My 50 Favorite Movies

This list is mostly for my own benefit. I started it a few weeks ago, and have decided to put it online for easy access. When new movies make the list, I'll edit accordingly.

I did not include my favorite anime, documentaries, or TV shows. As you can see, my tastes are kind of geeky and/or sentimental. [More interesting than what's on the list, perhaps, is what I've left off.]

My top 50 movies are divided into three tiers. I had a top 10 (the first tier), a second tier of 10, and a third tier of 30. Within each tier, the movies are not ranked against each other (but are listed in alphabetical order, instead). The short comments are the same as my Netflix "Two Cents" reviews.


Tier 1 (10 movies):

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
A quirky cult classic with colorful characters and a unique sense of style

Dune
Cult sci-fi. I grew up watching the extended version on TV

Faraway, So Close!
Poetic, beautiful, and moving. The source of "Raphaela"

Pollyanna
One of the most perfect movies ever made

Some Kind of Wonderful
The perfect 80's teen movie

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Sergio Leone's direction plus Clint Eastwood's performance plus a great supporting cast = greatness

The Great Escape
Action adventure with memorable characters, brilliantly performed

The Right Stuff
An American classic

Tron
Extremely ambitious and visionary, with a great story to boot

WarGames
They don't make technothrillers like this anymore


Tier 2 (10 movies):

A Better Tomorrow II
Tsui Hark, John Woo, and Chow Yun Fat present a powerful story of violence, redemption, brotherhood, and vengeance

All the President's Men
Full of atmosphere and tension, one of the most important detective stories ever told

Battle Royale
A story of youth rebellion against a society that fears, torments, and uses them as an example

Enter the Dragon
The quintessential Bruce Lee movie, filmed at the height of his physical condition and ability

Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Something about this movie seemed very genuine to me, even though my high school experience wasn't like that at all

Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone
"It has all the magic and wonder of the original", because it is the original! (yes, I saw the movie first)

Mr. and Mrs. Smith
A surprisingly nuanced and funny romance, enhanced by excellent action sequences and gunplay

Red Dawn
You don't have to be a right-winger to be moved by this beautiful vision of near-future dystopia made in the 80's

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
My favorite Trek movie; a very masculine drama

Zoolander
Slickly produced satire of the image-making industry that is silly but not insulting or gross


Tier 3 (30 movies):

A Knight's Tale

Armageddon

Battlestar Galactica

Blade Runner

Cinema Paradiso

Cool Hand Luke

Crimson Tide

Drumline

Ghostbusters

Great Balls of Fire

Hero

Kate & Leopold

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Love Actually

Ocean's Twelve

Once Upon a Time in America

Once Upon a Time in China 3

Papillon

Pi

Spider-Man 2

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Taxi Driver

The American President

The Andromeda Strain

The Hunt for Red October

The Longest Day

The Outlaw Josey Wales

The Rock

The School of Rock

The Transformers: The Movie

- posted by Lawmune @ 8:30 PM