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Top
Movies According to IMDB (top 250) and AFI (top 100) 2001:
A Space Odyssey (1968) – Seemed to
be a very long movie with a lot of silence.
I really did not care for this movie. 39
Steps, The (1935) - Hannay, a
Canadian, meets Annabella Smith who is on the run from foreign agents. Later
that night at his apartment, she is murdered. Hannay goes on the run to break
the spy ring and thus prove his innocence. What was interesting about this
moving was to see even now, the same circumstances and innuendoes were used.
Admittedly, I fell asleep during the last 15 minutes. I was interested in
the plot but was not gripped by it – obviously!! Adaptation.
(2002) – My mind is still reeling
after watching this movie. It’s
a movie about 4 characters lives, irony, self-loathing, attaching and living
life through another, profound sadness and emptiness in ones life, changing,
clichés, selling out. I laughed a
lot during Charlie’s mindful chatter of self-hatred, low self esteem, being
unsure of his self, etc. I was
almost disappointed in the twist near the end until I realized why it happened
that way. Chris Cooper was superb!
There is so much to say, I can’t find the words except that I really
enjoyed it. Adventures
of Robin Hood, The (1938) Alien
(1979) - First one is the best!
Space crew lands on planet, discovers weird creatures. All
About Eve (1950) All
Quiet on the Western Front (1930) All
the President's Men (1976) Almost
Famous (2000) Amadeus
(1984) American
Beauty (1999) - Eh. Didn't
think it was great. Definitely didn't think it deserved the hype. Man
unhappy with life, becomes happy, makes everyone else unhappy, fantasizes about
daughter's young friend. Blah. Apartment,
The (1960) - Very good and at times
amusing story about a clerk who climbs his way quickly up the corporate ladder
by allowing fellow executives to use his apartment for their romantic flings.
Along the way he falls for one of the ladies, who happens to be the mistress of
his boss. Apocalypse
Now (1979) - Really great, long,
movie... seen too many times. Willard sent on a mission into Cambodia to
assassinate a Green Beret thinks of himself as a God among a local tribe.
A lot of action, gore, violence. Arsenic
and Old Lace (1944) Back
to the Future (1985) - Really enjoy
this one... love watching this on TNT. Teen travels back to the 50s in a
time-machine car, meets his parents, bully, and friend. Beautiful Mind, A (2001) - Good movie about a schizophrenic man. Russell Crowe was exceptional in this movie.
Best Years of Our Lives, The (1946) – 3 WW11 veterans return home and discover how everyone, including themselves, had changed and try to get back to a normal life. The background music in this movie was too much for my tastes. It seemed like I was watching a mini-series, not really a movie. It was a good story with some “beaver-clever” moments but overall a feel-good movie. Big
Fish (2003) Big
Lebowski, The (1998) - Don't get it
at all. Dad and brothers love it - I didn't laugh at all. Blade
Runner (1982) - Saw so long ago, I
can't remember... have to watch again, I guess. Boot,
Das (1981) - Seen many times and
found it very sad. WWII war. German subtitled. Submarine. Don't
want to say too much more. Braveheart
(1995) - A Scottish commoner gathers
a group to war against English rule. Bride
of Frankenstein (1935) – Having
never seen the original Frankenstein, I didn’t know what to expect except what
I had heard over the years. Doctor
who created Frankenstein is persuaded by the evil Dr. Pretorius to create a mate
for the monster. While being
hunted down, the monster befriends a blind man who teaches him how to speak in a
“me Tarzan, you Jane” manner. That
was a pretty touching part of the movie as it humanizes the monster.
The rest of the movie was amusing – I’m sure not intended to be, but
for a ’35 movie and its dialogue and overly dramatic cackles and acting, it IS
amusing to watch. Still, it kept me
watching til the end and I wasn’t so disappointed. Bridge
on the River Kwai, The (1957) Bringing
Up Baby (1938) Buono,
il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966) Butch
Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) –
Ummm… no. This was not a good
western, not a good story. Paul
Newman was amusing at times, but Robert Redford had about 15 lines total and
lots of shooting scenes that looked really ridiculous.
I didn’t believe he actually made all those shots.
No, this wasn’t a great film at all. Casablanca
(1942) – A nightclub owner
reunites with his old flame and her husband when they seek his help to get out
of the country. I really enjoyed
the action, the dialogue, the chemistry between Bogart and Bergman.
This is a really enjoyable movie with very memorable lines C'era
una volta il West (1968) Christmas
Story, A (1983) - All Ralphie wants for Christmas is a Red Rider BB Gun. I
adore Ralphie and consider this one of my favorite movies. Cidade
de Deus (2002) – Slums of Rio,
drugs, children, violence, hope of achieving a better life for one’s self, and
wars between rival gangs. The
directing and acting in this movie were flawless and fabulous.
Hard to watch at times, but worth it. Clerks
(1994)
- Funny,
funny movie. Probably the only Jay and Silent Bob movie that I find
amusing. Clockwork
Orange, A (1971) – It’s a
violent, disturbing movie. But once
you get past the sexual images and violence, search for the meanings and
messages in the movie. Alex commits
many crimes and is sentenced to prison. He
is selected to undergo treatment that is to completely change his old ways.
How does this affect him after he gets out?
Is he cured? And at what
cost? Day
the Earth Stood Still, The (1951) Deer
Hunter, The (1978) - Saw long ago,
don't remember much. Die
Hard (1988) – A decent action
flick but fell asleep in the theaters watching the sequels. Dogville
(2003) Donnie
Darko (2001) – Donnie is a
disturbed teen that sees a brown evil-looking bunny and the bunny tells him to
do things. Is he crazy?
Frankly, I didn’t care. It
wasn’t horrible, it just lacked in so many ways. Dr.
Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) E.T.
- The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) -
Cute movie about an alien who befriends a young boy and his siblings, but wants
to go home. Of course, I enjoyed this one when I was 9. Elephant
Man, The (1980) - Sad story that
I've seen many times but only remember bits and pieces of a severely deformed
man. Enfants
du paradis, Les (1945) Eternal
Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Exorcist,
The (1973) - A young girl becomes
possessed by the devil and needs an exorcism.
Slow to get going but the visits to possessed Reagan are worth the wait. Fabuleux
destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001) –
I absolutely adored this movie and Audrey Tautou.
This story is about a young, sweet Parisian girl who tries to help people
around her find love and somewhere along the way finds love herself. Fantasia
(1940) - Haven't seen in a long
time. Fargo
(1996) – Wow what a sad, sick, at
times amusing, good movie. Steve
Buscemi is such a great actor – I love watching the sleazy characters that he
portrays. Jerry, played by William
Macy (another great actor), hires two men to kidnap his wife so he can get his
wealthy father-in-law to pay the ransom. Things
go horribly wrong. Frances
McDormand was really good in this too. Fight
Club (1999) - Loved 3/4 of the
movie, but then it became silly. A man meets a stranger who introduces him
into an exciting new world and way of life. Finding
Nemo (2003) - How sweet and funny
this one is! A delight! Beautiful animation. Nemo and his
father are separated. Father, who has never ventured very far, searches
for his son, who is about to become a nasty little girls pet. Forrest
Gump (1994) - A movie about a warm,
sweet man in love with his childhood friend Jenny and being present at many
historic events - living life. Full
Metal Jacket (1987) - Good war
movie. Gladiator
(2000) - Roman general becomes
gladiator to seek revenge. Love Joaquin Phoenix in this one. Glory
(1989) - Long but good movie about
civil war and all-black company. Godfather,
The (1972) - I've seen it, but so
long ago I will have to watch again. Godfather:
Part II, The (1974) - I've seen it,
but so long ago I will have to watch again. Gone
with the Wind (1939) Good
Will Hunting (1997) - Slow to get
started for me, but ok. Didn't think it lived up to the hype though.
Smart kid, friend, professor. Yadda yadda. Graduate,
The (1967) – Older married woman
and young neighborhood family friend have an affair.
His family worries about him and is on his back about taking out the
married woman’s daughter. He
reluctantly goes out with her and they end up hitting it off.
All hell breaks loose when the daughter finds out that he had an affair
with her mother and refuses to see him anymore.
He goes after her and tries to convince her that he loves her.
What is missing is the huge chunk of how and why they fell in love.
Seems like they skipped over that part sadly.
Anyway, she decides to marry someone else and he goes after her to stop
it. Good movie. Green
Mile, The (1999) - Good, sad movie
about death row guards and a wrongfully accused inmate with healing powers. Groundhog
Day (1993) - Love, love!! Phil,
a cynical weatherman, finds himself repeating February 2 over and over. Henry
V (1989)
– Still thinking about this one. His
Girl Friday (1940) Hustler,
The (1961) – Paul Newman plays a
pool hustler who wants to beat Minnesota Fats, played by Jackie Gleason.
I was really disappointed that Jackie did not have a stronger, bigger
roll in this movie. While I enjoyed
Newman’s acting, this movie gets the award for the most annoying character
ever in a movie played by Piper Laurie. Her
presence made it hard to watch at times and I really didn’t see how her role
made much difference. Neat to see a
young George C. Scott. Ikiru
(1952) In
America (2002) – This is a really
good film about a young family from Ireland that come to America and settled
into a drug infested apartment in NY. The
parents are haunted by the death of their son (that happened a while ago) and
find it hard to make it in their new surroundings.
Their two young daughters befriend a man in the apartment building who
brings some light into each others lives. The
two young actresses are really outstanding in this film. In
the Heat of the Night (1967) Indiana
Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
– Adventure. Harrison movie. It
Happened One Night (1934) This was
my first introduction to a Clark Gable movie -- and I loved it. Very cute
and amusing film about a famous rich girl who runs away from her father and
meets a man - a reporter - who is looking for a great story to save his
career... and then falls for her. It's
a Wonderful Life (1946) – A
frustrated man meets an angel and shows him what life would be like if he did
not exist. It’s a feel-good type
of story that is appropriate to watch around the holidays.
Jaws
(1975) - First one is definitely the
best. About a hungry great white that terrorizes a small oceanfront
community. Really enjoy watching this one on lazy Sundays... Kill
Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) - Very bloody in
an unreal way that made it fun to watch. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed
this! Female assassin gets beaten and put into a coma on her wedding day.
After she awakens, she seeks revenge on those who beat her and killed her unborn
child – specifically out to seek revenge on Bill. Kill
Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) – A great
sequel to the first. In this film,
The bride, Beatrix, we see her kick some more ass, but also get to watch the
early years when she trained with Pei Mei.
She also finds out her daughter is alive.
Not as much ass-kicking and bloodshed as the first, but still an
enjoyable follow-up! Kind
Hearts and Coronets (1949)
King
Kong (1933) - Good classic. Letter
From an Unknown Woman (1948) Lion
in Winter, The (1968) Lock,
Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) Lola
rennt (1998) Lord
of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001) -
Favorite of the trilogy. Lord
of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003) -
Love the trilogy Lord
of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002) -
Love the trilogy Lost
in Translation (2003) - Washed-up
Hollywood actor and bored young wife meet in Tokyo hotel and spend the week
together. Good story with few amusing scenes by Bill Murray.
Magnolia
(1999) NOT a Tom Cruise fan at all,
but he was superb in this movie playing an ego-maniac.
William H. Macy & John C. Reilly are also two really good actors who
play interesting characters. Maltese
Falcon, The (1941) – Bogart plays
Det. Sam Spade who gets involved in a murder mystery.
Tons of dialogue, not much action, too many plot twists, and unbelievable
“love” between two characters. Not
my favorite Bogart movie. Man
Who Shot Liberty Valance, The (1962) Manchurian Candidate, The (1962) - I couldn't sit throught it. I was so bored with it that I turned it off. Matrix,
The (1999) - Really enjoyed it at
the theaters, but didn't when I saw it again at home. Keanu Reeves is good
in it only because he doesn’t have all that much dialogue.
Action scenes entertaining though. Soundtrack
great! Meet
Me In St. Louis (1944) Memento
(2000) - Love this one! Man
experiences short-term memory loss. He tries to find the killer of his
wife by reading tattoos and notes that he leaves for himself. Minority
Report (2002) - Eh. Just don't
like Tom Cruise and didn’t care for the storyline either. Monsters,
Inc. (2001) - Very, very cute. Monty
Python and the Holy Grail (1975) Mr.
Smith Goes to Washington (1939) Mulholland
Dr. (2001) Mystic
River (2003) - Sean Penn is a
wonderful actor. MR is a very good story about 3 childhood friends who
grow up and meet again when one of their daughters is murdered. One boy is
the father, second is the suspect, and the third is the detective. Network
(1976) – A great script, an
interesting story that I would really like to see updated and remade.
Great acting by all – although I felt Dunaway was a bit over dramatic
at times. Night
of the Hunter, The (1955) North
by Northwest (1959) Nosferatu,
eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) Nuovo
cinema Paradiso (1989) Once
Upon a Time in America (1984) One
Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) -
Good, sad, funny movie about a man in a mental institution and patients
experiences with a nasty nurse. Great cast. Others,
The (2001) - Loved Nicole Kidman in
this!! Mother and her two children are being haunted in a huge
mansion. Passion
de Jeanne d'Arc, La (1928) Philadelphia
Story, The (1940) Pianist,
The (2002) – A brilliant
pianist witnesses the destruction of the Polish capital by Nazis.
His family is shipped off to labor camps and somehow he survives by
living in the ruins of Warsaw. This
was a really good movie, wonderfully acted by Adrien Brody, and beautiful music. Pirates
of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) -
Johnny Depp is superb! Based on Disney's POTC. Platoon
(1986) - Good, sad movie. Princess
Bride, The (1987) - Princess
Buttercup and Wesley fall in love. They seperate when Wesley seeks work to
pay for their wedding. Feared dead, Buttercup reluctantly agrees to marry
a King but is kidnapped -- a few times. Romance, action, love, very funny
scenes and dialogue. Psycho
(1960) - Not a favorite, kind of
boring. Pulp
Fiction (1994) - Four violent and
vengeful stories. Really good and
different kind of movie. Quatre
cents coups, Les (1959) Raging
Bull (1980) – Jack LaMotta is
unstoppable in the ring and fights with such volcanic rage.
The violence spills over into his personal life, which then leads to a
path of self-destruction. Long
movie and wonderfully acted movie by both DeNiro and Pesci.
Raiders
of the Lost Ark (1981) - Great
action movie with my first crush - Harrison Ford... :) Rain
Man (1988) - Good but didn't love it
and didn't think it lived up to the hype. Maybe it is because I despise
Tom Cruise. Rear
Window (1954) – My most favorite
Hitchcock movie thus far. Starring
Jimmy Stewart, a wheelbound photographer, who spends his days watching people
through their windows and Grace Kelly, who plays his high society and very
beautiful (wonderful costumes and a gorgeous back!) girlfriend.
Also with the lovable Thelma Ritter who plays Stewart’s nurse.
Stewart believes a neighbor murdered his wife but can’t prove it.
Did he or didn’t he? Rebecca
(1940) Requiem
for a Dream (2000) - Story about 4
people who become addicted and consumed by drugs. They aspire to make
something of themselves, to fulfill their dreams. They spiral out of
control and fail miserably. I enjoyed the way the movie was shot and
directed and thought Ellen Burstyn acted wonderfully in it. I wasn't
emotionally involved in this movie but thought it was good. Reservoir
Dogs (1992) - Good - definitely a
guy’s movie. A robbery gone wrong, a suspected rat in the gang.
Fast action, blood and gory scenes. Right
Stuff, The (1983) - Haven't seen in
a long time... Roman
Holiday (1953) – Audrey
Hepburn’s first starring role about a princess who is fed-up with her life and
runs away. Gregory Peck is a
gambler and a reporter living in Italy where he meets the runaway and realizes
he has a big profitable story on his hands.
The two have fun around Rome and develop feelings for each other.
It was a sweet movie with great costumes worn by Hepburn.
Unfortunately, I felt that there was a lack of chemistry and romance in
the story. The ending surprised me
too. Saving
Private Ryan (1998) - Good, sad
movie. US soldiers try to save fellow soldier. WWII movie. Se7en
(1995) - Good thriller about two
cops who chase a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his mo. Sen
to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001) Shawshank
Redemption, The (1994) - Great
story, great acting. Watched many, many times. Every time I hear the
word "obtuse", I think of this movie. Man wrongfully accused of
murder spends years in prison and plans an escape. Shichinin
no samurai (1954) Shining,
The (1980) - Favorite all-time
horror! Love it! Aspiring writer and his family become caretakers of the
Overlook Hotel during the winter and encounter possession and hauntings. Shrek
(2001) - This is such a wonderful
story! A great movie. Shrek, an ugly orge who lives alone in the
woods; a donkey who runs away from the king and befriends Skrek; a midget king
who sends Shrek on a mission to rescue Princess Fiona (so that the king may
marry her) and in doing so will get his land back; the beautiful Princess Fiona
who is really something quite different on the inside, falls for Shrek. Silence
of the Lambs, The (1991) - Another
favorite thriller that I have watched many times and still get freaked out.
FBI agent seeks help from psychotic Dr. Lecter when women are missing/killed by
a serial killer. Sixth
Sense, The (1999) – Ok. Didn't
think it was great. Man meets boy who sees dead people and the they help
the dead people right wrongs. Sling
Blade (1996) - Slow but good movie
about a slow, mentally ill man who befriends a young boy. mmHmmm! John
Ritter was really good in this too. Snow
White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937) Some
Like It Hot (1959) – Jack Lemmon
and Tony Curtis play musicians who are witnesses to murders by some mob gang.
They escape the mob and flee the area and take a job posing as women in
an all girl band. This movie was
very amusing. Jack Lemmon is so
funny! Spider-Man
2 (2004) Stagecoach
(1939) – A stagecoach trip
becomes disrupted by Geronimo. Passengers
include a pregnant woman, a drunk doctor, a sleazy gambler, a prostitute, and
the famous Ringo Kid. The dialogue
was so well done in this movie that you got a feeling for all of the characters
involved… kind of rare from what I’ve seen of 30’s movies anyway. Stand
by Me (1986) - 4 boys, death of a
friend, and finding a missing boys body. I
don’t thinking it was as great as everyone else. Star
Wars (1977) - Childhood favorite,
seen a thousand times! Star
Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) -
Favorite childhood trilogy. Star
Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) -
Not my favorite, but good. Streetcar
Named Desire, A (1951) Sunrise:
A Song of Two Humans (1927) Taxi
Driver (1976) – I was expecting to
see a smart dramatic thriller but what I saw was a mediocre script laced with
bad background music. This is one
movie that, for me, did not transcend time very well.
DeNiro is interesting to watch at the very least but I didn’t feel very
involved with his character. He
plays a lonely man fed-up with the scum of the city.
He’s immature and twisted in that he spends his time working long hours
and spends his time off in porno theaters just to kill time because he can’t
sleep. He is interested in a girl
but because he is immature and twisted, he ruins that fast.
I believe this movie was shocking in its time and still carries that
reputation because of Jodie Foster plays 12.5 year-old prostitute – and there
wasn’t much depth in her character either.
Not enough time to really care about her except that she was a
12-year-old prostitute. The
climatic scene was really unbelievable and uncoordinated. Terminator
2: Judgment Day (1991) - Favorite
part is when Sara is running thru the halls of the mental hospital and comes
face to face with Arnold. Terminator,
The (1984) - Even though special
affects are outdated it is still entertaining to watch. Terminator travels
back in time to kill Sarah Conner. The
Magnificent Ambersons (1942) To
Kill a Mockingbird (1962) Toy
Story (1995) – A fabulous movie
with so many funny, clever moments! Toys
come to life when they are not being watched.
Woody is the favorite toy of Andy but then Woody gets jealous when Andy
gets a new toy, Buzz Lightyear, for his birthday and Woody is not played with as
much. When the two toys
become separated from their home, they form a bond and learn many lessons as
they make the journey back home. Toy Story 2 (1999) - Woody has to decide between life with Andy and his pals, or go with his new friend who were part of cowboy collection. I thought it was really cute, had funny moments, but I really loved the first one better. Trainspotting
(1996) - Weird but good about drugs,
drugs and more drugs. Treasure
of the Sierra Madre, The (1948) –
Three poor men meet up and go on a journey in Mexico to find gold.
Their trust, friendship, and their very own lives become threatened on
this journey. The first half of the
movie was really enjoyable for me. I
enjoyed the action and the acting during the first hour or so, but wasn’t too
thrilled with the conclusion. Trois
couleurs: Rouge (1994) Twelve
Monkeys (1995) - Alright. Vertigo
(1958) – Boring, and unmemorable. Who's
Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) Witness
for the Prosecution (1957) Wizard
of Oz, The (1939) - As a child, I
was not very fond of it because the munchkins, goblins, and wicked witch were
rather scary. Preteens to adult, I definitely appreciate the unique story
and still think of it fondly. Wuthering
Heights (1939) -
The Earnshaws are Yorkshire farmers
in the early 19th centery. Mr.
Earnshaw bring homes an orphan he calls Heathcliff to join the family.
After the Mr. Earnshaw’s death, Hindley, Earnshaw's son, despises
Heathcliff and makes him work as the famly stable boy.
However, Cathy, Hindley’s sister, and Heathcliff are best of friends
and sneak off together. As they
grow, Cathy is more interested in the finer things and begs Heathcliff to go off
and make something of himself so he can take her away from the farm.
One day, Cathy meets Edgar Linton, a wealthy neighbor, and everything
changes. Heathcliff’s character
is like a love-sick robot with no depth and Cathy is a spoiled rotten, shallow
individual. I didn’t believe
there was any love between them at all. West
Side Story (1961)
- Everyone pretty much knows what that is about. I've seen it as a high school play as a teenager and enjoyed it then. I didn't really care for the movie though... just seemed hokey. Gangs snapping fingers and twirling around? Eck.
X2
(2003) Ying
xiong (2002)
Somewhere in Time should be on this list! :) |