When you think about great movies, what do you think of? Do you think of the classics, or the guilty pleasures? Do you think of your childhood, or your adulthood? Do you want movies that make you think, or movies that make you cry? Do you want an epic film that you watch once or twice, or do you want something you will watch 100 times? It's questions like these that make it virtually impossible to create an unanimous opinion on what the greatest movies of all-time are. So when you read the list below, understand that it is MY list, and not THE list.
What kinds of movies do I like? Generally speaking, I like action, comedy, thrillers, mob movies and sci-fi. Not really hardcore sci-fi, I guess you could call it popular sci-fi. I like sports movies like anyone else, but unlike most people I hold them to higher standards, and frankly most sports movies just aren't that good. I'll watch almost anything once, but I have never acquired the taste for the horror or foreign film genres, and romance and drama aren't really prevalent in my collection, though they are certainly there.
Below is the list of my favorite 100 movies of all-time, with comments for each. I would say that the Top 15-20 on this list would be very tough to crack in the future, but I never say never. 21-100 is actually kind of fluid, and I've already rearranged it a few times. In addition, it's safe to say I've forgotten a few movies here, most likely because I do not own them, and had a harder time remembering them. There are also some movies, like "300", which I want to see and anticipate cracking this list but as of yet have not seen. Without further adieu, here we go, in reverse order:
100. Sin City - A graphic novel brought to life, this makes the list for all it does right, but much of the story is anti-climactic and tied together poorly. But anything with Jessica Alba dancing on a table gets bonus points.
99. The Boondock Saints - Note - Movies taking place in Boston or involving people from Boston get a big boost, and this one certainly qualifies. Big-time cult movie that isn't high on acting, but has a great story.
98. Aladdin - My Arab nature comes through. I've seen this movie roughly 100 times.
97. Blues Brothers - I too was once on a mission from God. Mission accomplished!
96. Knocked Up - This one has the best chance of rising drastically on this list in the coming years. Superbad could debut very high as well, I'm excited for that one.
95. Miracle - Great performance by Kurt Russell, and so much BU Terrier pride on hand, how can you go wrong?
94. The Chronicles of Riddick - I like the first one better, but this one still kicked ass. Vin Diesel is underrated.
93. Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels - Most people will probably say Snatch is better, but this story strikes more of a chord with me.
92. Van Wilder - Write that down.
91. A Few Good Men - Tom Cruise at his finest, and the always underrated Kevin Pollak checks in for the second time.
90. Road Trip - You know, 'cause it's your dog.
89. Mystery, Alaska - Ridiculous premise, but great movie, one of the few sports movies that had the balls to let the protagonists lose the big game.
88. The Bourne Supremacy - Ultimatum was good but ultimately didn't live up to the hype. Supremacy certainly did though. This one had more action but I liked the story of Identity better.
87. Swordfish - Halle Berry sunbathing, John Travolta body doubles, Hugh Jackman playing golf in his bath towel, Don Cheadle screaming at everyone and an ex-wife turned porn star. What's not in this movie?
86. Backdraft - If you don't tear up a little when Kurt Russell dies, well then you probably don't have a soul. Sorry, that sucks for you.
85. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - Easily my least favorite of the three, and it's not close. I always thought they made Treebeard WAY too short.
84. Slap Shot - This will do it for hockey movies on the list, though you could make the case that this was really a comedy. I was just trying to capture the spirit of the thing, Reg.
83. The 40-Year Old Virgin - French toast, anyone?
82. Superman Returns - Way underrated, one of the saddest moments of 2006 was watching everyone flock to the Pirates sequel and ignore Superman Returns.
81. Star Wars Episode III: Return of the Sith - It was awesome, and it's not fair to George Lucas that everyone had their own idea of how it should end. Realistically, he did very well, but in the end I think some of the pieces didn't fit, and it didn't end the way I imagined it would. This one could be ranked too low though.
80. The Silence of the Lambs - Quid pro quo, Clarice. They really have bastardized this classic by turning it into a series.
79. Con Air - Great popcorn movie, and a truly incredible cast, including a "just-before-his-big-break" appearance by Dave Chappelle.
78. Ocean's Eleven (new) - Unless we're in Reno, we're in Barney.
77. Indiana Jones: The Temple of Doom - Kali-maaaaaaaaa!! Shorty!
76. Lethal Weapon IV - Why can't we be friends? It's fried rice, you plick!
75. 48 Hours - Eddie Murphy's first movie was an instant classic.
74. The Girl Next Door - Elisha Cuthbert melts the screen in this "redemption of a loser" tale. The juice was definitely worth the squeeze.
73. Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle - Ever hang glide to a White Castle? Ya, me either, but I wanted to after watching this movie.
72. Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade - We named the dog Indiana!
71. XXX - No, not some weird porno. The spy flick with Vin Diesel, Samuel L. and Asia Argento. File under Pleasures, Guilty.
70. Mean Girls - My girl Lindsay might smell like coke, but her sexy Santa dance with Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert and Amanda Seyfried is SO fetch.
69. Die Hard with a Vengeance - Do I believe 1/8 of the stuff that happens in this movie could really happen in real life? Hell no. That doesn't mean I don't love this movie. Is your brother an a***ole?
68. Saving Silverman - Why would that happen, in a world? I only know the Navy Seals signals! Is it possible for this movie to be more underrated?
67. Spider-Man 2 - Another great sequel that some get carried away with and say was better than the first one. Sorry, no. Still a very good movie though!
66. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines - Now here was a series that ended well. Even without James Cameron at the helm, this one didn't disappoint.
65. Back to the Future, Part 2 - I said I wish I could go back to the beginning of the season, and put some money on the Cubbies!
64. Rounders - The movie that started the poker revolution, and Damon and Norton are a dynamite duo. Oh yeah, and there's that Malkovich guy, and his Oreos.
63. Rocky II - Follow up to a classic was just as good. Hard to choose which sequel I liked better between II, III and IV (and the well done Rocky Balboa), but ultimately III and IV are a little too gimmicky.
62. Rocky - You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow.
61. Family Guy Presents: Stewie Griffin, The Untold Story - You know, feel free to say no to this, but...would you shave my coin purse?
60. Chronicles of Riddick: Pitch Black - The first one in the series of three, if you count the animated middle movie. Which I obviously do.
59. Bad Boys - The perfect buddy cop movie? Maybe, maybe not, but it certainly gets into the argument. Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?
58. Wedding Crashers - This one probably seems a little low given the nature of my list, but I just didn't like it as much as everyone else did. But it's still awesome, you old sailor you!
57. Lethal Weapon II - My favorite of the four Lethal Weapons. Diplomatic immunity!
56. Running Scared (old) - The most underrated movie of all-time? It could be - Billy Crystal, Gregory Hines, Dan Hedaya, Joe Pantoliano, Jimmy Smits. Good times. I stumbled onto this one on TNT once, and have seen it approximately 300 times since.
55. National Treasure - My wife's favorite, and one fun ride. Nic Cage rocks this movie out. Does anyone play the crotchety old man better than Jon Voight?
54. Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones - Yoda fights? Yoda fights!!!! And the clones are the Storm Troopers? Cool.
53. The Bourne Identity - Do you get the headaches? Not from watching this movie I don't!
52. Menace II Society - Most will say Boyz N Da Hood was the better flick, but not for me. I don't know about no Kansas!
51. The Departed - Mark Wahlberg may have given the finest Bostonian performance of all-time in this one. I'm the guy who does his job, you must be the other guy!
50. Back to the Future - Run for it Marty!
49. Total Recall - See you at the pahty Richter!
48. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story - I feel shocked! This one could definitely be a little low...
47. The Fugitive - One of the best thrillers of them all, it kept me guessing until the end.
46. Coming to America - Who can resist the charm of Cleo McDowell? I know I can't.
45. Billy Madison - That's quack-tastic!
44. Independence Day - Sorry Jill.
43. Beverly Hills Cop - Another Eddie classic. 'We're not gonna fall for the banana in the tail pipe?' Try to sound more masculine. 'Look man, I ain't gonna fall for no banana in my tailpipe!' Thanks for teaching me how to talk Eddie!
42. Goldeneye - My favorite Bond movie featuring one of the all-time bad guys in Sean Bean. Boys with toys!
41. The Incredibles - Knowing that even Mr. Incredible can get fat makes me feel less guilty about my own weight.
40. Stripes - The army has never been this much fun. You're a lean, mean, fighting machine!
39. i Robot - Another Will Smith sci-fi popcorn movie. And this one has the ultimate "that guy", James Cromwell, plus Bridget Moynahan in leather. Boo-yah!
38. Enemy of the State - Did somebody say Will Smith? This thriller is like a high tech version of The Fugitive, and is a scary reminder of why there needs to people watching the watchers. And that you should hide Christmas gifts from your kids very, very carefully.
37. The Program - Easily my favorite football movie. We all know that Kane is Able.
36. True Lies - Jamie Lee's striptease scene is one of the all-time greats. Good enough story, and a great cast including Tia Carrere and Eliza Dushku before she grew up and got super hot.
35. Spaceballs - One of the greatest spoof movies of all-time. Crap like Scary Movie can't hold a candle to Spaceballs.
34. The Godfather - Part II takes forever, Part III I still haven't watched, but Part I is one of the classics. Canoli's are good.
33. Happy Gilmore - It's all in the hips, hey!
32. Spider-Man - With great power comes great responsibility. And Macho Man Randy Savage!
31. Ghostbusters - Where do those stairs go? They go up.
30. Trading Places - Oh Dan Akroyd, where have you gone?
29. The Terminator - One of the rare first movies that wasn't as good as the sequel, but this movie still kicked major tail.
28. The Princess Bride - To not love it is inconceivable!
27. Live Free or Die Hard - 2007 really has been the summer of movies, has it not?
26. Top Gun - When isn't it time to bust the tower?
25. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - I don't know if you know it, but this movie is kind of a big deal.
24. Goodfellas - I can't believe Henry Hill is still alive. Ray Liotta puts down one of the all-time great performances in this one. I wish I got $100 just for keeping the ice cold. 'Cause let me tell you, I keep my ice really, really cold.
23. The Rock - Great cast, great story, great explosions. And I even used a scene from it for a presentation in AP World History during high school.
22. Transformers: The Movie - Not the cartoon version, the 2007 version. The one that took everyone's name, and kicked absolutely everyone's a$$. PRRRRRIMMMMEEEEEEE!!!!!! MEGA-TRON!!!!!!!
21. V for Vendetta - For the record, Natalie Portman is still hot with her head shaved.
20. Die Hard - This original holds up very well in my opinion. Staying in a hotel on the same block as Nakatomi Towers was one of the great thrills of my life. Is that sad? Wait, don't answer that...
19. Animal House - Hard to believe that this one wasn't green lighted until Donald Sutherland signed on to give it "star power." This movie really does have it all. Toga, toga, TOGA!
18. Casino - My friend and I weren't really old enough to see this, and were warned before going in about how bloody it was. Like we cared!
17. Terminator 2: Judgment Day - Cool, my own Terminator! Little known fact - this movie features a soon-to-be-smoking hot Nikki Cox as a kid. Also, lots of stuff blows up, and Linda Hamilton learns to trust Ahnold.
16. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Extended Version) - The last one cuts off a lot of the story, not that you could possibly fit it all in - even in the Extended Version - but it still did it justice in my opinion.
15. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended Version) - My favorite of the three because I tend to like the origination angles better, but it's a close call between these two. That Peter Jackson isn't being allowed to direct The Hobbit is a disgrace.
14. Batman Begins - This is so much better than the Michael Keaton/Jack Nicholson version it's like night and day. Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes and Michael Caine are all severely underrated.
13. Office Space - So many quotes, so little time. Almost makes you wonder why King of the Hill sucks so much. Oh wait, King of the Hill doesn't have Jennifer Aniston in her prime. Never mind.
12. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? - The first live action plus cartoon/CGI is still a masterpiece all these years later. To this day, I still get goosebumps when Roger finally reads ole Marvin Acme's will. Disappearing, re-appearing ink. Boy that Acme, what a genius!
11. Scarface - This movie has influenced everyone from the hip hop community all the way to Saddam Hussein, who actually named his money laundering outfit "Montana Management." As Kramer would say, a story like that's GOTTA BE TRUE! It's easily my favorite gangster/mob movie.
10. Major League - Followed by easily my favorite baseball/sports movie. This is the standard against how all sports movies should be judged. Underdog story? Check. Great cast? Check. Believable love story? Check. Real teams used? Check. Dramatic finish? Check. Also, the Spring Training location, Hi Corbett Field, is where the Rockies hold their Spring Training.
9. Friday - 'Cause it's Friday, you ain't got no job, and you ain't got sh** to do! Ice Cube's coming out party more as a writer than an actor, but after Friday he managed to land roles in big budget flicks Anaconda and Three Kings.
8. Gladiator - Is it possible that I could ranked this movie too low? I almost feel like it is, but there's only so many spots left!
7. Old School - In the wake of "Frat Pack" comedy that this movie spawned, I almost feel like it's now underrated. To me though, it's the best of the bunch and always will be.
6. The Simpsons Movie - Wow. I have heard some complaints (too much Homer, not enough side characters, wacky story), but they all flat to me. This movie rocked, plain and simple. Spider pig, Spider pig, does whatever a Spider pig does! I only wish it could go higher, but I'm not going to cop out and combine trilogy movies into one ranking (see below).
5. The Shawshank Redemption - One of my favorite things about this movie is that some people never like to give Stephen King credit for it. That man is a genius, and it's really too bad so many of his other books/short stories have been absolutely butchered on the big and small screen alike.
4. Braveheart - SLAVES are made in such ways! Mel Gibson gives the performance of three lifetimes (like you didn't know that).
3. Star Wars, Episode VI: Return of the Jedi - Finally, we've reached the top three. George Lucas holds exclusive province here. I can honestly say I have purchased these three movies in at least three different formats - the original edition on VHS, the Special Edition on VHS and the Special Edition on DVD. There is no doubt that when I upgrade to BluRay or HD DVD that I will buy all three again.
2. Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - Back in the days, I used to like "Jedi" more than Empire Strikes Back, but over the years several people, most notably my cousin and noted film grouch Danny, have sold me on the merits of this one over "Jedi".
1. Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope - Did I mention I like origination stories the most? You would think then, why don't I have Episode I on this list? Well, truth be told, it was originally, but it ended up getting bumped off when I remembered some other movies I really liked. But this one takes the cake, because even though it's Episode IV, the others will always feel like prequels, a feeling that was only enhanced when I thought Lucas didn't do a fantastic job tying Episode III's details to dovetail with Episode IV's.
So there it is, 100 movies. I don't know why I bothered to rank them, and like I said before, I could probably switch a lot of these around. I could also probably find another 25-50 to add to this list, but I don't really think it would be worth the effort. Heck, this might not have been worth the effort. But I did it anyways!
What kinds of movies do I like? Generally speaking, I like action, comedy, thrillers, mob movies and sci-fi. Not really hardcore sci-fi, I guess you could call it popular sci-fi. I like sports movies like anyone else, but unlike most people I hold them to higher standards, and frankly most sports movies just aren't that good. I'll watch almost anything once, but I have never acquired the taste for the horror or foreign film genres, and romance and drama aren't really prevalent in my collection, though they are certainly there.
Below is the list of my favorite 100 movies of all-time, with comments for each. I would say that the Top 15-20 on this list would be very tough to crack in the future, but I never say never. 21-100 is actually kind of fluid, and I've already rearranged it a few times. In addition, it's safe to say I've forgotten a few movies here, most likely because I do not own them, and had a harder time remembering them. There are also some movies, like "300", which I want to see and anticipate cracking this list but as of yet have not seen. Without further adieu, here we go, in reverse order:
100. Sin City - A graphic novel brought to life, this makes the list for all it does right, but much of the story is anti-climactic and tied together poorly. But anything with Jessica Alba dancing on a table gets bonus points.
99. The Boondock Saints - Note - Movies taking place in Boston or involving people from Boston get a big boost, and this one certainly qualifies. Big-time cult movie that isn't high on acting, but has a great story.
98. Aladdin - My Arab nature comes through. I've seen this movie roughly 100 times.
97. Blues Brothers - I too was once on a mission from God. Mission accomplished!
96. Knocked Up - This one has the best chance of rising drastically on this list in the coming years. Superbad could debut very high as well, I'm excited for that one.
95. Miracle - Great performance by Kurt Russell, and so much BU Terrier pride on hand, how can you go wrong?
94. The Chronicles of Riddick - I like the first one better, but this one still kicked ass. Vin Diesel is underrated.
93. Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels - Most people will probably say Snatch is better, but this story strikes more of a chord with me.
92. Van Wilder - Write that down.
91. A Few Good Men - Tom Cruise at his finest, and the always underrated Kevin Pollak checks in for the second time.
90. Road Trip - You know, 'cause it's your dog.
89. Mystery, Alaska - Ridiculous premise, but great movie, one of the few sports movies that had the balls to let the protagonists lose the big game.
88. The Bourne Supremacy - Ultimatum was good but ultimately didn't live up to the hype. Supremacy certainly did though. This one had more action but I liked the story of Identity better.
87. Swordfish - Halle Berry sunbathing, John Travolta body doubles, Hugh Jackman playing golf in his bath towel, Don Cheadle screaming at everyone and an ex-wife turned porn star. What's not in this movie?
86. Backdraft - If you don't tear up a little when Kurt Russell dies, well then you probably don't have a soul. Sorry, that sucks for you.
85. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - Easily my least favorite of the three, and it's not close. I always thought they made Treebeard WAY too short.
84. Slap Shot - This will do it for hockey movies on the list, though you could make the case that this was really a comedy. I was just trying to capture the spirit of the thing, Reg.
83. The 40-Year Old Virgin - French toast, anyone?
82. Superman Returns - Way underrated, one of the saddest moments of 2006 was watching everyone flock to the Pirates sequel and ignore Superman Returns.
81. Star Wars Episode III: Return of the Sith - It was awesome, and it's not fair to George Lucas that everyone had their own idea of how it should end. Realistically, he did very well, but in the end I think some of the pieces didn't fit, and it didn't end the way I imagined it would. This one could be ranked too low though.
80. The Silence of the Lambs - Quid pro quo, Clarice. They really have bastardized this classic by turning it into a series.
79. Con Air - Great popcorn movie, and a truly incredible cast, including a "just-before-his-big-break" appearance by Dave Chappelle.
78. Ocean's Eleven (new) - Unless we're in Reno, we're in Barney.
77. Indiana Jones: The Temple of Doom - Kali-maaaaaaaaa!! Shorty!
76. Lethal Weapon IV - Why can't we be friends? It's fried rice, you plick!
75. 48 Hours - Eddie Murphy's first movie was an instant classic.
74. The Girl Next Door - Elisha Cuthbert melts the screen in this "redemption of a loser" tale. The juice was definitely worth the squeeze.
73. Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle - Ever hang glide to a White Castle? Ya, me either, but I wanted to after watching this movie.
72. Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade - We named the dog Indiana!
71. XXX - No, not some weird porno. The spy flick with Vin Diesel, Samuel L. and Asia Argento. File under Pleasures, Guilty.
70. Mean Girls - My girl Lindsay might smell like coke, but her sexy Santa dance with Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert and Amanda Seyfried is SO fetch.
69. Die Hard with a Vengeance - Do I believe 1/8 of the stuff that happens in this movie could really happen in real life? Hell no. That doesn't mean I don't love this movie. Is your brother an a***ole?
68. Saving Silverman - Why would that happen, in a world? I only know the Navy Seals signals! Is it possible for this movie to be more underrated?
67. Spider-Man 2 - Another great sequel that some get carried away with and say was better than the first one. Sorry, no. Still a very good movie though!
66. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines - Now here was a series that ended well. Even without James Cameron at the helm, this one didn't disappoint.
65. Back to the Future, Part 2 - I said I wish I could go back to the beginning of the season, and put some money on the Cubbies!
64. Rounders - The movie that started the poker revolution, and Damon and Norton are a dynamite duo. Oh yeah, and there's that Malkovich guy, and his Oreos.
63. Rocky II - Follow up to a classic was just as good. Hard to choose which sequel I liked better between II, III and IV (and the well done Rocky Balboa), but ultimately III and IV are a little too gimmicky.
62. Rocky - You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow.
61. Family Guy Presents: Stewie Griffin, The Untold Story - You know, feel free to say no to this, but...would you shave my coin purse?
60. Chronicles of Riddick: Pitch Black - The first one in the series of three, if you count the animated middle movie. Which I obviously do.
59. Bad Boys - The perfect buddy cop movie? Maybe, maybe not, but it certainly gets into the argument. Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?
58. Wedding Crashers - This one probably seems a little low given the nature of my list, but I just didn't like it as much as everyone else did. But it's still awesome, you old sailor you!
57. Lethal Weapon II - My favorite of the four Lethal Weapons. Diplomatic immunity!
56. Running Scared (old) - The most underrated movie of all-time? It could be - Billy Crystal, Gregory Hines, Dan Hedaya, Joe Pantoliano, Jimmy Smits. Good times. I stumbled onto this one on TNT once, and have seen it approximately 300 times since.
55. National Treasure - My wife's favorite, and one fun ride. Nic Cage rocks this movie out. Does anyone play the crotchety old man better than Jon Voight?
54. Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones - Yoda fights? Yoda fights!!!! And the clones are the Storm Troopers? Cool.
53. The Bourne Identity - Do you get the headaches? Not from watching this movie I don't!
52. Menace II Society - Most will say Boyz N Da Hood was the better flick, but not for me. I don't know about no Kansas!
51. The Departed - Mark Wahlberg may have given the finest Bostonian performance of all-time in this one. I'm the guy who does his job, you must be the other guy!
50. Back to the Future - Run for it Marty!
49. Total Recall - See you at the pahty Richter!
48. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story - I feel shocked! This one could definitely be a little low...
47. The Fugitive - One of the best thrillers of them all, it kept me guessing until the end.
46. Coming to America - Who can resist the charm of Cleo McDowell? I know I can't.
45. Billy Madison - That's quack-tastic!
44. Independence Day - Sorry Jill.
43. Beverly Hills Cop - Another Eddie classic. 'We're not gonna fall for the banana in the tail pipe?' Try to sound more masculine. 'Look man, I ain't gonna fall for no banana in my tailpipe!' Thanks for teaching me how to talk Eddie!
42. Goldeneye - My favorite Bond movie featuring one of the all-time bad guys in Sean Bean. Boys with toys!
41. The Incredibles - Knowing that even Mr. Incredible can get fat makes me feel less guilty about my own weight.
40. Stripes - The army has never been this much fun. You're a lean, mean, fighting machine!
39. i Robot - Another Will Smith sci-fi popcorn movie. And this one has the ultimate "that guy", James Cromwell, plus Bridget Moynahan in leather. Boo-yah!
38. Enemy of the State - Did somebody say Will Smith? This thriller is like a high tech version of The Fugitive, and is a scary reminder of why there needs to people watching the watchers. And that you should hide Christmas gifts from your kids very, very carefully.
37. The Program - Easily my favorite football movie. We all know that Kane is Able.
36. True Lies - Jamie Lee's striptease scene is one of the all-time greats. Good enough story, and a great cast including Tia Carrere and Eliza Dushku before she grew up and got super hot.
35. Spaceballs - One of the greatest spoof movies of all-time. Crap like Scary Movie can't hold a candle to Spaceballs.
34. The Godfather - Part II takes forever, Part III I still haven't watched, but Part I is one of the classics. Canoli's are good.
33. Happy Gilmore - It's all in the hips, hey!
32. Spider-Man - With great power comes great responsibility. And Macho Man Randy Savage!
31. Ghostbusters - Where do those stairs go? They go up.
30. Trading Places - Oh Dan Akroyd, where have you gone?
29. The Terminator - One of the rare first movies that wasn't as good as the sequel, but this movie still kicked major tail.
28. The Princess Bride - To not love it is inconceivable!
27. Live Free or Die Hard - 2007 really has been the summer of movies, has it not?
26. Top Gun - When isn't it time to bust the tower?
25. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - I don't know if you know it, but this movie is kind of a big deal.
24. Goodfellas - I can't believe Henry Hill is still alive. Ray Liotta puts down one of the all-time great performances in this one. I wish I got $100 just for keeping the ice cold. 'Cause let me tell you, I keep my ice really, really cold.
23. The Rock - Great cast, great story, great explosions. And I even used a scene from it for a presentation in AP World History during high school.
22. Transformers: The Movie - Not the cartoon version, the 2007 version. The one that took everyone's name, and kicked absolutely everyone's a$$. PRRRRRIMMMMEEEEEEE!!!!!! MEGA-TRON!!!!!!!
21. V for Vendetta - For the record, Natalie Portman is still hot with her head shaved.
20. Die Hard - This original holds up very well in my opinion. Staying in a hotel on the same block as Nakatomi Towers was one of the great thrills of my life. Is that sad? Wait, don't answer that...
19. Animal House - Hard to believe that this one wasn't green lighted until Donald Sutherland signed on to give it "star power." This movie really does have it all. Toga, toga, TOGA!
18. Casino - My friend and I weren't really old enough to see this, and were warned before going in about how bloody it was. Like we cared!
17. Terminator 2: Judgment Day - Cool, my own Terminator! Little known fact - this movie features a soon-to-be-smoking hot Nikki Cox as a kid. Also, lots of stuff blows up, and Linda Hamilton learns to trust Ahnold.
16. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Extended Version) - The last one cuts off a lot of the story, not that you could possibly fit it all in - even in the Extended Version - but it still did it justice in my opinion.
15. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended Version) - My favorite of the three because I tend to like the origination angles better, but it's a close call between these two. That Peter Jackson isn't being allowed to direct The Hobbit is a disgrace.
14. Batman Begins - This is so much better than the Michael Keaton/Jack Nicholson version it's like night and day. Christian Bale, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes and Michael Caine are all severely underrated.
13. Office Space - So many quotes, so little time. Almost makes you wonder why King of the Hill sucks so much. Oh wait, King of the Hill doesn't have Jennifer Aniston in her prime. Never mind.
12. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? - The first live action plus cartoon/CGI is still a masterpiece all these years later. To this day, I still get goosebumps when Roger finally reads ole Marvin Acme's will. Disappearing, re-appearing ink. Boy that Acme, what a genius!
11. Scarface - This movie has influenced everyone from the hip hop community all the way to Saddam Hussein, who actually named his money laundering outfit "Montana Management." As Kramer would say, a story like that's GOTTA BE TRUE! It's easily my favorite gangster/mob movie.
10. Major League - Followed by easily my favorite baseball/sports movie. This is the standard against how all sports movies should be judged. Underdog story? Check. Great cast? Check. Believable love story? Check. Real teams used? Check. Dramatic finish? Check. Also, the Spring Training location, Hi Corbett Field, is where the Rockies hold their Spring Training.
9. Friday - 'Cause it's Friday, you ain't got no job, and you ain't got sh** to do! Ice Cube's coming out party more as a writer than an actor, but after Friday he managed to land roles in big budget flicks Anaconda and Three Kings.
8. Gladiator - Is it possible that I could ranked this movie too low? I almost feel like it is, but there's only so many spots left!
7. Old School - In the wake of "Frat Pack" comedy that this movie spawned, I almost feel like it's now underrated. To me though, it's the best of the bunch and always will be.
6. The Simpsons Movie - Wow. I have heard some complaints (too much Homer, not enough side characters, wacky story), but they all flat to me. This movie rocked, plain and simple. Spider pig, Spider pig, does whatever a Spider pig does! I only wish it could go higher, but I'm not going to cop out and combine trilogy movies into one ranking (see below).
5. The Shawshank Redemption - One of my favorite things about this movie is that some people never like to give Stephen King credit for it. That man is a genius, and it's really too bad so many of his other books/short stories have been absolutely butchered on the big and small screen alike.
4. Braveheart - SLAVES are made in such ways! Mel Gibson gives the performance of three lifetimes (like you didn't know that).
3. Star Wars, Episode VI: Return of the Jedi - Finally, we've reached the top three. George Lucas holds exclusive province here. I can honestly say I have purchased these three movies in at least three different formats - the original edition on VHS, the Special Edition on VHS and the Special Edition on DVD. There is no doubt that when I upgrade to BluRay or HD DVD that I will buy all three again.
2. Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - Back in the days, I used to like "Jedi" more than Empire Strikes Back, but over the years several people, most notably my cousin and noted film grouch Danny, have sold me on the merits of this one over "Jedi".
1. Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope - Did I mention I like origination stories the most? You would think then, why don't I have Episode I on this list? Well, truth be told, it was originally, but it ended up getting bumped off when I remembered some other movies I really liked. But this one takes the cake, because even though it's Episode IV, the others will always feel like prequels, a feeling that was only enhanced when I thought Lucas didn't do a fantastic job tying Episode III's details to dovetail with Episode IV's.
So there it is, 100 movies. I don't know why I bothered to rank them, and like I said before, I could probably switch a lot of these around. I could also probably find another 25-50 to add to this list, but I don't really think it would be worth the effort. Heck, this might not have been worth the effort. But I did it anyways!