Strictly Ballroom (1992)

Strictly Ballroom – 1992

Director – Baz Luhrmann

Starring – Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice, and Bill Hunter

I hadn’t realized before sitting down and watching it, but seeing Strictly Ballroom pointed out just how I’d been missing Australia, not to mention Australian film.  There is a certain quality of the acting, the tone and the intonation.  The characters are at once relate-able and larger than life, and the initial cartoonish impression I had of Australian cinema turned out, I realized, to simply be a vehicle for a more universal set of truths.  In an effort to be funny, and make for a more compelling read, I have had the tendency to make jokes at the expense of, and be rather hard on some of the films that I’ve seen.  The caricatures of the people in those films seemed unrealistic or even laughable on a first viewing, but ultimately, once the stories were done and the reviews written, I continued to think about films like Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and Muriel’s Wedding.   Each stayed with me longer than I would have thought.  I have come to rather like Muriel’s Wedding, despite feeling a little indifferent to it when I wrote the initial review. Like each of those other films, Strictly Ballroom, is completely an Australian film, and just as before, it’s got me thinking.  Thinking about the film itself, and about going back to Australia.  Hopefully soon!

My wife in particular was excited about this film, thanks in no small part to the fact that it centers around dance.  Though, the film isn’t really what I would call a dance film in the same way that something like Singing In The Rain is a dance film, it is instead to dance as Rocky was to boxing, an important plot point, but not necessarily the focus.

The story centers around Scott, the promising dancer who yearns to break out of the rigid formula required by the Pan-Pacific Ballroom Dance competition, and dance his own movies, from the heart.  Everyone from his partner, to the judges, to his family all try to warn him that he is being reckless with his chances of winning the competition and making something of himself.  It’s only, Fran, the mousy, seemingly inexperienced dancer in his class that sees otherwise, and encourages him to break free from the rules, and from everyone else’s expectations.

Scott and Fran both are both good enough characters, played well by actors Paul Mercurio, and Tara Morice respectively, filling out the roles nicely with likable, engaging characters that the audience wants to root for, but it’s really the supporting characters that populate the world around them that make this movie such a joy.  Take Fran’s parents for example…at first her father seems like an angry, possibly abusive guy trying to commandeer his daughter’s future, but it turns out that he is a passionate dancer who truly doesn’t want to see his little girl waste her time with someone who doesn’t treat her as she deserves.  Her mother, likewise, is a rich breathing person who deeply loves her family.  You can tell at once that each of them, outside of the reality that this film covers, has lived a full life, each with their own experiences and trials.  This is a testament not only to the filmmakers, but to the actors as well.

Likewise, Scott’s parents harbor their own desires and regrets, as they strive and scrabble trying desperately to reach for past glories.  Scott’s dance coach, Les, as well as his rival Doug, are both great fun to watch as they blunder through the narrative, successfully wresting my attention away from our two leads.  Good as each of these secondary and tertiary characters might be, certainly the most watchable performance was turned in by Bill Hunter, as the detestable, corrupt, Ballroom Federation president, Barry Fife.  Chewing each bit of scenery that he’s given, Fife is sooooooooooo much fun to watch, that I almost wish the film were about him.

At first watch, this film, as well as a lot of other films that come out from down under, seem a little simple, a little cartoonish, or even more than a little over the top, but each film that I have had the good fortune of seeing, is saying more than what is on the surface.  Priscilla, as well as Muriel’s Wedding, have strong messages of acceptance, and Muriel in particular has more than a little to say about forgiveness (of yourself just as much as of anyone else.).

Similarly, Strictly Ballroom is more than what is evident on the surface.  It preaches passion for what you love, and acceptance of others, not despite, but because of what they are.  I really enjoyed this film, more even than watching it, I enjoyed thinking about it afterwards, which is really a sort of first for me.  I am looking forward to giving this film another viewing to see if I can glean anything further from it.  More than anything, though, this film makes me miss Australia.  It brought back memories of traveling along the coast of New South Wales, from Kiama back to Sydney (although I’m not sure I could tell you why it made me think of that…), and for that I loved it!

I’ve Seen It, and Now So Has She…

So in the ongoing process of reviewing the movies I had already seen when starting this, here are 25 more films from different years, genres, and nationalities.  Thanks to her going nuts on our movie collection in an attempt to catch up, all of these films were simultaneously reviewed by my lovely wife, Ashley, as well as by me.  Enjoy!

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

Though not as phenomenal as some of his work, The Man Who Knew Too Much, is one of the really good Hitchcock films.  Jimmy Stewart is always pretty likable, but it’s Doris Day who really steals the show for me.  The one thing that the original has over this remake is the ever-wonderful Peter Lorre.  I could watch that guy eat breakfast!

“Don’t F with Doris Day or she will sing you a song!” – Ashley

The Great Escape (1963)

Partly remembered for it’s fun story, and partly because of Steve McQueen, The Great Escape is also worthy of remembrance for being one of the last (as far as I could find anyway) really great, ensemble films.  The list of famous actors that make an appearance here is a pretty astounding one.  Everyone from the CEO of Jurassic Park, to Flint of “In Like Flint”, to the vigilante from “Death Wish”, and plenty more, make an appearance in this film.  Oh, and the story is pretty good too.

“This movie might be set in a prisoner of war camp, but I would liken it to the con or heist movie genres, so it was actually quite enjoyable.” – Ashley

La Battaglia Di Algeri (AKA: The Battle of Algiers) (1965)

The gritty and raw style of this film owes much to the cinema vérité camera work, and black and white film stock, which served to mimic news reel, or documentary style footage.  The cast of actors, or non-actors as they were, was chosen for their look, and the emotional heft they brought the subject matter, with the only “real” actor playing the leader of the French military force tasked with quieting the then French colony, Colonel Mathieu.  As a testament to its message, the film was banned in France for a number of years, before being re-edited and released later on.  As powerful and prescient today as it was when it was filmed, it speaks to our current situation with the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and the nature, and victims of terrorism.

“It’s a war movie!” (said with fake excitement) – Ashley

C’era Una Volta Il West  AKA Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

Gorgeous!  This film is so lush, and beautiful that when I first saw it, it took my breath away.  Though I do love the Man With No Name trilogy, this film, in my humble opinion, is  absolutely Sergio Leone’s masterpiece!  Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, and god help us all Claudia Cardinale.  If you haven’t seen this film, you are doing yourself a grand disservice!

“One of the best movies this list has introduced me to!” – Ashley

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

I saw this film around two decades ago, and I liked it a lot.  I was amazed at how much I liked it really, but it wasn’t until I watched it recently with my wife for her first time, that I was blown away.  Dustin Hoffman is so, so very good, and unfortunately for him, John Voight was so incredible that he still hasn’t yet managed to attain such heights again.  Fred Neil’s “Everybody Talkin'” performed by Harry Nilsson, is such a perfect song to capture the wonder, and spontaneity of New York city, as well as the despair and fear that come when good fortune you’re riding flips upside down and smothers you instead.  One of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen.

“Two hustlers find love.” – Ashley

Serpico (1973)

Though I’ve seen Serpico, I never fell in love with Serpico.  It’s a good film, that I, more than likely, should give another chance.  Known as one of the big tent poles of 1970s cinema, this film went a long way in defining the social, and political unrest of the urbanites of the time.

“Al Pacino grows a beard and takes down some corrupt cops.” – Ashley

Jaws (1975)

The godfather of the summer blockbuster is also an incredibly effective horror and suspense film.  This film comes from the young and hungry Steven Spielberg that helped make a lot of the movies that I grew up on, not the tired schmaltzy Spielberg that ruins every movie he makes now in the last 30 minutes (Don’t believe me?  Take, A.I., War of the Worlds, Minority Report, Saving Private Ryan, and Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World, and the all terrible Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal, The Adventures of Tin-Tin, and Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.).  So basically, Jaws was good.

“The push-zoom in it is great, other then that, meh.” – Ashley

Network (1976)

Though Network has some pretty interesting things to say about the nature of television and the nature of fame and martyrdom, and is definitely considered to be another one of those “important” movies from the seventies, I didn’t like the film really at all.  I found all the characters to be pretty repellent  people, and not in the least compelling on any other level.

“I hated every character in this movie.” – Ashley

Airplane! (1980)

The absolute funniest movie that I had ever seen when I was ten years old, it turns out is best marketed towards the young and those who are young in the head.  It didn’t manage to hold onto its title when I recently re-watched it, but it was still really fun to watch.  Leslie Nielson easily steals the show with his trademark deadpan delivery, and square-jawed good looks.  I will always love it for the joy it brought me in my youth.

“Better then the parody movies done today but still not my favorite kind of comedy.” – Ashley

The King of Comedy (1983)

Robert De Niro’s selfish, celebrity-obsessed, Travis Bickle is in love with the idea of fame, so much so that fixates on it.  It is all he sees and all he desires.  At times, tense, at others comic, the film goes a fair way towards predicting the phenomenon of instant fame that shows like American Idol, and YouTube have come to inspire. “The King of Comedy”, just may be one of Scorsese’s lighter works, but one of Martin’s lesser works is often times better than someone else’s best.

“Robert De Niro being creepy.” – Ashley

The Terminator (1984)

I was raised on this film.  I have probably seen it upwards of 100 times.  It is incredible.

“Arnold Schwarzenegger is bad.” – Ashley

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

This little flick is a fossil of another time, a time when the name Eddie Murphy meant you were going to see something that was actually funny.  Not solely for children, no fat suits or unnecessary makeup, but an actual, honest to God funny movie.  Murphy made a fair amount of them in his heyday, my only guess is that he just ran out of funny stuff to say, and now is only capable of making crap.  Too bad.

“Oh, I didn’t know Eddie Murphy use to be funny!” – Ashley

‘A’ Gai Waak Juk Jaap (AKA: Project A, Part II) (1987)

I went through a big Hong Kong cinema phase in the mid to late 90s.  Films like A Better Tomorrow, My Lucky Stars, Full Contact, and Hardboiled filled my movie collection.  Some of my favorites were the films of Jackie Chan, including the Project A films.  Packed with action, impossible stunts, and lots of slapstick humor, these films are intensely rewarding, and loads of fun.  Though I like Project A, Part II a lot, I wouldn’t put it as my favorite of Chan’s films, that honor would go to the absolutely insane Drunken Master II.  The last half an hour of that film was just about the craziest thing I’d ever seen in my life.

“Jackie is a god.” – Ashley

A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

Another film that I suppose I should devote another viewing to.  Most people seem to love, A Fish Called Wanda, however I thought it wasn’t all that good.  Since it was written by John Cleese, I should by all rights love it, so I can only assume that I saw it at too young an age.

“A raunchy comedy from the 80’s that is actually still funny for a first time view.”      – Ashley

The Naked Gun (1988)

Another of my favorite films from when I was 10 years old.  Leslie Nielsen rode the slapstick gravy train for many years, culminating in The Naked Gun.  Though the films sequels turn out to be rather hokey and one-note, the original film still stands out as one of the best examples of this type of comedy.

“Not bad but just not my kind of comedy.” – Ashley

Die Hard (1988)

As an only child, I spent a lot of time watching movies.  Every Friday night I would have my Mom drive me to the local video emporium, where I would pick up the newest action movies, along with the grossest or most obscure comedies and horror films.  I remember renting Die Hard when if first came out of Video.  I put the VHS tape into the VCR, sat back and spent the next two hours and twelve minutes getting my mind blown!  Easily one of the best action movies ever, and the best Christmas movie by a long shot.  Absolutely deserves to be on this list.

“My husband looks like Bruce Willis, so I’m allowed say how much I like how little his shirt is on in this movie, right?” – Ashley

Total Recall (1990)

Far and away the best film that either Arnold Schwarzenegger or Paul Verhoeven ever had anything to do with, and both men made some goddamned awesome films!  Groundbreaking visual effects, a truly compelling science fiction story, and action for days.  I was lucky enough to see this film in the theater, where at the tender age of eleven, I fell in love.

“Amazing special effects makeup. I wish they still did makeup this way.” – Ashley

Terminator 2: Judgment Day  (1991)

Not as impacting to me as the original, but this was yet another fantastic film.  James Cameron at the peak of his career thus far (yes I am including the disappointing Avatar).

“Arnold Schwarzenegger is good.” – Ashley

JFK (1991)

As a devout fan of film, I have a constantly shifting set of films that revolve in and out as my favorites of all time.  Reed’s The Third Man,  Kurosawa’s High & Low, Melville’s Le Cercle Rouge, and of course Oliver Stone’s JFK.  This labyrinth of a film traces the known facts right along side the potential possibilities, watching the two dance with one another, seeing what happens.  Some of my favorite cinematography ever committed to celluloid juxtaposes the black and white of the accepted reality of the Warren Commission with as many points of view as there were watching that day on the grassy knoll.  Black and white, high and low, right and wrong, fact and fiction.  All blend together in this film, tied by the exceptional cast, character actors and famous faces alike.  The best you’ve ever seen Joe Pesci, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Bacon, and Michael Rooker in any film.  This is one of those films that no matter what time it is, if I find it starting on TV, I will watch it all the way through.  I think I’ll go watch it right now.

“Was there anyone who didn’t want to kill Kennedy?” – Ashley

C’Est Arrive Pres De Chez Vous (AKA: Man Bites Dog) (1992)

This mockumentary about a vicious serial killer being followed by a documentary film crew attempts to find the line between documentation and complicity.  A dark film with some very subtle comic undertones, Man Bites Dog is more uncomfortable than it is successful.  It felt about 45 minutes too long, which would have shortened the film by about half.  Interesting, but ultimately not really very good.

“Oh this was suppose to be a comedy?” – Ashley

The Crying Game (1992)

It’s been a while since I’ve seen this film, so my only real memory of it is that I managed to see it twice in one weekend, once with each of my parents who didn’t know what it was about…awkward.

“Despite knowing the spoiler twist for a couple decades now I found this a really interesting look at the fluidity of human sexuality.” – Ashley

Dead Man (1995)

Long, slow, and still.  Three things that describe the films of Jim Jarmusch.  Dead Man is all of those things, and it was great.  Not a film for every occasion, nor is it for everyone, but if you appreciate thoughtful introspective and occasionally spiritual films, this one may pique your interest.

“So fucking boring!” – Ashley

Fargo (1996)

Of all the Coen Brothers films to put on this list, both this film, and Raising Arizona are two of their most average.  They are certainly good films, not nearly as reprehensible as Burn After Reading, Intolerable Cruelty, or The Ladykillers, but also not even close to as good as Miller’s Crossing (my personal favorite Coen Brothers film), The Big Lebowski, or Barton Fink.  That being said, Fargo did open up the Coen Brothers’ sensibilities to a whole new crowd of viewers and introduced the masses to William H. Macy, and Peter Stormare, so in that respect, it was a good choice.  Otherwise, a real missed opportunity for this list of “best movies”.

“I love that the lead is a smart strong women. Really great movie too.” – Ashley

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

Awful, over-hyped, manipulative, horror-porn along the likes of Hostel, and Hostel 2.

“Yeah, yeah we get it Jesus got his ass beat.” – Ashley

The Aviator (2004)

Even genius doesn’t shine all the time.  Yet another movie where the mega-talented Scorsese teams with the mega-mediocre DiCaprio, and turns in underwhelming results.  One of the greatest living cinematographers in the world said it best, describing The Aviator as a “handjob” for Hollywood, and while I don’t think it’s quite that, he certainly spends the entirety of this film writing an elaborate love letter.  Cate Blanchett was really wonderful as Kate Hepburn, if only DiCaprio could do some acting that isn’t just his usual approach of squinting and leaning forward into the camera.

“Leonardo is actually tolerable in this movie. Though he still can’t do an accent worth a shit.” – Ashley

So, there you have it.  Another 25 in the bag.  See you next time!

Hitlerjunge Salomon (AKA: Europa Europa) (1990)

Hitlerjunge Salomon (AKA: Europa Europa) – 1990

Director – Agnieszka Holland

Starring – Marco Hofschneider, Julie Delpy, and Solomon Perel

What’s more uplifting than a story of a young Jewish boy lasting out the war by imitating those who want him dead?  Apparently, it’s that exact same story plus the lusty escapades of a hormone addled teen movie tossed in for fun.  It’s the lighter side of the Nazi fueled war machine!

Like I said already, as far as Jewish survival stories set during World-War II go, this one was surprisingly lusty and light.  Though the main character, Salomon’s, journey is a difficult one, it was oddly punctuated by sexual encounters, camaraderie with those who want him dead, and seemingly, the joys of growing up.  Also, oddly enough, deep in the heart of Nazi, Germany, this young interloper manages to find a surprising number of sympathetic people who help him along the way.  One or even two instances along these lines seem plausible, human nature even, but as many lucky breaks as young Solomon gets during the length of the movie skews the film into the realm of the surreal, and removes from it, some of the danger that other films such as Schindler’s List, and The Pianist seem to exude from their very pores.

While that fact doesn’t make it a bad film, as such, it definitely makes it unique.  An oddity even.  Seeing it now, through the lens of history, makes the film seem somewhat in-authentic.  A farce dressed in the clothes of history.  If dramatized reality has taught me anything, it’s that people who are/were Nazis weren’t really people, clearly they were actually just murderous machines, blindly spewing rhetoric and hate (sarcasm).  I realize of course that the film is a biographical one, and tells the actual story of a very real Salomon Perel, it is just a novel thing to see a film that doesn’t completely demonize Nazi’s, and in many ways treats them as people too, and some of them are worth our pity.

Though it served to lessen the overall impact of the horrors of war in general, and the holocaust in particular, this general humanity that was  bestowed upon the antagonists was indeed a refreshing change from the usual.  Not only does our main character struggle with feelings of fear, jealousy, lust, and love, but so do the people who condemn him so, and it’s not only limited to the Germans.  We see the human side of the whole of eastern Europe, with realistic portraits of Poles, and Russians as well as the Germans who Salomon encounters on his path through the war.

Being a young man at the age where hormones threaten to take control of the thought processes, Salomon indulges himself quite a bit in some pretty shockingly dangerous ways, some of which threaten his safety, others of which are the only things keeping him alive.  One of his amorous encounters with an instructor in the Hitler youth, has him (a Jew) being compared loudly, and often, in a sexual way to the “fuhrer” himself (the accuser of Jews).  This film was never one I’d talked about, or read on during film school, so I’m not sure if I am to infer this comparison to mean that even Hitler is/was a human being, or if it was relying solely on the irony of the situation to inject humor, and a sense of heightened stakes into the situation.  I like the idea that this film might have been making a bold statement, so I choose to believe that it humanizes everyone.

Don’t get me wrong, at no point do I think that the actions of the Nazi party, or of Adoph Hitler deserve a pass, or even a re-evaluation.  I don’t.  All I’m saying is that the only path forward from a wound as great as the Holocaust is acceptance and ultimately forgiveness.  I was surprised to find that forgiveness in this film along side the anger, fear, joy, and sadness that every human is capable of.

So, Europa, Europa wasn’t quite what I was expecting when I started it, and looking at it objectively, I would say it doesn’t have as much impact as the Schindler’s Lists or The Pianists, or even something as singular of purpose as the incomparable, Inglourious Basterds.  Still, the tale of Salomon Perel is one that seeks to open the eyes, as well as the mind.  It chooses a different formula through which to process this history, deal with it, and ultimately heal both the physical as well as psychological wounds left on the soul of a people by the holocaust.  Like I said, it is not the most effective, it’s not even my favorite, but it’s a new take on the same old story we’re used to.  Not just a tale of one survivor, but of many, and that is why it made it on this list.

Muriel’s Wedding (1994)

Muriel’s Wedding – 1994

Director – P.J. Hogan

Starring – Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths, and Bill Hunter

When facing down a list as formidable as this one is, I find myself assuming that each film on it means something.  Whether it’s historically important, the swan song of a particular star or director, or maybe it simply broke all the records at the box office.  Apparently that isn’t always the case.  Muriel’s Wedding, while rather fun, and charming enough, manages to be none of these things and still it’s here.

The film tells the story of the wedding obsessed Muriel (a young Toni Collette, in her pre-Hollywood days), and her exodus from the family, friends, and town that seem to be working over time in order to keep her down.  Muriel lives in Porpoise Spit, a diaper-rash of a little town filled with the shallow, ignorant, and self obsessed people who exist (in one form or another) in all small towns.  Leading the charge of the obnoxious brigade is Muriel’s family, including her shiftless, unemployed siblings, the empty and ineffectual mother who barely exists, and the overbearing, loud-mouth of a father who worked so hard to drive and inspire these character flaws in his own family.

The most important thing in Muriel’s life is the bright, shining, future she imagines for herself (specifically the wedding part), never-mind the lack of any real interpersonal connection or the absence of any semblance of self-appreciation she may have for herself.  She simply wants this ideal so badly that she doesn’t care just how she gets there, by hook or by crook.

The story is fun, the acting is pretty good, and I really did want the best for Muriel (not to mention, her loud mouthed friend Rhonda, AKA: Brenda on Six Feet Under, AKA: Rachel Griffiths), but even given all that, it still wasn’t worthy of its placement on this list.  When you have a rather simple romantic comedy with a slight empowering wink at the end, that doesn’t mean it deserves to stand alongside films with the emotional weight and importance of films like Z, or the historical significance of a film like, Children of Paradise, or even the cleverness, and humor managed by the still rather thin, Meet the Parents

Perhaps it’s just one of those movies that doesn’t speak to me, or the place from which I came, or the time in which that place might have existed.  At the very least, I remember the film coming out in theaters, however I don’t really recall it making all that much of a splash even then.  The Australian revolution of film had a brief rekindling with the advent of the Crocodile Dundee franchise, but I’m afraid by the time Young Einstein came out in 1988, Mel Gibson had moved to the United States full-time, and everyone in the states stopped paying attention to what was happening down under.

There was the occasional gem that came out of Australia from those backwards years also known as the 90’s, but for every Peter Weir, Guy Pierce film, there were two Paul Hogan films (Yes I liked Crocodile Dundee when I was a kid, but give me a break, I was a kid, I thought Battleship was a fun board game too). I realize that 1000 movies is a lot to come up with, but I could rattle off a dozen or so just off the top of my head that didn’t make the cut, but were world’s better. Next thing you know, they’ll be letting a Transformers movie onto this list…Nice try, but better luck next time.  Instead how about trying Les Cage Aux Folles (a film I accidentally watched thinking that it was on this list), what would later be remade into The Birdcage.  Both that film and it’s remake are more deserving of recognition to be sure.

Who will survive…and what will be left of them?

So it’s my favorite time of the year…Halloween. So why not indulge myself a little and review some of the best horror, thriller, and suspense films in the book. Some of them I’m super thrilled about writing reviews of, and some are certainly popular but not necessarily my favorites. Read on to find out which is which. Enjoy!

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

A classic, certainly without which we wouldn’t have such staples as The Walking Dead, Dawn of the Dead and it’s remake, or the fantastic Shaun of the Dead, as well as a whole host of other films that have borrowed from it. The paranoia, mounting tension, and overwhelming odds of this first Zombie movie, transferred smoothly into non horror themes, such as isolation, race-relations, and fear of the Nuclear age in which we live.

L’uccello Dalle Piume Di Cristallo AKA The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (1970)

In this early film, Dario Argento, arguably the biggest name in italian horror, creates a film that is more Hitchcock than it is a slasher movie. The tension and carnage that ensues is more about pacing and misdirection than it is vicious thrills, and gore. That being said, it does have its share of gore. Oh, those italians, never short of gore. While good, I actually liked his later, more iconic film, Suspiria better than this one.

Deliverance (1972)

A horror movie of a different variety, rather than use a monster or a psychopathic antagonist, this film explores the terrible behavior exhibited by humans onto one another. The group of hunters looking to spend some time together having fun, get to know way more about each other than they ever wanted to know. Normally I wouldn’t give away any spoilers, but I think most people know exactly what the “twist” to this movie is. Men raping men has never been so much fun.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Quiet, slow, and nearly bloodless apparently equals really effective and terrifying. Who knew! Despite the fact that I credit The Exorcist with being better all around (scares, craftsmanship, and acting), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is pretty fantastic in its own right. By all means you should see the original version and relish in the grainy washed out film stock, the real locations that haven’t been over dressed or grimed up to such a degree as to make looking at them unsanitary, and the overall impact of a movie that can utilize calm as well as it does chaos. One hell of a good movie!

The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

This film predates the slasher sub-genre of horror movies by close to 5 years, however it definitely shares and in some cases has inspired certain sadistic qualities in them. The movie gives us a family full of socially dysfunctional, nomadic killers as the source of our fear, an anxiety, and a nice everyday innocent family to compare ourselves to. More camp than scare. More sadism than not.

Suspiria (1977)

This film is far more surreal, and otherworldly than The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, the other Dario Argento film that I’ve seen. It is by far, more psychological and subtle in how it works under your skin, but also has a far less believable (read: ridiculous) set of traps and horrors for our heroine to escape. A room in a dance academy that is inexplicably filled with coils upon coils of barbed wire, is decidedly unbelievable, and therefore draws us out of the “story”. That being said, I still liked it better than The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, for its use of rich full color, and it’s dedication to that certain uneasy feeling.

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Holy Shit! If you have managed to make it through your life to this point without seeing this movie, do yourself a favor, go buy (not rent) it and watch the shit out of it! For a movie that is so closely associated with the horror genre, Dawn of the Dead manages to be so relevent and forward facing on such a large variety of subjects. From race relations, religion, and consumer culture, to the nature of willful violence, and interaction between the sexes, not to mention some pretty outstanding makeup effects. This film has so much to offer first time and repeat viewers alike. Granted some of the makeup looks a bit bad by today’s standard, and some of the euphemisms seem a bit dated and clunky, but by and large this film has all the energy and fire of the films of the seventies, plus a pretty compelling horror story to boot. Make sure to buy the version that comes with the theatrical and directors cuts, so you can compare and contrast the values of each. (Hint: The Director’s Cut is better.)

Halloween (1978)

In terms of craftsmanship and construction Halloween is a master-class in editing and pacing. Featuring very little in the way of jump-scare type tactics, this film instead, skillfully builds the tension slowly through the use of shot composition, and editing, along with skillful acting and directing. Of course, John Carpenter is no stranger to the praise due to him from the horror fan community, including myself. I’ve enjoyed almost every single one of his films, and I only say “almost” because I can’t remember if there has been anything that I haven’t liked. Watch this!

Alien (1979)

In terms of futuristic visuals and slow building tension, Ridley Scott seemed to have cornered the market in the late 70’s and early 80’s. With films like Blade Runner and Aliens he helped to bring a living, breathing, realism to the science fiction genre that had before been absent. Where Star Wars was shiny and optimistic, Alien was concerned with the accurate depiction of its characters in a true to life setting. With Alien, he also managed to bring horror to a new level. For proof, just go watch the still terrifying trailer for the original Alien.

“The baby alien is soooooo cute! And there’s a cat!  And a butt crack!” – Ashley

The Shining (1980)

With the Shining, Stanley Kubrick made one of the finest films ever committed to celluloid (or digital mediums, I’m not playing favorites). The power and the impact of the imagery sticks with you long after the film is finished (they’ve been with me since I saw it way back when I was young.), and while the dialogue and delivery seems stilted at first, it all serves a grander purpose of creating a slightly skewed feeling in the viewer. The disharmony and discord starts to build at an imperceptible level, but once it rears its head, it is obvious that it has been around for a long while. Absolutely one of my favorite movies, and well deserving of being on this list!

“You know it’s a good horror movie if Shelley Duvall is in the film and still not the scariest part.” – Ashley

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

A classic in my circle of friends, this is actually a movie that I came to finally see rather late (only 4 years ago or so), and I’m really glad I did.  Part slapstick comedy, part horror movie, American Werewolf in London manages to balance the two genres giving a room for the comedy to live, without ruining the scary elements.  Then there is the astounding fully lit, werewolf transformation scene, something that was nearly impossible in the days before CGI.  Definitely worthy of its spot on this list.

“Suck it CGI!” – Ashley

Check out guest reviewer Mike Petrik’s review, here!

The Thing (1982)

Kurt Russell and John Carpenter have, together, made a pair of my most favorite films ever, Big Trouble in Little China, and this movie, The Thing. Along with being a completely absorbing well paced thriller in its own right, it also happens to have some really outstanding special makeup effects, and puppetry. Add in to the mix a young Wilford Brimley, Keith David in all his glory, and who could forget the heartbeat of a score that relentlessly pushes us onward, towards the end of the film. Outstanding all around!

(***Warning Spoilers***)

“One point for the great special effects makeup…one point for the sexy Kurt Russell beard…negative one million points for the hurting beautiful puppies” – Ashley

Poltergeist (1982)

As far as this list goes, the Poltergeist has perhaps left the smallest impact on me. All I really remember is the tiny woman with the child’s voice. She actually played good character in the film, yet still she stands out as a defining characteristic of this horror film far more than the big gauzy skeleton, the skeletons in the basement, or heaven forbid the terrifying child-sized doll that those shitty parents put in their kids room.

“Thanks to “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, I know that Poltergeists are not ghosts.” – Ashley

The Evil Dead (1982)

Despite the fact that this film revolutionized the way that horror films were shot, produced, watched, edited, and scored, The Evil Dead was, in my opinion not nearly as good as its slapstick sequels, The Evil Dead Part 2, and Army of Darkness. Definitely worth watching, but make sure you watch the other two, so you can see director Sam Raimi reboot his own film, and make it worlds better.  Give me some sugar, baby!

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

This was the movie…the movie that scared the bejesus out of me as a kid far more than any other movie has ever done, before or since. Looking back at it now, it doesn’t make sense why this film had such a profound effect on me, but none the less, it did. The most terrifying image in the film (in my younger-selfs opinion), comes in the first 10 minutes, and the real terror of the first watch was the anticipation of whether it would be topped in the remaining 80 or so minutes. Not to mention, the film had a rather ingenious premise of allowing the victims to be vulnerable in their dreams, a place that no one can escape. Worth the watch, but I’ve heard you should avoid the remake.

Manhunter (1986)

The best of the Hannibal Lecter movie adaptations, this one combines the visual sensibility of Michael Mann, the menace and animalism of Tom Noonan, and the depth and intelligence of Brian Cox as Lecter into a luscious, dangerous, thrilling movie. Despite it’s inclusion on this list, I feel that the more popular Hannibal Lecter story, The Silence of the Lambs, is far inferior to this film, though there are many who would disagree vehemently. One thing that everyone can agree on, however, is that the remake of Manhunter, Red Dragon, is completely a piece of shit by comparison.  Brett Ratner my ass!

The Fly (1986)

Your standard story about a man who invents teleportation devices only to have it backfire on him when a simple little house fly gets caught in the machine with him. This film creeped me out quite a bit when I was a kid, particularly the arm wrestling scene. The Fly is a great horror movie, worthy of inclusion on this list!

Aliens (1986)

Quite possibly my favorite of the movies on this Halloween list. I grew up with this movie, so as a result, I am in capable of judging it in any way other than favorably. A great continuation of the story that began in Alien, one that manages to go far beyond it in terms of action, character development, and stakes. Where the original was effective through the isolation of its characters, Aliens succeeds by forcing them to band together to combat the threats from without as well as within.  This is when James Cameron was at his peak in my opinion (well, that or during the Terminator movies), not during the bloated gimmicky Avatar days.  Robot versus space-bug!  That really says it all.

Spoorloos AKA The Vanishing (1988)

If you’ve seen the remake of this film starring Jeff Bridges and Keifer Sutherland, then do yourself a favor, drink a bunch of turpentine till you forget that one, and when you’re back from getting your stomach pumped at the hospital, watch this creepy-as-hell movie. Using simple tactics to inspire fear, Spoorloos is surprisingly contemplative, and deceptively calm for a list such as this. Don’t let that fool you though, it’s terrifying all the same.

Jacob’s Ladder (1990)

Creepy. Creepy. Creepy. CREEPY. This mind-bending film tests the limits of the audiences perception, making us debate up until the very end whether or not we think our main character is, in fact, crazy, delusional, or correct that there are strange beings out to get him. The fantastic Danny Aiello electrifies every scene he is in, and make sure to watch out for a small appearance by Ving Rhames, too!.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Way, way over-rated. While this movie isn’t bad, the fact that it took home best picture, best actor, best actress, and best director honors at the Oscars is a little absurd if you ask me. Hopkins was good as Lector, but not nearly as menacing as Brian Cox was in the role just a scant 5 years earlier. Foster was good as well, but has been much better in better things as well. Jonathan Demme, is the exception. Though I don’t think he necessarily deserved the Oscar for his work here, this actually is the best thing he has ever done. In fact, he did such a bad job on The Truth About Charlie, a terrible remake of one of my favorite movies of all time, Charade, that he ought to have any awards and accolades stripped from him.  He actually owes me an Oscar.  Watch Manhunter instead.

Scream (1996)

I saw this movie at just the right time for me to see this movie. I saw it with a bunch of really good friends, and had a really good time doing it. The movie as it turns out was pretty good too, turning the usual conventions of the horror movie on its ear to great effect. This movie also benefited from an up and coming cast, a good soundtrack, and a rejuvenated director, Wes Craven, ready to attack the genre that he helped create in the first place.

Tetsuo (1998)

It’s strange that this is the only Japanese horror movie that is included in the list of 1001 movies, that I’ve seen, especially considering the fact that Japan seems to specialize in decidedly creepy horror movies. Tetsuo is really more of a bizarre, sci-fi-sex-fantasy with a fair amount of blood in it. Basically a man turns slowly and painfully into a machine, a process which grants him great strength and power, but also makes him a terrible monster at the same time. If you’d like to know if you will like it, base whether you see it on this spoiler-ish phrase…”Drill penis”. And there you have it.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

I’m a fan of its concept, I’m a fan of the mark such a low-budget movie was able to make, but I was not a fan of the fact that it spawned a lot of cheap imitators, nor was I a fan of the movie itself. There was so much hype surrounding this movie, that it couldn’t help but fail in the eyes of a film student / horror film fan like me. You will never hear anyone say this again, ever, but I liked The Blair Witch Project 2: Book of Shadows way better.

“Ughkk…God!” – Ashley

Mulholland Dr. (2001)

My lovely wife would disagree of my assessment of this film. I thought it was an un-paralleled work of craftsmanship and genius, with a creepy/dreamy surrealistic concept that translated well to the glimmering, shining facade of Hollywood. She thought it was crap. In my humble opinion David Lynch redeemed himself after the terrible, and terribly confusing Lost Highway, to make a work that stands alongside his very best (Blue Velvet, Wild At Heart, Twin Peaks, and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me). Of course he went right back to making terrible crap with Inland Empire, but there is no need to dwell on that here. Go see Mulholland Dr., one of the scariest movies that isn’t supposed to be scary , you’ll ever see!

“I know experimental narrative.  I like experimental narrative.  I went to film school to make experimental narrative.  You sir, are not an experimental narrative.” – Ashley

And there you have it.  Just a few of the horror selections on the list.  I don’t necessarily agree that these should all be held up and called the best of the best, but conversely, some of them are absolutely worthy of such distinction.  Good or bad, however, each has its importance in terms of the history and art of film.  Happy Halloween!

In the Name of Love…(and in honor of my wedding!)

So its been a while since I’ve done any of these smaller reviews, and since love is most definitely in the air, (and in honor of my getting married a few days ago) I thought I’d do some more with a nod to the romance genre. These, are all films from the list of 1001 movies, mind you, the label “Romance” has been placed on them (sometimes appropriately, sometimes inexplicably) by the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book, not by me, so my apologies for any confusion (Natural Born Killers, and Abre Los Ojos, I’m looking in your general direction). Hope you enjoy!

Tirez Sur Le Pianiste AKA Shoot the Piano Player (1960)

Francois Truffaut’s second full length film after the fantastic “The 400 Blows”, wasn’t quite as good as his first outing, nor was it as iconic as his most famous, and most romanticized film, Jules et Jim, which is really the film of his that should have been on this genre list rather than Shoot the Piano Player. Jules et Jim is a portrait of the romance that can happen between men and women, between friends, and can turn from light and positive, to smothering and destructive. All that aside, Shoot the Piano Player is far from a bad film, it just doesn’t stand up as well next to the heavyweights that surround it.

Giulietta Degli Spiriti AKA Juliet of the Spirits (1965)

Once again, this film doesn’t quite fit into the tidy little mold of “Romance” that the book sort of lumps it into. Rather, Juliet of the Spirits, seeks to illustrate the freedom of cutting the strings of dependency and exiting a bad relationship. The titular Juliet, trapped in a bad relationship with a distant, and unfaithful husband and judging family, sees in her free-spirited, sexually open neighbor, a chance at being happy by herself. The looping, colorful visuals and the almost song-like nature of the films structure make Juliet of the Spirits a lot of fun to watch. This is my favorite of all of Federico Fellini’s films. Definitely worthy of its place on this list.

Harold and Maude (1971)

By removing the initial motivators of attraction (the age limitations, and socially acceptable standards of beauty), we are able to focus entirely on the real magic of a successful relationship…the relating. Struggling for attention from his parents and peers, Harold manages to find someone, Maude, who causes him to see the world in a completely different way than he normally does, and teaches him to stretch his wings and live beyond the rules that govern everyday life. Aside from teaching this 20-something young man how to deal with other people, the 70-something Maude teaches him all about his own sexuality, both in theory as well as in practice. This off beat little film, fits very well into this “romance” category.

“I wanna be Maude when I grow up.” – Ashley

Manhattan (1979)

This Woody Allen film is one of a select few of his films that I really, really like. Not only does it (famously) make New York seem like a grand, vibrant, and teeming place full of possibilities (most Woody Allen films I feel rely solely on crazy characters), but it also doesn’t make the opposite mistake of making it seem like a mad-cap thing, a ridiculous parody of itself, full of assholes and caricatures of real people. Allen really gets it right in this film.

Tootsie (1982)

Mrs. Doubtfire, but much funnier!

“Almost as good as Mrs. Doubtfire.” – Ashley

The Princess Bride (1987)

I may be a little biased. I grew up with this film and am not able to see it for any of its flaws. Not only is this film a great romance, it has so much more to offer as a movie. Adventure, humor, fractured storytelling, Fred Savage, it has everything!!! This movie really is pretty fantastic and holds up well under scrutiny, it’s a shame there aren’t more films like it out there.

“Romacticomisy!” – Ashley

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

While this isn’t nearly my favorite Rob Reiner movie (This Is Spinal Tap), it does, however, stand on its own as a very good one. It’s tried and true story of a couple of people who discover that after years of being friends and butting heads about the little things in life, they are actually in love with one another and have been secretly (secret to themselves as well as everyone else) been pining away after one another the whole time.

“Awww…” – Ashley

Say Anything (1989)

As pop culture aficionado, Chuck Klosterman, wrote in his book Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, every girl dreams about taking Lloyd Dobler home to meet her parents. Or more accurately, they’re interested in the idea of Lloyd Dobler rather than any actual flesh and blood guy that may or may not share similarities with him. While this could very well be true, there is something to the romanticized tale of the young man who does everything he can to win the object of his affection. Top it all off with socially relevant, and timeless crafting of soundtrack and you’ve got yourself a Cameron Crowe movie before everyone knew what that even was.

“Mmmm….John Cusack.” – Ashley

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Based more on the gothic style of Edward Gorey, rather than the more recent works of Tim Burton with the computer generated color spectrum of Milton Bradley board games, Edward Scissorhands is Burton at his stylistic peak. The film puts the normalcy of suburbia under the microscope attempting to find the flaws in beauty and vice versa.

“Ugly haircuts!” – Ashley

Groundhog Day (1993)

Hilarious. Hi. Lar. I. Ous! Do yourself a favor if you haven’t seen this movie, and rent, buy, borrow, or steal it. Bill Murray at his comedic finest, and for once something Andie McDowell is good in. Or more to the point, she isn’t bad in it. Chris Elliot, whether or not you love him or hate him (I personally love him), plays well off of Murray’s short fuse. The small town gags, time travel humor, and of course Ned Ryerson pay off again and again. Totally one of my favorite comedies of all time, oh and I guess it’s got some romance in it too.

“Oh, my gosh!  When the little groundhog is driving the truck…Adorable!” – Ashley

The Piano (1993)

Jane Campion is a rather hard nut for me to crack. While I didn’t fall in love with the piano, I didn’t dislike it either. It actually falls in the middle in terms of appreciation of the three films of hers that I’ve seen. I liked Holy Smoke! better, and absolutely regret seeing In The Cut (the flop with Meg Ryan trying to be luridly sexy. FYI, it doesn’t work.) Still the love story is there. Between both Harvey Keitel and Holly Hunter’s characters, as well as between Hunter’s Ada, and the piano she loves so dearly. Unfortunately, like a lot of love stories, this one has a healthy bit of tragedy mixed into it.

Natural Born Killers (1994)

While this film does contain a romance that most certainly moves the story forward, and provides conflict for the main characters (Mickey and Mallory Knox), the film itself is more an analysis of our dependence upon and love affair with television, pop-culture, and mass media as a whole. The rather juvenile and simple love story at the heart of the film is intended to be as such and as a result can’t really be considered a “romance” as it were. All that aside, I do really respect this film, all it has to say, and the skill of craftsmanship that went into creating it. It’s just that calling it a romance is like calling Die Hard a Christmas movie, it is…but it isn’t.

“Shot on every film stock available.” – Ashley

Chong Qing Sen Lin AKA Chungking Express (1994)

The first of two Wong Kar Wai movies on this list (the second being In The Mood For Love), both of which deal with the idealism and theory of love. In Chungking Express, it’s the romanticizing of the love that has passed by, and focuses on the memories and impressions of two love struck cops as they pine over the relationships that have passed them by. The real magic and whimsy of this film comes in through the cinematography and camera work. The sheer color used in this film puts most Technicolor films to shame. Hong Kong never looked so good as it does here, and it never seemed quite as magical either.

Braveheart (1995)

This is it. This is pointed to as the last great Mel Gibson movie before he decided to show the world just how crazy he actually was. Everyone I’ve ever met who’s seen it seems to be helpless against its charms. While it is good, it is not the knockout that everyone said it was before I saw it for the first time. Gibson’s typical formula of sappy sentimentality and buckets of blood and guts is certainly shocking at times, and tries to tug at the heart-strings at others, but it really ends up seeming a little too melodramatic overall. Good not great, but certainly better than The Passion of the Christ, Apocalypto, or his often publicized rants about religion, race, his wife, and the attractiveness of the officers that are simply trying to do their jobs and arrest him. I’d say do yourself a favor and watch Lethal Weapon, or the second Mad Max instead.

“Another movie about how awesome the British are!” – Ashley (said with a straight face)

Clueless (1995)

I wrote this movie off when it first came out, but since then i’ve seen it and it’s actually a pretty decent re-telling of Jane Austen’s Emma (although to be honest I had to look that up. I was under the mistaken impression that it was based on Shakespeare). Alicia Silverstone, and Paul Rudd (yup, that Paul Rudd), manage to skewer the early 90’s pretty successfully, although I’m guessing a lot of my new-found affection for it is based on nostalgia rather than an actual interest in the early 90’s. The movie features a laundry list of B level stars who, look familiar and you know you’ve seen in other places, however none of whom are really worth that much excitement (Donald Faison, Brittany Murphy, Breckin Meyer, and Jeremy Sisto, most notably).

“Like, oh my god, you totally made out with your step-brother!” – Ashley

Shine (1996)

Again we have a film that doesn’t fit into the romance category quite right. Don’t get me wrong, there is indeed a romance. That side of the story is shadowed by the larger story of the man (David Helfgott played by the capable Geoffrey Rush) and his tumultuous relationship with his music. As with the recent biography, The Kings Speech, Geoffrey Rush proves himself as an actor capable of doing so much with the time he is given on-screen. The steps of going from his passion through his breakdown, and the long hard journey back again seems utterly believable and not at all melodramatic, which is especially remarkable considering the story features, child abuse, hardship, concentration camps, war, sibling rivalry, poverty, defeat, and redemption. A remarkable achievement indeed.

Abre Los Ojos AKA Open Your Eyes (1997)

I saw this film after seeing it’s much over hyped remake, Vanilla Sky. That may have lessened the impact of the big reveal at the end by quite a lot, but I have to admit that neither film really did all that much for me. Both were okay. Both had the same interesting concept at its core, and both had Penelope Cruz playing the exact same role, but neither really had that spark that most good, and all great science fiction movies have. That concept that blows your mind, even if just a little. The romance in this case tends more towards the obsession end than most of these other films, and as a result it never really knows whether it’s more of a “Fatal Attraction” or more of a high concept “Blade Runner” type movie. In terms of its addition to the list of 1001 greatest movies ever, at least they didn’t pick Vanilla Sky. Yuck!

Titanic (1997)

In terms of ticket sales, record-breaking box office, risk of failure, and even scale of the production, Titanic deserves to be on this list. Where films like D.W. Griffith’s “Intolorance”, and Erich von Stroheim’s “Greed” ended up failing, Titanic really, against all odds, succeeded. The film rocketed the careers of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet into the stratosphere, and cemented the reputation of director James Cameron as a director who can deliver on the scale of something like “Gone with the Wind” or “Ben-Hur”. As far as story goes, it is a fun story, but not in my opinion worth all the hullaballoo that it’s generated. Instead go see, Aliens for action combined with a strong mother/daughter relationship, or Terminator for a strong action combined with romance movie. I even liked The Abyss better, if you want a sort of action, sort of underwater space alien movie with a hint of romance. I pretty much like everything James Cameron has done without question except for Titanic which was just okay, and Avatar which was just a bloated piece of shit.

Rushmore (1998)

By far this is the most beloved Wes Anderson movie the world has ever known, by almost everyone but me. For my money, I’d take The Royal Tenenbaums any day of the week, month, year, or decade. That isn’t to say that Rushmore is bad, or that it’s craftsmanship isn’t up to snuff. I just happen to connect with and enjoy each of Anderson’s other movies far more than this one. The story, simple as it may be, involves romance but isn’t really focused on it. Max (played by the pretty awesome Jason Schwartzman) finds himself infatuated with one of his teachers at the prestigious Rushmore Academy. Coincidentally, that same teacher is the object of the attention and affections of one of Max’s mentors Herman Blume (one of Anderson’s regulars, Bill Murray). The one-ups-man-ship that follows goes to ridiculous degrees, but ultimately both characters have to learn to find love without Rosemary, the teacher in question, who is interested in neither of them.

“More like Less Anderson!” – Ashley

There’s Something About Mary (1998)

Certainly the most famous of the Farrelly Brother’s films, this is alas, not my favorite of theirs. My pick would be Dumb and Dumber which would have fit equally well into the genre of romance. Where as with Dumb and Dumber, I laughed so hard that I had trouble breathing, with Mary I only really chuckled a few times. I haven’t seen it since it was originally out in theaters, but I really haven’t had the desire. I kinda like Ben Stiller, and I do like Chris Elliott, but they are no team Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. Go see Dumb and Dumber!

“Which creepy guy is a girl to choose?” – Ashley

Dut Yeung Nin Wa AKA In the Mood for Love (2000)

All of the words that get thrown around when talking about beautiful, touching movies, can easily be applied to this film, In the Mood for Love, and they still seem like they don’t do it justice. Sumptuous, lush, vibrant, gorgeous, breathtaking…I could go on, but I think you get the idea, the film had an impact on me. The story of two people who are neighbors, each of whose spouses are cheating on them, find comfort in the friendship and love that develops between them. It’s entirely accurate to say that, though it’s slowly paced and a little difficult to start, once you get going, you will be hooked. This is the love affair that was only hinted at in Brief Encounter, and grazed in Lost in Translation. Quite possibly the most beautiful looking movie I have ever seen. Just talking about my memories of it makes me want to get it down off of my DVD shelf and watch it again.

“Gasp!” – Ashley

Wo Hu Cang Long AKA Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

A little bit long for my taste, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is still a pretty awesome, gorgeous and sweeping kung fu movie. The romance in this film is two-fold. Firstly there is the forbidden romance between master Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat son!) and his colleague in kung fu skill Yu Shu Lien (the always exceptional Michelle Yeoh). Secondly there is the love that can only come from impetuous youth, here in the form of a skilled and impetuous assassin and the desert bandit who tested her limits. Both romances unfold during the quest for the stolen sword “Green Destiny”, as well as the assassination plot that threatens all involved…blah, blah, blah….IT HAS CHOW YUN-FAT! One of the coolest people ever to live, and exist, and be alive. See it!

“Sometimes a bitch just gotta run on a tree!” – Ashley

Y Tu Mama Tambien AKA And Your Mother Too (2001)

This coming-of-age come (no pun intended) sexual-awakening movie also serves as a portrait of the Mexico City of today. A place that despite the long distances that it has come, still has a long way to go in order to close the disperate gaps between the social and economic classes. Two young men, Tenoch (Diego Luna) and Julio (Gael Garcia Bernal) aren’t so much vying for the love of Ana, (the young woman who teaches them about their sexuality) as they are trying to one-up each other in boasting and peacockery. We watch these young men start down the road to maturity, starting as selfish, inexperienced children, and heading towards, fully grown, stronger adults. Y Tu Mama Tambien is a document of a modern-day Mexico, it’s citizens, and two young men in transition, and is well worth a watch.

Le Fabuleux Destin D’Amelie Poulain AKA Amelie (2001)

If the joie de vivre of post war Paris, and the existential longing for love and meaning found during the French new wave of the 60’s were to have a baby it would be named Amelie (or Le Fabuleux Destin D’Amelie Poulain in French). I was floored by this movie the first time I saw it. During the whole last 20 minutes or so I held my breath and, as they say, it may have gotten a bit dusty in the theater by the end. Audrey Tautou, as the beautiful, yet lonely, ingenue Amelie is perfectly cast. Director in his own right, Mathieu Kassovitz, plays her counterpart Nino, who together with Tautou, and a whole cast of Jean Pierre Jeunet regulars, brings just enough quirkiness and humor to balance out the sappy sentimentality, and potentially maudlin subject. Amelie is as light and happy as the typical french concertina music that permeates the soundtrack. A joy for the eyes, ears, and heart.

(***Warning Spoilers***)

“Beautiful, shy girl finds love in a photo booth.” – Ashley

Moulin Rouge (2001)

Yet another film taking place in the city of lights, a favorite location for romances, Moulin Rouge is a blending of old and new. The tradition of musicals blended with the song-smithing, pro-tools tinkering and visual flair of today. Following up his huge music driven success, Romeo + Juliet, director Baz Luhrman again uses hyper-kinetic imagery and aesthetic to amp up the style of 1800’s Paris. For each step forward he takes in terms of style from his last film, he takes a step backward in terms of appropriate talent of his lead actor and actress. That is to say, though both Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman are accomplished actors in their own rights, but they don’t quite have the singing and dancing chops of some of the actors of old. That aside, a colorful cast of secondary characters, engaging set pieces, and a well crafted romance more than make up for whatever minor shortfalls the main actors have when it comes to performance. The kaleidoscopic frenzy that the, cinematography, songs, and story add up to becomes its own sort of metronome-esque pace, and once that rhythm takes hold you don’t want it to let go.

(***Warning Spoilers***)

“Tuberculosis: The Musical!” – Ashley

So there you have it. Another 25 little reviews of films that I’d seen previous to starting this undertaking done and out of the way. I hope you’ve enjoyed them despite their brevity, or maybe because of it, and please forgive me for getting sentimental…I did just get married after all!

The Thin Red Line (1998)

The Thin Red Line – 1998

Director – Terrence Malick

Starring – Jim Caviezel, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, and Woody Harrelson

Terrence Malick’s floating, lyrical film about the battle of Guadalcanal in World War 2, avoids the clichés of most other big war epics.  Where other films seek to wow the audience with man’s inhumanity to other men, The Thin Red Line, instead seeks to show man’s absolute humanity.  For good or for ill soldiers are people, they get scared, their motivations are often impure, and they can be tremendously courageous.  Where a lot of other war films might dwell on the violence and carnage, Malick aims his camera towards the calm, and the natural stillness of the battlefield.  That is not to say their isn’t a fair share of action or death, it is after all a war film, about World War 2 in the Pacific, but it isn’t this action and cruelty that makes the soldiers great, it is their compassion, their courage, and their honor.

There is no hard and fast story in this film.  Instead we have a  general idea of the goals of the soldiers as we lilt back and forth between the men in this company learning about how each man deals with his circumstances.  We learn about each man not so much through back story, but through occasional inner monologue, and how they interact with the other men.  There really isn’t a main character, although the closest thing to it would be Jim Caviezel’s character, Private Witt.  The film opens with Private Witt living on an island in the South Pacific, after having gone AWOL, and follows his subsequent recapture, punishment, and re-stationing as a medic during the battle.  While he is not necessarily the main character at all times, he does touch the lives of each of the soldiers featured in the film, most heavily on Sgt. Welsh, played with surprising restraint by Sean Penn.

Nature plays a big role in this film, so much so that it shows just how much the soldiers and their war, are out-of-place here.  This concentration on nature provides some similarities to the films of Werner Herzog, in which nature is heavily featured and often plays a very central role in the story.  While not as overt as a Herzog film, the surroundings in The Thin Red Line do provide a visual and a metaphorical juxtaposition to the action.  Soldiers die in unspeakably beautiful surroundings and explosions and gun fire are the only things that drown out the roar of the river and a the call of the wildlife.

When the two sides finally see each other face to face it becomes obvious how similar they are, despite their opposing view points.  Both are made up of people who are scared, opportunistic, and brave.  The war makers are sitting in their respective countries, comfortable, and safe, while the war is being waged by common people with the least to gain and the most to lose.

By and large I really liked this film, aside from the compelling visuals, the acting and story telling managed to compliment the cinematography and avoid being too heavy-handed or preachy.  The only weak elements in this film, in my opinion are the music, and the poetic inner monologue.  The film, which runs at just under 3 hours, has the tendency to feel sluggish and repetitive, not because of the situations, not because of the lack of action, but because of the score, and the narration.  This semi-dramatic undercurrent of music swells at just the right time when the emotionally confused soldier has just seen the beauty of this land destroyed by war. 

Once the music swells, we get yet another semi vague, flowing, pondering on the nature of perception.  These elements work just fine to a certain degree, but ultimately are used far too often to inspire emotion, or to describe the absurdity of the conflict.  A huge teaching in film is, show, don’t tell.  What could be inferred into this statement also, is “Don’t do both.”  There are more than enough times where we understand exactly what we are supposed to, but the music swells and the narration comes in any way.  These are our cues that we are supposed to be walking away with some larger message, and frankly I didn’t need them.

This film was a quite refreshing despite its slight flaws.  It is rare that you come away from a war film that isn’t an actioneer type film with Arnold Schwarzenegger or Chuck Norris, feeling uplifted and generally positive.  War films can be horrific, and disquieting, and contemplative, but The Thin Red Line shows that they can also be a cathartic, teaching experience, with more to offer than they take away.  Well done Mr. Malick.

Lone Star (1996)

Lone Star – 1996

Director – John Sayles

Starring – Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Pena, Joe Morton, Kris Kristofferson, and Matthew McConaughey

In the mid-nineties after Sex, Lies, and Videotape opened a great many doors for as well as quite a few minds to indie films, there was a rich landscape of films like John Sayles’ Lone Star being made.  Films that cared as much about characterization and plot as they did explosions and profitability.  Looking back, I’ve come to the realization that, in today’s film climate, movies at the level of Lone Star are very hard to find.

The story is both simple and complex.  Simple in it’s set up and execution, and complex in how it affects each of the characters tied to the story.  Sheriff Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper), son to the town legend, Sheriff Buddy Deeds (Matthew McConaughey), finds a skeleton out in the desert with a sheriff’s badge.   Questions about how his father came to be Sheriff begin to come to the surface, when the body starts to look like it might have been that of Buddy’s predecessor the ruthless, corrupt, Sheriff Charlie Wade.  This discovery prompts Sam to examine  the difference between right and wrong, memory and fact, and the strength of family bonds.

Typical of John Sayles films (or at least the one other one that I’ve seen, Sunshine State), there are multiple story lines, usually dealing with family, relationships, and the weight of the past as it affects the potential of the future.  While Sam continues his investigation into what happened between his father and Charlie Wade, he reconnects with his old high school sweetheart, Pilar, played wonderfully by the magnificent Elizabeth Pena, works with the town’s mayor, and with the owner of a local bar that caters to African-Amercian clientele.  Each of these characters’ stories weave elements of the past with present-day drama, and each holds a piece of the puzzle of the body in the desert.

In terms of tying in the themes of the inter-connectivity of the past and the present, John Sayles utilizes transitions that blend seamlessly into the present-day.  Often times it seems as if Sam is part of the audience, watching each of these pieces fall into place, watching the story weave itself together as we go along.  Aside from this small visual flair, the film rests mostly on the strength of its actors, and rest assured, its actors more than carry the load.

Through simple (NOTE: when I say simple, I don’t mean that it’s easy, only that it looks effortless when he does it) use of pauses, inflection, body-language, and facial expressions, Chris Cooper gives a fully realized performance as a man tired of living under his father’s thumb.  McConaughey and Kristofferson embody memories, each filtered through the recollections of Sam, and the townsfolk, each is strong and absolute.  Pilar is an emotionally, fully rounded woman who has deprived herself of happiness trying to do what’s right by her children and by her mother.  Each character lives and breathes, and though they make believable choices, none of them are predictable or boring.

It is unfortunate that films like these aren’t being made as much as they were in the 90s.  In the wrong hands they could be mundane and mediocre, but in the right hands, filmmakers like Jim Jarmusch, Todd Solondz, Steven Soderburgh, and John Sayles can make us love movies on a whole other level.

P.S.  This is possibly the best acting that Matthew McConaughey has ever done.

P.P.S.  If you’d like to learn more about the indie movement of the 90s I can’t recommend “Down and Dirty Pictures” by Peter Biskind highly enough.

Fight Club (1999)

Fight Club – 1999

Director – David Fincher

Starring – Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, and Helena Bonham Carter

Firstly, I’d like to mention that this review was a special request from a friend of mine.  Normally all it would get would be a little bullet review simply because I had already seen it, although I do confess it deserves quite a bit more attention.  So, here we go.

Back in 1999, before I had read the book, learned the rules, and become swept up in the fervor that was Fight Club, I was blissfully unaware of what lay before me.  At the time, I was living in an apartment with 3 other guys, all of which lifted weights, and were at least partially if not completely into the pathos of the film.  All of us were in our twenties, none of us were in solid relationships and each of us was steeped in the malaise of the 90’s.  Everything about Fight Club not only seemed fresh, it was fresh.  Released the same year as the other major 1999 film with a genre defining plot twist, The Sixth Sense, I had no clue as to where Chuck Palahniuk’s tale of hard-won maturity was taking me.

Whether or not you like the film, Fight Club grabs away your attention, and doesn’t let you have it back until finished.  As the very definition of slick and flashy, but with the added bonus of subtext, the film sets forth with a social commentary unique to its place in time.  Equal parts special effects display, close examination of the modern-male condition, romance, and suspense film, Fight Club is unapologetically brazen and wonderful.

For those lucky enough to not know what it’s all about, here’s a brief rundown of the plot (don’t worry, I won’t spoil it).  The narrator, sometimes referred to as Jack (although we never actually learn his name), is stuck.  He finds himself constantly running the treadmill of the daily working-grind.  Business trips, catalog shopping, and time spent avoiding everything of substance in his life is taking its toll, and he finds himself unable to sleep.  In an attempt to turn his life right side up, Jack meets a girl (Marla), makes new friends (Tyler), and goes through the process of systematically dismantling his life in an attempt to put it back together again.  From nameless worker bee, to co-founding an underground street fighting ring, to working to bring down the system all in the name finding cure for the omnipresent male aggression that he suffers from, Jack walks a very long path to find himself in very familiar territory.

Despite its somewhat fractured method of telling it’s story, Fight Club is a fairly straightforward film.  Using a very visual, and interactive method of walking us through the narrative, we are placed directly into the character’s nerve center.  We see first hand, from Jack’s point of view, his plain, drab apartment being populated with equally plain, drab furniture.  We watch as his work-life gets drowned out by his new passion for fighting, and we feel the same panic when the boundaries of his comfort zone are reached.

Fincher utilizes the same grimy chic aesthetic that he used in Seven, and would later use in Panic Room.  Going along with the themes of the source material, everything is worn, threadbare, and ultimately falling apart.  From the house that Jack and Tyler move into on Paper St. to the tenuous relationships that hold our main character to his old life, we watch as the very fabric of his life is torn apart.  Aside from dressing the set accordingly, Fincher utilizes destructive imagery, achieved through the combination of CGI and simple practical effects.  Lighting, post-production coloration of the film, as well as on and off-screen narration provide a glimpse into the inner workings of the distressed mind of our main character.

What to say about the acting…I’ve never liked Brad Pitt better than I do in his role of Tyler Durden, and Edward Norton, coming off of his fantastic run of Primal Fear, and American History X, achieved a level in his career that he hasn’t before, or since.  Helena Bonham Carter provides the perfect foil to the Pitt/Norton duo, by playing crazy with issues in a really grounded sort of way, and numerous wonderful supporting roles are filled out by familiar faces, such as Meatloaf, Zach Grenier, Jared Leto, and a whole host of others that you’ve seen even if you don’t know their names yet.

Since my initial viewing, I’ve come to watch the film time and again on DVD, and I find that the story has changed a bit.  Coming out of the theater the first time, I felt empowered as a film student, a movie goer, and as a young man who didn’t quite know what he wanted out of life.  The macho posturing and gratuitous justification of the character’s extreme measures seemed completely justified to me.  Damn right I wanted to take something back from the world that had taken so much from me!  I too, wanted to punch my way into a happier life, have my anger and discontent work for me instead of against me, and find that dysfunctional, messed up girl who “got” me. (What!?  I said I was in my 20’s.)  Needless to say, I grew up.  My selfish view of the world changed, and I stopped being so focused on my own problems.  As I grew, and watched the film again, I realized there was a satirical bent to the film that I didn’t see when I was steeped in selfishness.  Now that I had a changed view of the world, and myself in it, I could understand the fact that the film wasn’t preaching anarchy, or violence.  Instead it was illustrating the nature of youth, and the power of experience, and acceptance as a means of learning and growing out of it.

Fight Club is a near perfect film, right up there with The Royal Tenebaums, The Big Lebowski, and Children of Men.  A true 10!

(***Warning Spoilers***)

“That dude is the other dude, and then he shoots himself.” – Ashley

1001 Movies – The Complete List

1. Le Voyage Dans La Lune (AKA: A Trip to the Moon) – 1902
2. The Great Train Robbery – 1903
3. Birth of a Nation – 1915
4. Les Vampires – 1915
5. Intolerance – 1916
6. Das Kabinett Des Doktor Caligari (AKA: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) – 1919
7. Broken Blossoms – 1919
8. Way Down East – 1920
9. Within Our Gates – 1920
10. Korkarlen (The Phantom Carriage) – 1921
11. Orphans of the Storm – 1921
12. La Souriante Madame Beudet (AKA: The Smiling Madame Beudet) – 1922
13. Dr. Mabuse, Der Spieler (AKA: Dr. Mabuse, Parts 1 and 2) – 1922
14. Nanook of the North – 1922
15. Nosferatu, Eine Symphonie Des Grauens (AKA: Nosferatu, A Symphony of Terror) – 1922
16. Haxan – 1923
17. Foolish Wives – 1923
18. Our Hospitality – 1923
19. La Roue (AKA: The Wheel) – 1923
20. The Thief of Bagdad – 1924
21. Stachka (AKA: Strike) – 1924
22. Greed – 1924
23. Sherlock, Jr. – 1924
24. Der Letzte Mann (AKA: The Last Laugh) – 1924
25. Seven Chances – 1925
26. The Phantom of the Opera – 1925
27. Bronenosets Potyomkin (AKA: The Battleship Potemkin) – 1925
28. The Gold Rush – 1925
29. The Big Paradise – 1925
30. Metropolis – 1927
31. Sunrise – 1927
32. The General – 1927
33. The Unknown – 1927
34. Oktyabr (AKA: October) – 1927
35. The Jazz Singer – 1927
36. Napoleon – 1927
37. The Kid Brother – 1927
38. The Crowd – 1928
39. The Docks of New York – 1928
40. Un Chien Andalou – 1928
41. La Passion De Jeanne D’Arc (AKA: The Passion of Joan of Arc) – 1928
42. Steamboat Bill, Jr. – 1928
43. Potomok Chingis-Khana (AKA: Storm Over Asia) – 1928
44. Blackmail – 1929
45. Chelovek S Kinoapparatom (AKA: The Man With the Movie Camera) – 1929
46. Die Buchse Der Pandora (AKA: Pandora’s Box) – 1929
47. Der Blaue Engel (AKA: The Blue Angel) – 1930
48. L’Age D’Or (AKA: The Age of Gold) – 1930
49. Zemlya (AKA: Earth) – 1930
50. Little Caesar – 1930
51. All Quiet on the Western Front – 1930
52. A Nous La Liberte (AKA: Freedom For Us) – 1931
53. Le Million (AKA: The Million) – 1931
54. Tabu – 1931
55. Dracula – 1931
56. Frankenstein – 1931
57. City Lights – 1931
58. The Public Enemy – 1931
59. M – 1931
60. La Chienne (AKA: The Bitch) – 1931
61. Vampyr (AKA: The Vampire) – 1932
62. Love Me Tonight – 1932
63. Boudu Sauve Des Eaux (AKA: Boudu Saved From Drowning) – 1932
64. I Am A Fugitive From a Chain Gang – 1932
65. Trouble in Paradise – 1932
66. Scarface: The Shame of a Nation – 1932
67. Shanghai Express – 1932
68. Freaks – 1932
69. Me and My Gal – 1932
70. Zero De Conduite (AKA: Zero for Conduct) – 1933
71. 42nd Street – 1933
72. Footlight Parade – 1933
73. Gold Diggers of 1933 – 1933
74. She Done Him Wrong – 1933
75. Duck Soup – 1933
76. Queen Christina – 1933
77. Las Hurdes (AKA: Land Without Bread) – 1933
78. King Kong – 1933
79. The Bitter Tea of General Yen – 1933
80. Sons of the Desert – 1933
81. It’s A Gift – 1934
82. Triumph Des Willens (AKA: Triumph of the Will) – 1934
83. L’Atalante – 1934
84. The Black Cat – 1934
85. Judge Priest – 1934
86. It Happened One Night – 1934
87. The Thin Man – 1934
88. Captain Blood – 1935
89. Mutiny on the Bounty – 1935
90. A Night at the Opera – 1935
91. The 39 Steps – 1935
92. Bride of Frankenstein – 1935
93. Top Hat – 1935
94. Une Partie De Campagne (AKA: A Day in the Country) – 1936
95. Modern Times – 1936
96. Swing Time – 1936
97. My Man Godfrey – 1936
98. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town – 1936
99. Camille – 1936
100. Sabotage – 1936
101. Dodsworth – 1936
102. Things to Come – 1936
103. Le Roman D’Un Tricheur (AKA: The Story of a Cheat) – 1936
104. Captains Courageous – 1937
105. Ye Ban Ge Sheng (AKA: Midnight Song) – 1937
106. La Grande Illusion (AKA: Grand Illusion) – 1937
107. Stella Dallas – 1937
108. The Life of Emile Zola – 1937
109. Make Way for Tomorrow – 1937
110. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves – 1937
111. The Awful Truth – 1937
112. Pepe Le Moko – 1937
113. Jezebel – 1938
114. The Adventures of Robin Hood – 1938
115. Angels With Dirty Faces – 1938
116. Olympia (Parts 1 & 2: Festival of the Nations and Festival of Beauty) – 1938
117. La Femme Du Boulanger (AKA: The Baker’s Wife) – 1938
118. Bringing Up Baby – 1938
119. Stagecoach – 1939
120. Zangiku Monogatari (AKA: The Story of the Late Chrysanthemums) – 1939
121. Babes in Arms – 1939
122. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington – 1939
123. The Wizard of Oz – 1939
124. Destry Rides Again – 1939
125. Only Angels Have Wings – 1939
126. Gone With the Wind – 1939
127. Le Jour Se Leve (AKA: Daybreak) – 1939
128. Gunga Din – 1939
129. Ninotchka – 1939
130. La Regle Du Jeu (AKA: Rules of the Game) – 1939
131. Wuthering Heights – 1939
132. His Girl Friday – 1940
133. Rebecca – 1940
134. Fantasia – 1940
135. The Philadelphia Story – 1940
136. The Grapes of Wrath – 1940
137. Dance, Girl, Dance – 1940
138. Pinocchio – 1940
139. The Mortal Storm – 1940
140. The Bank Dick – 1940
141. Citizen Kane – 1941
142. The Lady Eve – 1941
143. The Wolf Man – 1941
144. The Maltese Falcon – 1941
145. Sergeant York – 1941
146. Dumbo – 1941
147. High Sierra – 1941
148. Sullivan’s Travels – 1941
149. How Green Was My Valley – 1941
150. The Palm Beach Story – 1942
151. Now, Voyager – 1942
152. Casablanca – 1942
153. To Be or Not To Be – 1942
154. Cat People – 1942
155. The Magnificent Ambersons – 1942
156. Yankee Doodle Dandy – 1942
157. Meshes of the Afternoon – 1943
158. Fires Were Started – 1943
159. The Man in Grey – 1943
160. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp – 1943
161. I Walked With A Zombie – 1943
162. The Seventh Victim – 1943
163. The Ox-Bow Incident – 1943
164. Shadow of a Doubt – 1943
165. Obssessione – 1943
166. Meet Me In St. Louis – 1944
167. To Have and Have Not – 1944
168. Laura – 1944
169. Gaslight – 1944
170. Henry V – 1944
171. Ivan the Terrible, Parts One and Two (AKA: Ivan Groznyj I i II) – 1944
172. Double Indemnity – 1944
173. Murder, My Sweet (Farewell My Lovely) – 1944
174. The Battle of San Pietro – 1945
175. Spellbound – 1945
176. Mildred Pierce – 1945
177. Les Enfants Du Paradis (AKA: The Children of Paradise) – 1945
178. Roma, Citta Aperta (Open City) – 1945
179. The Lost Weekend – 1945
180. Detour – 1945
181. I Know Where I’m Going! – 1945
182. The Best Years of Our Lives – 1946
183. Brief Encounter – 1946
184. Paisa (AKA: Paisan) – 1946
185. The Postman Always Rings Twice – 1946
186. My Darling Clementine – 1946
187. The Stranger – 1946
188. La Belle Et La Bete (AKA: Beauty and the Beast) – 1946
189. The Big Sleep – 1946
190. The Killers – 1946
191. A Matter of Life and Death – 1946
192. Great Expectations – 1946
193. Notorious – 1946
194. Black Narcissus – 1946
195. It’s A Wonderful Life – 1946
196. Gilda – 1946
197. Monsieur Verdoux – 1947
198. Out of the Past – 1947
199. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir – 1947
200. Odd Man Out – 1947
201. Ladri Di Biciclette (AKA: The Bicycle Thief) – 1948
202. Letter From an Unknown Woman – 1948
203. Secret Beyond the Door – 1948
204. Force of Evil – 1948
205. Xiao Cheng Zhi Chun (AKA: Spring in a Small Town) – 1948
206. Red River – 1948
207. Rope – 1948
208. The Snake Pit – 1948
209. The Lady From Shanghai – 1948
210. The Paleface – 1948
211. The Red Shoes – 1948
212. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre – 1948
213. Louisiana Story – 1948
214. The Heiress – 1949
215. Kind Hearts and Coronets – 1949
216. Gun Crazy (AKA Deadly is the Female) – 1949
217. Adam’s Rib – 1949
218. Whisky Galore! – 1949
219. White Heat – 1949
220. The Reckless Moment – 1949
221. The Third Man – 1949
222. On The Town – 1949
223. Orphee – 1949
224. The Asphalt Jungle – 1950
225. Rashomon – 1950
226. Winchester ’73 – 1950
227. Rio Grande – 1950
228. All About Eve – 1950
229. Sunset Blvd. – 1950
230. Los Olvidados (AKA: The Young and the Damned) – 1950
231. In A Lonely Place – 1950
232. The Big Carnival – 1951
233. A Streetcar Named Desire – 1951
234. Strangers On A Train – 1951
235. The Lavender Hill Mob – 1951
236. Pandora and the Flying Dutchman – 1951
237. The African Queen – 1951
238. Journal D’Un Cure De Campagne (AKA: Diary of a Country Priest) – 1951
239. An American in Paris – 1951
240. A Place in the Sun – 1951
241. The Day the Earth Stood Still – 1951
242. The Quiet Man – 1952
243. Jeux Interdits (AKA: Forbidden Games) – 1952
244. Angel Face – 1952
245. Singin’ in the Rain – 1952
246. Ikiru (AKA: To Live) – 1952
247. Europa ’51 – 1952
248. The Bad and the Beautiful – 1952
249. The Big Sky – 1952
250. High Noon – 1952
251. Umberto D – 1952
252. Le Carrosse D’Or (AKA: The Golden Coach) – 1952
253. The Bigamist – 1953
254. The Band Wagon – 1953
255. Madame De… – 1953
256. From Here to Eternity – 1953
257. Tokyo Story – 1953
258. Roman Holiday – 1953
259. Le Salaire De La Peur (AKA: Wages of Fear) – 1953
260. The Naked Spur – 1953
261. Pickup on South Street – 1953
262. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes – 1953
263. The Big Heat – 1953
264. Les Vacances De M. Hulot (M. Hulot’s Holiday) – 1953
265. Viaggio In Italia (AKA: Voyage in Italy) – 1953
266. Ugetsu Monogatari (AKA: Tales of Ugetsu) – 1953
267. Shane – 1953
268. Beat the Devil – 1953
269. Johnny Guitar – 1954
270. On the Waterfront – 1954
271. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers – 1954
272. Les Diaboliques – 1954
273. Animal Farm – 1954
274. Rear Window – 1954
275. A Star is Born – 1954
276. The Barefoot Contessa – 1954
277. La Strada (AKA: The Road) – 1954
278. Shichinin No Samurai (AKA: The Seven Samurai) – 1954
279. Senso (AKA: The Wanton Countess) – 1954
280. Silver Lode – 1954
281. Carmen Jones – 1954
282. Sansho Dayu (AKA: Sansho the Baliff) – 1954
283. Salt of the Earth – 1954
284. Artists and Models – 1955
285. Guys and Dolls – 1955
286. Pather Panchali – 1955
287. Bad Day at Black Rock – 1955
288. Les Maitres Fous (AKA: The Mad Masters) – 1955
289. Hill 24 Doesn’t Answer – 1955
290. The Ladykillers – 1955
291. Marty – 1955
292. Ordet – 1955
293. Bob Le Flambeur (AKA: Bob the Gambler) – 1955
294. Kiss Me Deadly – 1955
295. The Man From Laramie – 1955
296. Rebel Without a Cause – 1955
297. The Phenix City Story – 1955
298. Sommarnattens Leende (AKA: Smiles of a Summer Night) – 1955
299. Nuit et Brouillard (AKA: Night and Fog) – 1955
300. The Night of the Hunter – 1955
301. Lola Montes (AKA: The Sins of Lola Montes) – 1955
302. Forbidden Planet – 1956
303. Biruma No Tategoto (AKA: The Burmese Harp) – 1956
304. The Searchers – 1956
305. Un Condamne A Mort S’Est Echappe Ou Le vent Souffle Ou Il Veut (AKA: A Man Escaped) – 1956
306. Written on the Wind – 1956
307. The Man Who Knew Too Much – 1956
308. Giant – 1956
309. All That Heaven Allows – 1956
310. Invasion of the Body Snatchers – 1956
311. The Wrong Man – 1956
312. Bigger Than Life – 1956
313. High Society – 1956
314. The Ten Commandments – 1956
315. 12 Angry Men – 1957
316. Det Sjunde Inseglet (AKA: The Seventh Seal) – 1957
317. An Affair to Remember – 1957
318. Smultronstallet (AKA: Wild Strawberries) – 1957
319. Le Notti Di Cabiria (AKA: The Nights of Cabiria) – 1957
320. Kumonosu Jo (AKA: Throne of Blood) – 1957
321. The Incredible Shrinking Man – 1957
322. Aparajito (AKA: The Unvanquished) – 1957
323. Gun Fight at the OK Corral – 1957
324. The Bridge on the River Kwai – 1957
325. Bharat Mata (AKA: Mother India) – 1957
326. Letjat Zhuravli (AKA: The Cranes Are Flying) – 1957
327. Paths of Glory – 1957
328. Sweet Smell of Success – 1957
329. Man of the West – 1958
330. Touch of Evil – 1958
331. Bab El Hadid (AKA: Cairo Station) – 1958
332. Gigi – 1958
333. The Defiant Ones – 1958
334. Vertigo – 1958
335. Popiol I Diament (AKA: Ashes and Diamonds) – 1958
336. Dracula – 1958
337. Mon Oncle (AKA: My Uncle) – 1958
338. Jalsaghar (AKA: The Music Room) – 1958
339. Les Quatre Cent Coups (AKA: The 400 Blows) – 1959
340. North By Northwest – 1959
341. Some Like It Hot – 1959
342. Anatomy of a Murder – 1959
343. Les Yeux Sans Visage (AKA: Eyes Without a Face) – 1959
344. Ride Lonesome – 1959
345. Orfeu Negro (AKA: Black Orpheus) – 1959
346. Shadows – 1959
347. Apur Sansar (AKA: The World of Apu) – 1959
348. A Bout De Souffle (AKA: Breathless) – 1959
349. Ben-Hur – 1959
350. Pickpocket – 1959
351. Hiroshima Mon Amour – 1959
352. Rio Bravo – 1959
353. Le Trou (AKA: The Hole) – 1959
354. Ukigusa (AKA: Floating Weeds) – 1959
355. Rocco E I Suoi Fratelli (AKA: Rocco and His Brothers) – 1960
356. La Dolce Vita – 1960
357. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning – 1960
358. Tirez sur le Pianiste (AKA: Shoot the Piano Player) – 1960
359. L’Avventura (AKA: The Adventure) – 1960
360. La Joven (AKA: The Young One) – 1960
361. Meghe Dhaka Tara (AKA: The Cloud-capped Star) – 1960
362. Hayno (AKA: The Housemaid) – 1960
363. Psycho – 1960
364. La Maschera Del Demonio (AKA: Revenge of the Vampire / Black Sunday) – 1960
365. Peeping Tom – 1960
366. The Apartment – 1960
367. Spartacus – 1960
368. Splendor in the Grass – 1961
369. L’Annee Derniere A Marienbad (AKA: Last Year at Marienbad) – 1961
370. La Jetee (AKA: The Pier) – 1961
371. One-eyed Jacks – 1961
372. Lola – 1961
373. Breakfast at Tiffany’s – 1961
374. La Notte (AKA: The Night) – 1961
375. Jules Et Jim (AKA: Jules and Jim) – 1961
376. Viridiana – 1961
377. The Ladies Man – 1961
378. Sasom I En Spegel (AKA: Through a Glass Darkly) – 1961
379. Chronique D’Un Ete (AKA: Chronicle of a Summer) – 1961
380. The Hustler – 1961
381. West Side Story – 1961
382. Mondo Cane (AKA: A Dog’s Life) – 1962
383. Cleo De 5 A 7 (AKA: Cleo from 5 to 7) – 1962
384. Dog Star Man – 1962
385. Sanma No Aji (AKA: An Autumn Afternoon) – 1962
386. L’Eclisse (AKA: The Eclipse) – 1962
387. Lawrence of Arabia – 1962
388. To Kill a Mockingbird – 1962
389. The Manchurian Candidate – 1962
390. Lolita – 1962
391. O Pagador De Promessas (AKA: Keeper of Promises) – 1962
392. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance – 1962
393. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? – 1962
394. Vivre Sa Vie: Film En Douze Tableaux (AKA: My Life to Live) – 1962
395. Heaven and Earth Magic – 1962
396. The Birds – 1963
397. The Nutty Professor – 1963
398. Blonde Cobra – 1963
399. The Cool World – 1963
400. 8 1/2 – 1963
401. Pasazerka (AKA: Passenger) – 1963
402. Le Mepris (AKA: Contempt) – 1963
403. Hud – 1963
404. Nattvardsgasterna (AKA: Winter Light) – 1963
405. Flaming Creatures – 1963
406. The Great Escape – 1963
407. Shock Corridor – 1963
408. Il Gattopardo (AKA: The Leopard) – 1963
409. Vidas Secas (AKA: Barren Lives) – 1963
410. Mediterranee – 1963
411. Khaneh Siah Ast (AKA: The House is Black) – 1963
412. The Haunting – 1963
413. Yukinojo Henge (AKA: An Actor’s Revenge) – 1963
414. The Servant – 1963
415. Goldfinger – 1963
416. Scorpio Rising – 1964
417. Les Parapluies De Cherbourg (AKA: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) – 1964
418. Marnie – 1964
419. My Fair Lady – 1964
420. Suna No Onna (AKA: Woman in the Dunes) – 1964
421. Dr. Strangelove (or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb) – 1964
422. A Hard Day’s Night – 1964
423. Il Deserto Rosso (AKA: The Red Desert) – 1964
424. Tini Zabutykh Predkiv (AKA: Shadows of Forgotton Ancestors) – 1964
425. The Masque of the Red Death – 1964
426. Prima Della Rivoluzione (AKA: Before the Revolution) – 1964
427. Gertrud – 1964
428. Il Vangelo Secondo Matteo (AKA: The Gospel According to St. Matthew) – 1964
429. Deus E O Diabo Na Terra Do Sol (AKA: Black God, White Devil) – 1964
430. Onibaba (AKA: The Demon) – 1964
431. Vinyl – 1965
432. Obchod Na Korze (AKA: The Shop on Main Street) – 1965
433. Doctor Zhivago – 1965
434. The War Game – 1965
435. Tokyo Orimpikku (AKA: Tokyo Olympiad) – 1965
436. La Battaglia Di Algeri (AKA: The Battle of Algiers) – 1965
437. The Sound of Music – 1965
438. Rekopis Znaleziony W Saragossie (AKA: The Saragossa Manuscript) – 1965
439. Alphaville, Une Etrange Aventure De Lemmy Caution (AKA: Alphaville) – 1965
440. Chimes at Midnight (AKA: Campanadas A Medianoche) – 1965
441. Repulsion – 1965
442. Juliet of the Spirits (AKA: Giulietta Degli Spiriti) – 1965
443. Pierrot Le Fou (AKA: Pierrot Goes Wild) – 1965
444. Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! – 1965
445. Subarnarekha (AKA: Golden River) – 1965
446. De Man Die Zijn Haar Kort Liet Knippen (AKA: The Man Who Had His Hair Cut Short) – 1965
447. Hold Me While I’m Naked – 1966
448. Blowup – 1966
449. Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo (AKA: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly) – 1966
450. Sedmikrazky (AKA: Daisies) – 1966
451. Da Zui Xia (AKA: Come Drink With Me) – 1966
452. Seconds – 1966
453. In the Heat of the Night – 1966
454. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – 1966
455. Persona – 1966
456. Masculin, Feminin (AKA: Masculine-Feminine) – 1966
457. Au Hasard Balthazar (AKA: Balthazar) – 1966
458. 2 Ou 3 Choses Que Je Sais D’Elle (AKA: Two or Three Things I Know About Her) – 1967
459. The Graduate – 1967
460. Playtime – 1967
461. Report – 1967
462. Hombre – 1967
463. Belle De Jour – 1967
464. Les Demoiselles De Rochefort (AKA: The Young Girls of Rochefort) – 1967
465. Week End – 1967
466. Le Samourai (AKA: The Godson) – 1967
467. Cool Hand Luke – 1967
468. Point Blank – 1967
469. Wavelength – 1967
470. Bonnie and Clyde – 1967
471. Csillagosok, Katonak (AKA: The Red and The White) – 1967
472. Marketa Lazarova – 1967
473. The Jungle Book – 1967
474. Hori, Ma Panenko (AKA: The Fireman’s Ball) – 1967
475. Terra Em Transe (AKA: Earth Entranced) – 1967
476. Ostre Sledovane Vlaky (AKA: Closely Watched Trains) – 1967
477. Vij – 1967
478. Gaav (AKA: The Cow) – 1968
479. C’Era Una Volta Il West (AKA: Once Upon a Time In the West) – 1968
480. Planet of the Apes – 1968
481. Faces – 1968
482. Rosemary’s Baby – 1968
483. If… – 1968
484. Memorias Del Subdesarrollo (AKA: Memories of Underdevelopment) – 1968
485. The Producers – 1968
486. David Holzman’s Diary – 1968
487. Skammen (AKA: Shame) – 1968
488. 2001: A Space Odyssey – 1968
489. Vargtimmen (AKA: Hour of the Wolf) – 1968
490. Targets – 1968
491. Night of the Living Dead – 1968
492. Ma Nuit Chez Maud (AKA: My Night With Maud) – 1969
493. Lucia – 1969
494. Hsia Nu (AKA: A Touch of Zen) – 1969
495. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – 1969
496. Midnight Cowboy – 1969
497. Satyricon – 1969
498. Z – 1969
499. Il Conformista (AKA: The Conformist) – 1969
500. Easy Rider – 1969
501. High School – 1969
502. In the Year of the Pig – 1969
503. The Wild Bunch – 1969
504. Andrei Rublyov – 1969
505. Le Boucher (AKA: The Butcher) – 1969
506. Sayat Nova (AKA: The Color of Pomegranates) – 1969
507. Kes – 1969
508. Tristana – 1970
509. Five Easy Pieces – 1970
510. El Topo – 1970
511. Woodstock – 1970
512. Deep End – 1970
513. La Strategia Del Ragno (AKA: The Spider’s Stratagem) – 1970
514. Little Big Man – 1970
515. Ucho (AKA: The Ear) – 1970
516. Patton – 1970
517. M*A*S*H – 1970
518. Performance – 1970
519. Gimmie Shelter – 1970
520. Zabriskie Point – 1970
521. L’Uccello Dalle Piume Di Cristallo (AKA: The Bird With the Crystal Plumage) – 1970
522. Il Giardino Dei Finzi-Contini (AKA: The Garden of the Finzi-Continis) – 1970
523. Wanda – 1971
524. W.R.: Misterije Organizma (AKA: W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism) – 1971
525. A Clockwork Orange – 1971
526. Le Chagrin Et La Pitie (AKA: The Sorrow and the Pity) – 1971
527. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – 1971
528. McCabe and Mrs. Miller – 1971
529. Walkabout – 1971
530. Klute – 1971
531. Harold and Maude – 1971
532. Meg Ker A Nep (AKA: Red Psalm) – 1971
533. Get Carter – 1971
534. The French Connection – 1971
535. Shaft – 1971
536. Dirty Harry – 1971
537. Le Souffle Au Coeur (AKA: Murmur of the Heart) – 1971
538. Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song – 1971
539. The Last Picture Show – 1971
540. Straw Dogs – 1971
541. Two-Lane Blacktop – 1971
542. The Heartbreak Kid – 1972
543. Aguirre, Der Zorn Gottes (AKA: Aguirre, The Wrath of God) – 1972
544. Cabaret – 1972
545. Ultimo Tango A Parigi (AKA: Last Tango in Paris) – 1972
546. High Plains Drifter – 1972
547. Sleuth – 1972
548. Deliverance – 1972
549. Solyaris (AKA: Solaris) – 1972
550. The Godfather – 1972
551. Viskingar Och Rop (AKA: Cries and Whispers) – 1972
552. Fat City – 1972
553. Le Charme Discret De La Bourgeoisie (AKA: The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie) – 1972
554. Die Bitteren Tranen Der Petra Von Kant (AKA: The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant) – 1972
555. Frenzy – 1972
556. Pink Flamingos – 1972
557. Super Fly – 1972
558. The Sting – 1973
559. La Maman Et La Putain (AKA: The Mother and the Whore) – 1973
560. Badlands – 1973
561. American Graffiti – 1973
562. Papillon – 1973
563. Enter the Dragon – 1973
564. Mean Streets – 1973
565. The Long Goodbye – 1973
566. The Wicker Man – 1973
567. La Nuit Americaine (AKA: Day for Night) – 1973
568. Don’t Look Now – 1973
569. Sleeper – 1973
570. Serpico – 1973
571. The Exorcist – 1973
572. Turks Fruit (AKA: Turkish Delight) – 1973
573. El Espiritu De La Colmena (AKA: The Spirit of the Beehive) – 1973
574. La Planete Sauvage (AKA: Fantastic Planet) – 1973
575. Amarcord – 1973
576. The Harder They Come – 1973
577. Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid – 1973
578. Dersu Uzala – 1974
579. The Conversation – 1974
580. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre – 1974
581. Zerkalo (AKA: The Mirror) – 1974
582. A Woman Under the Influence
583. Young Frankenstein – 1974
584. Chinatown – 1974
585. Celine Et Julie Vont En Bateau (AKA: Celine and Julie Go Boating) – 1974
586. Blazing Saddles – 1974
587. The Godfather: Part 2 – 1974
588. Angst Essen Seele Auf (AKA: Ali: Fear Eats the Soul) – 1974
589. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia – 1974
590. Dog Day Afternoon – 1975
591. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – 1975
592. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai Du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles – 1975
593. Rocky Horror Picture Show – 1975
594. Deewaar (AKA: The Wall) – 1975
595. Monty Python and the Holy Grail – 1975
596. Barry Lyndon – 1975
597. Faustrecht Der Freiheit (AKA: Fox and His Friends) – 1975
598. India Song – 1975
599. Picnic at Hanging Rock – 1975
600. Maynila: Sa Mga Kuko Ng Liwanag (AKA: Manila in the Claws of Brightness) – 1975
601. Salo O Le Centoventi Giornate Di Sodoma (AKA: Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom) – 1974
602. Nashville – 1975
603. Cria Cuervos (AKA: Cria!) – 1975
604. O Thiassos (AKA: The Travelling Players) – 1975
605. Jaws – 1975
606. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie – 1976
607. Carrie – 1976
608. The Outlaw Josie Wales – 1976
609. All the President’s Men – 1976
610. Rocky – 1976
611. Taxi Driver – 1976
612. Network – 1976
613. Voskhozhdenie (AKA: Ascent) – 1976
614. Ai No Corrida (AKA: In the Realm of the Senses) – 1976
615. Novocento (AKA: 1900) – 1976
616. The Man Who Fell to Earth – 1976
617. Star Wars – 1977
618. Close Encounters of the Third Kind – 1977
619. The Last Wave – 1977
620. Annie Hall – 1977
621. Last Chants for a Slow Dance – 1977
622. Stroszek – 1977
623. Czlowiek Z Marmuru (AKA: Man of Marble) – 1977
624. Saturday Night Fever – 1977
625. Killer of Sheep – 1977
626. Eraserhead – 1977
627. Ceddo – 1977
628. Der Amerikanische Freund (AKA: The American Friend) – 1977
629. The Hills Have Eyes – 1977
630. Soldaat Van Oranje (AKA: Soldier of Orange) – 1977
631. Suspiria – 1977
632. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith – 1978
633. Wu Du (AKA: Five Deadly Venoms) – 1978
634. L’Arbero Degli Zoccoli (AKA: The Tree of Wooden Clogs) – 1978
635. The Deer Hunter – 1978
636. Grease – 1978
637. Days of Heaven – 1978
638. Dawn of the Dead – 1978
639. Shao Lin San Shih Liu Fang (AKA: Shaolin Master Killer) – 1978
640. Up in Smoke – 1978
641. Halloween – 1978
642. Die Ehe Der Maria Braun (AKA: The Marriage of Maria Braun) – 1979
643. Real Life – 1979
644. My Brilliant Career – 1979
645. Stalker – 1979
646. Alien – 1979
647. Breaking Away – 1979
648. Die Blechtrommel (AKA: The Tin Drum) – 1979
649. All That Jazz – 1979
650. Being There – 1979
651. Kramer Vs. Kramer – 1979
652. Life of Brian – 1979
653. Apocalypse Now – 1979
654. The Jerk – 1979
655. The Muppet Movie – 1979
656. Manhattan – 1979
657. Mad Max – 1979
658. Nosferatu: Phantom Der Nacht (AKA: Nosferatu: Phantom of the Night) – 1979
659. Ordinary People – 1980
660. Atlantic City – 1980
661. Le Dernier Metro (AKA: The Last Metro) – 1980
662. The Shining – 1980
663. Star Wars – The Empire Strikes Back – 1980
664. The Elephant Man – 1980
665. The Big Red One – 1980
666. Loulou – 1980
667. Airplane! – 1980
668. Raging Bull – 1980
669. Raiders of the Lost Ark – 1980
670. Das Boot (AKA: The Boat) – 1981
671. Gallipoli – 1981
672. Chariots of Fire – 1981
673. Body Heat – 1981
674. Reds – 1981
675. An American Werewolf in London – 1981
676. Tre Fratelli (AKA: Three Brothers) – 1981
677. Czlowiek Z Zelaza (AKA: Man of Iron) – 1981
678. Zu Fruh, Zu Spat (AKA: Too Early, Too Late) – 1981
679. Fast Times at Ridgemont High – 1981
680. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial – 1982
681. The Thing – 1982
682. Poltergeist – 1982
683. Blade Runner – 1982
684. The Evil Dead – 1982
685. Tootsie – 1982
686. Yol – 1982
687. Diner – 1982
688. Fitzcarraldo – 1982
689. Gandhi – 1982
690. La Notte Di San Lorenzo (AKA: The Night of the Shooting Stars) – 1982
691. De Stilte Rond Chrsitine M. (AKA: A Question of Silence) – 1982
692. Fanny Och Alexander (Fanny and Alexander) – 1982
693. A Christmas Story – 1983
694. El Norte – 1983
695. Videodrome – 1983
696. Star Wars – Return of the Jedi – 1983
697. The Big Chill – 1983
698. Sans Soleil (AKA: Sunless) – 1983
699. Le Dernier Combat (AKA: The Last Battle) – 1983
700. L’Argent (AKA: Money) – 1983
701. Utu – 1983
702. Terms of Endearment – 1983
703. De Vierde Man (AKA: The Fourth Man) – 1983
704. The King of Comedy – 1983
705. The Right Stuff – 1983
706. Koyaanisquatsi – 1983
707. Once Upon a Time in America – 1983
708. Scarface – 1983
709. Narayama Bushi-Ko (AKA: The Ballad of Narayama) – 1983
710. Amadeus – 1984
711. The Terminator – 1984
712. Paris, Texas – 1984
713. A Nightmare on Elm Street – 1984
714. This is Spinal Tap – 1984
715. Beverly Hills Cop – 1984
716. Ghost Busters – 1984
717. A Passage to India – 1984
718. Stranger Than Paradise – 1984
719. The Killing Fields – 1984
720. The Natural – 1984
721. The Breakfast Club – 1984
722. Ran – 1985
723. Idi I Smotri (AKA: Come and See) – 1985
724. La Historia Oficial (AKA: The Official Story) – 1985
725. Out of Africa – 1985
726. The Purple Rose of Cairo – 1985
727. Back to the Future – 1985
728. Tong Nien Wang Shi (AKA: The Time to Live and the Time to Die) – 1985
729. Brazil – 1985
730. Kiss of the Spider Woman – 1985
731. The Quiet Earth – 1985
732. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters – 1985
733. Prizzi’s Honor – 1985
734. Sans Toit Ni Loi (AKA: Vagabond) – 1985
735. Shoah – 1985
736. The Color Purple – 1985
737. Manhunter – 1986
738. Stand By Me – 1986
739. Blue Velvet – 1986
740. Hannah and Her Sisters – 1986
741. She’s Gotta Have It – 1986
742. Le Declin De L’Empire Americain – 1986
743. The Fly – 1986
744. Aliens – 1986
745. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – 1986
746. Down by Law – 1986
747. A Room With a View – 1986
748. Children of a Lesser God – 1986
749. Platoon – 1986
750. Caravaggio – 1986
751. Tampopo – 1986
752. Do Ma Daan (AKA: Peking Opera Blues) – 1986
753. Salvador – 1986
754. Top Gun – 1986
755. Sherman’s March – 1986
756. Dao Ma Zei (AKA: The Horse Thief) – 1986
757. Yeelen (AKA: Brightness) – 1987
758. Der Himmel Uber Berlin (AKA: Wings of Desire) – 1987
759. ‘A’ Gai Waak Juk Jaap (AKA: Project A, Part II) – 1987
760. Babbetes Gaestebud (AKA: Babette’s Feast) – 1987
761. Raising Arizona – 1987
762. Full Metal Jacket – 1987
763. Withnail and I – 1987
764. Good Morning, Vietnam – 1987
765. Au Revoir Les Enfants (AKA: Goodbye Children) – 1987
766. Broadcast News – 1987
767. Housekeeping – 1987
768. The Princess Bride – 1987
769. Moonstruck – 1987
770. The Untouchables – 1987
771. Hong Gao Liang (AKA: Red Sorghum) – 1987
772. The Dead – 1987
773. Fatal Attraction – 1987
774. Sinnui Yauman (AKA: A Chinese Ghost Story) – 1987
775. Mujeres Al Borde De Un Ataque De Nervios (AKA: Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) – 1988
776. Spoorloos (AKA: The Vanishing) – 1988
777. Bull Durham – 1988
778. Ariel – 1988
779. The Thin Blue Line – 1988
780. Akria – 1988
781. Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (AKA: Cinema Paradiso) – 1988
782. Hotel Terminus: Klaus Barbie Et Son Temps (AKA: Hotel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie) – 1988
783. A Fish Called Wanda – 1988
784. The Naked Gun – 1988
785. Big – 1988
786. Dangerous Liaisons – 1988
787. Hotaru No Haka (AKA: Grave of the Fireflies) – 1988
788. Topio Stin Omichli (AKA: Landscape in the Mist) – 1988
789. Dekalog, Jeden (AKA: The Decalogue) – 1988
790. Die Hard – 1988
791. Une Histoire De Vent (AKA: A Tale of the Wind) – 1988
792. Who Framed Roger Rabbit – 1988
793. Rain Man – 1988
794. Un Affair De Femmes (AKA: The Story of Women) – 1988
795. Drowning By Numbers – 1988
796. Neco Z Alenky (AKA: Alice) – 1988
797. Batman – 1989
798. When Harry Met Sally – 1989
799. Crimes and Misdemeanors – 1989
800. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover – 1989
801. Drugstore Cowboy – 1989
802. My Left Foot – 1989
803. Die Xue Shuang Xiong (AKA: The Killer) – 1989
804. Do the Right Thing – 1989
805. Roger & Me – 1989
806. Glory – 1989
807. Astenicheskij Sindrom (AKA: The Asthenic Syndrome) – 1989
808. Sex, Lies, and Videotape – 1989
809. Say Anything – 1989
810. The Unbelievable Truth – 1989
811. Beiqing Chengshi (AKA: A City of Sadness) – 1989
812. S’En Fout La Mort (AKA: No Fear, No Die) – 1990
813. Reversal of Fortune – 1990
814. Goodfellas – 1990
815. Jacob’s Ladder – 1990
816. King of new York – 1990
817. Dances With Wolves – 1990
818. Hitlerjunge Salomon (AKA: Europa Europa) – 1990
819. Pretty Woman – 1990
820. Archangel – 1990
821. Trust – 1990
822. Nema-Ye Nazdik (AKA: Close-up) – 1990
823. Edward Scissorhands – 1990
824. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer – 1990
825. Total Recall – 1990
826. Wong Fei-Hung (AKA: Once Upon a Time In China) – 1991
827. Boyz ‘N The Hood – 1991
828. Da Hong Deng Long Gao Gao Gua (AKA: Raise the Red Lantern) – 1991
829. Delicatessen – 1991
830. Guling Jie Shaonian Sha Ren Shijian (AKA: A Brighter Summer Day) – 1991
831. Naked Lunch – 1991
832. La Belle Noiseuse (AKA: The Beautiful Troublemaker) – 1991
833. The Rapture – 1991
834. My Own Private Idaho – 1991
835. Thelma & Louise – 1991
836. Terminator 2: Judgment Day – 1991
837. The Silence of the Lambs – 1991
838. JFK – 1991
839. Slacker – 1991
840. Tongues Untied – 1991
841. Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse – 1991
842. La Double Vie De Veronique (AKA: The Double Life of Veronique) – 1991
843. Strictly Ballroom – 1992
844. The Player – 1992
845. Reservoir Dogs – 1992
846. Romper Stomper – 1992
847. Glengarry Glen Ross – 1992
848. Unforgiven – 1992
849. Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer – 1992
850. Conte D’Hiver (AKA: A Tale of Winter) – 1992
851. Yuen Ling-Yuk (AKA: The Actress) – 1992
852. C’Est Arrive Pres De Chez Vous (AKA: Man Bites Dog) – 1992
853. The Crying Game – 1992
854. Ba Wang Bie Ji (AKA: Farewell My Concubine) – 1993
855. Groundhog Day – 1993
856. Thirty Two Short Films About Glen Gould – 1993
857. Short Cuts – 1993
858. Philadelphia – 1993
859. Hsimeng Jensheng (AKA: The Puppetmaster) – 1993
860. Jurassic Park – 1993
861. Trois Couleurs: Bleu (AKA: Three Colors: Blue) – 1933
862. The Piano – 1993
863. Lan Feng Zheng (AKA: The Blue Kite) – 1993
864. Hsi Yen (AKA: The Wedding Banquet) – 1993
865. Schindler’s List – 1993
866. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert – 1994
867. Trois Couleurs: Rouge (AKA: Three Colors: Red) – 1994
868. Hoop Dreams – 1994
869. Forrest Gump – 1994
870. The Lion King – 1994
871. Clerks – 1994
872. Four Weddings and a Funeral – 1994
873. Natural Born Killers – 1994
874. The Last Seduction – 1994
875. Pulp Fiction – 1994
876. The Shawshank Redemption – 1994
877. Les Roseaux Sauvages (AKA: The Wild Reeds) – 1994
878. Chong Qing Sen Lin (AKA: Chungking Express) – 1994
879. Crumb – 1994
880. Satantango – 1994
881. Zire Darakhatan Zeyton (AKA: Through the Olive Trees) – 1994
882. Heavenly Creatures – 1994
883. Caro Diario (AKA: Dear Diary) – 1994
884. Muriel’s Wedding – 1994
885. Riget (AKA: The Kingdom) – 1994
886. Babe – 1994
887. Deseret – 1995
888. Braveheart – 1995
889. Safe – 1995
890. Toy Story – 1995
891. Casino – 1995
892. Heat – 1995
893. Kjaerlighetens Kjotere (AKA: Zero Kelvin) – 1995
894. Clueless – 1995
895. Smoke – 1995
896. Badkonake Sefid (AKA: The White Balloon) – 1995
897. Se7en – 1995
898. Underground – 1995
899. Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (AKA: The Brave Heart Will Take the Bride) – 1995
900. Xich Lo (AKA: Cyclo) – 1995
901. The Usual Suspects – 1995
902. Dead Man – 1995
903. Fargo – 1996
904. Trois Vies & Une Seule Mort (AKA: Three Lives and Only One Death) – 1996
905. Shine – 1996
906. Breaking the Waves – 1996
907. Independence Day – 1996
908. Secrets and Lies – 1996
909. Gabbeh – 1996
910. Lone Star – 1996
911. Trainspotting – 1996
912. Scream – 1996
913. The English Patient – 1996
914. Cheun Gwong Tsa Sit (AKA: Happy Together) – 1997
915. Mononoke Hime (AKA: Princess Mononoke) – 1997
916. L.A. Confidential – 1997
917. The Butcher Boy – 1997
918. The Ice Storm – 1997
919. Boogie Nights – 1997
920. Deconstructing Harry – 1997
921. The Sweet Hereafter – 1997
922. Funny Games – 1997
923. Ta’M E Guilass (AKA: Taste of Cherry) – 1997
924. Abre Los Ojos (AKA: Open Your Eyes) – 1997
925. Mat I Syn (AKA: Mother and Son) – 1997
926. Titanic – 1997
927. Tetsuo – 1998
928. Festen (AKA: The Celebration) – 1998
929. Saving Private Ryan – 1998
930. Buffalo 66 – 1998
931. Rushmore – 1998
932. Lola Rennt (AKA: Run Lola Run) – 1998
933. Idioterne (AKA: The Idiots) – 1998
934. Pi – 1998
935. Happiness – 1998
936. The Thin Red Line – 1998
937. There’s Something About Mary – 1998
938. Sombre – 1998
939. Ring – 1998
940. Gohatto (AKA: Taboo) – 1998
941. Magnolia – 1999
942. Beau Travail – 1999
943. The Blair Witch Project – 1999
944. Three Kings – 1999
945. Rosetta – 1999
946. Todo Sobre Mi Madre (AKA: All About My Mother) – 1999
947. Le Temps Retrouve (AKA: Time Regained) – 1999
948. Fight Club – 1999
949. Being John Malkovich – 1999
950. American Beauty – 1999
951. Bad Ma Ra Khahad Bord (AKA: The Wind Will Carry Us) – 1999
952. The Matrix – 1999
953. The Sixth Sense – 1999
954. Les Glaneurs Et La Glaneuse (AKA: The Gleaners and I) – 1999
955. Nueve Reinas (AKA: Nine Queens) – 2000
956. La Captive (AKA: The Captive) – 2000
957. Dut Yeung Nin Wa (AKA: In the Mood for Love) – 2000
958. Ali Zaoua, Prince De La Rue (AKA: Ali Zaoua, Prince of the Streets) – 2000
959. Gladiator – 2000
960. Kippur – 2000
961. Yi Yi (AKA: A One and A Two) – 2000
962. Requiem for a Dream – 2000
963. Amores Perros – 2000
964. Meet the Parents – 2000
965. Signs & Wonders – 2000
966. Wo Hu Cang Long (AKA: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) – 2000
967. Traffic – 2000
968. Dancer in the Dark – 2000
969. Memento – 2000
970. Safar E Ghandehar (AKA: Kandahar) – 2001
971. Ni Neibian Jidian (AKA: What Time is it There?) – 2001
972. Y Tu Mama Tambien (AKA: And Your Mother Too) – 2001
973. Le Fabuleux Destin D’Amelie Poulain (AKA: Amelie) – 2001
974. Sen To Chihiro No Kamikakushi (AKA: Spirited Away) – 2001
975. La Pianiste (AKA: The Piano Teacher) – 2001
976. La Stanza Del Figlio (AKA: The Son’s Room) – 2001
977. No Man’s Land – 2001
978. Moulin Rouge! – 2001
979. Monsoon Wedding – 2001
980. Lantana – 2001
981. A Ma Soeur (AKA: Fat Girl) – 2001
982. Mulholland Dr. – 2001
983. The Royal Tenenbaums – 2001
984. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – 2001
985. The Pianist – 2002
986. Gangs of New York – 2002
987. Cidade De Deus (AKA: City of God) – 2002
988. Hero (AKA: Ying Xiong) – 2002
989. Habla Con Ella -(Talk to Her) – 2002
990. Russkij Kovcheg (AKA: Russian Ark) – 2002
991. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – 2002
992. Les Invasions Barbares (AKA: The Barbarian Invasions) – 2003
993. Oldboy – 2003
994. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 – 2003
995. Good Bye Lenin! – 2003
996. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – 2003
997. Fahrenheit 9/11 – 2004
998. The Passion of the Christ – 2004
999. Collateral – 2004
1000. The Aviator – 2004
1001. Million Dollar Baby – 2004