top 25, ok 50, movies of all time

This is ,quite simply ,a brilliant movie ,the story is intriguing ,exciting .and fantastical ,the characters are well developed and perfectly cast , the performances are mezmorizing ,particularily Marlon Brando but non the less Martin Sheen ,Dennis Hopper ,Robert DuVall and the entire supporting cast. The music fits to a tee and the perspective ,from the direction ,to the cinematography ,to the sets themselves ,are all so well done that you can actually feel like you are there ,acid trip and all. I love this film because it tells a story about vietnam that is as much psychological as it is terrifying. Not unlike most Hollywood war movies it is very rah rah and hi-ho hi-ho America but it does paint a very realistic picture of Americans during this war ,with all their warts and defects , it is messed up and twisted ,it is the best movie ,start to finish ,I have ever seen.
www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi248055321/

Considering when it was made , 1967 , this film is a marvel of unparralled magnitude ,the Apes actually look like real apes but with enough facial characteristic to make each one distinguishable ,likewise the characters are very well defined and developed to be relatable. The story is fantastic with a great ending ,the sets and camera work again take you to that world and consiquentally make it a reality. Charlton Heston is his usual caustic , irraceable , malcontented , self which lends itself perfectly to the dystopian savage future world of primative culture. Roddy MacDowell and Kim Hunter are brilliant as chimps ,scholars ,and lovers ,and well ,it's not hard to appreciate Linda Harrison from any angle. It's also spawned a raft of sequels ,prequels ,and remakes ,most of which are likewise entertaining tho they never quite equal the original. It is actually quite terrifying , especially when the apes first come into play ,and it is one of the best original stories of all time.

If there was one word to describe the madness of this movie it would be "Jack" , there just is not another Nicolson and he is this movie , as frightening and deranged as he is lovable and comedic , a truly scary movie that doesn't rely on splatter or boogie monsters but true phsychotic melt down insanity. Shelly Duvall is likewise brilliantly cast as the bug eyed jittery Olive Oyl wife to Nicolsons alcoholic madman monster. It get's a bit trippy in spots but it's non the less tense and thrilling. Suffice to say Stephen King books don't often translate well to the big screen but this Stanley Kubrick gem shows it can be done ,and done well. The little boy deserved an Oscar for his performance , and or Kubrick for directing the entire cast to such deliverance.

It probably doesn't hurt that this film brings together my two all time favorite actors , Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn , but the result shows clearly why these two are so revered in the industry. They make a perfect pair , seemingly worlds apart they somehow manage to find common ground and through harrowing often humerous trial and ordeal , love developes and both characters discover they didn't even know themself that well let alone the other. Its fun and adventurous and the performances are enduring and delightful , it's like the ultimate date movie really with enough rollicking war time river run chaos for the guys and a heroic romantic adventure for the girls.

The Charlton Heston version of the classic Richard Matheson novel "I am Legend" falls somewhere between the brialliant Vincent Price "Last man on Earth" version and the big budget blockbuster Will Smith version. The biggest difference is Hestons portral of Robert Neville. While the others show the doctor to be a rather passive intellectual , Hestons is a machine gun totting , slightly disturbed individual , and where the story tells of the zombielike stalkers that hunt Neville at night , in this version they are a highly organized mutant freak army. Otherwise though it's the same references , talking to maniquins , scavaging for food , hunting the night stalkers during the day , and hiding out in the brilliantly adapted fortress hideout at night , all the while trying to develope the antidote to cure the freaks and make everybody human again. This version is just a little more fun and way more action , a little scarier and more adventerous I guess , plus its Chalton Heston , once again the actor makes all the difference.

I'm not real sure what it is about this movie that I love so much but it's a great story very well adapted. Even though it's about a 1930's lawyer who chooses to defend a wrongly accused black man against allegations of rape of a white woman , the story actually revolves around the lawyers two young children who struggle to understand and recognize prejudices and other social misfortunes , including the mysterious mentally disturbed Boo Radley boy up the street. It's a Tom Sawyer type adventure in that respect and the childrens performaces are brillant , specifically the little girl Scout but also her brother Jem and the resolutely brash undersized summer time visiting boy from next door. Its heart warming and heart wrenching in places , socially redeeming and yet lots of thrills spills and chills to keep it exciting , ultimately it's just a great story very well told.

Another futuristic dystopian world comes to life in this film where corporations , rather than governments , rule the world. The new world spectator sport of choice in this world is rollerball , in stead of war or ice hockey this roller derby is a violent blood thirsty battle between gladiators on roller skates and motorcycles , a cross between derby , hockey , football , basketball , motocross and ultimate fighting where seriously maiming someone only results in a two minute penalty. At any rate James Caan is terrific as the superstar who has risen above the game and displays the sort of individuality that is counter productive to the corporate machines that want people to think like sheep and believe in the teamwork effort that makes money. The fat cats want him out but when he refuses to retire or just quit , they start changing the games rules until ulitmately there are no rules and the final becomes a battle to the death. John Houseman is brilliantly cast the paternal corporate CEO that rules with an iron fist while outwardly playing grandpa , an evil greedy power monger who'll stop at nothing to get what he wants. Its a great movie , fantastical , psycological and violenly thrilling but with enough story to allow the blood shed to work without being simple splatter.

What a great movie this is , a set of Irish Boston twins accidentally knock off a couple of mafia thugs and become heros , they see this as a religious calling and set forth in an Angels of death fashion to rid Boston of all the bad guys with increasingly bizare and complicated assasinations. Willem Dafoe is perfectly cast as a comically homosexual , slightly dysfunctional , demented ,but non the less brilliant , FBI agent who becomes tasked with tracking the killers down , but finds the closer he gets to them , the more he believes they are doing the world a favor , without the whole annoyingly preachy religious overtones one might expect. The violence will turn some off and it does get a bit carried away at times , but the characters are enduring , and well played , and the story ultimately challenges the fine line between right and wrong. It's not meant to be a comedy , it's an action thriller but the characters are so twisted and cartoonish that you will laugh and you will be entertained , so long as you take it for what it is , essentially a spoof on vigilante justice pictures.

I'm starting to notice a trend toward futuristic dystopian action thrillers here but I guess I think movies should ultimately be an escape from reality for 100 minutes or so , and this flick is one of the best examples of that ideal. Harrison Ford really makes his mark in this mhovie as an actor , not his typical Han Solo , Indiana Jones routine , but a more subtle ,introspective , crusty grumpy old man , coplike government assasin , tasked with hunting down , and killing , the rogue humanlike replicants that were created to serve , but ultimately rebelled against their human task masters , and developed a survival instinct. Two very underrated actors compliment the story as such replicants , Rutger Hauer and Daryl Hannah , you actually feel for them when they are expired , likewise the beautiful Sean Young as a more sophisticated model that is benign and equally bent on becoming human. Many other characters hold the story together with terrific performances and the ugly dysfunctional future world is brilliantly adapted in the sets , and cinematography , again it's pure escapism and this unbelievable ,fantastical , strange , and horrifying world could actually come to be , it's a great movie.

Bogie , and Bacall in her big screen debut , with the always fun Walter Brennan , ths classic Howard Hawkes adaptation of the Ernest Hemmingways story demonstrates why Lauren Bacall was so adored , she really steams it up here , and of course Bogie is Bogie , what else can you say. The real charmer however is Walter Brennans lovable drunk Eddie , all three put in great performances and the story wisks along effortlessly with some never to be forgotten scenes , "you know how to whistle don't you Steve , just put your lips together , and blow" , classic. The story puts an unwilling , charter boat captain , hero , in the precarious position of helping secure a marked man , while foiling a gun running operation , and managing a new found relationship , not to mention his slightly dysfunctional , alcoholic , buddy ,and first mate. Again an action thriller with comedic undertones , and a film noir feel , well defined characters and a realistic production from sets , costumes , and cinematography.

This is a very bizarre film with some great performances about a convict that is sent back in time to determine the cause of the virus that wiped out most of the human population. It can be hard to follow at times but is well worth the effort , particularily Brad Pitts portrayal of a completely insane mental patient. The future world is not really defined too much , so it's kind of mysterious in that regard , and again it can be confusing , and hard to follow , but I guess that's what makes it just a bit different , and uniquely entertaining. It's an action mystery with a few surprises and some comedic relief , a typical Willis effort though Pitt steals the show.

This is just a fun fun movie , although it's not a comedy , or not really. A small time con-man thief comes to hollywood and , masquerading as an actor , becomes embroiled in a murder mystery that brings him together with a struggling actress , and an extremly tough , homosexual , private detective. Robert Downey Jr. is the schlep who can't seem to do anything right but endures on his charm and quick thinking , it never takes itself too seriously but still manages to deliver some tense action and who done it surprizes. Val Kilmer is brilliant and Downey is sympathetic , and relatable , it's an odd couple action thriller , with some mystery , romance and oodles of charm , a highly underrated classic.

Theres not too many dramatic films that star almost exclusively children but this is one of them . a group of young cadets , 8-14 years oldish , crash into the ocean and become stranded on a creepy island. At first they manage to come together and create a safe comfortable refuge but in time parts of the group degenerate into savage , merciless warriors. Some parts can be a bit disturbing and it's ultimately a horror flick but the performances by the young actors are quite phenomial ,strong characters and a brilliant story , with some scenes that are incredibly eerie and well directed.

This movie really came out of nowhere and has become somewhat of a cult classic , it's a simple premise that pits a group of New York gang members against the world when they are wrongly accused of assasinating a charismatic gang leader. The gang must fight their way back to their Coney Island turf from the Bronx , it's an action packed chase with a romantic discovery along the way. Considering it's essentially a bunch of never before heard ofs in a great adventure with a great soundtrack and a great villian in David Patrick Kellys "Luther". I think it's success surprized everyone and it remains a great watch even now , some 40 odd years later.

Quentin Tarantino's cult classic tale of violence and redemption , some great performances from John Travolta , Samuel L Jackson , Tim Roth , Bruce Willis , Uma Thurman , Ving Rhames , Steve Buschemi , Christopher Walken , Harvey Keitel and Quentin Tarantino , no wonder it's so good with all those stars. It just starts off in your face and never really lets up , with once again some unforgettable scenes , "Zeds dead baby"

One of the funniest movies ever made this Howard Hawkes gem features a dynamic pairing of comedic geniuses Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn as a flighty somewhat irritating heiress who inheirets a tame leopard and consiquently persues a somewhat socially inept clumsy professor of palentolgy for help. The interaction between these two is hilarious raucous and slapstick while being charming and disarming at the same time. Released over 70 years ago , this timeless classic is a must see for anyone who enjoys Hepburns dry snappy wit and Grants enduring charm and physical humor.

The thing I like best about this movie is that it is a completely guilty induglence , Willis is the ultimate hero with a bad boy image , Jovovich is gorgeous innocent and naive the perfect damsel in distress as it were , theres adventure , chases , romance , comedy , Gary Oldman (you just can't beat Oldman for a creepy bad guy) , aliens , and great spectacle , even the Divas operetic performance is unforgettable , and I hate opera. Its just a fun move with a great message and some great one off lines , "anybody else want to negotiate?".

Charlton Heston again , another dystopian future flick , this one depicts a world overpopulated and forced to survive on processed food suppliments supposedly primarily seaweed (solyent green), where the wealthy live in luxury with high end residences that come with a live in prostitue refered to as furniture. Those fortunate enough to have good jobs live in run down tenements and the majority of people live on the street. Eventually Charlton discovers that the soylent green is actually made out of people in a huge plant that processes dead bodies , it's an ugly violent misguided society plagued by poverty and corruption , not to mention apathy , with some great performances by Heston , Edward G Robinson , Leigh Taylor Young , Joseph Cotton and Paula Kelly.

This film is probably best known for the special effects , particularily getting to watch as David Naughton is transfomed in to a Werewolf , with deformations , bones cracking , hair growning the whole bit , its quite a scene for sure but I don't think anyone could have expected the response this film has recieved over the years , it's a simple story but very well told with a bit of romance , comedy and certainly a few scares , it's creepy in the right places , suspensful and ultimately sympathetic to the beast , one of the best werewolf movies out there.

The genius of Walter Mattheau really shines in this charming comedic baseball story about a group of dilinquent misfits learning perhaps a bit more than just baseball and teamwork. Mattheau as usual plays a lovable drunken bitter old man a former big leaguer that never really amounted to much who is enlisted to manage the team and the political incorrectness is overwhelming , a lot of stuff you'd never get away with these days , especially with kids. Tatum O'Neal is adorable and abrasive as the 12 year old fireballer daughter who leads the otherwise all boys team with her pitching talent but each players hidden abilities eventually shine through as the Bears make a run at the league championship.

Now this is an adventure story , great visual effects , and some outstanding performances from an all star cast , Hackman , Borgnine , Buttons , Winters , MacDowell , Stella Stevens , Jack Albertson and Pamela Sue Martin. A luxury cruise liner capsizes at sea killing most everyone except a plucky group of survivors who must make there way to the bottom of what is now an upside down boat. Its actually quite realistic as only 4 or 5 of the original 9 or 10 actually make it and it manages to keep up the tension and frustation though out the movie , this one is by far the best of the glut of disaster movies from the 70's

Is there such a thing as a bad DeNiro movie? I can't think of one of the top of my head but this is arguably his best performance as a slightly demented vietnam vet who works as a nighttime cabbie in New York who is driven to violent action from his exposure to the sleeze perversion and corruption he sees every night. Cybil Sheppard plays the political campaign organizer that he falls for and in another politically incorrect role , Jodie Foster plays an adolescent prostitute that the Hack tries to rescue from the biz. Another outstanding performance from the great Harvy Keitel as the geaseball pimp Slick. DeNiro is at his finest when he plays a slightly unhinged character like Travis Bickle and of course the brilliant Martin Scorsese brings the whole dark disturbing back streets of New York at night to life before your eyes , its engrossing and moving and frightening and insightful , how it didn't even garner even an oscar nomination for the director is a mystery greater than the twisted mind of Travis.

Heres a great movie that again didn't really garner a lot of attention at first but has grown into a classic , perhaps primarily because it starred Gabriel Byrne , a guy who in my opinion has never got the attention or respect he deserves , but the whole cast was a bunch of nobodies that all became big stars , Benicio Del Torro , Kevin Spacey , Chazz Palminteri , Kevin Pollock and Pete Postelthwaite but also Giancarlo Esposito , Suzy Amis and Dan Hedaya. The best part of the movie is it doesn't reveal it's secret too early , in fact you are kept guessing til the end who is Keyser Soze , it's brilliantly done , suspensful, dramatic , violent , humorous and mysterious , this is great film noir made way after the genre was long thought dead.

With the possible exception of Citizan Kane this is perhaps the most consistently top 5 ranked film of all time by critics and film institutes , perhaps becasue its simply been around so long , but no questioning the fact it's a great film. How can you go wrong with Humphrey Bogart as your lead actor , and as remarkably beautiful as she was , Ingrid Bergman was also a great actress , although her role is primarily fluff here , she does play Ilsa with great compassion and torment , conflicted by the competeing loves of her husband and the charming rougue American she must turn to for help. Peter Lorre shows up as a weasel played as brilliantly as only he can do and Claude Rains plays the corrupt but ultimately sympathetic Morocon police chief who sucks up to the Germans but helps the heros escape in the end. Watch also for the great Sydney Greenstreet in one of his finest roles as a competing bar owner , and of ocurse Dooley Wilson "play it again Sam"

these next 25 are in no particular order , and of course the first 25 order changes daily but , Gangs of New York struck me with its harsh brutality , life of the underdog , hard times in the land of plenty , story. I suppose in those days you had to be tough and mean to survive and , oddly enough , Leo DiCaprio turned out to be a great choice for the lead role , as a young Irish boy seeking revenge for his fathers murder in America , Daniel Day Lewis is brilliant as Bill the Butcher Cutting , an egomanical psycho bad ass who rules with an iron fist , and everyone is corrupt from the mayor to the street cops. Some great supporting performances by Liam Neeson , Brendon Gleeson , John C Riley and Cameron Diaz , and some great street fights make it engaging throughout. And of course its Martin Scorsese so , enough said.