Cradleman's Top 50 Movie Countdown

[cradleman]

This summer, we were graced to have one of our most dedicated posters, Spideyfan914 himself, reveal his personal top 50 films to us, in a drawn out and suspenseful countdown. At his urging, I too have developed a list of my top 50 movies to share with you. Now, this isn't a list of the 50 best made films i have seen, but instead a listing of my personal favorite films of all time. it was long and difficult and a computer shutdown caused me to take 2 tries to get everything straight, but everything is ready now and i will share with you my top 50 films of all time.

Today, I will name my honorable mentions. these are films that got heavy consideration, and may even have been on the list originally, but that for whatever reasons, just missed the cut. in no particular order (except for one), here are my top 5 honorable Mentions, and also, as a bonus, the first one out (in other words, it's number 51)

HM #1
Cape Fear (1962)

This creepy thriller features Robert Mitchum as an ex-con who stalks the man who is responsible for putting him in jail, but doing so in such a way that everything he does is either completely legal, or something that is impossible to connect to him. Mitchum oozes evil and the climax of the film is both intense and frightening.

HM #2
Harvey

Edward P Dowd is a friendly gentleman who is kind to drunks, loves everyone, and whose best friend is none other than an invisible, six foot tall rabbit named Harvey. Charming and wonderfully scripted, Jimmy Stewart shines in the role of Edward Dowd and sells the Invisible Bunny perfectly in every scene.

HM #3
Back to the Future

Marty McFly, ordinary teenager, gets stuck in the past when his professor friend invents a time machine, and while in the past, he needs to find a way to both keep his parents together and find a power source capable of producing the 1.21 jiggawatts necessary to get him Back to the Future. Great comedy features great performances from both Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd

HM #4
The Princess Bride

Be prepared for laughs nearly every second in this parody of the fairytale genre. Cary Elwes owns the role of Westley, the poor farm boy turned Pirate trying to rescue his love from the clutches of the evil prince, who plans to murder her. The most quotable movie of all time, it comes highly recommended

HM #5
Network

"I'm mad as hell, and i'm not gonna take it anymore!" Such are the now immortal words of Howard Beale. Network follows the rise of Beale due to his rants on the air when he discovers that he is to be fired because his news show gets very poor ratings. Instead of being fired, he soon becomes the most popular news man in the country for his honest, no bulls*** form of news commentary. The performances in this Lumet masterpiece are all brilliant, and it closes with an end you'll never see coming.

and finally, The first one out, or, #51 in this top 50

#51
127 Hours

The simple story of a man who gets trapped in a canyon by a boulder that falls on his arm, 127 Hours manages to be way more compelling than it ever should have been. Danny Boyle's direction is superb, as his choice of shots and his subtle foreshadowing in certain shots makes the film visually interesting even though the majority of it is in one place, with an immoble character. A.R. Rahman's score is also fantastic, and sets the mood just right every time. But the biggest reason that the film works is the superb acting job that James Franco turns in. He turns a man who doesn't move into not only a fascinating character, but also a well rounded one, and his range of emotion on display is rather vast and stunning

[spideyfan914]

Huh.... Definitely didn't expect 127 Hours, but all right. I honestly thought Princess Bride would be higher, haha.

[Frostbite200]

Jun 30, 2011 21:12:31 GMT -6 spideyfan914 said:

Huh.... Definitely didn't expect 127 Hours, but all right. I honestly thought Princess Bride would be higher, haha.

Same and also thought BttF would've made it into the top 50, oh well.

[cradleman]

alright, lets start the actual countdown!

#50
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)


In Hitchcock's remake of his 1934 film (which i admittedly have not yet seen, despite my love for this version) features Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day as a couple on vacation with their son in Morocco when a dying man reveals to them that someone important will be murdered in London soon, and they must stop it before it's too late. Back in England, their son is kidnapped and they must work together to prevent the murder and bring their son safely home. Tense and gripping, the film hits all the right notes, especially during a climactic scene occurring at an opera, and the final scene of the film. It also closes with one of the greatest ending lines ever.

#49
Chinatown


Jack Nicholson stars as Private Investigator J.J. Gittes, who is hired by a Mrs. Mulwray to find out if he husband is cheating on her. He takes pictures of the man with another woman, but when they end up in the paper, another woman comes to his office upset, claiming that she is the real Mrs. Mulwray. Gittes then begins to follow Mulwray on his own, trying to discover what someone posing as Mulwray's wife would have really hired him to do. Nicholson is exciting to watch, and Faye Dunaway shines as the (real) Mrs. Mulwray in this dark tale of lust, sin, corruption, and evil.

#48
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind


Joel Barrish is in love with Clementine, an odd but attractive and fun girl whose hair seems to change colors every day. When he finds out that she's undergone a procedure to erase her memories of him because of their constant arguments, he's devastated and decides to do the same. unfortunately for him, as the procedure begins, he realizes that he doesn't want to forget all about her, and he scrambles to keep his memories of her intact, but it just might be too late. The movie is not only well directed, and extremely well written and acted, but the theme will hit home for anyone who's ever loved someone who no longer cares for them. It's a poignant, moving movie that will leave you thinking back on things in your life hours after the film itself has ended.

#47
Batman (1989)


Tim Burton's fantastic Batman is the perfect blend of slightly campy, slightly eerie. and totally fantastic. Jack Nicholson's Joker hams it up throughout the film, but you always have the sense that behind his bleached skin and permanent smile, he's a dangerous man that no one in his right mind would try to combat. He's developed a nerve gas that will give everyone in Gotham the same smile as he has, although of course they won't be alive to appreciate it. Burton sets the background of Gotham very dark and Gothic, just the sight of it is creepy, and it sets the mood perfectly for the film. He also makes his Batman a vigilante to be feared, much like the original Batman of the 1940s comics, he cares nothing about what happens to the villains, whether they live or die, just as long as the innocents are protected. Michael Keaton plays the dark knight with menace, and his Batman is truly one of the great hero's of the big screen.

[spideyfan914]

I feel the need to obnoxiously point out that I made you watch two of those movies.

[cradleman]

#46
American Pie


There's not really a whole lot i can say about this absolutely hilarious comedy about 4 guys who try to lose their virginity before their high school graduations. It's full of great one liners (after you watch it, just see how many times you start a sentence with "This one time, at band camp. . . ") and the script is great. The two scene stealers are Sean William Scott as cool guy Stiffler, and Eugene Levy as the dad of Jim, the most important main character. One of the funniest films ever, even if none of the sequels come even close to the original's level of greatness.

#45
The Wolf Man


Larry Talbot has just returned home to England after living in America due to his older brother's death. After arriving, he sees a beautiful girl across the street, Gwen Conliffe, and she agrees to go with him to the gypsy camp that had just arrived in town so that they could have their fortunes read. Only poor Larry didn't know that one of the gypsies was a werewolf, and when he is bitten, even though he doesn't believe in werewolves he begins to wonder if he's transformed into the deadly creature of the full moon. One of the best films from the classic Universal Horror era, the Wolf Man packs a lot of punch into a relative short 70 minute runtime. It's got some scary moments, but it's also very dramatic and the conclusion is heart rending in many ways

#44
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: Extended Edition


I know, I'm cheating by including the entire trilogy at one spot, but it takes all 3 together to tell a complete story and without the other two, each single film would be kinda worthless. Still, LotR is a brilliantly envisioned story that almost perfectly brings to life JRR Tolkiens epic fantasy tale, with beautiful backgrounds and striking visual effects, while sticking as close to Tolkien's original as possible. The actor's chosen embody their characters effortlessly, and Andy Cerkis's Gollum remains one of my all-time favorite movie villains. Also, the extended editions are able to show more of the mythology of Middle Earth and allow for more of the different interconnecting threads of the plot to show through, so it is recommended over the original theater version

#43
GoldenEye


In Pierce Brosnan's first Bond film, he investigates when the keycard that controls the satellite named GoldenEye (which fires an EMP to any target on earth) is stolen. He meets up with Natalya, a programmer who worked on one of the two GoldenEyes and barely escaped with her life after witnessing the theft of the card. Together they track down Janus, a mysterious unknown terrorist who has big plans for the GoldenEye. The action in the film is both fast and fun, Brosnan's captures Bond's essence perfectly by showing both his proper side and his badass side at the same time (such as straightening his tie after punching a guy out) and he delivers some devastatingly funny one-liners to boot. Janus is really the greatest Bond villain of all, and the actor who plays him (not getting revealed, because it would be mean of me to spoil it) plays him perfectly. Oh, and did i mention there's a chase scene where Bond is driving a tank around the streets of Moscow?

[cradleman]

#42
The Sixth Sense


"I see dead people." Cole Sear tells child psychologist Malcom Crowe in M. Night Shamaylan's directorial debut. Crowe was once one of Philadelphia's greatest child psychologists, but at the beginning of the film one of Crowe's patients, Vincent Grey, comes back and asks him a question, "Do you know why you're afraid when you're alone? I do. I DO." and then proceeds to shoot first Crowe and then himself. The story then picks up a year later. Crowe has lost his edge and finds his life crashing down around him. But when he gets the notes on Cole, he realizes that Cole is suffering from the same things that plagued Vincent and he feels that if he can help Cole, it'll make up for his failure with Vincent. Bruce Willis gives one of his best performances as Crowe, and Toni Collette is great as Cole's mom, but the best performance by far in the film is Haley Joel Osment. He is able to show Cole's fear of the ghosts he sees, as well as the embarrassment he receives from being made fun of at school. He exudes every emotion he needs to in every scene in the film and it is not just the most impressive acting i've ever seen by a child, but one of the best performances i've ever seen period. He helps elevate an already really good movie to make it great. Also, the end of the film hits home hard and can make you reevaluate many things you've just seen, and the film becomes even better on the second view.

#41
Dr. No


It's the classic, the original, the one that started it all, the very first James Bond film! Connery, the perfect Bond, shows quite clearly right away just why he was picked for the part of the greatest spy ever, and the story is both fun and suspenseful. It also features the greatest ever entrance for a Bond Girl (unsuccessfully duplicated by Halle Berry in Die Another Day). Honestly, there's not a whole lot i have to say other than it's my favorite Bond film and really should be a must see for everyone. It's just that good.

#40
Arsenic and Old Lace


One of the funniest films ever, this classic comedy stars Cary Grant as a newlywed whose from a family of wackos. As he prepares to leave for his honeymoon, he begins to fear that he will soon go crazy, much like his aunts and brothers have. His one brother thinks he's teddy roosevelt, his other is probably a murderer and his aunts poison homeless men and bury them in their basement so that they no longer have to suffer in this laugh. Grant is fantastically funny, and you'll find yourself laughing every other minute.

#39
Iron Man


With a superhero that had always been a 2nd rate marvel character, Iron Man could have turned out to be a very average second rate superhero film along the likes of films like Daredevil, Hulk, Ghost Rider and the Fantastic Four movies. Instead, Jon Favreau wisely used an updated but almost exact duplicate of Iron Man's first appearance the origin story in the first half of the film. The origin is both interesting and exciting, and you see the evolution of Tony Stark from proud businessman to humble superhero. The second half of the film plays nearly as well, and though it could have used a slightly bigger and badder fight as it's finale, it's still an excellent film all the way through. It doesn't hurt that Robert Downey, Jr. was born to play Tony and his charm and charisma in the role really just adds an extra dimension of greatness to an already great film.


(i will have pictures later tonight, but i have to go now)

[cradleman]

#38
Toy Story


The first Pixar full length film, it was the pioneer in computer animated movies. rather than being just a gimmick, it showed that it could not only work for a full length movie, but also allow the filmmakers to create stories that would be impossible or at least not as believable in live action like, say, a talking toy. In Toy Story, toys are alive, although they pretend to be regular toys when humans are around. Woody the cowboy doll takes pride in his place as Andy's favorite toy, but when Andy receives the cool new Buzz Lightyear action figure for his birthday, Woody is afraid of getting replaced. it doesn't help that Buzz won't listen to Woody about being a toy, he thinks he's actually a space ranger! Hilarious, tense, and just a wonderfully scripted film Toy Story also has a ton of little things hidden for those who like to rewatch films, and i catch something new every time I see it

#37
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back


The followup the surprising hit Star Wars (now titled, officially, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope), Empire Strikes back takes us deeper into the rebel conflict with the empire. we see just how small the rebellion is, as they hide on a frozen planet to try to avoid the empire, but it seems the empire is so strong they'll get them anywhere, and eventually stage an invasion. During the escape, Luke is told by Obi-Wan's force ghost to go to Dagobah to learn about the ways of the force from an old master named Yoda, and Han and Leia get separated from the rest of the fleet due to an unsurprising malfunction in the hyperdrive. The tone of the film is much darker than the original, and honestly, the writing and directing is stronger in almost all points. It ends unlike the first, on very much a down note with nearly all the heroes in peril, and it wouldn't have worked any other way. It also introduces the best character in star wars other than Han, and that's Yoda. His introduction scene is the highlight of the movie, and the only part of the film that doesn't seem foreboding.

#36
Super 8


Yes, i do realize how crazy this seems to put a film this new so high up in my personal top 50, and honestly i'm fairly sure on repeat viewings that my opinion of it will drop, but as it stands it's exactly where it belongs. It was easily the greatest movie i've seen in theaters (i don't go much), and even more so seeing it in IMAX (which is really the way to see it if possible). It is marketed as a giant monster story, but honestly, it's not. Instead, it a drama about how people deal with loss. There is a monster in it of course, but instead of being the focus of the film, he acts more as a catalyst for the events, as the focus is on two children, Joe Lamb and the slightly older Alice Dainard. Joe's mom dies right before the film begins in an accident at a steel plant, and Joe is having a tough time coping with her loss. She was much closer to him than his deputy sheriff father, who never really has understood his son. To escape from his father and forget his sorrow, Joe puts his time into two things. the first is building different models of things such as trains and planes, and the second is shooting a zombie film with his friends. He has always been attracted to a girl at school, Alice, and is ecstatic when he finds out that she's agreed to be in the zombie film. they all sneak out one night to film a scene at a train station when the unthinkable happens, a man drives his pickup onto the tracks and derails a train which then crashes in one of the coolest and most unrealistic special effects sequences of all time. The crash releases a monster on the town, and it's all caught on Joe's friend's Super 8 camera. In addition to being a very compelling drama that has a superb script and great special effects, Super 8 really works because of the actors who portray their different characters. Kyle Chandler is convincing as Joe's deputy dad as he struggles to connect with his son while trying to figure out what exactly is going on in town ever since the train crash. But especially great are the two main actors, Joel Courtney as Joe and Elle Fanning as Alice. the two have real chemistry together (which is very unusual between child actors) and their scenes together add depth to the film. All told, it's a fantastic movie that really needs to be experienced in theaters at all possible.

#35
Let The Right One In


It's called by some critics the best vampire movie of all time, and i would readily agree with that assessment. Visually understated, more than likely due to a smaller budget, the movie still has a very sinister and haunting feel to it. Oskar is a little boy who is constantly being bullied at school because of his small size, and he has no real friends. One day, a girl who looks about his age moves in, yet she isn't affected by the cold and she makes odd statements that she isn't really a girl. He doesn't know, of course, that it's because she's a centuries old vampire. Once he discovers it though, their relationship grows into something very unique and special. The vampire, Eli, is portrayed in a sympathetic light. She genuinely cares for both her old caretaker and Oskar, but when her caretaker is unable to procure her blood then she must go and kill to live. The climax of the film is both frightening and amazing, and it leaves with a perfect finish. The chemistry between the two characters is very real and compellint Also, this being a foreign language film, my recommendation is to see it subtitled as opposed to dubbed, as the english dub is sadly rather laughably bad.

[spideyfan914]

Dubs are only worthwhile in animation, and only sometimes. Duh.

[cradleman]

#34
Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla


Two foreign language films in a row! but this one should be watched in English, if only for the additional bonus the Unintentional comedy factor that always happens when watching a dubbed Godzilla movie. On a more serious note, Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla is by far the best film in the first series of Godzilla films (although also coming highly recommended from the first series, if less so, are Ghidrah the Three Headed Monster, Godzilla Vs. Monster Zero, and Destroy All Monsters). It features a race of aliens from the 3rd planet of the black whole, whatever that means, that want to take over earth. their method? a giant robot that is built to resemble Godzilla, and it of course takes on the name MechaGodzilla. therefore, Godzilla must take on Mechagodzilla while the human characters rush to solve a prophecy that will help free another monster to fight Mechagodzilla as well. yes, it might sound a bit silly but it's all done extremely well and the acting is better than most Godzilla films. Also of note, Godzilla's secret tactic that he would use in defeating Mechagodzilla, which is just too darn cool to reveal in this blurb.

#33
The Dark Knight


The mob is at an end, they are all being captured and sent to jail by Batman, and he's also found a way to track their money supply. In their desperation, they turn to a man they don't fully understand in order to rid themselves of the terror of the night. Easily the best Batman film, Christopher Nolan's Gotham is a dark and dreary place. that backdrop sets the tone perfectly for the film, and we watch as the Joker (played in an Oscar-winning performance by the late Heath Ledger) looks to create chaos in the city just to watch things burn. In a wise move on Nolan's part, he removes Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes and replaces her with a much more capable actress in Maggie Gyllenhall. The role is still rather generic and unlikeable, but Gyllenhall makes her slightly more likeable. Of course, the film also features the rise and fall of Harvey Dent, and while that might be too much for some films, the Dark Knight manages both that and the Joker story and even more. One last thing, "Why so serious?"

#32
Up


I'll readily admit that any really sad or heartfelt scene in a film can move me to tears within seconds, but the opening 5 minutes of Up just hit every emotional note perfectly and set the tone for the story as you see exactly what Carl Fredrickson had and lost, and why he's willing to tie hundreds of balloons to his house just to get to a place in south america he'd never been able to go to with his wife. The story follows him and Russell (a cub scout who'd snuck onto his porch and was stuck there inadvertantly during takeoff as they travel to the falls that Carl and his wife had dreamed about as children, and along the way they run into famed explorer Charles Muntz and his pack of talking dogs (well, sort of). The emotion is underplayed well during most of the film after the original scene, but when it's needed it hits full force and those moments are always well placed. The voice acting is terrific, it's got just enough thrills and chills and the end of the film is both simple and perfect.

#31
The Return of the Jedi


My personal favorite film in the star wars series sees our heroes taking on a new death star, and Luke battling both Palpatine and Vader while trying to deal with the discovery that Leia is his sister. I know a lot of people complain about the ewoks, but lets face it, those people are wrong! they are cute, funny and provide a fun atmosphere during the battle to destroy the shield generator on the moon of Endor. Also cool is the design for the new Death Star, the incomplete jagged edges of the side make the new look the more iconic one. I love Han, and the opening scenes where Leia and Luke (and Lando) go to rescue him from Jabba's palace are simultaneously tense and fun (not to mention that those scene provide us with the most memorable of Leia's outfits. ). All in all a great film and a perfect finale for the original trilogy

[spideyfan914]

Blasphemy! Empire had the better ending!

[cradleman]

have no fear, the top 50 update for today is here! lol. to the countdown!

#30
Alien


On the long trek back to earth from deep space mining, the mining ship Nostromo receives a strange call from a nearby planet and automatically wakes the sleeping crew to investigate. What they find is that the call not a distress signal as they'd originally suspected but instead a warning. However, it is too late, as one of the crew investigating the ruined ship sending the signal has an alien embryo attach itself to his face before he can be warned. When he's brought aboard to be treated, something sinister is set free and the entire crew is in danger. Alien is a near perfect horror film and director Ridley Scott nicely blends sci-fi with the scary moments to make a truly great film. There are a lot of shock and surprise moments, and all of them work really well, even the ones you see coming. Both the lighting and music give off a very somber, unnerving atmosphere. And Sigourney Weaver is great as Ellen Ripley, who seems to be the only person in the crew who actually understands what's at stake and is able to do something about it. Also great is Ian Holm (old Bilbo!) in his role as crewman Ash, who's a lot more mysterious than the rest of the crew, and for good reason.

#29
Inception


Honestly, i'm not gonna summarize the film, because nothing i say would make sense until you see it. all you have to know is that in this world, people can enter another person's dreams to discover their ideas or deepest darkest secrets. Well, if you can steal from someone, then you should be able to implant an idea without that person knowing. That's the basis of what is one of the most riveting and intriguing movies that i've seen. The cast is fabulous, from Leo Dicaprio to Joseph Gordon-Leavitt to Ellen Page. Chris Nolan shows why he is such a bankable commodity by crafting a story that is both complex and simple. he also wisely refused to shoot the film in 3D, and instead of using an overabundance of CGI, anything he could shoot without it, he did. This includes the coolest scene in the film, where JGL's character fights in zero gravity, and the effect is achieved by rooms that rotated around the actors who were on wires themselves. It's all capped off by an ending that is simultaneously satisfying and somewhat frustrating at the same time

#28
Goodfellas


Henry Hill grew up in New York's Little Italy admiring the men of the Italian mob that he saw all around him, and soon began helping them, quickly becoming accepted into their culture. Now an adult, he's finally what he admired as a kid and loving the life he has, but there are bumps in the road ahead. Based on the true story of the rise and eventual fall of Henry Hll, Goodfellas takes us on a journey of his life, and we get to see the ups and downs of being a mobster, as well as how he and his two best friends Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito pull some of the biggest successful robberies ever recorded. Although sometimes criticized for length, the film is never boring and always fascinating. The standout performance of the film is easily Joe Pesci's oscar winning role as Tommy DeVito, a loud and foulmouthed gangster who has a temper that he just can't control. Also great is Lorainne Braco as Henry's wife Karen, and she conveys well what it feels like to be a mobster's wife. Finally, Scorsese's choice of camera shots and angles is masterful, especially one really great single shot that lasts for about 3 minutes about an hour into the film.

#27
The Usual Suspects


A ship explodes in the port of LA, with millions of dollars in cocaine that was aboard the ship missing completely. Only 2 men have survived, and only one is healthy, Roger 'Verbal' Kint. He's a con man with cerebral palsy, and he agrees with police investigators to tell what he knows about the explosion and the dead men found on the boat in exchange for immunity. He starts off by revealing that each of the men involved in stealing the cocaine were originally brought together in a police lineup for a crime that none of them had committed. Angry at being singled out as just one of the usual suspects, the men develop a plot to get back at the police, while finding out that they have been targeted for death by super powerful villain Keyser Soze. The dialogue in the film is funny and snappy, and the plot unfolds at first relatively straightforward, but the more Verbal tells, the more you realize you don't yet know. Spacey is fantastic as Verbal Kint (deservedly winning an Oscar for the role) and Benicio del Toro is also great as another one of the men in the lineup who mumbles everything that he says. The mystery of just who Keyser Soze is deepens every minute from when he's first mentioned, and the ending is just ridiculously cool and elevates and already great movie to the heights of the insanely good.

[cradleman]

ok, so this already screwed up once today, lets see if it works this time

#26
Fight Club


It's a fun, sometimes brutal film about two sets of relationships. First, that between the narrator and Marla, two people addicted to going to self help groups, and also between the narrator and Tyler Durden, a soap salesman who befriends the narrator on a business trip and allows him to live at his house when the man's apartment blows up unexpectedly. Their fight outside a bar one night develops into what becomes one of the largest underground fight rings in the US. The acting, specifically by Helena Bonham Carter as Marla and Pitt as Durden is magnificent, and Norton does a great job as the unnamed narrator. The action is well filmed and the fights are necessarily bloody. The ending of the film is both crazy and cool at the same time and is something that everyone needs to see.

#25
Double Indemnity



I can't put it any better than Spideyfan did in his top 50 countdown, so with proper respect, here's what he had to say about Double Indemnity:

Double indemnity is a clause in life insurance that in the case of an unlikely death, you will receive double the money. It's in there to get more buyers, but of course the accident involved is so rare that it shouldn't cost the insurance company a cent. Unless, of course, the death is not so accidental after all. Walter Neff was in love with Phyllis Dietrichson from the moment he laid eyes on her. The problem, of course, is Mr. Dietrichson. And so, the two devise a scheme to eliminate the problem, and make a hefty prophet while they're at it. But of course, where murder is involved, it's never so simple. From the mind of Billy Wilder, Double Indemnity is one of the quintessential film noirs. It dares to tread an area taboo in those days. Sex? Murder? ADULTERY?? And the protagonist IS the villain? But there is no denying the genius behind the movie! It's thrilling, adventurous, and who doesn't love to tread on taboo-ed territory.

#24
Charade


Near the end of WWII, 5 men steal 250,000 dollars in gold but are forced to hide it when the Nazi's discover them. 4 get away and vow to return but one, Carson Dyle is shot in the stomach and killed. When 3 of the men get back to where the money is, they find it gone, stolen by Charles Voss, the last man in the group. The film is set in the 1950s, and Regina Lampert is married to Charles (now going by the name Charles Lampert). Even though he's rich, she decides that she will divorce him because she can tell he's constantly lying to her. Before she can do that though, he is killed (as the film opens) by being thrown from the train, but not before hiding the 250,000 dollars that the other 3 men are after. At his funeral all the men show up. George Scobee, Tex, and Gideon are all convinced that Reggie knows where the money is and begin to stalk her trying to get her to give it to them. She's protected by a man she meets at the beginning of the film on vacation, Peter Joshua (Cary Grant) but she soon learns that he's revealed himself to the men to be Carson Dial's brother Alex and is after the money as well. If that sounded confusing, you haven't seen anything yet. the movie twists and turns constantly and almost nothing you see can be believed. It's both extremely funny and very suspenseful and the ending has some of the greatest twists of any movie i've ever seen

#23
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan


After the failure that was Star Trek: The Motion Picture (not at the box office, but in just how boring a film it was), Trek needed a big boost, and got it in a big way by bringing back one of the greatest villains from the original TV series, Khan Noonien Singh. He begins to menace the federation, furious over the death of his wife and many of his other followers due to what he feels was their abandonment at the end of the tv show episode Space Seed. He eventually attacks Kirk's former lover (and mother of his son) a research scientist working on a device that can cause a dead planet to be reborn as a living, breathing, vibrant planet capable of supporting human life. because it destroys everything that is on a planet first, it would kill anyone on a planet that it is fired into. The film concludes with one of the most spectacular and majestic space battles on film as Kirk and Khan face off in different federation starships, as well as a great sacrifice by one of the best characters ever.

[cradleman]

#22
Toy Story 3


After 10 years, Pixar got around to giving us one more sequel to Toy Story, and it is not just great, but actually better than both the first and the second. The theme of the film is growing up and moving on with life, and man does it ring true in this film. Andy, who was barely 5 or 6 in the first film is now headed off to college, and the question is what is going to happen to his toys? Although he still has fond memories of them, he is really too old to play with them any more and has to make the decision of he's going to take the ones he has remaining with him or give them away to the daycare. When the toys are accidentally taken to daycare, they strive to get away and return back to their owner any way possible. There are plenty of laughs as t be expected, but there's a lot of darker themes and tones in the films then aren't necessarily in other Pixar films. The film takes you through several highs and emotional lows and really makes you think back on the past with joyful thoughts, but also thoughtfully consider what the future means.

#21
Raiders of the Lost Ark


Part Archeologist, Part history professor, and all total badass, Indiana Jones exploded onto theater screens with Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first installment in one of the greatest film series of all time. Indiana finds himself on a search for one of the greatest archeological treasures of all time, the Ark of the Covenant! He races against the Nazi's to find the Ark, and is aided along the way by his former love, Marion. Both exciting and dramatic, Ford is perfect as the greatest movie character of all time and he just exudes charm and charisma in the role of Jones. Also great is Karen Allen as Marion. Although Spielberg has made many great films, Raiders is definitely one of his best.

#20
Terminator 2: Judgement Day


"Come with Me if you Want to Live." The 2nd (and what honestly should have been final) installment in the Terminator series is a high paced, well-plotted film with both compelling heroes and a fantastic villain, and it features the best special effects of basically any film until the Matrix debuted. In 2020, the computer system skynet runs the world with its robots and other machines after causing nuclear war in 1990. However, many humans still survived, and the resistance is led by one man, John Connor. In order to eliminate him easier, Skynet sends two different terminators back in time to eliminate him. One is sent before he was born, but Kyle Reese managed to give his life in the destruction of it. The other, a much more advanced model that can imitate anything it's size that it touches, is sent to Connor's childhood, where it attack him after his mother has been sent to a psychiatric ward. The resistance sends back a protector, an older terminator like the model that attacked his mother in the first film, and he attempts to protect both John and the newly escaped Sarah from the deadly newer model terminator. Linda Hamilton is fantastic as bad-ass Sarah Conner, transformed from her frightened younger counterpart in the first film, she has taken military training and is much leaner and more muscular and determined to kick some robot ass. The T-1000 is very impressive in the visual effects department, and also provides a very intense, fairly unstoppable threat to John and Sarah. But the most important part of this film is the relationship between John and the T-800. He comes to see the machine as more than just his protector, almost like his father. He teaches the terminator about emotions and human thought patterns, and even gives him some badass lines to say. "Hasta la Vista, Baby"

#19
Singin' in the Rain


It is tough for Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont. the silent star duo, their newest picture is being converted into a film with sound due to the success of The Jazz Singer and not only do they have no idea how to deliver dialogue, but Lina's voice is equipped only for silent films. Don gets an idea from his girlfriend Kathy Seldon (the beautiful Debbie Reynolds) to turn the film into a musical, and realizes that Kathy can dub Lina's voice, but they will have to do that without Lina's knowledge. The songs are catchy, especially the title song, the story is uplifting and there are laughs galore. It's really just a joy to watch, and Gene Kelley, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor are all great. The real star of the film is Jean Hagan (who was ROBBED for the oscar that year) who is dynamic as Lina and provides many of the films best moments.

[cradleman]

#18
The Invisible Man


Jack Griffin is a scientist who has discovered a formula that can turn a man invisible! unfortunately he tried it on himself without finding a way to reverse, and he finds himself stuck permanently as an invisible man. While trying to find a cure, he begins to run out of time as the invisibility formula is slowly driving him insane! Easily the greatest of the classic Universal Horror films, Invisible Man is a rather brilliant adaptation of H.G. Well's Sci-Fi classic. Claude Raines performance as the Invisible Man is iconic, and he brings just the right amount of mirth and insanity to the titular character. Not only is the film thrilling and exciting, but there are also plenty of hilarious moments in the film as well.

#17
Saving Private Ryan


It's WWII, and right after the D-Day invasion, one American family is hit by death swiftly and in great numbers. Of 4 brothers serving in the military, 3 have died within one day of each other, and all 3 letters will arrive at home to their mother at once. General George C. Marshall, upon finding out about the situation, sends his best team of men deep into france to find the 4th brother, Private James Ryan, and take him home to his mother. The film opens with the most brutal and realistic depiction of war on film yet. the first 15 minutes of the film is the invasion of Normandy, D-Day and it's one of the coolest scenes of any film i've ever seen. There's also a lot of deep themes present in the film, and it makes you think a lot about both the cost of war, and the importance of life. just an amazing film in all aspects.

#16
Stalag 17


Another WWII film, this Billy Wilder film focuses on the POW's imprisoned at Stalag 17, where no one ever escapes, a fact proven when two men are gunned down trying to flee at the beginning of the film. the men in their barracks realize that there's an informant, and they begin to search for the man to expose him before he can reveal information that will cause even more men to be killed. Stalag is one of the few non-absurdist films i've seen that manages to be both drama, comedy and thriller. Animal and Harry Shapiro are HILARIOUS and provide great comic relief. there's also good drama as the leaders of the barracks confront Sgt. JJ Sefton about him getting too cozy with the guards in exchange for comforts that none of them can get. and the end of the film is very thrilling and exciting as time is running out for a lieutenant that the germans have captured. Peter Graves is great as security man Sgt. Price, and William Holden deservedly won his Oscar for his performance as Sefton.

#15
Taxi Driver


Travis Bickle is a man who doesn't sleep well, so he decides to drive a taxi at nights to alleviate his boredom. On his routes, he sees the city's dark underbelly of sex and violence and is disturbed deeply. After being rejected by the girl he loves because he takes her to a pornographic film, he decides he has nothing left to live for but to get rid of the filth in the city, and also to free a young prostitute he met a few days before. Robert DeNiro shines as Travis Bickle and he brings a real sense of a man who has been a loser so long he doesn't know what anything else feels like. Jodi Foster is also brilliant as the child prostitute, Iris and her scenes are fascinating to watch. The film unfolds slowly at first, but you are still drawn in by DeNiro's voiceover and Scorsese's beautiful camerawork as he shows the dark things that Bickle sees as he drives. as the film goes on it gains more and more intensity until the end scenes are both frantic, violent, and flat out fun to watch.

[cradleman]

sorry i didn't update yesterday, forgot for awhile and was too tired by the time i remembered, lol

#14
The Incredibles


From the geniuses at Pixar comes a film that's both the perfect Pixar film and also the perfect superhero film. It combines the all-ages family fun that pixar is known for, as well as the deep emotional undercurrents that all Pixar films have with the spectacular fun that superheroes (written well, of course) tend to provide. The premise is simple, Superheroes used to be popular and famous, but one man sues the greatest of them all, Mr. Incredible, for saving him from suicide and causing him daily pain. This lawsuit leads to more suits against the other supers, and eventually all the heroes are forced to go underground permanently. Mr. Incredible ends up at a dead end job he hates, and even though he loves his wife (the former Elastagirl) and his children Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack when he's given the opportunity to start superheroing around behind their backs (for rather large sums of cash) he jumps at the opportunity, not really thinking about who exactly is wanting him to do all these deeds in the first place. The voice talent is first rate, the animation is the best in any Pixar thus far, the direction is spectacular, the fight scenes look stupendous and there really is the emotional core about just how important family is that all combine into one to make this the greatest Pixar film yet

#13
Memento


Leonard Shelby is a man who finds himself in the unfortunate position of having no ability to create new memories. It's not that he's forgotten who he was. He has a memory up until a certain event, the death of his wife at the hands of robbers who had invaded his home. The farthest back he can remember since then is at most about 5 minutes, and usually it's less than 2. yet, even in this state, he has a goal and that's to kill his wife's murder, a man known only to him as John G. As the premise goes, it sounds like a simple enough film, but Christopher Nolan decides to tell the story moving backwards. We start at the very beginning of the film with Leonard killing John G. and we go backwards to figure out how exactly he discovered who John G. was. in this part of the storyline, a scene plays out, then a few minutes later, another scene plays that took place before the previous scene, and it ends with what was the beginning of the last scene you saw. As if that's not confusing enough, there's also a storyline moving forward in time that is intercut between the storyline moving in reverse. At the climax of the two films, the two storylines converge, and everything becomes clear for the first time. the technique itself is fascinating, as everything we think we know about the characters is constantly rearranged and tossed on its head (usually within two scenes), and nothing is a bigger game changer than the end of the film itself. Brilliantly acted and very intense, Memento is a film that is very unique and absolutely brilliant.

#12
Strangers on a Train


When Guy, a rather famous tennis player who is known to be having trouble with his wife, meets Bruno, a man with some pretty severe daddy issues, both men's lives will be changed forever. Bruno makes a proposition to Guy, as each man has someone in their life that they want to do without, there is a simple solution that no one would ever be able to figure out. Bruno offers to murder Guy's wife, if Guy will do the same thing to his father. And they won't get caught because other than the train they are riding on, they've never met before and have no connection to each other. Hitchcock's masterpiece takes off from there and Guy quickly becomes one of the sleaziest and creepiest bad guys in movie history. The film is filled with tension and terror, and the end of the film is both frantic and fantastic.

#11
(500) Days of Summer


Honestly, this one is up this high almost all because of the emotional impact it has on me personally. Very few films take such an honest look at romance and the aftermath of a breakup, and fewer give the kind of ending that such a film needs, but this has that ending and it elevates it above other films like it. It may be a little confusing the first time through, as Tom (played by Joseph Gordon-Leavitt) has just had his heart broken by his girlfriend Summer, who dumps him when she feels that they aren't going anywhere. From there, the story proceeds as he deals with the breakup and the fact that he is still madly in love with Summer, while at the same time intercutting the main storyline with his remembrances of Summer: some older, some newer and which memory gets shown when just depends on what he's thinking about at the time. Getting down to exactly why i love this movie so much is that i first saw it 2 weeks before my girlfriend of over 2 years dumped me, which led me to watching it once more soon after that event. Everything about the film is just very true to life from the fact that you just randomly remember stuff from the relationship in no kind of order to just how depressing losing someone you still care for is, and thus I always have felt a connection with the film in that way. Also, as mentioned before, the ending of the film is perfect and sends the right message to anyone who has been in a similar situations as Tom (although to find out what that is, watch the movie). In the end though, what sells it is the most above all is the actors themselves, as you really feel what they feel and every time i've seen it so far it has it just kinda strikes at the core and evokes emotion from me unlike any other film, and that is why it's one of my favorite films and will always remain so.

[cradleman]

and here we are, 40 films into my countdown, to the top 10 films of all time! (well, in my humble opinion of course, lol). from here on in, the updates will only be two films a day.

#10
12 Angry Men




What is the cost of a life, exactly? What IS the worth of one man? Many films have tackled this difficult theme, but none have answered the question with quite so much power and authority, nor moved the viewer to think quite so deeply on the matter as does Sidney Lumet's greatest film. He uses a very simple set, nearly the entire film takes place in a single room, save for the opening and ending of the film, and a brief scene in the middle. The room is a jury room, and 12 jurors debate whether or not to convict a young teenager of murdering his father. 11 men think he's guilty, but one man thinks that they men of the jury should at least discuss the matter for an hour before sending the boy to certain death. Henry Fonda is brilliant as always in the role of the lone dissenting juror, and his passion and fire really make the film such a powerful testament to the worth of every person. Also of note is Lumet's brilliant use of camera angles and POV in the jury room that increases the tension as the film moves along.

#9
The Matrix




Many films feature cutting edge special effects and take the world by storm, such as James Cameron's Avatar that debuted nearly a year and a half ago. While The Matrix does have some mind blowing special effects that are amazing to watch 12 years after it's debut, it also combines a brilliant story and mixes in some great acting with the effects to make what really is just a very special film to watch. The plot involves machines that have taken over the world and use humans as an energy source, placing them in a pod at birth, connecting them to tubes, and having their minds inhabit what they feel is reality but is in actuality just a complex computer program. These machines are opposed by the humans that remain from before the takeover, and they wake up a man, Neo, who may be the one person that can finally overcome the machines one and for all. Keanu Reeves turns in his best performance ever as Neo, Lawrence Fishburne is deadly cool as Morpheus, and Hugo Weaving's deadly Agent Smith is one of the greatest villains in film history.

[cradleman]

haha, yeah, i need to update this big time. I was gonna do 4 instead of 2, but i'll do that tomorrow, cause i'm tired and can't put up much about even the two that i do today and the other 2 need more commentary to do em justice, lol.

#8
North By Northwest




Poor Roger Thornhill's life gets turned upside down when he's mistaken for George Kaplan, a man that villain Phillip Vandamm wants to kill. In true Hitchcock fashion, the story unfolds with several twists and turns and ends with one of the most thrilling finishes in movie history. Cary Grant is brilliant as Thornhill and Eve Marie Saint is great as the dashing femme fatale. Also great is James Mason, who is always at his best playing the villain. The best of many great Hitchcock films, North By Northwest is also easily his most exciting.

#7
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade





It's Indiana Jones and he's back seeking another religious artifact, this time the fabled Holy Grail. Joining him on his quest will be his long absent father, James Bond! Ok, well, at least it's Henry Jones, Sr. played by the great Sean Connery. As with any Jones film it's full of adventure, fun, comedy and it's just a ton of fun to watch Indiana put together all the clues to find the Holy Grail. Also special is the chemistry between Ford and Connery who play off each other so well and provide the main source of comedy in the film.

[cradleman]

all right this has sat dormant for too long. but i've moved to missouri, have everything unpacked and internet set up so we're all good to go! i'm going to go ahead and do 6-3 right now, and movies 1 and 2 tomorrow.

#6
Gangs of New York




In the 1850s, New York City's Five Points districts was territory claimed by two groups of people, two gangs. The one group was the nationalists, led by Bill "The Butcher" Cutting, and they despised the immigrants that were pouring into New York, especially the Irish. The other gang was the Irish immigrants, called the Dead Rabbits they followed Priest Vallon until his death in open conflict with the nationalists in the 1840s. The movie opens with the battle between the two gangs, then skips ahead to follow Priest's son Amsterdam as he plots his revenge against Bill the Butcher. The movie's scope and scale is fantastic as Scorsese beautifully recreates the look and feel of 1850s New York. He shows not only the hatred between the two gangs, but also delves into the political intrigue that the gangs were involved in. Leo DiCaprio gives one of his first truly good performances as Amsterdam and Scorsese's direction seems to be exactly what he needed for his career. Of course, the best thing about the movie (and that's saying a lot) is the absolutely brilliant performance of Daniel Day-Lewis as Bill the Butcher. He brings a sense of menace and hatred to the role, his one-liners are both great and funny, and yet at the same time he has the ability to cause you to care at times about Bill as a person and to maybe think he's really not all that bad, and that's why he's a truly great villain and one of the greatest of all time.

#5
The Silence of the Lambs




Clarice Stalling is a young relatively inexperienced FBI trainee who is tasked to bring in a serial killer who's been killing obese women and skinning them, earning him the nickname Buffalo Bill. In order to get into the mind of a killer, she visits the greatest of them all, Hannibal Lecter. Jodi Foster is brilliant, deservedly winning the Academy Award for the role of Clarice as she portrays her as someone who is both very intelligent and very raw, yet rarely unnerved. Her scenes with Hannibal are fascinating to watch as she and Anthony Hopkins play off each other very well. Also amazing is Jonathan Demme in his direction. Although the focus of the film is two different serial killers, including a cannibal, Demme doesn't go for over the top gore and violence. He includes it as necessary, but the most chill inducing moments come from words as the nurses discuss what Hannibal has done in the past. It's a bold choice but one that works brilliantly for the film. Of course without Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal, the film wouldn't be nearly as good, as he portrays Lecter as an educated man with good manners who just happens to eat people. He shows so well with his eyes his distaste for the warden of his prison, and just how much he actually cares for Clarice. all these things work together to make what i consider one of only two perfect films i've ever seen.

#4
Gojira




At the end of WWII, the Japanese fell victim to one of the most destructive forces ever created, the atomic bomb. Their economy and country suffered terribly from the effects, and inspired the movie makers to come up with a film to illustrate the horrors that the Japanese had endured. The result is a film about a giant monster, imbued with radiation due to atomic tests, that comes to wreak havoc on Tokyo. The scenes of Godzilla's destruction of tokyo are powerful and moving and the ending of the film is a tragic yet beautiful finish. Honestly, there's not much more i can add, the direction is perfect and the acting is great and it's by far the greatest monster movie ever made

#3
The Shawshank Redemption





Andy Dufresne is a man convicted of killing his wife and her lover as they lay in bed. Although he claims to be innocent, he's placed near the scene of the crime during the night of their murders and he is sent to Shawshank prison where he befriends one of the older prisoners, Red, and soon becomes popular with almost all of the other men. When the guards and the warden discover his skill with numbers he's sent to work for the Warden as the bookkeeper, and he also gives tax refunds for the guards. The end of the film is extremely emotional and really everything about the movie is just pitch perfect. Tim Robbins is amazing as Andy and Morgan Freeman is awesome as ever as Red. 10/10 and the only other absolutely perfect film I've seen.

[cradleman]

and now here we are, to the top 2 films of all time. they shouldn't surprise you, but just in case, here they are.

#2
Spider-Man 2





The sequel to one of the most successful films in movie history, Spider-Man 2 had the unenviable task of living up to it's predecessor and did in nearly every way. Director Sam Raimi combined one of the greatest arcs in the Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man No More, with one of his greatest villains, Dr. Otto Octavious. Raimi also treaded what could have been a dangerous path, making Ock a sympathetic villain. Yet, in part thanks to Alfred Molina's terrific performance and in part due to great writing everything about Ock works superbly. Maguire does a very good job of showing Peter's frustration at trying to keep a secret identity, and the film stays true to the comic theme of Peter being someone who's constantly down on his luck. And as with almost any good superhero film, there's just enough camp thrown in to make the movie funnier and even more entertaining to watch. All in all it's a perfect sequel and a really great film overall.

#1
Spider-Man





Obviously, as was apparent from the last film, my favorite film of all time is none other than spider-man. Really, the two are equally good in my eyes, but i have to pick one to be #1, so i had to go with the original that started the series and won the hearts of millions to become spider-man fans. I've seen it over 30 times and honestly, it's just keeps getting better each time. Willem Dafoe's performance of the Green Goblin is both amusing and terrifying at the same time, Dunst does her best in the role of MJ, and James Franco is great as Harry (not to mention that he looks uncannily like Willem Dafoe). of course JK Simmons was BORN to play the role of J. Jonah Jameson. Finally, i'd be remiss to talk about the actors and not mention the great job that Tobey Maguire does, both in this film and the 2nd (we won't mention the third film). There's a lot of random funny comments throughout the film that make you laugh (though strangely very few from spidey himself), and it's kinda like watching two movies in one, with one about the origin of spider-man and another about his fight with the Goblin. The Special Effects are cool and innovative and all in all Spider-Man is one hell of a movie ride that you want to experience again and again and again.