: #20
FlickChart.com: #1
Date Watched: 12/6/2016
Grade: 5 out of 5 (Exceptional)
Rationale: Movies have had a huge impact on my life and no single movie or movie series has had more influence on me than the Star Wars saga, particularly Episode IV: A New Hope. While the acting in A New Hope may not be top notch (I'm looking at you, young Mark Hamill) and the dialog a tad cheesy (I'm looking at you, George Lucas), the Star Wars saga is a multi-generational and genre defining phenomenon that never would have been what it is today without the legendary characters and revolutionary filming advancements introduced in A New Hope. From the moment the iconic opening text crawl appears up until when the credits begin to roll with John William's famous theme playing in the background, there is no movie I find greater joy in watching than A New Hope, regardless of how many times I've seen it.
Friday, December 9, 2016
Movie #12: The Dark Knight
Movie #: 12
Movie Title: The Dark Knight
Year Released: 2008
Director: Christopher Nolan
Notable Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman
Short Description: When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, the caped crusader must come to terms with one of the greatest psychological tests of his ability to fight justice. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: #7
Ranker.com: #8
Lifed.com: #5
Empire.com: #15
FilmCrave.com: #4
FlickChart.com: #31
Date Watched: 12/5/2016
Grade: 5 out of 5 (Exceptional)
Rationale: Honestly, if you need more than Heath Ledger as a reason to love The Dark Knight, that's disappointing because, for my money, Heath Ledger's Oscar winning performance as The Joker is the single greatest performance in all of movie history. I mean, the guy was setup to fail from the beginning and knocked the ball completely out of the park and into a new universe. The fan backlash from The Joker being the villain was bad enough because Jack Nicholson had done such a good job in 1989's Batman, but the casting of Heath was severely looked down upon because he was mostly known for romantic comedies. I even remember pooh-poohing the choice myself. My bad. Moving on, other than Katie Holmes tragically being recast by Maggie Gyllenhaal for the role of Rachel Dawes, the acting and story transcended the standard quality of a comic book movie to the point that serious award season buzz existed and the Oscars even changed their nomination process for Best Picture because of fan criticism for The Dark Knight not receiving a nomination. I again go to one of my favorite phrases: "In Christopher Nolan I trust".
Movie #13: Citizen Kane
Movie #: 13
Movie Title: Citizen Kane
Year Released: 1941
Director: Orson Welles
Notable Cast: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotton, Dorothy Comingore, Everett Sloane, Ray Collins, George Coulouris, Agnes Moorehead, Paul Stewart, Ruth Warrick, Erskine Sanford, William Alland
Short Description: Following the death of a publishing tycoon, news reporters scramble to discover the meaning of his final utterance. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #1
IMDB.com: #44
Ranker.com: #21
Lifed.com: #13
Empire.com: #28
FilmCrave.com: #50
FlickChart.com: #17
Date Watched: 12/4/2016
Grade: 3 out of 5 (Good)
Rationale: If you know the meaning of "Rosebud" before watching Citizen Kane like I did, don't fret. It's almost better seeing Charles Foster Kane's life evolve through flashbacks and knowing that **SPOILER FOR A 75-YEAR-OLD-MOVIE** his childhood sled "Rosebud" is as the only source of true happiness in his life. The saying "money can't buy happiness" was an obvious plot line as it was frequently mentioned that he was off buying statues and spending lots of money on his wife's singing career, even though she wasn't very good, so she would love him. Citizen Kane is definitely worth watching once since it's generally considered to be among the greatest movies ever, but once is all that's needed.
Movie #14: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Movie #: 14
Movie Title: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Year Released: 1975
Director: Miloš Forman
Notable Cast: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, William Redfield, Will Sampson, Brad Dourif, Sydney Lassick, Christopher Lloyd, Danny DeVito, Dean Brooks
Short Description: A criminal pleads insanity after getting into trouble again and once in the mental institution rebels against the oppressive nurse and rallies up the scared patients. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #33
IMDB.com: #12
Ranker.com: #18
Lifed.com: #11
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: #19
FlickChart.com: #16
Date Watched: 12/3/2016
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
Rationale: Very similar to how I feel about The Shining, there's no way that One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest works well without Jack Nicholson's particular brand of crazy. The story becomes more fun as the movie chugs along with one instance of rebellion and disregard for rules building upon the previous. Nurse Ratched, often listed as one of the greatest villains in movie history, doesn't seem very villainous per se, rather, almost as a sympathetic character while Nicholson's R.P. McMurphy does everything he can to bring anarchy to the nut house.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Movie #15: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Movie #: 15
Movie Title: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Year Released: 1966
Director: Sergio Leone
Notable Cast: Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach
Short Description: A bounty hunting scam joins two men in an uneasy alliance against a third in a race to find a fortune in gold buried in a remote cemetery. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: #5
Ranker.com: #28
Lifed.com: #4
Empire.com: #25
FilmCrave.com: #30
FlickChart.com: #21
Date Watched: 12/3/2016
Grade: 4 out of 5 (Excellent)
Rationale: As far as westerns go, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is easily among, if not, the best. Not much is asked of Clint Eastwood as far as acting goes but he certainly delivers as "The Good" Blondie (aka "The Man with No Name) with his stoic, stern facial expression and quick trigger finger. Eli Wallach as "The Ugly" Tuco and Len Van Cleef as "The Bad" Angel Eyes are strong co-stars that have no problem carrying scenes as well. The story has no problem keeping you guessing on what will happen next because of the sheer amount of backstabbing that occurs along the way. The stare down between characters does occasionally feel a tad overdramatic, but in the final confrontation between the three it's worth all of the buildup.
Movie #16: Apocalypse Now
Movie #: 16
Movie Title: Apocalypse Now
Year Released: 1979
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Notable Cast: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest, Albert Hall, Sam Bottoms, Larry Fishburne, Dennis Hopper
Short Description: During the Vietnam War, Captain Willard is sent on a dangerous mission into Cambodia to assassinate a renegade colonel who has set himself up as a god among a local tribe. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #30
IMDB.com: #35
Ranker.com: #23
Lifed.com: #34
Empire.com: #7
FilmCrave.com: #45
FlickChart.com: #43
Date Watched: 11/22/2016
Grade: 2 out of 5 (Fair)
Rationale: Between the constant close-ups on Martin Sheen's emotionless face, an enemy in the jungle that you never truly see, and Marlon Brando's Colonel Kurtz having an aura of being an intimidating warlord without actually coming off as intimidating, Apocalypse Now was a huge letdown considering its ranking on my top 251 list. The supporting characters on the boat that ferried Sheen's Captain Willard upstream were far more interesting than Sheen or Brando. The action was ok, but seemingly one sided as the Viet Cong was mostly hidden from view. Frankly, there are many other war movies I'd rather watch again than Apocalypse Now.
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Movie #17: Psycho
Movie #: 17
Movie Title: Psycho
Year Released: 1960
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Notable Cast: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, John McIntire, Janet Leigh
Short Description: A 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. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #14
IMDB.com: #29
Ranker.com: #41
Lifed.com: #21
Empire.com: #45
FilmCrave.com: #32
FlickChart.com: #45
Date Watched: 11/19/2016
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
Adjusted Grade: 4 out of 5 (Excellent)
Rationale: Even though I knew the identity of the killer was **spoiler for a 56-year-old movie** Norman Bates well before I watched Psycho for the first time, I still had my doubts about if I was right or somehow mistaken. That's how good of a twist the ending is and how solid the setup up to that point is. I was surprised that Marion Crane was killed off just before the halfway point of the movie because it's not super common for a main character to die that early, but thankfully the last hour made good use of her death in building towards the conclusion. Anthony Perkins was particularly good as Norman with his wholesome, dutiful son act and liar trying to avoid and climb out of holes he dug act.
Monday, November 21, 2016
Movie #18: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Movie #: 18
Movie Title: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Year Released: 2001
Director: Peter Jackson
Notable Cast: Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Sean Bean, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis
Short Description: A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle Earth from the Dark Lord Sauron. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #50
IMDB.com: #13
Ranker.com: #36
Lifed.com: #44
Empire.com: #24
FilmCrave.com: #8
FlickChart.com: #59
Date Watched: 11/19/2016
Grade: 5 out of 5 (Exceptional)
Rationale: In movie history there may not be another film that more perfectly sets up the rest of the movies in a series as well as The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Peter Jackson takes the best parts of J.R.R. Tolkien's opening novel in the trilogy and adapts it with exquisite expertise. The stakes are laid out in a way that makes the quest of the movies seem urgent and important with Sauron and Saruman as clear and very evil bad guys. The lands of the Shire, Rivendell, Moria, and Lothlórien all have real qualities yet are exotic in very unique ways. The relationships between the hobbits and Gandalf are fleshed out well while leaving room for growth in the next entries between Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. I adore this movie and only wish I hadn't passed on seeing it in theaters after judging it like a book by its cover.
Movie #20: The Matrix
Movie #: 20
Movie Title: The Matrix
Year Released: 1999
Director: Larry and Andy Wachowski
Notable Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano
Short Description: A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: #18
Ranker.com: #11
Lifed.com: #40
Empire.com: #39
FilmCrave.com: #9
FlickChart.com: #41
Date Watched: 11/17/2016
Grade: 4 out of 5 (Excellent)
Rationale: Damn Keanu Reeves. The concept and visuals of The Matrix alone make the movie deserve better than 4 out of 5, but Keanu's acting is bad enough that the grade had to be negatively impacted. Good performances by Lawrence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving, and to a point Carrie-Anne Moss weren't enough to carry Reeves either. Moving on, as I mentioned, the concept of The Matrix is fascinating and although it may seem like something that would only exist in a science fiction movie, questioning our own reality doesn't seem out of the question. The use of slow motion and camera angles were masterful and greatly helped bring alive a world where anything is possible if you believe and know it is.
Movie #21: The Silence of the Lambs
Movie #: 21
Movie Title: The Silence of the Lambs
Year Released: 1991
Director: Jonathan Demme
Notable Cast: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine
Short Description: A young F.B.I. cadet must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #74
IMDB.com: #24
Ranker.com: #14
Lifed.com: #25
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: #12
FlickChart.com: #28
Date Watched: 11/15/2016
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
Rationale: Unsurprisingly, the cold and calculated Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins, steals every scene he's in and, up until the climax when Jodie Foster's Clarice Starling tracks down and confronts the killer "Buffalo Bill", Hannibal's conversations with Clarice are the only reason you need to watch The Silence of the Lambs. Though not scary, Lecter is a character that can easily cause chills. Foster is ok in her role as an FBI trainee in charge of taking down "Buffalo Bill" and Ted Levine is more than adequately creepy as "Buffalo Bill" himself.
Movie #22: Back to the Future
Movie #: 22
Movie Title: Back to the Future
Year Released: 1985
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Notable Cast: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Thomas F. Wilson
Short Description: Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: #48
Ranker.com: #20
Lifed.com: #63
Empire.com: #23
FilmCrave.com: #21
FlickChart.com: #9
Date Watched: 11/14/2016
Grade: 4 out of 5 (Excellent)
Rationale: Arguably there may not be a more fun movie to watch from my list than Back to the Future. Just make sure to check your nerdom at the door first because the complete lack of accurate science is part of the joy. Christopher Lloyd is wonderful as kooky Dr. Emmett Brown and Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly is a character worth rooting for as he attempts to fix the past he accidentally broke and save his existence. Also, the DeLorean is a cool looking car from a time period of mostly boring and/or ugly cars.
Monday, November 14, 2016
Movie #23: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Movie #: 23
Movie Title: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Year Released: 1964
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Notable Cast: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn, Slim Pickens, Tracy Reed
Short Description: An insane general triggers a path to nuclear holocaust that a war room full of politicians and generals frantically try to stop. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #39
IMDB.com: #37
Ranker.com: #55
Lifed.com: #22
Empire.com: #26
FilmCrave.com: #98
FlickChart.com: #19
Date Watched: 11/13/2016
Grade: 2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory)
Rationale: While the latest Stanley Kubrick movie I watched wasn't bad like 2001: A Space Odyssey or A Clockwork Orange, I don't get why Dr. Strangelove is so well thought of and ranked so high on the top 251 list. The interactions between the President, General Turgidson, the Soviet Ambassador, the Russian Premier, and Dr. Strangelove in the war room were mildly humorous at best and if there was comedy in the rest of the movie I failed to catch it. At this point Kubrick is what I once thought of Quentin Tarantino: highly overrated.
Movie #24: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Movie #: 24
Movie Title: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Year Released: 2003
Director: Peter Jackson
Notable Cast: Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Andy Serkis, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, Bernard Hill, Miranda Otto, Karl Urban, David Wenham, John Noble, Ian Holm
Short Description: Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: #9
Ranker.com: #24
Lifed.com: #47
Empire.com: #34
FilmCrave.com: #7
FlickChart.com: #79
Date Watched: 11/12/2016
Grade: 5 out of 5 (Exceptional)
Rationale: Wait, Sauron doesn't take the ring from Frodo and plunge Middle Earth into eternal darkness? While the happy ending of The Return of the King doesn't come as a surprise, the journey to that point is still incredible. Peter Jackson somehow manages to increase the scope of The Return of the King compared to The Two Towers without losing any of the focus on the various groups of main characters and each important storyline. Visually, The Return of the King is as good if not better than its predecessors as armies of thousands both on horse and foot needed to be rendered in a believable fashion with CGI while still maintaining a semblance of realism with actual costumes, props, and locations. The final goodbyes may feel super drawn out in the closing minutes, but after 3.5+ hours of just The Return of the King and 11+ hours of the entire trilogy, a few additional minutes can be forgiven.
Movie #25: The Usual Suspects
Movie #: 25
Movie Title: The Usual Suspects
Year Released: 1995
Director: Bryan Singer
Notable Cast: Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Kevin Pollak, Pete Postlethwaite, Kevin Spacey, Suzy Amis, Benicio del Toro, Giancarlo Esposito
Short Description: A sole survivor tells of the twisty events leading up to a horrific gun battle on a boat, which begin when five criminals meet at a seemingly random police lineup. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: #26
Ranker.com: #26
Lifed.com: #24
Empire.com: #61
FilmCrave.com: #29
FlickChart.com: #42
Date Watched: 11/12/2016
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
Rationale: In my reviews I try to talk in vague terms so as to not spoil films if you wish to see them later. Be warned as I won't be able to do that from this point on with The Usual Suspects. Ok, so just after the scene where the legend of Keyser Söze was introduced I was certain that one of the five thieves was Söze, likely Gabriel Byrne's Dean Keaton. Minutes before Kevin Spacey's Verbal Kint wrapped up his story to Special Agent Kujan in the police station I was (accurately) certain he was Söze. What I didn't expect, and still has me questioning the validity of everything Verbal said, is that he was looking at the bulletin board behind Special Agent Kujan and feeding his story with random names and details off of the board the entire time. Was anything in that story real or did Verbal concoct everything before waltzing out a free but very guilty man? I have no clue and that's what made The Usual Suspects end on such a high note. That, and Kevin Spacey rocks once again.
Recap of Movies #26-50
Adjustments
Movie #: 26
Movie Title: Forrest Gump (1994)
Original Grade: 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding)
Adjusted Grade: 5 out of 5 (Exceptional)
Movie #: 31
Movie Title: The Shining (1980)
Original Grade: 4 out of 5 (Excellent)
Adjusted Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
Movie #: 33
Movie Title: Se7en (1995)
Original Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
Adjusted Grade: 3 out of 5 (Good)
Movie #: 36
Movie Title: Seven Samurai (1954)
Original Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
Adjusted Grade: 4 out of 5 (Excellent)
Movie #: 50
Movie Title: Gone with the Wind (1939)
Original Grade: 3 out of 5 (Good)
Adjusted Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
My Best to Worst of #26-50
| Movie # | Movie Title | My Grade |
| 26 | Forrest Gump (1994) | 5 out of 5 (Exceptional) |
| 34 | Inception (2010) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 35 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 46 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) | 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding) |
| 47 | Memento (2000) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 32 | Saving Private Ryan (1998) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 48 | Reservoir Dogs (1992) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 30 | 12 Angry Men (1957) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 36 | Seven Samurai (1954) | 4 out of 5 (Excellent) |
| 31 | The Shining (1980) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 40 | Die Hard (1988) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 44 | Jaws (1975) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 38 | It's a Wonderful Life (1946) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 42 | North by Northwest (1959) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 50 | Gone with the Wind (1939) | 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good) |
| 33 | Se7en (1995) | 3 out of 5 (Good) |
| 28 | Alien (1979) | 3 out of 5 (Good) |
| 27 | Rear Window (1954) | 3 out of 5 (Good) |
| 43 | City Lights (1931) | 3 out of 5 (Good) |
| 39 | Raging Bull (1980) | 3 out of 5 (Good) |
| 49 | Once Upon a Time in the West (1969) | 3 out of 5 (Good) |
| 41 | Sunset Boulevard (1950) | 2.5 out of 5 (Satisfactory) |
| 37 | A Clockwork Orange (1971) | 2 out of 5 (Fair) |
| 45 | 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) | 1.5 out of 5 (Marginal) |
| 29 | Vertigo (1958) | 1.5 out of 5 (Marginal) |
Movie #26: Forrest Gump
Movie #: 26
Movie Title: Forrest Gump
Year Released: 1994
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Notable Cast: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field
Short Description: Forrest Gump, while not intelligent, has accidentally been present at many historic moments, but his true love, Jenny Curran, eludes him. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #76
IMDB.com: #19
Ranker.com: #7
Lifed.com: #42
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: #6
FlickChart.com: #62
Date Watched: 11/12/2016
Grade: 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding)
Adjusted Grade: 5 out of 5 (Exceptional)
Rationale: If there's any one movie that shows off what an outstanding actor Tom Hanks is, Forrest Gump is it. I absolutely love Hank's portrayal of the titular character with good intentions and a heart of gold despite his cognitive shortcomings and constant detractors. I've also always appreciated how well Gump's story intertwines with events throughout history and that technology in the 90's, while obviously not as good as today's, was advanced enough to put him into old video footage and have historical figures "address" him. What made me reconsider my grade and bump it up to the highest I can give is the scene where Forrest talks to Jenny's grave and lets her know how their son is doing. It's always been a touching scene, but as a father with two young children it made me more emotional than I had been during any previous viewing. A tear or two may or may not have been shed and to me that's a strong indicator of an exceptional movie.
Movie #27: Rear Window
Movie #: 27
Movie Title: Rear Window
Year Released: 1954
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Notable Cast: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Burr
Short Description: A wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbours from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #48
IMDB.com: #28
Ranker.com: #77
Lifed.com: #15
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: #42
FlickChart.com: #10
Date Watched: 11/11/2016
Grade: 3 out of 5 (Good)
Rationale: Let me start by saying that Rear Window was quite the improvement on the last James Stewart/Alfred Hitchcock collaboration I watched (Vertigo). I only gave Rear Window a 3 out of 5, though, because I was expecting a twist in the story regarding the suspected murderer and it never happened. All of the main actors and actresses did a fine job building upon the sense of suspense as the story progresses towards a confrontation with the suspected murderer. I just wish it wasn't so black and white that the killer was indeed the killer.
Movie #28: Alien
Movie #: 28
Movie Title: Alien
Year Released: 1979
Director: Ridley Scott
Notable Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto
Short Description: After a space merchant vessel perceives an unknown transmission as distress call, their landing on the source moon finds one of the crew attacked by a mysterious lifeform. Continuing their journey back to Earth with the attacked crew having recovered and the critter deceased, they soon realize that its life cycle has merely begun. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: #39
Ranker.com: #49
Lifed.com: #45
Empire.com: #33
FilmCrave.com: #34
FlickChart.com: #22
Date Watched: 11/10/2016
Grade: 3 out of 5 (Good)
Rationale: Alien was fine overall, but I expected I'd be into it more than I was. Once the alien itself started to wreak havoc I was hooked. Up until that point, though, it felt too similar to other scf-fi/horror movies where a group of people blatantly disobey or ignore rules that, little to their knowledge, will put themselves in grave danger with inevitable deaths. Also, I'm not particularly a fan of Sigourney Weaver, but she does an adequate job as main character Ripley.
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Movie #29: Vertigo
Movie #: 29
Movie Title: Vertigo
Year Released: 1958
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Notable Cast: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore, Henry Jones
Short Description: A San Francisco detective suffering from acrophobia investigates the strange activities of an old friend's wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #9
IMDB.com: #49
Ranker.com: #53
Lifed.com: #33
Empire.com: #40
FilmCrave.com: N/A
FlickChart.com: #44
Date Watched: 11/9/2016
Grade: 1.5 out of 5 (Marginal)
Rationale: By the time the twist in the story is revealed, three-quarters of a boring movie has gone by and one could be forgiven for not caring about the not-very-surprising twist and easy-to-see-coming conclusion that follows. The fact that Hollywood legend James Stewart is the lead actor and the acclaimed Alfred Hitchcock is the director just isn't enough to help hold interest, either. Vertigo is another unimpressive Hitchcock offering on my list and Stewart has better films to his name that I'd rather watch again.
Movie #30: 12 Angry Men
Movie #: 30
Movie Title: 12 Angry Men
Year Released: 1957
Director: Sidney Lumet
Notable Cast: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Ed Begley, E. G. Marshall, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, Jack Klugman, Edward Binns, Joseph Sweeney, George Voskovec, Robert Webber
Short Description: A jury holdout attempts to prevent a miscarriage of justice by forcing his colleagues to reconsider the evidence. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #87
IMDB.com: #6
Ranker.com: #59
Lifed.com: #17
Empire.com: #72
FilmCrave.com: #41
FlickChart.com: #52
Date Watched: 11/5/2016
Grade: 4 out of 5 (Excellent)
Rationale: What I've noticed while watching over 200 movies for this list is that character driven story telling focused around even just a couple of characters can be difficult. What 12 Angry Men does is nothing short of astounding. Each of the 12 jurors has their moment to shine over the length of the film as they take turns adding to the increasingly tense drama of murder trial deliberation. While none of the 12 jurors ends up as a complete character by the end, all 12 walk out of the room as far more complex and interesting characters than when they walked in.
Monday, October 31, 2016
Movie #32: Saving Private Ryan
Movie #: 32
Movie Title: Saving Private Ryan
Year Released: 1998
Director: Steven Spielberg
Notable Cast: Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Barry Pepper, Adam Goldberg, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, Jeremy Davies, Paul Giamatti
Short Description: Following the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #71
IMDB.com: #38
Ranker.com: #16
Lifed.com: #48
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: #17
FlickChart.com: #61
Date Watched: 10/29/2016
Grade: 4 out of 5 (Excellent)
Rationale: The Invasion of Normandy scene that kicks off James Ryan's flashback at the beginning of Saving Private Ryan is likely the most intense action sequence I've ever seen and anything less would have been a disappointment. I appreciate that Steven Spielberg doesn't hold back one iota and sets a strong tone for the subsequent two hours. All of the members of the ensemble cast, led by Tom Hanks, were magnificent and my only beef is that some of the interesting supporting character stories were only glanced upon rather than delved into. Saving Private Ryan is among the best war movies there is and isn't too shabby as far as movies in general go, regardless of genre.
Movie #33: Se7en
Movie #: 33
Movie Title: Se7en
Year Released: 1995
Director: David Fincher
Notable Cast: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, John C. McGinley, Kevin Spacey, R. Lee Ermey
Short Description: Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: #23
Ranker.com: #37
Lifed.com: #38
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: #22
FlickChart.com: #30
Note: This is the last movie on my list to appear on only five of the top 100 lists I used to compile the 251 movies I’m watching.
Date Watched: 10/28/2016
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
Adjusted Grade: 3 out of 5 (Good)
Rationale: The plot of Se7en was great. Each of the murders, particularly Sloth, were well thought out and disturbingly detailed. One of my main issues with Se7en was the casting. I normally have no issue with Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and to a point with Gwyneth Paltrow, but it seemed to me that those three leads had little on screen chemistry and Pitt specifically was kind of wooden a times. I was also greatly disappointed by the decision to hide the identity of the murderer until near the end of the movie because, unless I missed it during the opening credits, I had no clue Kevin Spacey was in Se7en and I wish there had been more of him. Spacey outshone everyone else individually and he paired better with Brad Pitt than Morgan Freeman did.
Movie #34: Inception
Movie #: 34
Movie Title: Inception
Year Released: 2010
Director: Christopher Nolan
Notable Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine
Short Description: A thief, who steals corporate secrets through use of dream-sharing technology, is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a CEO. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: #14
Ranker.com: #22
Lifed.com: #6
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: #14
FlickChart.com: N/A
Note: This is the last movie on my list to appear on only four of the top 100 lists I used to compile the 251 movies I’m watching.
Date Watched: 10/26/2016
Grade: 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding)
Rationale: I've said it before and I'll say it again: in Christopher Nolan I trust. The imagination it takes to come up with such a deep and detailed story like Inception is mind-blowing and I hope everyone appreciates Nolan's ability like I do. Equally important to Inception is the stunning visual experience created by CGI, the use of slow motion, and the suspension of actors within moving rooms to make the rooms look static and trick the viewer into thinking the actors are falling up walls during freefall sequences. Leonardo DiCaprio is as good as always and the rest of Nolan's often used favorites, like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, and Marion Cotillard, are great too. Finally, frequent Nolan collaborator Hans Zimmer created an exhilarating movie score, capped off by the gorgeous track "Time."
Movie #35: Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Movie #: 35
Movie Title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Year Released: 1991
Director: James Cameron
Notable Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, Edward Furlong, Joe Morton, Earl Boen
Short Description: A cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her young son, John Connor, from a more advanced cyborg, made out of liquid metal. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: #36
Ranker.com: #33
Lifed.com: #88
Empire.com: #35
FilmCrave.com: #35
FlickChart.com: #48
Date Watched: 10/24/2016
Grade: 4.5 out of 5 (Outstanding)
Rationale: Though the first movie in a series is usually considered to be the "best", Terminator 2: Judgment Day is THE foremost example of a sequel besting the original. Right off the bat T2 is better because Arnold Schwarzenegger is the good Terminator this time and his character provides memorable movie quotes like "Hasta la vista, baby", "I'll be back", and "Come with me if you want to live." Replacing Arnold as the bad Terminator is the liquid metal T-1000, which drastically improves the range of what director James Cameron could do from a sci-fi aspect. I also vastly prefer T2's foul mouth young John Connor and hardened warrior Sarah Connor to the timid Sarah Connor and lame-by-comparison-to-Arnold human soldier/protector Kyle Reese from The Terminator. Terminator 2: Judgment Day is not flawless, but I consider it to be one of my favorite action movies and easily the best sequel ever.
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Movie #36: Seven Samurai
Movie #: 36
Movie Title: Seven Samurai
Year Released: 1954
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Notable Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Isao Kimura, Daisuke Katō, Seiji Miyaguchi, Yoshio Inaba, Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara, Kokuten Kōdō, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Yukiko Shimazaki, Eijirō Tōno, Bokuzen Hidari
Short Description: A poor village under attack by bandits recruits seven unemployed samurai to help them defend themselves. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: #17
Ranker.com: N/A
Lifed.com: #7
Empire.com: #50
FilmCrave.com: #86
FlickChart.com: #20
Date Watched: 10/22/2016
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
Adjusted Grade: 4 out of 5 (Excellent)
Rationale: Any film that has an intermission is probably longer than it needs to be, but Akira Kurosawa uses every minute of Seven Samurai to craft an exquisitely detailed and thoughtful story. The cast features familiar faces from other Kurosawa films I've watched and both Takashi Shimura and Toshiro Mifune are at the top of their game as always. I particularly enjoyed Mifune as the goofball of the group of samurai because that was a side of him I don't recall seeing in other Kurosawa films and he excelled at it. The memorial scene in the very last minutes of the film is sad, but quite powerful.
Movie #37: A Clockwork Orange
Movie #: 37
Movie Title: A Clockwork Orange
Year Released: 1971
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Notable Cast: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Adrienne Corri, Miriam Karlin
Short Description: In future Britain, Alex DeLarge, a charismatic and psychopath delinquent, who likes to practice crimes and ultra-violence with his gang, is jailed and volunteers for an experimental aversion therapy developed by the government in an effort to solve society's crime problem - but not all goes according to plan. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #70
IMDB.com: #62
Ranker.com: #40
Lifed.com: #52
Empire.com: #37
FilmCrave.com: #81
FlickChart.com: #46
Date Watched: 10/17/2016
Grade: 2 out of 5 (Fair)
Rationale: I firmly believe that my 2 out of 5 grade for A Clockwork Orange is extremely generous and, honestly, it could have easily been a 1.5 out of 5 instead like fellow Stanley Kubrick letdown 2001: A Space Odyssey. Everything after Alex DeLarge's incarceration is what saved the grade as it was at least watchable, though still bizarre. Up until that point watching was so uncomfortable that my wife left the room mere minutes into the movie. I don't understand how this movie is popular at all.
Movie #38: It's a Wonderful Life
Movie #: 38
Movie Title: It's a Wonderful Life
Year Released: 1946
Director: Frank Capra
Notable Cast: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Henry Travers, Beulah Bondi, Ward Bond, Frank Faylen, Gloria Grahame
Short Description: An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #20
IMDB.com: #30
Ranker.com: #44
Lifed.com: #29
Empire.com: N/A
FilmCrave.com: #67
FlickChart.com: #99
Date Watched: 10/12/2016
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
Rationale: My first thought when It's a Wonderful Life was over is that I expected Lionel Barrymore's Mr. Potter to have an Ebenezer Scrooge-like transformation and go from a mean old man to one that cares and graciously gives the missing money back to James Stewart's George Bailey. So much for that. Even with his lack of transformation the movie still had a good message about kindness and generosity as George helped to save the financial lives of many people and in turn they helped him in his time of need. Other than the goofy bit about stars talking as if they're supposed to be angels I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed It's a Wonderful Life.
Movie #39: Raging Bull
Movie #: 39
Movie Title: Raging Bull
Year Released: 1980
Director: Martin Scorsese
Notable Cast: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Nicholas Colasanto, Theresa Saldana, Frank Vincent
Short Description: An emotionally self-destructive boxer's journey through life, as the violence and temper that leads him to the top in the ring destroys his life outside it. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: #4
IMDB.com: #100
Ranker.com: #62
Lifed.com: #64
Empire.com: #11
FilmCrave.com: #73
FlickChart.com: #77
Date Watched: 10/8/2016
Grade: 3 out of 5 (Good)
Rationale: I know this will disappoint some people, but I thought Raging Bull was just ok. There are other boxing movies and other Robert De Niro movies that I like more and would rather watch again than a second viewing of Raging Bull. I love the chemistry that exists between De Niro and Joe Pesci, but even that's better in Casino. Nothing about Raging Bull was bad, but other than the De Niro and Pesci dynamic, nothing stands out in my opinion.
Movie #40: Die Hard
Movie #: 40
Movie Title: Die Hard
Year Released: 1988
Director: John McTiernan
Notable Cast: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson
Short Description: John McClane, officer of the NYPD, tries to save his wife Holly Gennaro and several others that were taken hostage by German terrorist Hans Gruber during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles. (IMDB.com)
Rank on the Top 100 Lists (as of 1/7/2013)
AFI.com: N/A
IMDB.com: N/A
Ranker.com: #32
Lifed.com: #80
Empire.com: #29
FilmCrave.com: #26
FlickChart.com: #33
Date Watched: 10/8/2016
Grade: 3.5 out of 5 (Very Good)
Rationale: The second best Christmas movie only to Jingle All the Way, Die Hard delivers excellent non-stop action and a hero that's hard to not root for. The dialogue is a little bad, but honestly, that's not why you watch this movie. I did enjoy the friendship that formed over the CB radio and walkie-talkie between Bruce Willis' John McClane and Reginald VelJohnson's Al Powell (didn't hurt that I affectionately remember VelJohnson from Family Matters) and I like Alan Rickman and didn't mind his performance as bad guy Hans Gruber, but he came off as more like a top henchman for a bad guy than the main bad guy himself.
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