The Top 10 Movies of All Time

Make no mistake: this is the ultimate revenge flick. "I Saw the Devil" is a close runner-up, but the lush visual style and utterly insane plot twists trump "Devil" any day. Oldboy is the second of Chan-wook Park's "Revenge Trilogy," and by far the best. The hallway fight scene with the hammer alone permanently cements Oldboy in the realm of filmmaking genius.

Best picture, best director, best screenplay, best actor. This is one of those movies I watched during my formative years, and it changed my perspective about movies and filmmaking in general. It manages to harness that magic, that perfect synergy among director, actors, script, and production, with a satisfying ending that nevertheless leaves you wanting more.

Among "It Happened One Night" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," the only movies ever to nab the Big 5 at the Oscars. It doesn't disappoint. This is one of those movies we had to study in film class, analyzing shot-by-shot, the professor explaining to us why each second of this movie is genius. Moreso than others, like The Verdict or Kramer vs. Kramer, I happen to agree.

The best thing from Spielberg, Lucas, and Howard. While multiple writers and artists struggled to bring Lord of the Rings to the screen, Steven and George decided to just go ahead and do a LOTR ripoff. It turned out better than the real thing. In a couple hours, Ron Howard and crew established a complete fantasy world, full of its own creatures and rules, supplying healthy doses of story, action, suspense, and whimsy. It's everything a fantasy movie should be. Also, Val Kilmer's best role, hands down.

Possibly the best screenplay ever. Tarantino's masterpiece recalibrated my idea of what a movie could be. One of the unsung brilliant aspects of this movie is its creative casting. Who would have thought Jon Travolta could pull off a junkie mobster with a heart of gold? Bruce Willis, action star extraordinaire, is a washed-up boxer with a plan? Not to mention Ving Rhame's breakout role, and reinvented comebacks from Christopher Walken and Harvey Keitel? This is the THE epic crime movie (not gangster movie...that's coming up).

The best action movie ever.