i apologize about the delay between posts... no worries, my enthusiasm never waned. i got rather busy with school, had a little spring allergy situation, had a little sports injury situation, had a little atomic two-day bachelor party hangover situation, but all is well, and i'm back, bringing the business. anyway, enough about me, here's chapter 3.
60. There Will Be Blood (2007) - 91% on RT, 8.3 (#122) on IMDB
a quintessential american tale from a pair of mad geniuses, There Will Be Blood adapts upton sinclair's novel "oil" into a frighteningly prescient take on greed, american business, oil and family via a character study of daniel plainview, a man who will stop at nothing to succeed. the brilliant daniel day lewis brings the goods, per usual, and paul "i was the tall nerdy friend in "the girl next door" dano, does a stand-up job in holding the screen alongside this true cinematic icon. paul anderson's direction is nothing short of brilliant. johnny greenwood's score is terrific, and the cinematography is, in a word, gorgeous. truly one of the classics of the 2000's, ad a film and performance that will only get better with time.
59. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - 96% on RT, 8.7 (#24) on IMDB
one of the truly great thrillers. one of the all-time great movie villains... right up there with anyone. hopkins gives a truly terrifying performance as the brilliant, psychotic and cannibalistic hannibal lector. this is one of those films that just stays with you. one of the 90's best, without a doubt.
58. Unforgiven (1992) - 96% on RT, 8.3 (#111) on IMDB
there's a reason why this took home a boatload of oscars, including eastwood's first best director statue. this is about as far away as the romanticized western as you can get. clint eastwood shines both in front and behind of the camera in this tale of the nature of evil, revenge, friendship and redemption. outstanding acting from morgan freeman and gene hackman in supporting roles, and truly just a powerful film that will stay with you long after the credits roll. do yourself a favor and rent this film before you say you don't like westerns.
57. Jurassic Park (1993) - 86% on RT, 7.8 on IMDB
this film is great in so many ways. i won't necessarily say it's one of the best movies, but it's certainly one of the greatest films, in terms of its vision, ambition and what it means to audiences. i loved loved loved this movie when i was younger... and i'll never forget the experience of seeing it in the theater for the first time. this film is what big budget films should aspire to be, and a perfect example of why steven spielberg is so beloved by audiences and respected throughout the industry. this film is important for what it meant to audiences and to the industry, it truly transformed computer effects in films, and honestly, the effects stand up against anything being done today, 16 years later, that tells you all you need to know about steven spielberg as a filmmaker.
56. Miller's Crossing (1990) - 90% on RT, 8.0 on IMDB
really a fine piece of filmmaking from the brothers coen. gangland troubles abound. now, it's no secret i dig a good mob flick, and this is really underappreciated as far as those go. a terrific plot, great acting, great dialogue, great characters, just all in all, a great film. i saw this film for the first time a few months ago, and it just got better on rewatching. gabriel byrne is terrific, marcia gay harden is (somehow) not annoying, and albert finney is great as the aging boss. do yourself a favor and go check out this movie. all in all, this film just does it, on so many levels. it's smart, sleek, stylish and yet gritty (if that makes sense), and a true example of masterful filmmaking from a couple of master filmmakers. something tells me this film is destined to move up this list.
55. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - 98% on RT, 7.9 on IMDB
take everything i said (gushed?) about spielberg earlier, and bump the target audience down a few years. boom, you've got a timeless classic of friendship, wonder and childhood fantasy. this tale of a lost, harmless, homesick alien and his friend (EL-LIOT) tugs at the heartstrings and so much more. i re-watched this film a few months back for the first time since i was a little kid, and i literally cried my ass off. this is just a beautiful, powerful film.
54. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966) - 98% on RT, 9.0 (#4) on IMDB
the 3rd part of sergio leone's dollars trilogy and unquestionably the greatest. this is maybe a perfect movie. brilliantly directed, brilliantly acted, brilliantly written. three gunslingers compete to find a fortune in confederate gold. epic. violent. immense. oh, and did i already say brilliant? this film contains the definitive and greatest face-off. it's interesting to me that the greatest western of all time was made by an italian... but i'm not complaining.
53. Donnie Brasco (1997) - 85% on RT, 7.7 on IMDB
in this film fbi agent joe pistone (depp) goes undercover with the mob, and makes friends with tough luck wiseguy lefty (a BRILLIANT Al Pacino). this is one of my favorite mob movies, it's subtle, with some real looks at the life of a wiseguy, with only one scene of real violence. this is a film about characters and conflicting loyalties, really filmmaking at its best. michael madsen is also terrific. this film is very under-appreciated and very underrated. do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a pair of great performances in a great film, you won't be disappointed.
52. Munich (2005) - 77% on RT, 7.8 on IMDB
spielberg delivers one of the best and most under-appreciated films of the 2000's. spielberg delivers an even-handed approach to the israeli/palestinian conflict and the nature of violence. it took a lot of guts to make a film like this in this day and age. at the 1972 munich olympics, palestinian militants known as "black september" abducted and killed members of the israeli olympic team. this film is a story of the israeli response. eric bana gives the performance of his career as avner, the leader of the israeli team. this is a film about right and wrong, about vengeance and is a beautifully made film to boot. this is truly a terrific film.
51. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - 92% on RT, 8.7 (#20) on IMDB
the first chapter to the greatest motion picture trilogy of all time. the books that defined fantasy are somehow topped by peter jackson's immaculate film adaptations. this is my least favorite, just because it's the least epic and i happen to think hobbits are boring, but that's not really too much of a complaint when the end product is as outstanding as this. just a beautifully made film, this is the work of artists that love the source material and really care about what they're doing. these films are beautiful and utterly engrossing. probably the only thing keeping me from watching them over and over again is the fact that they're so damn long... but they're completely worth the time investment.
50. Field of Dreams (1989) - 91% on RT, 7.7 on IMDB
is this really a "sports movie"? i don't know. it's certainly about the love of baseball, that great american game. it's about hopes, dreams, regrets, second changes and it's also about family, it's about fathers and sons and the bonds and (often unspoken) love between them. this movie makes me cry like a little baby, and unabashedly so. it's a beautiful piece of americana, and it knows exactly what it is, and is so perfectly. a powerful film that has a lot of heart.
49. The Deer Hunter (1978) - 91% on RT, 8.2 (#136) on IMDB
a group of smalltown steelworker friends and hunting pals experience the horrors of war in vietnam. this isn't really a war movie, it's more a film about the effects of war on everyday life. mindblowing performances from deniro and walken, terrific direction and an incredibly powerful emotional voice. the russian roulette scene will blow your mind.
48. The Last of the Mohicans (1992) - 97% on RT, 7.7 on IMDB
the living legend, daniel day lewis, back when he was only 80% batshit crazy. one of my favorite directors taking a chance and making a terrific, gorgeous, and real-feeling film. set during the french & indian wars, mann shows a true appreciation for the beauty of the american wilderness. gorgeous shots, terrific acting, and some of the most authentic-feeling battles in any film. a true modern classic.
47. 12 Angry Men (1957) - 100% on RT, 8.9 (#9) on IMDB
truly one of the all-time greats. proof positive that a film doesn't need to be visually stunning, grandiose in scope or deal with great tales of great men to be outstanding. poignant, powerful, and still standing up today, 50 years later, this film is a great testimony to the power of the american system and the individual. 12 jurors, with differing backgrounds, opinions and approaches, must come together to determine the fate of a young man accused of murder. engrossing, and one that's just as powerful today as it was 52 years ago.
46. The Matrix (1999) - 86% on RT, 8.7 (#29) on IMDB
this is one of those movies that changed everything, forever. movies made after the matrix are completely different than those made before. it changed the face of special effects, of action movies, of sci-fi. everyone remembers the first time they saw this film. the wachowski bros. made themselves into major hollywood players and created one of the all-time great franchises. its not often that a film comes out of nowhere and enters the everyday culture... this is one of those films. one of the few films that keanu's ass doesn't completely ruin just by being a blank slate. it kind of works... even the "whoa"'s kind of fit.
45. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) - 89% on RT, 8.3 (#107) on IMDB
definitely the most fun of the series. also, definitely one of my all-time favorite fucking movies. there's something that just makes indiana jones more fun when its dealing with christian mythology. fun, action packed, and ford and connery enjoy great on-screen chemistry. plus... who doesn't like fighting nazi's? expertly acted, expertly directed, great cinematography, this film just works on so many levels. i guess you can call the last 10 entries or so the steven spielberg section of the list.
44. Chinatown (1974) - 100% on RT, 8.5 (#57) on IMDB
i can't come up with a flaw with this film. great performances, unbelievable writing/story and terrific directing. nicholson is unbelievable and proves why he absolutely MUST be included in any discussion of greatest living actors. chinatown is a true classic... film noir at its best. dark, cynical, and brilliant. a few more re-watchings would move this film higher and higher... i'm certain of it. check this film, you won't regret it.
43. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) - 85% on RT, 8.0 (#218) on IMDB
in contrast to the cartoonish, over the top kill bill 1, kill bill 2 is just right. classic tarantino, and one of his best. B continues on her quest of revenge, slicing through the rest of bill's crew and running into some difficulties on the way. smart, snazzy dialogue, a great plot, terrific performances and stylized filmmaking make this a great, fun movie to watch. enjoy.
42. The Manchurian Candidate (1962) - 98% on RT, 8.3 (#113) on IMDB
this film came out the year before JFK got assassinated. watch it, and then read that sentence again. communists brainwash an american prisoner to be a political assassin, and members of the unit gradually remember more and more through dreams. the seeming golden boy turns out to be anything but in this psychological/political drama that was WAY ahead of its time. fuck the denzel remake, do yourself a favor and check the original. easily frank sinatra's best performance as an actor... angela lansbury has apparently not aged since the kennedy assassination. terrific performances all around. this really is a great, great film.
41. Casablanca (1942) - 96% on RT, 8.8 (#11) on IMDB
set in unoccupied north africa in the early days of WW2, one of the great love stories of all time is guaranteed to make an impact on you. terrific cast, great direction, unbelievable writing. an american expatriate in morocco runs across his former lover, and an all time classic takes place. a beautiful story and a beautiful film... really, just perfect. it's interesting to think that ronald reagan was originally cast in bogart's role but had to step aside due to his service in the war. i wouldn't change a thing about this film... it remains powerful and poignant today, almost 70 years later... there's something beautiful and amazing about that.
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