Top 100 Films of All Time, Decided By Me and Several Others

A couple months ago, I decided to do sort of a contest thing, where I'd get several of my friends to send me their Top 50 Movies lists. I'd give #1 3 points, #2-25 2 points, and #26-50 1 point. In the end, I tallied up all the points, and out of those, I had about 200 movies with 2+ points. So, I used IMDb to eliminate the most unpopular and hated of the movies with two points, and when I was completely finished, I had the Top 100 Movies. Now, instead of putting all the movies here now, I'll put one a day, or at least everyday I'm not busy, and put several of my friends opinions of that film with it. So, check this post out everyday to see the next movie on the list! Let's begin!:

100. Office Space (1999)


"One of a Kind Movie!"
"...The Ultimate Cult Movie."
"The Best Office Comedy and Very Hilarious."
"A Very Funny Film"
"Mike Judge is an Incredibly Talented Director."
"Really Hilarious."

99. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)


"Love This Movie!"
"A Terrific, Well Crafted Film That's Very Funny, Original, and Refreshing."
"Smart and Goofy, Tender and Laugh-Out-Loud Funny"
"This Is Such a Great Film."
"...One of My Favorites Now."
"I Laughed Really Hard and Often."

98. Beauty and the Beast (1990)



"This is an Excellent Film."
"...One of Disney's Best Films."
"Brilliant"
"...Beautifully Made and Perfectly Plotted"
"Really Charming"
"...One of the Best Animated Films of All Time."

97. The Secret In Their Eyes (2009)


"Great! Incredible!"
"The Actors All Do An Amazing Job and Believably Age With The Help of Skilled Makeup Work."
"Amazing Sensation!"
"...You Never Get Bored"
"...The Script is Incredible."
"The Story, Told Through Many Flashbacks, Holds Your Attention With A Forward Momentum."

96. Finding Nemo (2003)


"A Great Film"
"An Amazing Story"
"A Thing of Beauty, Hugely Entertaining and Way Cool."
"Probably My Favorite Animated Film"
"One of the Best Movie(s) of the Year!"
"...One of Pixars Best Films"

95. Glory (1989)


"Everyone Should See This Movie & It Should Be Shown In Schools(.)"
"This is the All Time Best War Film of All"
"Emotional!"
"...One of the Finest and Most Well-Made Films about the Civil War."
"...This Film is Perfect"
"The Supporting Actors Are Brilliant"

94. Big Fish (2003)


"A Beautiful Movie!"
"Tim Burton's Best Film"
"Tim Burton Has Made Possibly The Best Film He Has Ever Made."
"Tim Burton Strikes Again"
"Big Fish is One of Tim Burton's Best Films."
"...Such a Terrific Story"

93. Amores Perros (2000)


"Very Good and Realistic"
"Epic"
"Very Relevant"
"Emotional"
"Very Engaging."
"Emilio Echevarria Gave the Best Performance"

92. The Sea Inside (2004)


"Beautiful, Poignant"
"Exceptional"
"(The) Music is Perfect"
"Wonderful."
"Superb"
"Outstanding"

91. Harold and Maude (1971)


"The Funniest, Sweetest, Most Touching and Relatable Film Ever Made!"
"I Absolutely Love This Movie"
"A Pure Delight."
"...Beautiful"
"An Unusual, Often Hilarious Yet Touching and Heart-Warming Gem"
"I Highly Recommend This One."

90. Casino (1995)




















"Love It..."
"...A Terrific Film"
"One of the Most Incredibl(e) and Well Made Films Ever"
"Can Scorsese Make a Bad Film?"
"Every Minute of It Is Genius."
"...Exceptional"

89. Life of Brian (1979)


"...So Very Funny."
"The Pythons Are All In Top Form"
"Impossible to Say Anything, Just Laugh, Laugh, Laugh."
"Hilarious"
"...Hilarity"
"(Python's) Best Work"

88. Aguirre, The Wrath of God (1972)


"(One of the) Greatest Films Ever Made."
"Perfect"
"...Kinski's Best Performance"
"...Herzog's Best Film"
"...Visually Stunning"
"...Haunting"

87. The Hustler (1961)

"This is an Absolutely Brilliant Character Study."
"...Gorgeous"
"I Can't Recommend This Enough"
"...Really Timeless Stuff."
"The Music is Also Quite Wonderful."
"...Great."

86. The Night of the Hunter (1955)


"A Really Good Thriller"
"Robert Mitchum is Amazing"
"...Impressive Cinematography"
"The Style, Direction, and Acting is Really Good."
"...Oozes Very Many More Ideas, Ideas That Beg For Multiple Viewings."
"Memorable"

85. The Princess Bride (1987)


"Beautiful Movie"
"...Flawless"
"I Absolutely Love This Movie!"
"Possibly One of the Most Brilliant Movies Ever"
"Funny, Funny Movie. And Full of Great Adventure."
"I Think Almost Everybody Likes This Movie, and For Good Reason."

84. Good Will Hunting


"One of My All Time Favorite Films."
"Definitely Worth A View."
"A Strong, Brilliant, Touching, Well Rounded Film!"
"Incredible Cast"
"I Truly and Honestly Love This Film."
"Really Moving'

83. 8 1/2


"I Absolutely Love This Movie!"
"A Very Brilliant Film"
"One of the Greatest Films of All Time"
"An Artistic and Cinematic Achievement"
"The Story is Perfect"
"Breathtaking"

82. The Lives of Others (2006)


"One of the Decades Best Films"
"A Superb, Brilliant, Magnificent, Masterpiece of a Film."
"Stunning"
"One of the Best I've Ever Seen."
"A Brilliant Story"
"You Absolutely MUST See This Film!"

81. Mystic River (2003)


"The Movie is Powerful, Sizzling, and Utterly Shocking"
"Great Thriller From Clint Eastwood!"
"It's a Work of Dramatic Brilliance"
"One of My Favorite Films!"
"A Must See."
"Fantastic"

80. Casino Royale (2006)


"Best of All The Bond Films."
"Daniel Craig IS James Bond."
"A Pure Adrenaline Filled Rush From Start To Finish."
"Truly, A Great Film!"
"The Best Bond Movie Ever Made."
"Genius"

79. Planet of the Apes (1968)


"It's Truly Amazing"
"A Fantastic Sci-Fi Movie"
"A Brilliantly Constructed Film"
"Honestly One of the Greatest Films of All Time."
"Superb"
"I Enjoyed Every Moment"

78. Changeling (2008)


"A Phenomenal Film"
"Riveting, Astounding, and Compelling"
"Wonderful Performance by Angelina Jolie"
"A Big Thumbs Up"
"One of the Greatest Movies I Have Seen In a Long Time."
"Grim, Yet Fascinating"

77. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)


"An Original Work of Art"
"One of the Best Romantic Movies."
"Brilliant"
"A Must See Film."
"The Acting was Top Notch"
"So Perfect!"

76. The Apartment (1960)


"A Wonderful Satirical Dramedy"
"This Movie is Hilarious, Dramatic, and Romantic as well"
"A Great Find"
"Early Romantic Comedy at its Best"
"This is Perfection"
"First Class Performances"

75. Donnie Darko (2001)


"One of the Truly Great Movies in Recent Years"
"One of the Most Original Films Ever"
"Very Interesting and Thought Provoking"
"I Love This Movie. It's in my Top 5 Favorites. A True Masterpiece"
"Jake Gyllenhaal was Absolutely Amazing"
I Could Watch it Over and Over Again"

74. The Elephant Man (1980)


"Sad, True, Lonely, Beautiful"
"Superb Movie"
"Very Moving"
"Timeless"
"The Performances are Superb, as in Lynch's Directing."
"So Well Done"

73. Requiem for a Dream (2000)


"One of the Few Films I Can Recall that I Loved, but Never Want to Watch Again"
"Too Good for Words to Describe"
"A Realistic Take at the Anatomy of Drug Addiction"
"Classic"
"Extremely Amazing Cast"
"A Superb Directing Job"

72. Amadeus (1984)


"A Masterful Poem of Music and Lust"
"A Perfect Movie"
"A Must See"
"One of the Greatest Films You Will Ever See"
"A True Epic"
"Fantastic, Involving"

71. Life is Beautiful (La Vita e Bella) (1997)


"Sad and Triumphant"
"One of the Best Foreign I Have Seen"
"Flawless"
"A Fantastic and Dramatic Film"
"He (Benigni) Directs This with a Passion"
"Very Emotional"

70. Coming July 12, 2012!

The Godfather Review

With some of the best cast choices, an amazing director, and an amazing script, was there any doubt this film would be amazing? It's completely mind blowing on what Francis Ford Coppola did, as well as the every single person who worked on it. No wonder it's said to be one of the best films of all time! It's completely outstanding. I wouldn't even be afraid to call this movie perfect. It really pushes the limits of a mob film, and every film following a concept even slightly similar to this has taken points from this film. Firstly, let's talk about the plot, because there's not much to say without giving away anything, but I'll do my best. It's about the Corleone family, a "Mafia" family and their struggle with the leader of the family, Don, grows aged, and Michael, his son, is to take his place when he passes away. I would say more, but it's very complex and long, and I'd spoil some of the surprises, so just trust me on this, the plot is very well done. Now, something very important, the violence. The violence is gruesome, disturbing, and very intense, absolutely NOT recommended for kids, even with adults around. Now, something I must warn, as it really confused me for the first while: The first half of the film is why many consider the film boring, and I have a reason for that. It seems that Francis Ford Coppola wanted to really develop the characters and make them as important in the film is possible, so he seems to take the entire first half of the film to develop the characters, which is about an hour and thirty minutes. So, I shall warn you, if you hate slow movies, and don't care much about these types of characters, don't watch this movie, you'll be bored to death. As for everyone else, you can definitely enjoy the first half, especially because it makes the second half more intense and significant. So, don't be surprised if the movie seems very slow, it's worth it. Now, because this might be known as my most viewed post ever, as the film is well known, I shall do The Best and Worst of "The Godfather". The best was difficult for me to decide. I had to choose between the acting and the editing, so I've decided to pick the one I think is more important to a film, and acting edges out. The acting was outstanding. Al Pacino was the best by far, with his unlimited emotions and amazing delivery, he was tremendous in this performance. Also, James Caan and John Cazale were amazing, Marlon Brando made the character feel real, as if he wasn't Marlon Brando, he was the character, and Robert Duvall... awesome. Even the minor characters were portrayed wonderfully by their actors. Now the worst part of the film, which was extremely hard for me, but I decided to go with the ending, not because it was bad, far from it, I actually really liked the ending, but unlike everything else in the movie, it has a flaw. It feels empty, like it made you care so much for the characters, you were so interested in them, and right at the last few seconds, it literally shuts the door on them, basically saying "That's all you get, I don't care if you want more, you'll just have to wait 2 years for the sequel". I mean, it's a good ending, but it's the only thing in this movie I can complain about. So, overall, what would I say about this movie? Well, it's one of the best, check it out, you will not regret it.

5/5

Wings (1927 Film) Review

For the first film to ever win Best Picture, this doesn't disappoint. It's epic, it's tragic, it's funny, it's heartfelt, it's just an all around great time. People sometimes criticize it for several reasons, like the bubble scenes, which we'll get to later, the fact that Clara Bow isn't in it long enough, it being to slow and/or melodramatic, but I didn't find any of those problems existent or major (Well, except for the bubbles. Oh the bubbles). The story is about two men who are in love with the same girl. They go off to war, and basically turn from rivals to friends. It's a very simple story, but executed amazingly with the acting and pacing. Clara Bow, Buddy Rogers, and Richard Arlen all did outstanding, and the Gary Cooper cameo was great, pretty unexpected too. Now, every movie has at least one flaw, right? Well, this movie is no exception. The comedy relief and simple story really should have been improved to make it deeper and less annoying. Now, because I can't think of much else to say, it's time for The Best and Worst of Wings. The best has to be the dogfight halfway through the film. This scene wasn't matched for years, and it's extremely entertaining and thrilling. You feel afraid for the main characters, but at the same time, you want to see airplanes do aerial flips and explode into a fiery explosion, and you don't have to worry, they do. The worst is... The bubbles. I know it's just one scene, but the joke drags on for over 10 minutes, and you're bored to death when it's over with. It starts with one of the main characters getting extremely drunk, and then he hallucinates, seeing a lot of bubbles, and the audience also sees the bubbles, showing the real effects of the hallucination. Besides the occasionally funny line from the characters slurring of words, this scene is boring and unfunny. Worst of all, when it's all done and over with, it's never mentioned again (I would make a Doug Walker joke here, but it would probably confuse most of you). Other than that though, I didn't find many flaws in this picture. It brings out plenty of emotions, makes you care for the characters and their interaction, and the action scenes are extremely intense and exciting. Overall, it's an epic film, worthy of it's Best Picture win. Unfortunately, this is the only Best Picture film never released on VHS or DVD (Cavalcade had a limited VHS release). Luckily though, the film WILL be released on DVD on January 24, 2012, so definitely pick it up when it comes out, it would definitely be a wise purchase.

5/5

Top 10 Historic Moments in the World of Film

You may have wondered to yourself time and time again, what is THE most historic moment in film ever? Whether it's a film itself, a big advancement, infamy, anything, I have come up with the Top 10 Historic Moments in the World of Film. Let's begin:

10. Walt Disney is Formed, 1937

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the first film to be made by Walt Disney Productions, which would end up becoming the most successful film company ever. Their talent has now been spread out among live action films and TV shows.




9. First Horror Film, 1896

The Haunted Castle is known as the first horror film in history, although it was originally discovered the images were meant to amuse rather than disturb. However, it's still regarded as the first "Scary" film.


8. "Sequels" Introduced to Film, 1916

"Fall of a Nation, a sequel to the very popular "Birth of a Nation", was the very first sequel in the history of film making. Unfortunately, the film is now lost, and all that remains is a few stills that are unknown if they are from the movie or the original Birth of a Nation.


7. 3D First Introduced to Film, 1903

"L'arrivée du train" was shown using 3D glasses in 1903, and the tradition would continue for years, and getting popular in the 50s.


6. Color Introduced to Film, 1903 and 1912
  
"Vie et Passion du Christ" of 1903 was the first film to have color, but was stencil based color. The first natural color in film was in "With our King and Queen Through India" in 1912.


5. CGI Introduced to Film, 1973 and 1976


Computer Generated Imagery was rendered possible in 1968, but first used in a film in 1973, in "Westworld", where 2D computer animation was used. 3D computer graphics were first used in 1976's "Futureworld", and sequel to Westworld. Although CGI has it's flaws, it is a very important part in film history.


4. Animation Introduced to Film, 1906


Humorous Phases of Funny Faces is the first known film with animation. Though animation wasn't as popular back then, it would gain popularity later.


3. Academy Awards Introduced, 1929


The Academy Awards have become the ultimate film award ceremony, and winning one of these awards is basically like climbing Mount Everest without a scrape in under an hour. The two biggest awards that night were "Outstanding Picture", won by "Wings", and "Unique and Artistic Production", won by "Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans".


2. Synchronized Dialogue Introduced to Film, 1927


The Jazz Singer was the first film to have the sound of spoken word coming from the actual actors mouths. Unfortunately, the sound era would start off slow, with 1929 said to be one of the worst years in film, as that was the year sound films became widespread.




1. "First Motion Picture Ever Made", 1888


Only 2 to 4 seconds long, depending on who you talk to, Roundhay Garden Scene has the distinction of being the first motion picture ever made. It is available on Youtube, and I highly recommend viewing it, as none of your favorite films would even exist without this.

Is there any I missed? Leave your ideas in the comments!

Top 5 Film Rules You Need to Remember

I'm not the best film critic in the world, not by far, but I noticed far to many films COULD have been good, but fall flat because of overlooked flaws in the film, or that a film critic calls a film good, because they don't notice the flaws the first time around. Sure, several film rules are well known, but others really needed to be expressed to people who want to create or watch films. So, without any further ado, let's begin:

5. When writing a female character, write them as characters before females

This is mostly evident is children's films. It's when you get a female character who has absolutely no personalty, and is just in the film either to get the plot moving, or to show girls aren't equal to guys, they're BETTER than them, which is a sign of intense feminism. Write a female character with personality, and don't make her perfect just to show off the male lead, who probably is annoying as well. Make them equal, or at least not annoying.

4. Subtlety is key

Did any of you see the 70s horror film, Black Christmas? It's about a murderer who calls several girls in a house. Basic stuff, but in the end, *SPOILER* you never discover who the killer is. There's a suspect, but nothing definite. You want to find out, but if you do find out, you'll most likely be disappointed. That's how subtlety works. 

3. Suspense and/or Surprise is often the biggest step to horror

A long walk through a scary hallway like in Shutter Island, that shadow before the shower murder in Psycho, the face in the window at the end of Eminem's "Stan", SOMETHING. And no, I'm not talking about jump scares. A good example of surprise that isn't a jump scare is Psycho's shower scene, as you see a shadow, you get nervous, you know something will happen, and THEN you're surprised. 

2. CGI shouldn't be used for EVERYTHING

CGI stands for Computer Generated Image(s). CGI has been used for films like Avatar, The Matrix, etc. The main problem with CGI is rarely does it ever look like the image is in front of the camera. Take Indiana Jones for example, the first 3 films had amazing action, but this was before CGI, so when the objects were in front of the camera, you knew it. The fourth film however uses CGI, and guess what? The action was not as good. It shows that CGI doesn't always make a film better, and should only be used when absolutely necessary. 

1. For suspense to exist, you need likable and developed characters to back it up

I... cannot stress this enough. If suspense involves a character or more, you need to care about the characters. You will be afraid for the characters, and hope nothing happens to them. This is why I think films like Rear Window and The Hurt Locker are horribly overrated. I don't know or like the characters, so I don't feel any suspense. 

What film rules do you think should have been here?

Top 5 Films With The Best Special Effects

Depending On:
Visual Appeal (Looks Colorful and Atmospheric)
Realism
Ground Breaking
Subtlety

5. King Kong (1933)


I know you were probably expecting the 2005 remake here, but no, I prefer this one. The attention to detail is fantastic, and all the hard work really pay's off, and makes for special effects not matched for years to come. Peter Jackson himself actually attempted to recreate King Kong's lost scene, featuring a giant spider, using the same crude techniques used in 1933. It didn't look close to as good as this.

4. Tron Legacy (2010)


It's not as subtle as the other films on this list, but good god is it awesome. Filled with color, detail, and spectacles that need to be seen to be believed, this movie revives CGI to make me enjoy it again.

3. Titanic (1997)


I'm still not sure if CGI was really used in this film or not.

2. Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)


It's quick, it's detailed, it's realistic, it's just awesome.

1. Inception (2010)

Was there ever a doubt? Best Special Effects yet. Watch it and you'll see.

Honorable Mention: 2001: A Space Odyssey

I Will Never Include: King Kong (2005), The Matrix, Avatar (All Have to Much Overused and Unrealistic CGI)