Top 100 movies of all time: 57 - 54

NR. 57:

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (1975)

Directed by: Milos Forman
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher and Danny DeVito



Upon arrival at a mental institution, a brash rebel rallies the patients together to take on the oppressive Nurse Ratched, a woman more a dictator than a nurse

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

A timeless classic in one of Jack Nicholson prestige performances. It is a movie about freedom and rebelling against the oppressing system the patients find themselves in. A movie that resonates as well today as it did 30 years ago.



NR. 56:

DARK CITY (1998)

Directed by: Alex Proyas
Starring: Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland and Jennifer Connelly



A man struggles with memories of his past, including a wife he cannot remember, in a nightmarish world with no sun and run by beings with telekinetic powers who seek the souls of humans.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

You don't get many science fiction noir films, but when you do find them it is usually a treat. Dark City is one of my favorite science fiction movies of all time (at least in the top 3 bracket overall) and is only this far down on the list because I've seen it so many times now that I can let it lie for a while. It is a movie filled with a dark, dystopian atmosphere mixed with a sense of mystery and wonder. A detective story set in the realm of the supernatural and fantastic. One of the more influential movies in my personal writing.

Oh, and if you do seek it out make sure you get the directors cut and NOT the theatrical one.



NR. 55:

THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998)

Directed by: Joel Coen
Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and Julianne Moore



"Dude" Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

Did you read the synopsis? It pretty much says it all. The Dude wants restitution for his rung, which gets peed on. Along the way he meets a barrage of fun, cookie and down right nutty characters (none more so then John Goodman's stellar performance) and the film takes a very relaxed and almost zen approach to it all. It might hold more F-bombs then a drunken sailor but that's because it's a fucking great movie.



NR. 54:

DEAD MAN (1995)

Directed by: Jim Jarmusch
Starring: Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer and Crispin Glover



On the run after murdering a man, accountant William Blake encounters a strange Indian named "Nobody" who prepares him for his journey into the spiritual world.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

For me, this movie is all about the characters. Yes, the story is a very symbolic tale of spiritualism and self discovery. However, the most interesting aspect for me is the numerous fantastical characters you find throughout it. Every character you meet, even if they only have once scene lasting a few seconds, are fleshed out and truly believable and interesting to watch. You want to follow them beyond the movie just to see what they do and say, which is more then you can say about so many other movies out there. The movie is not for everyone as it is in black and white and is a very artistic movie in many ways, but if you like good cinema then check this one out.

Top 100 movies of all time: 61 - 58

Before I start, can someone tell me why almost every time I try and link a video from Youtube that is not a trailer I get "this video is unavailable" ? I get this maybe 3 out of 4 times. It gets kinda boring having to link the trailer to all the movies I list.

NR. 61:

AMERICAN PSYCHO (2000)

Directed by: Mary Harron
Starring: Christian Bale, Justin Theroux and Josh Lucas



A wealthy New York investment banking executive hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he escalates deeper into his illogical, gratuitous

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

see American psycho is a commentary on the age of materialism and the revolt against it. The need to return to more basic needs and wants are mirrored in Bateman and his murdering rampage which becomes extensive and out of control. A masterful satiric tale on the modern way of life.



NR. 60:

ALIENS (1986)

Directed by: James Cameron
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn and Carrie Henn



After Ellen Ripley survived her disastrous ordeal, nobody believed her story about the "Aliens" on the planet LV-426. However, approximately 50 years later, the colony on LV-426 was completely destroyed. The government has decided to send Ripley out of cryostasis and to aid a team of tough, rugged space marines into the desolate planet to find out if there are aliens or survivors.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

Aliens is the horror/action sequel that, at least in my book, surpasses the original. In many ways it is the perfect horror science fiction movie in that it is A) done with such grit and realism that you really feel the reality of the situation (something you often lose now a days as practical effects and miniatures have been replaced with CGI) and B)strikes a perfect balance between suspense, horror, action and even some comedy. One alien was bad, but a large pack of them is a nightmare not even heavy weaponry can deal with. Aliens is the last good Alien movie so please enjoy it over and over again.



NR. 59:

EVIL DEAD 2 (1987)

Directed by: Sam Raimi
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry and Dan Hicks



The lone survivor of an onslaught of flesh-possessing spirits holds up in a cabin with a group of strangers while the demons continue their attack.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

I can't really say that Evil Dead 2 is a sequel as it feels allot more like a reboot or remake of the original. The plot is the same, just done so much better. Evil dead was a cult phenomenon back in 1981 and was made for practically no money. This time around Sam Raimi had a little more cash to spend and manages to tell the same story, but with better visuals and effects. Evil dead have always been a hilariously disturbing comedy with over the top violence and gore and none more so then Evil dead 2 as it takes it all to the extremes. Bruce Campbell's role as the one-liner machine Ash is a character that made his stamp on pop culture and is still celebrated to this day.



NR. 58:

12 MONKEYS (1995)

Directed by: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe and Brad Pitt



In a future world devastated by disease, a convict, James Cole, is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

If Back to the future is Disney Land, 12 monkeys is the New York sewer system. A dark, twisted time travel story where past, present and future all mix together in perfect disharmony. Here time travel feels painful and actually harms the body, something Bruce Willis is able to translate so well through his character. Even more notable is the brilliant performance by Brad Pitt who plays the mentally insane Jeffrey Goines who becomes James Cole's only ally.

Top 100 movies of all time: 65 - 62

NR. 65:

THE 6TH SENSE (1999)

Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment and Toni Collette



A boy who communicates with spirits that don't know they're dead seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

This was a movie that took pup culture by storm and became a sensation over night. And why shouldn't it, it is a masterpiece of suspense and atmosphere that many have since compared to Hitchcock.The movie is so carefully thought out that there are things to discover on multiple viewings which is saying something when the movie hinges on such a twist ending.



NR. 64:

MATCHSTICK MEN (2003)

Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Alison Lohman and Sam Rockwell



A phobic con artist and his protégé are on the verge of pulling off a lucrative swindle when the former's teenage daughter arrives unexpectedly.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

A funny and touching heist movie where nothing is what it seems. An actual good performance by Nicolas Cage (which might have something to do with the character being a neurotic germaphobe) and the usual great quality from Sam Rockwell (who might be the actor appearing most on this list next to Harrison Ford). It is a small film from Ridley Scott that not many people seem to know or think about which is a shame because this is a very good find. Quality through and through.



NR. 63:

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (2009)

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger and Eli Roth



In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

What do you get when Tarantino makes a war movie? One of the most entertaining and funny war movies you'll see in a good long while is what. Tarantino (in what by my book is his best work since Pulp Fiction) manages to create a tapestry of the hilariously funny and nail bitingly intense, blend it all together and make is taste like vanilla ice cream. The cast is sublime and none more so then Christoph Waltz who alone elevates the film to a class of its own. A role he got rewarded for with an Oscar, and deservedly so.



NR. 62:

GROUNDHOG DAY (1993)

Directed by: Harold Ramis
Starring: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell and Chris Elliott



A weatherman finds himself living the same day over and over again.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

Groundhog day is Bill Murray in tip top shape at the height of his career (if you can call it that, the man still puts out phenomenal work) and its a gold standard in comedy. To see Bill Murray go from ecstatic that he can do whatever he wants without consequence to manically depressed and suicidal when realizing the loop never ends is some of the funniest acting caught on tape. The concept has been mimicked and duplicated over and over, but none of which have come close to the same level of quality. See it.

Top 100 movies of all time: 69 - 66

NR. 69:

INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989)

Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery and Alison Doody



When Dr. Henry Jones Sr. suddenly goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, eminent archaeologist Indiana Jones must follow in his father's footsteps and stop the Nazis.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

When it comes to adventure, you can't go wrong with Indiana Jones (except you can if you venture into the 4th film, but lets pretend that never happened). The Last Crusade is a fun, action packed adventure that saw Indiana Jones quest for the holy grail with his father. The chemistry between Harrison Ford and Sean Connery is stellar and the father/son dynamic is spot on. A brilliant ending to a brilliant trilogy...or at least it would have been.



NR. 68:


SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)

Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and Ben Kingsley



In Poland during World War II, Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

A powerful movie that shows the plight of the Jews told with such realism, making it impossible to ignore once you sit down to see it. When casting American actors as German Nazis (or any foreign historical group or individuals) you risk trivializing the subject matter, but Spielberg and all actors involved manages to transcend this and make you believe they are people of history. Truly a great piece of tragic art.



NR. 67:


DOWNFAll (DER UNTERGANG) (2004)

Directed by: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Starring: Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara and Ulrich Matthes



Traudl Junge, the final secretary for Adolf Hitler, tells of the Nazi dictator's final days in his Berlin bunker at the end of WWII.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

Der Untergang is a powerful and jarring movie about Hitler's final days. What the movie does well is humanizing Hitler (to much debate) in a way that we do not see him as just the monster of history we are all familiar with, but as a human being. Bruno Ganz does a phenomenal job in portraying the dictator. Even though the movie goes to great lengths to humanize Hitler, Ganz easily turns it all around and shows you the dark and evil side as well.



NR. 66:

AMERICAN BEAUTY (1999)

Directed by: Sam Mendes
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening and Thora Birch



Lester Burnham, a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis, decides to turn his hectic life around after developing an infatuation for his daughter's attractive friend.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

American Beauty is a film about people trapped in their own lives and doing everything they can to get out of it. Be it in search of success or just trying to find happiness. The movie is masterly told by director Sam Mendes and the casting is absolutely perfect. It is the story of the American dream and how ugly it can turn out by those who live it and those who strive to perfect it.

Top 100 movies of all time: 73 - 70

Day 7 and going strong.

NR. 73:

ZOOLANDER (2001)

Directed by: Ben Stiller
Starring: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Christine Taylor



Derek Zoolander is VH1's three time male model of the year, but when Hansel wins the award instead, Zoolander's world becomes upside down. His friends disappear, his father is disappointed in him, and he feels that he's not good as a model anymore. But when evil fashion guru Mugato hires Zoolander, he thinks his life has turned back round again, that is until he finds out that Mugato has actually brainwashed him to kill the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

Zoolander is just a crazy, no holds barred comedy that never tries to take itself seriously, yet it becomes so much more then mere slapstick. From gasoline fights at the gas station to orgies including (but not restricted to) circus folk, Zoolander takes you for a trip that will have you in stitches. Zoolander. So hot right now.



NR. 72:

KISS KISS, BANG BANG (2005)

Directed by: Shane Black
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer and Michelle Monaghan



A murder mystery brings together a private eye, a struggling actress, and a thief masquerading as an actor.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang is a hilarious send up of the detective noir genre A quirky story about two very unlikely partners brilliantly portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer. Couple this with the narration (Downey) that constantly breaks the 4th wall and you have the recipe for comedic cold with an action twist.



NR. 71:

GOLDFINGER (1964)

Directed by: Guy Hamilton
Starring: Sean Connery, Gert Fröbe and Honor Blackman



Investigating a gold magnate's smuggling, James Bond uncovers a plot to contaminate the Fort Knox gold reserve.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

Goldfinger is probably the best Bond movie ever made and certainly was the film that made the Bond character an international superstar. This is Sean Connery's third Bond film and he really embodies the role at this point. He is also faced with not only the most memorable Bond villain of all time, but also the even more recognizable henchman of all time: Oddjob the hat throwing Hawaiian played by Harold Sakata. It is the Bond movie that embodies the 60's spy genre perfectly and will forever stand as the height of Sean Connery's career.



NR. 70:

GHOSTBUSTERS (1984)

Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Sigourney Weaver



Three odd-ball scientists get kicked out of their cushy positions at a university in New York City where they studied the occult. They decide to set up shop in an old firehouse and become Ghostbusters, trapping pesky ghosts, spirits, haunts, and poltergeists for money. They wise-crack their way through the city, and stumble upon a gateway to another dimension, one which will release untold evil upon the city. The Ghostbusters are called on to save the Big Apple.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

As a kid I loved Ghostbusters for all the cool ghosts and, of course, the Ecto 1 Ghostbusters car (yes, I had all the toys). As I've grown (at least physically) I have come to appreciated so much more the film has to offer. The comedy and the creative genius behind the idea itself is enough to forever land Ghostbusters among my favorite films of all time.



See yall tomorrow!

Top 100 movies of all time: 77 - 74

Back on schedule so lets g-o.

NR. 77:

FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS (1998)

Directed by: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro and Tobey Maguire



An oddball journalist and his psychopathic lawyer travel to Las Vegas for a series of psychadelic escapades.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

Fear and loathing in Las Vegas is one of those movies its hard to define or put into a category. Sure its a comedy, but in such a way that stands apart from almost anything else out there. There are things in here that is pretty far removed from comedy as well, making it a surreal mix (don't forget the lizard puppets) you don't soon forget. Couple it along with some stellar casting and a powerhouse performance by Johnny Depp and you are stuck with a movie that, for the most part, leaves you with the notion: "huh?"



NR. 76:

BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA (1992)

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder and Anthony Hopkins



The vampire comes to England to seduce a visitor's fiancée and inflict havoc in the foreign land.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

In my opinion this is the best Dracula adaptation out there. Gary Oldman does a phenomenal job of portraying Dracula as a sympathetic character who can turn on you at any time and rip out your innards if need be. It also manages the adapting the book rather well, which is no small feat when keeping the structure of the book in mind. The film is not without its flaws (Keanu Reeves with a "British" accent anyone?), but none of it is enough to deflate the movie in any way.



NR. 75:

ED WOOD (1994)

Directed by: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Martin Landau and Sarah Jessica Parker



The mostly true story of the legendary director of awful movies and his strange group of friends and actors.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

As a self proclaimed film fanatic, Ed Wood just hits the spot every time. Its not only the brilliant acting from everyone involved, but seeing how the naive and almost juvenile Ed Wood is trying to get these awful movies made (some of which are held in the highest regards by today's fans). The fact that it is all based on reality (mostly) and that you can go out and see his movies afterward, just makes Ed Wood a really sympathetic film experience that it is impossible not to truly enjoy.



NR. 74:

LEON (1994)

Directed by: Luc Besson
Starring: Jean Reno, Gary Oldman and Natalie Portman



Professional assassin Leon reluctantly takes care of 12-year-old Mathilda, a neighbor whose parents are killed, and teaches her his trade

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

Comedy mixed with some great action and potent drama is just one of the things that make Leon truly great. At its core it is the story of an unlikely friendship between Leon and the 12-year-old Matilda and how they each fulfill a role in each others lives they desperately need (either they are aware of it or not). A brilliantly directed film by Luc Besson that jumps around the emotional spectrum with such ease and sense of fun.



All form the 90'stoday. Good decade. Not sure I did my best WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100 segments this time around, but sometimes its surprisingly hard explaining exactly why, which it really shouldn't be ^^ ah well. Stay tuned =)

Top 100 movies of all time: 81 - 78

A bit late today, but never the less:

NR. 81:

OCEAN'S ELEVEN (2001)

Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts



Danny Ocean and his ten accomplices plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100:


Ocean's eleven is a remake of the 1960 movie of the same name. I have not seen the original (trust me, it's on my list), but when watching Ocean's eleven I get that 60's casino heist feel perfectly. The movie is a simple fun pleasure that I can revisit a number of times and always end up smiling.



NR. 80:

THE OTHERS (2001)

Directed by: Alejandro Amenábar
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Christopher Eccleston and Fionnula Flanagan



A woman who lives in a darkened old house with her two photosensitive children becomes convinced that her family home is haunted.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

The others was a movie that, when I saw it for the first time, put me in a state of constant unease and suspense. It might lose some of the suspense when seeing it for a second or third time, but the general mood and the uneasy vibe throughout the film never goes away. This is not a movie that relies on jump scares like so many other movies in the horror/thriller genre, but rather presents a series of events (usually noises and strange behavior in some of the characters) that is designed to scare you on a much deeper level.



NR. 79:

MONSTER'S BALL (2001)

Directed by: Marc Foster
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry and Taylor Simpson



After a family tragedy, a racist prison guard reexamines his attitudes while falling in love with the African American wife of the last prisoner he executed.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

Monster's ball is a very unapologetic movie in the way it portrays human tragedy (in many forms) and the people who are touched by it. It is a love story between two broken down people who desperately need something or someone to cling to. It all flows fluently and you can't help but get invested in the characters no matter how horrible or tragic they may be.



NR. 78:

BATTLE ROYALE (Batoru rowaiaru) (2000)

Directed by: Kinji Fukasaku
Starring: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda and Tarô Yamamoto



In the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill each other under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.

WHY IT MADE MY TOP 100

This movie is unlike anything I have seen before and it is almost scary how fascinating it is to watch a group of school children kill each other with a barrage of different weaponry. Perhaps it is the way some people give in to any situation and will do what it takes to survive while others give in to hopelessness and simply lay down to die. The most confronting question might be: if you and your friends were put in the same situation, what would you do?



Wow, 3 out of 4 movies from 2001? Quite the year I guess.