Here is Part 1 of my top 100 movies of all time: #100-76.
100. GREEN BOOK (2018):
Viggo Mortensen's performance as Tony "Tonylip" Vallelonga (I kept laughing at people pronouncing his last name wrong, because it's happened to be countless times being Italian-it seriously isn't that hard. Sound it out!) is one of his best. He played a very convincing Italian overall, and portrays the working class/blue collar aspect of his character really well. Mahershala Ali is excellent as the sophisticated musical genius, Dr. Don Shirley. Ali is becoming one of the best actors in the industry, IMO! I think Mortensen stole the movie, but Ali really gives the movie it's soul. The chemistry with Mortensen and Ali is excellent! The dialogue is entertaining when it has to be, and definitely provides great commentary on the racial tensions of the time in the 1960's. I really liked watching Tony's character change throughout the movie! Mortensen maintained what made the Tony character so entertaining, but there are definite moments where you can tell this is a different Tony two months later. Shirley's lessons on etiquette and society are enthralling! Ali makes the Dr. Shirley character feel larger than life! The initial meeting between Vallelonga and Shirley is a really good scene. You see two different ways of life, as well as two unique individuals that you want to take a journey with immediately! The music is amazing! Those piano concertos are so impressive! The acting is excellent! The dialogue is great! Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali felt like real life good friends as their bond grows throughout the movie! Peter Farrelly did a fantastic job directing this! It's also great seeing Linda Cardellini as Tony's wife, Dolores. It's a powerful movie about two men from different walks of life that find a common ground and persevere through several physical and emotional obstacles! Fantastic movie!
99. CON AIR (1997):
The late 1990's was known for some big action movies with intense explosives, larger than life action heroes, and entertaining antagonists. Con Air is one of the best from that time period, and the action movie genre in general! This is such an exciting, entertaining movie that goes at a fast pace. All the convicts have unique personalities and the cast is really impressive. Nicolas Cage is one of my favorite action stars ever. He's such a great protagonist here as Cameron Poe! His Southern accent works here, and his long hair and bad ass attitude are always on display! I also love how well rounded he is as he is constantly thinking about his wife and daughter, and his reason for getting involved with the shenanigans is simply to protect his two friends on the plane, showing he's a military man that doesn't leave his friends behind, and that family is his number one priority. He's a very likable character, and Cage's charisma was perfect for the role! John Malkovich's performance as Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom is one of the most entertaining antagonist roles you'll find! He's such an intelligent individual, and his lines are some of the best of the movie! Malkovich really makes Cyrus a cerebral character that always seems to want to cause chaos no matter what the situation is. He really carries the movie in terms of acting, while Cage carries the action, although, I think Cage does well in terms of acting as well. John Cusack shines as Federal Marshall Vince Larkin. He's an entertaining law enforcement official that clashes with Colm Meaney's Duncan Malloy about how to deal with the plane. You see two very different personalities, but like Poe & Grissom. Larkin is very calm and cares about what happens to the people on board, while Malloy is always aggravated and trying to figure out extreme measures to take down the plane. Steve Buscemi gives a disturbing, yet accurate performance as Garland Greene, a Hannibal Lecter type convict that has a creepy tea party and provides great commentary for certain scenes. Buscemi worked way too well in this role! Ving Rhames & Danny Trejo also add to the cast well as Nathan Jones and Johnny 23. It's a great ensemble cast in general helmed by Cage. The action is phenomenal! The Lerner air field scenes are some of the most impressive action sequences you'll find. It also shows strategy for both Poe and Grissom. Poe is trying to stop Grissom alerting law enforcement and stalling the plane, while Grissom is trying to get on a different plane and stop law enforcement. The explosions, hand to hand combat, guns firing, and Cage's great one liners make these action sequences incredible! The finale on the Las Vegas strip is awesome! Las Vegas is one of my favorite places to visit. I've been going to Vegas with my family since 1996, and the lights and aura of the city always impress me no matter how many times I see it. Landing the plane on the strip was a cool sight! The final chase with Cage, Malkovich, and Cusack was really good! The fire truck scenario is great as they try to veer it off the road by spraying water into it. Poe is able to incapacitate him physically. While Cyrus is extremely smart, Poe's physicality gets the best of him. Through a solid protagonist and antagonist in Nicolas Cage's Cameron Poe & John Malkovich's Cyrus Grissom, incredible action sequences, an incredible action movie score that flows with the fast pace of the excitement going on, and an all around exciting, entertaining movie make this one of my all time favorites! Just remember: Put...the bunny...back in the box!
98. FACE/OFF (1997):
John Woo did an incredible job creating this psychological action thriller! Nicolas Cage and John Travolta are at their absolute best here in two of their absolute best roles ever as Castor Troy and Sean Archer. What I find really intriguing about this building is both actors get to portray both the protagonist and antagonist throughout the movie! Cage's charisma as the antagonist Castor Troy is one of the most entertaining performances ever. His signature lines are always awesome. His outfits are epic, particularly that red suit he wears in the opening plane scene. His gold guns are cool. When we're first introduced to him as he enters the LA Convention Center dressed as a priest, I think it's one of the best introductions to a character ever! You can tell he just improvised whatever he did here, and it's amazing! We're supposed to hate Castor, but he's so cool that you just can't despite all the terrible things he's done! Cage has always been great as a protagonist, and for the bulk of the movie he is, which was the right call as he handles being the hero much better. John Travolta does well as the protagonist Sean Archer grieving at what Castor has done to his family, but, man this guy is born to be an antagonist. He's so on point with everything he does when he's supposed to be Castor. His introduction in Erewhon Prison when he's officially Castor is tremendous, and his conversations with Pollox are so entertaining. Watching both of them navigate the movie in both roles shows that both guys are talented actors-definitely two favorites of mine over the years! This movie excels in it's action sequences. There's three really epic action scenes throughout the movie: the opening plane chase and hangar face/off, the shootout between Sean (in the guise of Castor) and the actual antagonists of the movie (who actually are the protagonists in the scenario) and Castor (in the guise of Sean) with the FBI (who technically count as the antagonists in this scenario), and the speedboat battle in the suits are all incredible! That opening with Cage and Travolta immediately establishes what these characters are about, and the action is fast and amazing to watch-high octane explosions and pure charismatic energy from both guys! I think one of the best shots of the movie is the mirror scene where both are about to shoot through it, and are aiming at the person they're really trying to kill in the guise of their actual antagonist. It's fantastic film work. Gina Gershon is underrated here, and likable whenever she's on screen. I love her interactions with Cage when he's actually Sean. The battle scene that evolves from that with Over The Rainbow playing is incredible camera work and awesome action. There's a lot of great drama throughout this movie, and the dark humor always adds to this. The plastic surgery scenes are really cool as the visual effects for the actual face transplants have always been really impressive. It feels real when they're showing these scenes. That final encounter between the two is always great. The two arrive in their suits almost like a wild west showdown with that requiem style music playing. It's great stuff! The speedboat stuff is so cool with the water effects and intense explosions, followed by the harpoon to end Castor. From beginning to end the story is impressive, the action is awesome (some of the best action sequences you'll find, IMO).Nicolas Cage & John Travolta create two of my favorite male movie characters with the amount of charismatic energy and personality they put into these roles as both hero and villain, Watching them interact with their enemy's friends and family in their different personas is always interesting. Watching this movie always makes me realize just how fun movies can be! It's just such a solid action movie with a great story at it's core with good dramatic elements, definitely great comedic lines that I always find hilarious based on their delivery, and two actors at the top of their game with a visionary director mixing it all together to make something truly special!
97. KISS KISS BANG BANG (2005):
Shane Black did an awesome job here creating an intelligent mystery movie centering around two unique cases all blended together with great dark humor, excellent dialogue, as well as a really great use of sarcasm! From the beginning to Harry's introduction to the ending with Harry bidding us adieu in the end, this movie is exciting! The characters are all well written, and there's a plethora of creative scenes! This is my favorite performance of Robert Downey, Jr! This was the beginning of his comeback as a top actor in Hollywood, and you can tell he was ready with his performance here! He shines brightly in every scene delivering natural charm and wit with great biting sarcasm. His charisma comes natural. His presence is welcomed and lauded for reminding us just how good he can be on camera, and has been since this movie. Harry Lockhart is one of those characters that will always be underrated, and I think everybody needs to watch this movie just to see how fantastic he is here. Every scene he's in demonstrates his dramatic flair and excellent comedic timing. While RDJ is phenomenal as Harry what really makes his character excel is Michelle Monaghan's Harmony Faith Lane! She is gorgeous, intelligent, and captivating. Her extremely witty commentary on Hollywood as well as the friendship/relationship Harry provide lead to some of the best dialogue scenes you'll find. She does great here as the struggling actress also trying to figure out what happened to her sister. RDJ & Monaghan's chemistry came across so natural and provided so much entertainment. Monaghan looked really amazing here, especially when we're first introduced to her in the bar looking really seductive. She completely runs circles around Harry when she thinks he is trying to get in her pants. Her banter put him in his place. At the same time, Harry definitely cares about her and you see that vividly throughout the movie. Harmony is my favorite character, even though Harry is the main character. Monaghan's ability to really sell the situation in a time of peril is well done. Her eyes go wide, and she looks like she's in a state of shock. It's really awesome to watch her balance that sexy, intellectual side with a more vulnerable one showing how we're not perfect. I love her explanation of bad and badly. She's a different type of Hollywood girl that shows beauty, intelligence, spontaneity in the moment, and really helped shape great scenes with the fantastic RDJ. Val Kilmer is excellent in this as well as "Gay Perry." He is sarcastic at every turn, and his banter with RDJ is absolutely hilarious. He actually makes me laugh the most in terms of his GQ agent character and his great one liners. Harry, Harmony, & Perry are all unique personalities and really fun characters. There's also several fun side characters that add well to the overall plot. The Hollywood party scene immediately sets the tone of this movie well with voice over narration that immediately brought me into the movie the first time I came across it on HBO just based on RDJ's line: "Welcome to L.A">very sarcastically. The chase scene at the end to rescue Harmony is great, because it's well shot, original on the different things going on-caskets getting stuck on highway exit signs, Harry being able to defend himself while dangling above Hollywood Boulevard, the cool little "magic" moment to give him an advantage, and Harry Lockhart feeling like a great anti-hero as he's trying to save Harmony. It's one of the best finale scenes, because it's exciting and utilizes all of our main characters well. Three great standout lead performances by Robert Downey, Jr, Michelle Monaghan, and Val Kilmer, excellent characters, fantastic dialogue, dark humor, and entertaining scenes throughout make this true movie magic. It's apropos that Harry dabbles in magic as this movie makes us realize what makes Hollywood and movies in general have an intriguing aura that keeps us wanting more! Great work by everybody involved here!
96. THE NICE GUYS (2016):
This movie is a great mix of mystery, action, comedy, and dynamic characters! Shane Black created another fantastic movie in the vein of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. The movie gives us a very intricate plot where every little detail connects in some way whether it's pornography, the environment, or even Richard Nixon. It has brilliant writing throughout. The dialogue is intelligent. Each piece of the movie flows. The characters constantly keep me invested in the story. I think Ryan Gosling's performance as Holland March is one of the better male performances you'll find. His work as the down on his luck private investigator was a fantastic character study. His imbecility blended with his drive to prove his worth to those around him, including his daughter, Holly, is a great story. His investigation eventually connects with Russell Crowe's brute of a character in a Jackson Healey. He also is on a mission to prove his worth where he truly belongs in society. Crowe is phenomenal here. He might have unorthodox, intense ways to get information, but at the same time he is doing these things for the right reason. The chemistry with Gosling and Crowe is excellent! They never miss a beat! The dialogue between them was timed perfectly. They shared tremendous comedic and dramatic scenes together. I think Angourie Rice deserves a lot of praise for her work as Holly! She is the glue that holds this team together through everything! She is intelligent and helps her father and Jackson at every turn! The action sequences are so well done. They are so over the top, but with the nature of the different stories going on it worked so well. The brutality in the action scenes was necessary for the tone of the movie. The auto show scenes keep you on the edge of your seat, especially watching Holland literally survive so many obstacles to retrieve the film the plot centers around. The scene at Sid Shaddick's house are incredible movie moments! The colors and costumes are so extravagant! Both Holland and Jackson's journey has a great ending that both deserve! The bumps and bruises accumulated along the way are necessary for them to feel whole. It also helps Holland become closer to Holly, which I definitely like seeing as a viewer. Jackson also bonds with Holly in his own way, which makes him feel meaningful, which is great to see! The excellent characters, brilliant dialogue, insane action sequences, genuinely funny moments, great dramatic elements, a phenomenal cast all around, and tremendous writing and directing from Shane Black makes this a huge reason why we go to the movies! So much fun!
95. SPLIT (2017):
With this movie, I am immersed in the story and characters on screen. Split will make you feel many emotions while watching it, which is the intention of this movie, IMO. M. Night Shyamalan is a director that always keeps the audience in mind. He always tries to connect them to the story. The story revolves around DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) and what human beings are capable of whether it's good or bad. James McAvoy is one of the best actors in the business. I've always been a fan of his work. His performance here is absolutely amazing! His ability to switch between the personas he has is intriguing to watch. It also shows how incredible of an actor McAvoy is to delve into something so complex and succeed with flying colors. Whether he's playing Dennis, Barry, Hedwig, Ms. Patricia, etc. each personality has a memorable scene or storyline that pulls the audience in. McAvoy's talent really sells the physical and mental manifestations of the split between who you are and what you can become. The therapy sessions are phenomenal scenes. There's great dialogue scenes explaining his issues and how he is trying to protect himself at the same time. Another part of this movie that deserves big praise is Anya Taylor-Joy's mesmerizing performance as Casey Cook. ATJ is a bright, young talent with a tremendous future! She knows how to act, sell expression, and, obviously look great! She has "it" and I think her work here proves she is a breakout star! She does so well here selling fear, intelligence, and survival (which actually connects really well to the title as she is split in her own way). ATJ's interactions with McAvoy show an actress that knows what she's doing on screen. The close-up of her eyes in certain scenes show how much raw talent she has! I love Casey's scenes with Hedwig. These scenes portray Casey as the adult caring for the child, while also showing she is thinking one step ahead of the looming Beast! At the same time, both Casey and McAvoy's personas share a kindred spirit to me. They both know they're different in some way, which is why I think Hedwig and some of the other personas open up to her on occasion. While McAvoy commands the screen. ATJ helps anchor it to really sell the emotional layers of this movie! She was also incredible in a physical way as her action scenes were some of the most memorable moments of the movie, as well as portraying her mental acuity remaining sharp in the face of danger! The Casey character is important to show that all of us are split in some way, but while it may hinder us and bring us down, we can persevere, fight back, and embrace our differences knowing it's not necessarily our fault. We all have our own beast inside us. It's how we deal with it that helps us define it. Casey was able to find a way to deal with The Beast as she's been dealing with The Beast her whole life in certain ways most of her life. It's conveyed so well in a physical and emotional way. McAvoy is trying to bring forth, but, also hold back The Beast. while Casey is trying to quell the Beast she grew up with and the Beast inside her. This psychological thriller is simply amazing for it's two incredible lead performances by James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy, the complexity of the plot, the directing that took us right into the mind of our main characters, and haunting score.
94. EX MACHINA (2015):
This movie is a brilliant look at artificial intelligence blended with the ego of humanity. Movies like this place an emphasis on story and substance, as well as acting. In this movie, we follow Caleb, played by Domnhall Gleason, a computer programmer that works at an Internet corporation. He is selected as a winner of a competition to spend a week long retreat with Nathan (who is the CEO living in recluse), played exceptionally well by Oscar Isaac. He's one of the best actors on the scene. He usually plays a great dark character. His work as Nathan here is one of, if not, his best roles! His reclusive nature and eccentric personality make Nathan such an awesome character to watch. Isaac's chemistry with Gleason felt natural. The dialogue is strong throughout between these two. Nathan has put all of his scientific knowledge into creating a state of the art robotic female named Ava, played by the beautiful Alicia Vikander! IMO, Vikander steals the show here! I really think she should have been nominated for her work in this movie instead of The Danish Girl, because this is her true breakout performance! Her ability to differentiate between being a robot and a human female is amazing to watch! Her chemistry with Gleason is incredible! I like movies like this that focus on a few characters, because it allows the performances to develop the plot better. This was the best movie when I first saw it in 2015! It's definitely still incredible, and one of the best best science fiction movies I've ever seen! I enjoyed every second of this! As I've pointed out, the acting is excellent! The twists are presented in an intelligent manner! Caleb uncovers so many secrets in Nathan's house. Ava ultimately ends up being the definition of artificial intelligence. I really like the Ava character! Where Isaac's Nathan created the universe, it's Vikander's Ava that gives the movie it's voice! Gleason's Caleb provides the bridge between these two characters bringing out the voice of Ava and the eccentricity of Nathan. This phenomenal movie presents three incredible performances that split the movie into three neat arcs, an awesome science fiction environment, great twists, particularly in that phenomenal third act, and a great score synthesized through the code of the movie all helmed by the incredible writing and directing of Alex Garland.
93. THE NEVERENDING STORY (1984):
I have always been a big fan of the fantasy genre, and this is the movie that started it all! When I saw it as a kid, I was enthralled by the effects! Watching it as an adult makes me appreciate the story of holding onto our imaginations, and a truly epic hero's journey! Noah Hathaway's performance as Atreyu is one of the most physical, as well as emotional young actor performances you'll find! Watching the nature vs. man...or, in this case boy as he battles the black soul of The Nothing has always been an incredible story to watch unfold! Fantasia is such a beautiful place with bold colors, incredible set pieces (particularly the Ivory Tower-you have to love the theme music for the Ivory Tower! It's so majestic and, in a way, you get a sense of hope hearing it as well)! Watching Atreyu accept the quest through sheer wit and true bravery makes you instantly like the character! Hathaway had an incredible charm in the role. The different types of unique creatures such as The Rock Biter, The Night Hob, Falkor, Gmork, etc. are all incredibly detailed and feel larger than life! These are all creatures that are still resonating with audiences today. We watch Atreyu go through the Swamps of Sadness (in one of the most emotionally draining scenes you'll find in a movie with Artax), encountering Morla The Ancient One (what a cynical, wise cracking character), encountering his true self with the Southern Oracle and the Magic Mirror gate getting past his doubts and fears crossing the threshold. As tough of a journey as it is, Atreyu keeps persevering through this journey in one way or the other even when all seems lost! There's great tension as well, particularly when Gmork is hunting Atreyu, but is saved by the incredible presence of our favorite luck dragon, Falkor! Falkor is the best non-human character ever! He's such a fun looking character that takes care of good people. His dialogue, big eyes, scaly skin, and deep laugh are always a big highlight of the movie for me! I also think it's important to talk about Barret Oliver's Bastian. Oliver's portrayal of Bastian was fantastic portraying a timid, but, intelligent kid that enjoys reading! I was always an avid reader as well, so I always identified with Bastian. His list of books he had read at his age to Coriander is definitely impressive, and indicative of a brilliant mind later in life! While Atreyu is going through this hero's journey, it is really Bastian shaping everything going on. In a way, he's expanding his imagination. Perhaps Atreyu is actually what Bastian wants to be like, so he creates the character. The ensuing adventure is unfolding the second he opens the mysterious orange book with the awesome Orin symbol on the cover (of which Steven Spielberg has a replica of in his office)! The look of Gmork was always terrifying when I was younger! The big, black wolf with the intense, glowing green eyes matched with his immense size made for a truly intimidating look. Watching it as an adult, I find the look of Gmork to be awesome! He makes a great antagonist trying to purge the world of imagination and possibility! The dialogue between Atreyu & Gmork about boundaries of imagination is a truly great philosophical debate! The intensity of their exchange is quick, but, leaves a big impact as Atreyu is soaked in the crimson liquid! I also think Tami Stronach was incredibly enchanting as the Child Like Empress! She had this incredible innocence to her! It makes perfect sense that the ruler of Fantasia would be a young child! This would make the power of Fantasia even more impressive! Her costume design with the bright jewels, and her big blue eyes, mixed with a soft voice was a fantastic look for what the movie was trying to achieve! One of the most powerful scenes you'll find in a movie is when the Child Like Empress is looking right at the camera pleading for Bastian's help! What I love about that is she's talking to all the Bastians of the world that it's alright to have your head in the clouds, because it helps us expand our creative impetus! Through incredible world building, awesome characters like Falkor & Gmork, amazing scenery in Fantasia, standout young performances by Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, & Tami Stronach, a great hero in Atreyu mirrored through the eyes and mind of Bastian make this one of the most iconic movies in the fantasy genre, one of the best movie songs of all time by Limahl (very catchy, great beat) and, simply a great movie with a powerful message of believing it yourself!
92. THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK (1998):
ONE FOR ALL...ALL FOR ONE! This movie combines the majesty of the historical time period of one of my all time favorite world leaders <Louis XIV with the incredible aura of the Three...in this case, Four Musketeers! Each member of this group has a unique personality that makes them likable. The French scenery is beautiful to look at, especially the luxurious Versailles palace, which is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world! Louis XIV had such an extravagant flair! Leonardo DiCaprio is my favorite actor of all time, and this is when he started really gaining traction as a top billed star following some big releases in the late 1990's. He was excellent here as both the naive, innocent, kind protagonist in Philipe, and as the arrogant, boisterous, regal antagonist Louis! These roles show how talented he truly is! His ability to change his personality in these characters in such an effortless manner was impressive to watch! His innate charisma commanded the camera! Watching him try to navigate the world he is thrust into as Phillipe in his conversations and personality make him extremely likable! Watching him command a room and scoff at anybody in his path as Louis is fantastic! He definitely had fun in this villainous role! It's tough for an actor to pull off one major personality, but DiCaprio being able to pull off two incredible characters is indicative of how good he would be in years to come! While DiCaprio was fantastic, my favorite part of this movie is Gabriel Byrne's D'Artagnan! This man's conscience makes him such a good soul! He stays true to his oath, protects what he knows in his heart is right, and is a beacon of hope for France! His performance in the role makes him feel like a real life hero! I love watching Byrne in this role navigate his feelings of duty and loyalty between king, friendship, and love! John Malkovich, Jeremy Irons, & Gerard Depardieu are fantastic as Athos, Aramis, & Porthos! All three really excelled in their characters! You have Malkovich's Athos intent on revenge for what happened to Raoul, and you definitely sympathize with him! Malkovich is such a bad ass as Athos! He takes the fight to whoever is in his way no matter who it is, because his focus is avenging Raoul, while also developing a type of fatherly bond with Philippe, which I think is cool to watch over the course of the movie! You have Irons' Aramis devotion to his faith, and it's always on full display in every scene! Irons voice really works well in this time period in France! He feels like a man that can deliver change, and we see through his intellect and commitment to change through his plan to restore order to the French throne! Depardieu's Pathos is great as a man that is down on his passion in life, but finds that spark through Aramis's cause. I also think Depardieu provides some great comedy at times. The four main Musketeer actors had incredible chemistry and camaraderie. You felt like these four fought together through thick and thin for king and country! The music is beautiful! It blends in well with the scenes. For instance, the music played during the Versailles party scene early in the movie is regal, lighthearted, and indicative of a time when frivolity was the law of the land! The masked ball scene is one of my absolute favorites of the movie! Athos, Aramis, & Porthos playing tricks on Louis by flashing iron masks causing Louis to get flustered is so awesome! It's really cool to watch the mind games in this scene! Mixing these mind games with the beautiful gowns, and the regal robes of Louis/Philippe,, and the Queen Anne is why these historical dramas become favorites of mine! The drama of Louis & Philippe demonstrates just how different somebody can be depending on the environment they are raised in! D'Artagnan realizing what is truly right siding with his three best friends is one of the most exciting moments in the movie! Their bond is strong, and as they charge that music hits you hard! You're rooting for these men as great warriors with incredible consciences and good men that are fighting the good fight for France! Magnificent Valor! The twist is excellent, and makes the movie even deeper on an emotional level! This movie did really well navigating drama and well placed comedy! DiCaprio's incredible duel performance, the whole mantra and personality of Byrne, Malkovich, Irons, & Depardieu as the larger than life Four Musketeers, the beautiful scenery and time period of Louis XIV's France, and elaborate plans to shake things up at Versailles make this a truly remarkable movie! It's just such an incredible watch! I always get so caught up in the story when I watch this, because I'm so into the characters, and that's because the cast knew how to shape them, which resonated so well on camera! Great work by Randall Wallace here!
91. DONNIE DARKO-DIRECTOR'S CUT (2001):
This is an excellent psychological thriller that you can still make interpretations about through multiple viewings. There isn't one set interpretation. Movies with multiple interpretations can make things interesting as a viewer. IMO, this is still Jake Gyllenhaal's best performance. It's definitely his breakout performance for sure. He has definitely had several great ones over the years, but this is the role that defined him as one of the better actors in the industry! Watching this character is always intriguing as Donnie is definitely struggling with mental illness, but he's extremely intelligent and makes a lot of good points in his dialogue throughout the movie. There are so many different themes here in terms of emotion. The fear/love exercise is actually a huge part of the movie overall, especially in terms of Donnie's relationship with Frank, Gretchen, and his family. The philosophy of time travel in this movie through discussions, portals, etc. is always interesting! Many say that Donnie Darko is actually a superhero through the idea of using time travel to save people. I can see that, but I also see him as a marty sacrificing himself in order to save Gretchen. There are some political undertones with the 1988 election between George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis taking place around the time period in this movie. Now, Donnie is a schizophrenic and the doctor is giving him placebos which means the whole movie could be a hallucination to him. It's very interesting to try and piece scenes together. The director's cut (which is the version I have) is far better in terms of presenting a bigger picture. Some of my favorite scenes are the opening school montage, the fantastic movie theater scene (it's such a great scene with Donnie and Frank sitting on either side of Gretchen while she's sleeping-it's just a cool shot! Also, Frank's line: "Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?" is one of my favorite lines ever in a movie!), as well as burning down Jim Cunningham's house (the whole Cunning Visions program seems like an absolute cult to me), and the Darko family dinner scenes with Donnie, Elizabeth, Samantha, Rose, & Eddie (I feel like this family definitely loves each other despite all their differences). I love the look of Frank! The rabbit costume is extremely terrifying, but the look of the character and the echoing, deep voice is one of the coolest things you'll find in a movie! You also notice little things like the red car that crashes in the arcade game is the same kind of red car that eventually kills Gretchen! You make new discoveries all the time. I noticed that Rose was reading It at the beginning of the movie and it foreshadows a few things in terms of the fear theme, as well as Frank's friend dressed up in a clown costume towards the end. To me, it's a very cool observation! There are all these clues as to how Donnie is ultimately going to save the tangent universe. The first time I saw this movie was in Politics & Film in Professor Ewing's class at Elmira College. I've been interpreting it ever since. I like how Richard Kelly presented the movie as you're looking at each aspect through Donnie's eyes. The soundtrack is phenomenal in this movie! Aforementioned, I love the school scene with Head Over Heels playing! The song works really well and I like the montage of the characters. It follows each character introducing us to everyone, and somewhat subtly hinting at the future of all their arcs. Mad World is a song associated with this movie that's always great to hear. It's hauntingly amazing for the tone of the movie at this scene! It shows the characters possibly as the timeline gets reset, and where they are at that particular moment in their thoughts and time. It's all really well done! These are just two examples of using a soundtrack well in the movie. If I had to pick a scene that I think is the overall best, it would probably be the movie theater scene. I feel like Gretchen sleeping in that scene is on purpose based on what we see when Frank unmasks in the theater, and we know where that certain event happens. I also have always found the last scene to be interesting with Gretchen and Rose waving at each other. I mean, I know they're just waving at each other, but I always feel there's something else going on. That's why I love Donnie Darko so much! You're always thinking about something! It's one of the most interesting movies I've ever seen! Analyzing this movie is very intense, but, it makes you appreciate Richard Kelly's work even more!
90. ARMAGEDDON (1998):
I think this is one of the most underrated movies you'll ever find! I love the cast-it's such a great ensemble cast all around that rounds out every aspect of this movie! I think the plot is interesting! I love the musical score! I like the genuine emotion between the main asteroid storyline, and the qualities of humanity within our main characters! IMO, Harry Stamper is one of Bruce Willis's best roles ever! Harry Stamper is a true cinematic hero! Here's a man that sacrifices himself to preserve his planet, his family, and his friends! He's a roughneck oil man , but he has good morals, cares about his team, and cares deeply for his daughter, Grace-who is an incredible strong, steadfast female character played wonderfully by Liv Tyler. Ben Affleck is fantastic as A.J. Frost! He's such a rebellious hero that you can't help but root for! This is one of Affleck's best roles as well. I've personally never understood why people dislike Affleck. He's one of the better actors in the industry, IMO! I love the tension and respect deep down that Harry and A.J. have for each other. I really like the AJ/Grace relationship. They have great romantic chemistry! There's so much great emotional dialogue and scenes that accompany these three! I love Will Patton's Chick as the loyal friend trying to keep things together. Steve Buscemi's Rockhound provides so many great comedic lines throughout here. The scenes showing the asteroid affecting New York City, Paris, and Shanghai are great cinematic visuals! The speech by the President of the United States and montage as Harry leads the crews to their respective shuttles: Freedom & Independence as the entire world regardless of culture, race, or religion watches with a glimmer of hope in global solidarity that everything will be safe always makes me shed a tear! The music in that scene, the slow motion walk sends chills up my spine in a good way, and, of course: "Mom, that salesman's on TV!" line hits me on so many emotional levels! That whole montage is extremely inspirational! Yes, I definitely get emotional watching movies, but that's because I get so invested in these cinematic journeys. Let's not forget when all hope seems lost, and A.J. shows up in the other armadillo and you cheer with so much enthusiasm that hope is still there! Billy Bob Thornton is fantastic as NASA director Dan Truman with so much fire and passion, especially in that fantastic rant on Keith David's General Kimsey. Grace yelling: "That is my father up there!" will always make me start shedding tears no matter what. Liv's expression and gutteral reaction hits you hard! I think Harry & Grace's conversation towards the end when they say goodbye to each other has to be one of the best emotional scenes ever! Bruce and Liv gave everything they had here, and I truly believed they were father and daughter in this moment! Armageddon has something for everybody: a great ensemble cast, great characters, an intriguing science fiction plot, good romantic subplots, family dynamics, teamwork, good action sequences, and blockbuster written all over it! I'm not a huge fan of Michael Bay, but he did a great job with this movie!
89. FORREST GUMP (1994):
I love this movie! The character of Forrest Gump is so fascinating! He has so much innocence! He has such a big heart! I also love how he gets involved with a lot of major historical events through civil rights, The Vietnam War, etc. As a history nerd, I really enjoy that! Watching him get involved with Vietnam developing a friendship with Mykelti Williamson's Bubba is always great to watch! Watching him meet several United States Presidents like John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon is entertaing. I love when he tells JFK he has to go pee after drinking about 15 Dr. Peppers. I am glad that Tom Hanks won an Oscar for this movie! He did such a great job in the role, and Hanks is one of my favorite actors of all time! His interactions with Robin Wright's Jenny are always great scenes! He always tries to rescue her and sees the good in her despite the drug use and questionable events she gets involved with. His partnership with Lieutenant Dan when they become shrimp boat captains is one of my favorite scenes. Hanks and Gary Sinise have great chemistry and every time they unload the shrimp nets, I clamor for shrimp scampi or shrimp cocktail! I've eaten at Bubba Gump before and it's actually pretty decent. You get to play trivia from the movie, which is awesome and the menu of course features several seafood items. You can also see a ping pong racket signed by Tom Hanks. For a film nerd like me, you appreciate the little things! Forrest Gump is one of my favorite male characters in movie history! The different scenes taking place throughout his life as a kid, teenager, and an adult all add to the incredible character. Different scenes of him rescuing people physically and emotionally display a genuine good character! You feel good watching this movie! You definitely feel moments of sadness as well, but the Forrest Gump character always finds a way to keep you smiling. In many ways, Forrest is a truly inspirational character that helps us escape from so much negativity in the world! Forrest Gump is one of the most iconic movies in cinematic history and deserves high praise as it still stands as a beacon of hope and truth for society as a whole! Hanks is a genuinely good person as well, so it makes the Forrest Gump character that much more believable! Forrest Gump's journey through his life is one of the most exciting cinematic journeys of any character!
88. GONE GIRL (2014):
David Fincher created a masterpiece with this adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel! Flynn's story combined with Fincher's directing, as well as the incredible cast creates an amazing movie experience! The movie is absolutely amazing! It's dark, intense, and filled with great performances! The dark nature of this movie really pulls audiences in. The actors really did well shaping their characters. The basic premise of the movie follows a man named Nick Dunne. His wife Amy Dunne goes missing. The movie takes you on a crazy, haunting journey from there. Gone Girl is split into two stories, which really keeps the story flowing. You're following two different character perspectives. You're looking at two different character's journeys within the current situation. I loved the mystery and intrigue of the story, the mind games between Amy & Nick, as well as the amazing twists that occur throughout the movie. Ben Affleck was excellent as Nick Dunne. His performances over the last few years have especially shown that he is a fantastic actor. While Affleck is great, the performance that that captivates me the most here is Rosamund Pike's work as Amy Dunne! She's such a great femme fatale character. Pike really took the femme fatale persona to a whole new level here. She is so dark and twisted. Many of my favorite scenes involve her. Pike is epic, awesome, insanely good (description is on purpose), It still bothers me that she didn't win the Oscar for her phenomenal performance here! It's really one of the better performances in recent years for sure. I also really like Margo Dunne, Nick's twin sister. Carrie Coon was great providing some of the best lines in the movie. Audiences loved her at the side of her brother throughout the entire ordeal. She gave a performance showing how petrified she is for her brother, but at the same time showing how strong she is fighting to show her brother is a good guy. Nick really isn't a good guy, but Margo is there for him. She's his family. Two other notable performances here are Neil Patrick Harris as the wealthy Desi Collings (nice back story with him). In fact, I would say the most awesome scene of the movie involves him! The scene I'm referring to is so intense-the camera work, the music, and acting performances made it work so well. The other performance I actually liked which initially shocked me when I first saw it was Tyler Perry's Tanner Bolt. He was a fun lawyer character helping Nick and Margo on their journey. The movie is this huge dramatic ordeal that also turns into a darker comedy at the same time. I love that aspect of this movie a great deal! The movie itself, the acting performances, Fincher's directing, Flynn's script, and a phenomenal score all worked together to create something truly great!
87. WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (1988):
This is one of the most entertaining movies ever balancing animation and live action! I always found it interesting watching real life people interact with the cartoon characters in this movie. The concept is interesting and makes for a great movie with so many elements. You have a great detective mystery reminiscent of old time Hollywood movies in the 1940's, which is apropos as this takes place in Hollywood, California in 1947. You also have corporate corruption of Judge Doom with the Cloverlead/Red Car storyline, as well as the feud between R.K. Maroon & Marvin Acme. Lastly, you have Eddie Valiant's journey to find joy in a world that's seemingly taken that all away from him. Charles Fleischer entertains from the beginning credits to the end credits with his zany accent, hyper personality, and sarcastic, well delivered comedic lines as Roger Rabbit throughout this movie. The look of Roger is a great mix of Walt Disney animation as well as Warner Brother's Looney Tunes cartoons in terms of appearance, colors, and clothing. Roger Rabbit is a big reason why movies are so much fun. He's a larger than life personality that entertains people of all ages from young kids to older adults. My favorite part of this movie is definitely the beautiful femme fatale red head, Jessica Rabbit! I think the look of this character is absolutely iconic. This movie made us think animated characters are some of the most beautiful women in the world. I mean, yes, she's animated, but she's an absolute goddess. I love how the movie sold how much she has an effect on both cartoon characters and human beings. It shows how influential, charismatic, and intelligent the character is. Jessica's initial entrance in the Ink & Paint club is one of the most impressive introductions to a character ever as she sults in with that glittery red dress, the purple gloves, and the voluptuous figure. Kathleen Turner adding that sultry voice to her made the character a big deal. I love watching her protect her husband, Roger, while dealing with Maroon & Acme, as well as interacting with Valiant. Bob Hoskins is fantastic as Eddie Valiant. His dislike for toons is well founded, but through Roger's antics and need to bond with somebody, Valiant finds why he loves being a detective in the first place. Hoskins being able to interact so well with a character that's seemingly not there when you think about says something about how good this actor is. Hoskins voice and accent mixed with Roger's was a great pairing. Christopher Lloyd is extremely creepy and terrifying as Judge Doom. You can tell Lloyd loved playing the antagonist here. The long black cloak, the glasses, and the cane was an intimidating sight. The revelation of who he is connects all the storylines well in the final act. The whole Dip scenario would be horrifying as Judge Doom is basically planning to erase a whole town and group of people to make way for his "lame freeway idea." There's little things that make this fun throughout like the Frank Sinatra singing sword, cartoon characters from rival companies sharing screen time like Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny or the great dueling pianos scene with Donald Duck and Daffy Duck, little details in the dialogue between Roger and Eddie, Jessica's quirks, Judge Doom's scary presence, and witty remarks that make the dialogue clever and have audiences smiling in approval. It's a fun adventure to save Toon Town, preserve old era Hollywood, and finding yourself again amidst terrible loss. This movie makes us realize that movies are an important medium as entertainment and means of escape from a sometimes negative world is necessary, and Roger Rabbit has all the ingredients to ensure that we're entertained 100%!
86. DICK TRACY (1990):
I have always had a great liking for this movie! It's the very first movie I saw in theaters at five years old in the theater! I was fascinated by this bright, colorful landscape and larger than life characters! Watching it when I was younger that's what caught my eye and kept it memorable in my head. Over the years, I've seen it multiple times and came to appreciate the crime story of gangster warfare between Big Boy Caprice & Lips Manlis, as well as one of the best male protagonists you'll find in a movie! Warren Beatty is phenomenal as Dick Tracy! He fits so well into the role of Dick Tracy! He does everything by the book, and exemplifies the word good in so many ways. I love the bright yellow colors he's always decked in. It makes him stand out in a dark world of crime. He's doing everything to clean it up! What an incredible detective! You believe in his city, because he is a beacon of light and justice. The yellow hue helps to define that. I think Al Pacino is extremely entertaining as Big Boy Caprice. I didn't realize that Pacino actually played him until I was in my 20's, and seeing as Pacino is one of my favorite actors of all time, it made me appreciate the movie that much more when I realized it! His over the top personality and amazing charisma really makes him an awesome antagonist! I don't really dislike this antagonist despite a lot of the criminal activities he's involved with. Pacino just makes the character so fun and, honestly, easy to like despite his role as the villain. I love his red and green hues. Red represents the blood he spills to stake his claim at the top of the heap. Green represents his greed for more money. I definitely think he's supposed to be Al Capone, while Beatty's Tracy is an Eliot Ness type role. I think William Forsythe's Flattop is somebody who always sticks out as well with his blue hues, and loyalty to Big Boy. Honestly, if he wanted to, Flattop could easily be the leader of organized crime. The guy is definitely cunning enough. Charlie Korsmo gives a great young actor performance as The Kid. I love watching his bond with Beatty's Tracy grow throughout the movie. We also see how The Kid has good morals as he pals around with Tracy. I like how Tracy also helps The Kid out throughout the movie and doesn't leave him to fend for himself in a dangerous world. Madonna is actually pretty good as Breathless Mahoney. Her purple hue, seductress role, and the twist of who else she is here is great to watch! She does well as a seductress towards Tracy, I thought her and Beatty had good chemistry. Glenne Headley is likable as Tess Trueheart. I like how dedicated Tracy is to his job, but by the end he also realizes how important Tess is to him making him a well rounded hero. The old Hollywood shootout scenes are really awesome to see! It sells the mythos of the comic strip Dick Tracy originated in. The characters make-up and clothing designs are some of the best you'll find in a movie. Danny Elfman's score is fantastic. A larger than life protagonist in Warren Beatty's performance, great antagonist performance by Al Pacino, entertaining action scenes, incredible use of color, solid page to screen adaptation, and overall excitement value make this one that always will stay with me as a reason why I love movies so much! The only thing I try to block out is Lips Manlis eating clams. Nobody really wants to see that sight!
85. JURASSIC PARK (1993):
I saw this movie for the first time in 1993 when it came out in theaters with a family friend I've known since pre-school. I remember making a Lego version of the Ingen lab. I always thought the concept of the film based on Michael Crichton's book was phenomenal. The cast is great here, particularly Jeff Goldblum's work as Ian Malcolm. He has most of the best lines of the movie as the wise-cracking, but intelligent chaos theory scientist. Sam Neill is the movie's primary protagonist as Alan Grant. While he's primarily an archaeologist digging up fossils, in the second half of this movie he serves as a protector for Lexi and Tim. I like how he changes over the course of the movie as he's navigating these kids through the park, and protecting them at all costs. He grows to form a bond with these kids and seems to change his stance on kids from the beginning, which was a negative viewpoint overall. This was great character development with him. Ian and Alan are two of the better male movie characters you'll find. They're both protagonists, but very different personalities which is always great to see. The best scene is when the Tyrannosaurus Rex shows up for the first time in the pouring rain. The details put into the dinosaur animatronic are always amazing. They used the same creature effects that created the giant King Kong effects in the fantastic Kongfrontation ride that used to be in Universal Studios in Orlando. The cool roar and intimidating presence made moviegoers of all generations look in awe as this scene unfolds. Those animatronic effects made things feel more real than typical CGI. CGI was used well here as well, though. I think one of the most incredible moments of emotion in this movis is when Alan turns his head, stands up cautiously, fumbles with his sunglasses, and looks in amazement when he sees the Brachiasaurus walk into the frame for the first time. It's just a beautiful site, especially for a man dedicated to finding the bones of these animals. I loved Laura Dern's reaction to it as well. It really felt like the animal was really there the way they both sold it. I like the stories broken down into the dinosaur aspect of the park, Alan literally evolving over the course of the movie into a better person, and Richard Attenborough's John Hammond's greed getting the best of him (at times, he was too blind to see it, but eventually realizes through death and destruction that maybe everybody is right), The velociraptor attacks are incredible movie moments. They create incredible tension, and firmly establish the raptor as the antagonist...even though, they're carnivores and hunting is what they do. It's their nature-accept it! The raptor designs are very cool-intimidating, the big claw on their toes, insane intelligence, extremely fast. Lexi and Tim trying to evade them in the kitchen and through the visitor's center are great action scenes. The T-Rex essentially becomes a hero of the movie saving the humans from the raptors. The T-Rex is the King of the Dinosaurs afterall. That shot of the T-Rex roaring with the banner: When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth falling behind him as the fossil skeletons break is one of the coolest shots in any movie. This is definitely a classic movie and it will stand the test of time. Introducing new generations to this movie is a great idea and kids will like it just as much as our generation did when we first saw it. The idea of human beings and dinosaurs co-existing is a decent plot in itself. Steven Spielberg did a tremendous job bringing this amazing world to the screen!
84. TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991):
James Cameron really helped redefine how good the action genre can be with this movie! With incredible action sequences and a fantastic story, this movie proved that a sequel can be as good as, or in this case, even better than the original movie. Arnold Schwarzenegger's performance as the T-1000 is one of the most iconic male movie performances of all time! I've always been a fan of Schwarzenegger's work, and I think this is definitely his best. He is the ultimate hero in this movie protecting John Connor, and battling Robert Patrick's T-800 at all costs. I honestly don't think any other actor in the action genre at the time could have made this character as amazing as Schwarzenegger did. I love watching him balance being a machine while trying to pass as a human being. James Cameron has always been good at creating strong female characters with his projects, and, Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor is one of this best. Hamilton is so bad ass and hellbent on protecting John at all cost and preventing Judgment Day on August 29, 1997. She was fantastic in every scene! The prison scenes with her show how good Hamilton really is in this role! She's physically (she's in amazing shape here) and emotionally (she was so in the mindset of this character that you believed this was a real person) focused in this role, and really made it her own. I think Hamilton also shows that in the era where it was mostly male action heroes, that females can be just as bad ass, and in many instances she really takes it to the T-800 just as much as the T-1000. This is also Edward Furlong's first role, and he was great as John Connor. You already see signs of the resistance leader he'll be in this movie in terms of giving commands, thinking of solutions on his feet, and being adept at countering technology for his benefit. His chemistry with Schwarzenegger was amazing! Their bond felt real. I liked watching them become friends. It also shows that even though there's a war with machines coming, that not all of them are an issue. Cyberdyne is such a looming threat in this movie! Cameron is so good at presenting that throughout the movie! There's so many great scenes, but I think my favorite one is the big freeway chase with Schwarzenegger and Furlong on the motorcycle battling Patrick in the semi-truck! It's a fantastic chase sequences, and the explosives and motorcycle sound effects blend so well! I also love Arnold flipping the shotgun before he fires it. It's such a cool visual to set up the next big spark in the battle. Other scenes like the rescue at Pescadero State Hospital, the Cyberdyne stand-off, and the final battle at the plant are all really well done scenes that demonstrate fantastic action, but really help elevate the plot in a big way, which is just as important. This movie has great emotion as well. I think when the T-1000 realizes he has to be destroyed to save mankind, even Sarah doesn't want that for John's sake. When Sarah lowers him into the lava below and the music starts playing louder, it creates a great send-off for Schwarzenegger's character. John crying as he slowly disappears actually gets to me, too. We've followed him as he's done nothing but good this whole movie for Sarah and John, and we don't want to see him go. We realize it's the best thing, though, in order to save humanity as a whole. That thumbs up before he shuts down makes me smile at how cool this character is, and it's almost like a sign that evetything's going to be okay to Sarah, John, and the audience! This movie has some of the best visual effects! The make-up designs for Arnold when his human face and machine face are exposed at the same time was so believable. The steel with the glowing red eyes, and Arnold's face makes you realize how cool movie magic is. I think it's one of the best uses of make-up ever. It looks natural, and it really changed the game for complex make-up designs. I also think the score is one of the best instrumental themes you'll find in a movie! With fantastic writing and directing, incredible action sequences, a brilliant plot, three stand-out lead performances by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, and Edward Furlong, and great visual effects, this is an example of how good the action genre can be! It's one of the most impressive, iconic, and inspirational movies of all time!
83. DEATH PROOF (2007):
I have always found this movie to be extremely underrated! Quentin Tarantino's camera work here is incredible harking back to 1970's B movies in terms of grainy film. I love that this movie primarily revolves around groups of unique women of different cultures, races, and personalities. I think Kurt Russell plays one of the best antagonists you'll find in movies as Stnntman Mike! He's such a sleazy, calculating, manipulative horror of a human being./His look to the camera at times just makes you want to punch him. Russell was so good at making this character just grotesque in so many ways in both physical and mental ways. He has these scars on his face, and his mind is just psychotic. I love the girls in this movie. Their dialogue scenes are so entertaining discussing a variety of topics from sex to working on movie sets to being women in general! It's such insightful dialogue into the minds of women, and how charismatic they are. I think Sydney Poitier who plays Jungle Julia is an absolute goddess in this-love her sassy attitude, and her delivery of lines has so much cool bravado to it. She's so sexy throughout her scenes in this movie. You just want to sit next to her and have a conversation, because she's so cool to talk to. Vanessa Ferlito has that tough New York girl exterior as, and looks great as Arlene. She's a strong, independent woman (as all these girls really are, which is awesome to see-Tarantino makes good female characters in a lot of his movies, IMO). Her lap dance scene with Kurt Russell is extremely awesome to watch in terms of how Tarantino shot it, and the use of music throughout to the dance. It synced up so well with it, and Ferlito looks amazing the whole time! Tracie Thoms was absolutely hilarious and charismatic as Kim-such a loud mouthed fun person that really knows how to tell a story. Her delivery of her lines felt like she was having a natural conversation. Zoe Bell is always bad ass, and I love watching her show off how cool she is with stunts throughout here. Rosario Dawson is fantastic as Abernathy-such a fun, sassy girl that doesn't take anything from her friends. Her chemistry with Thoms and Bell was so natural-they felt like good friends. All the conversations have such well written dialogue. I'm so into everything these girls are talking about, and all of it just feels natural. I love the car sequences. The murder scene of Rose McGowan's Pam is so gritty and visceral with great use of the crimson liquid. The maniacal laughter and sinister grin by Russell just makes it that much better as a scene. I also love the head on collision scene with Jungle Julia's girls and Stuntman Mike. Hold Tight blaring through the stereo with Jungle Julia flipping her hair and banging her head, Arlene relaxing, etc. with the cars revving closer to each other at a quick pace is amazing use of film. The quick paced violence that occurs in the collision is shot well, and displays how despicable Stuntman Mike really is. The car chase with Kim and Stuntman Mike is 20 minutes of fantastic road action. The camera follows behind as the cars go through rolls, and the cast sells the effects of bumping into each other, and the effect of different terrain. Mike just laughing at everything is fantastic, because he just doesn't care about hurting these girls. Those last two minutes are some of the best moments you'll find in a movie. The girls getting sweet, bloody revenge on Mike is so satisfying and bad ass with bare knuckled punches amongst other things. It's exactly what we want to see happen to Russell's character as he's made us hate him so much for his brutality towards women, and the women uniting together to take him down is so awesome to watch! Through incredible writing, great dialogue driven scenes, an awesome soundtrack, an incredible antagonist performance by Kurt Russell, and three unique groups of women that are all extremely cool, sexy, and bad ass we see a truly underrated piece of cinema that deserves more watches and respect.
82. JACKIE BROWN (1997):
This is a fantastic crime noir movie with incredible writing and a fantastic cast. It's such an underrated movie just based on performances alones.Pam Grier's performance as Jackie Brown is one of the best female performances you'll find. She's such a well layered character. She's legitimately cool, sassy, gorgeous, and intelligent. She's always thinking one step ahead of everybody she's involved with whether it's Ordell Robbie, the ATF, or even Max Cherry. Grier dictates the pace of this movie, and she does such an amazing job navigating through complex situations in Los Angeles! Grier's acting is impeccable! We're so into the character because watching her weave her web is so intriguing. Quentin Tarantino created one of cinema's strongest female protagonists in this movie. She's making alliances, planning her moves, and showing how clever she is at all times. Samuel L. Jackson is a fantastic antagonist as Ordell Robbie! He's very intimidating, because his actions of what he might do to somebody that threatens his illegal activities is unpredictable. It's great to watch, because as an audience you want to see how he'll react next. This is some of Jackson's finest work. His look here is interesting. The long hair look somehow worked here for Jackson's cool demeanor throughout the movie. His dialogue scenes with Grier, Chris Tucker, and Robert DeNiro show how great he is adapting to everybody's acting styles. Robert Forster was excellent as Max Cherry. This is his best performance as the bail bondsman who seemingly knows the relationship between all the characters including Jackie and Ordell's initial arrangement, and Jackie's meetings with the ATF. He's always very calm which is really awesome to watch. He just takes this character that could otherwise be boring in a movie, and makes it such an intriguing part of the movie. His chemistry with Grier was phenomenal. They felt like close friends with a hint of romantic vibes lingering between them. You can tell Forster's Cherry definitely empathizes with Jackie. He does everything he can to help her through her ordeal. I like that Jackie can ultimately trust him as well. Michael Keaton is also really well casted as ATF agent, Ray Nicollete. Keaton always has this insane charisma to him, and every time he's on the screen here you see it just by the way he sits in a chair. I love that objects like chairs, desks, etc. somehow become a character in Tarantino's movie. They add to the emotion of the moment, and actually sell a character's emotions in some instances. It's quite impressive. One of my favorite aspects of this movie is showing the different perspectives of the money drop from Jackie, Louis (played brilliantly by Robert DeNiro), and Max. We get a little more of the whole picture from each of these vantage points. The different dialogue scenes and personality shifts is great. It also shows the ingenuity of Jackie's intellect. I love watching her play tricks with Ordell. She's definitely not somebody to mess with, and her suave demeanor is always on display. Even in the face of danger, there isn't a hair out of place, because she's so bad ass! Watching Tarantino's characters talk in a movie are always some of the most exciting conversations. They can be about random things about music like the Delfonics which becomes a huge part of selling the story with Jackie & Max. Tarantino loves telling stories on screen, and with Jackie Brown, he did a fantastic job adapting Rum Punch and making it something special. IMO, Pam Grier should have been nominated for and won for Best Actress for this movie. She is fantastic in this. It's a performance everybody should watch if they want to see a female character at it's absolute best! Great work by everybody involved here all led by the incredible performance of Pam Grier, solid performances by Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Forster, great dialogue scenes, intriguing crime scenes unfolding, and an overall fantastic movie showing how well stories can be told on screen!
81. INTERSTELLAR (2014):
This is a highly complex movie that makes me appreciate it even more! It tackles the mysteries of time and space as well as giving audiences a deep study into the core of humanity: emotions, what makes us who we are, why we do what we do, etc. The plot revolves around Earth becoming a planet that will not be able to sustain future generations within the next 25 years or so. The mission is to find a sustainable planet for future generations to survive. What evolves from this is one of the most intricate, intriguing, and impressive movies you'll find. It's truly a modern epic! We are explorers by nature. This movie shows us how we do that physically and emotionally. The cast is physically exploring the vastness of space, while at the same time the characters are exploring the unpredictable and intricate nature of their humanity. It's really a great parallel throughout! This has a fantastic ensemble cast. Matthew McConaughey was the perfect casting that has to make the sacrifices not only for himself, but for his family as well. He showed the deep flaws of man as well as displaying the fact that he can definitely act. He really filled the role of what Cooper was all about. He really had a great understanding of what this movie was about, and he showed it with his performance. It's also great seeing one of my all time favorite actresses, Anne Hathaway, involved in this huge project. She's an incredible actress, and has been since she was the Princess of Genovia. Brand is gorgeous, intelligent, and did great showing a woman completely devoted to her father and the vast mission they're embarking on. At the same time, the revelations of everything happening really shows how great she is at selling intense emotion! I think Matt Damon's Dr. Mann is excellent. He did really well displaying the effects of space dementia, as well as how much his humanity was affected as a result of being in space for an elongated period of time. The movie really revolves around Murph. Both Jessica Chastain and Mackenzie Foy were incredible portraying this character that is always concerned with discovery in some way. Between the two performances, Murph is able to piece together so many of the mysteries of the movie. I love the cuts between Chastain and Foy. Foy's facial expressions and selling of momentary decisions is perfect. Her bond with McConaughey was established early on and we see that evolve, and it continues to be echoed through Chastain's incredible performance. Nobody quite knows the limitations of space travel, just like we don't know our own limitations. Christopher Nolan never keeps the two entities separate. You could see how both themes were intertwined throughout the movie. The huge twist that tied so many things together had me going from enjoying this movie to absolutely loving it! I literally sit on the edge of my seat every time it comes. I really like the complexity of it and how humanity, space, seem to converge in one point here. It is simply brilliant! The score is absolutely amazing! The music gives the movie even more of a pulse. If you really listen to it, it sounds like you're listening to a clock ticking by seconds, and this movie celebrates how precious time really is. The music crescendos at the perfect at the perfect time, and each note matters. Not only are you witnessing incredible performances throughout this movie, but you're watching an amazing story explode in front of you. While I knew there there had to be a connection to certain events in the movie, the journey and initial moment of revelation are just so well done! This movie has incredible performances, especially by McConaughey, Hathaway, Chastain, and Foy, a highly interesting and complex story involving space, time, and humanity, a beautiful score that becomes a living, breathing character in it's own way, and cinema at it's absolute best!
80. PARASITE (2019):
Director and writer Bong Joon Won created a fantastic character study movie with important themes and commentary on the world. His visual look alone is so impressive! He created the upper class set from scratch! His color palettes and scenery between the upper and lower class homes had so much attention to detail, and essentially made non-living objects become an underlying pulse to the whole movie! There are so many intriguing themes-the dynamics between rich and poor, class warfare itself, plans in life, a fantastic look at South Korean culture, and an excellent cast! All the actors are South Korean, and everybody delivers a stellar performance from start to finish! The story focuses on two families, their lives, interactions, and so much more in between. I love the dialogue-it's all subtitled, but you can follow the story very easily! There's good storytelling throughout here. The charisma of the actors and actresses jumps off the screen at all times! There's some really intense moments as well increasing the dramatic effect of the movie! My favorite performances in this are So-Dam Park's Kim Ki-Jung (such a smart, fun, cerebral character), Yeo-Jeong Ho's Park Yeon-Kyo (very high strung, stressed, but her energy and affection caring for her family is amazing), Woo Sik-Choi's Kim Ki-Woo (overall, he's the main character, and ultimately he's the barrier between both families), and Kang Ho-Sun's Kim Kai-Tek (the patriarch of one of the families). The women in this movie are absolutely gorgeous! The elegance of Asian women is amazing! The movie combines great drama, well placed comedic moments, amazing family dynamics, good storytelling and writing, fantastic directing, and an incredible cast making these characters stand out in a big way! Parasite is why I love movies! It's thought provoking, and will stay with you, because it's that impressive! Very impactful! Very good cinema!
79. BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985):
This movie really helped make science fiction an even cooler genre in entertainment. It had been around for years, but they were mostly B movies that people didn't really accept in the mainstream. This is a movie that became popular with kids and adults for it's time travel elements, and Michael J. Fox's likable protagonist as Marty McFly. I admittedly didn't see this movie until I went to college. I was instantly fascinated the first time I saw it. I loved the DeLorean's look and the effects to make time travel believable. I love Christopher Lloyd's zany antics as Doc Brown. Lloyd has incredible charisma in this movie. He definitely portrayed him as a mad scientist in many ways, and he had fun with it as all audiences can tell. His chemistry with a career defining performance for Fox was impeccable. They worked well together. Their dialogue was fun, and I felt like they definitely got along off camera as well on camera. Lea Thompson and Crispin Glover are fantastic as Marty's parents, Lorraine and George. I love watching Marty in 1955 interacting with his parents, like the scene with Marty in Lorraine's bedroom as he feels extremely uncomfortable for obvious reasons. Thompson and Fox had good repartee in this scene. I thought Glover's awkward, nerdy personality was excellent. Thomas F. Wilson is always great as Biff. Wilson portrays a perfect film antagonist. We just want to see him get punched in the face. Watching Marty try to navigate through 1955 to get his parents to become a couple is really cool to watch. Imagine being able to go back in time to be a part of the process of your parents meeting for the first time. It's a very intriguing concept, and Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis did great with it. My favorite scenes are at the Enchantment Under The Sea dance. Watching Marty's plan work in an unpredictable way really makes the scene great with George ultimately decking Biff and rescuing Lorraine, followed by their first kiss on the dance floor as Marvin Berry sings Earth Angel, and Marty comes back into full existenece. It's an incredible sequence of science fiction and movie storytelling done right. Fox playing Johnny B. Goode is always a highlight as well. He does a great job with the guitar playing and displaying some great stage presence as he plays. I like that each interaction and second of his time in 1955 ultimately changes the course for a lot that happens in the present in 1985 for him. The music is phenomenal as I think the main instrumental theme is one of the absolute best in movie history. I also like Huey Lewis and The News providing some of the songs like Power Of Love and Back In Time to the soundtrack helping sell the tone and mood of the movie. There's incredible science fiction elements with the fantastic time travel sequences at the Twin Pines Mall and, of course the iconic clock tower scene, a great protagonist in Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly, an entertaining performance no matter what he's doing on screen in Christopher Lloyd's Doc Brown, watching Lorraine and George become a couple through Marty's influence and other factors (meaning it really is destiny), great use of comedy, and great set designs as well as great writing make this a truly iconic movie. It's a feel good movie that helps us appreciate the medium even more.
78. PLEASANTVILLE (1998):
This is one of the most amazing movies I've seen! I am completely fascinated with the storyline of this movie of things moving from the conventional, "normal" black and white era to the more modern, "chaotic" colorful era. It's a movie that explores the rebel in all of us as well as the curiosity of how society really functions. This gives us a good example of civil rights, as well as society in two different eras: the 1950's and the 1990's. My favorite part of the movie is Joan Allen's Betty. She wants to be an independent woman, and with Jennifer/Mary Sue's help she will explore this physically and emotionally. I also love how David/Bud helps Jeff Daniels Mr. Johnson break tradition and helps him explore the importance and intrigue of the artistic world. He helps him to see how you can approach things a different way rather than the same way the whole time such as preparing the soda shop for the day's intake. I love watching how David and Jennifer's influence completely transforms the town, as each small item from one red rose to the whole town grows into a beautiful spectrum of color! There's such a beautiful kaleidoscope of colors here to be impressed by! For David and Jennifer, I like how they change colors based on the opposite of who they were when they arrived in Pleasantville! When David gets angry and runs to the defense of Betty as well as protecting Margaret, this is when we see him change as opposed to his timid, defenseless version of him earlier on. I see David as the leader of the new movement in Pleasantville society. I love how Jennifer changes her promiscuous ways and becomes more of a "good" girl and becomes color because she embraces that there's more to her than getting boys and acting like an airhead, realizing her mind can get her far. I like the painting that David & Mr. Johnson paint on the side of the soda shop in terms of color, messages, and showing the divide between ideologies. In the painting the portray books like Catcher in the Rye and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn-which are two books widely banned in the United States (or, at least they used to be). I also like the portrayal of old time rock and roll as a new music medium that the youth of the town is intrigued by. In the 1950's, it was considered the Devil's music, and the older generation viewpoint is presented to balance out both sides. I love when David plugs in the jukebox in and says they can do whatever they want. David presents that this new music and reading sre two things that give the youth of Pleasantville ideas and the chance to move outside of the town bubble. It didn't matter what was written on that decree-they weren't wrong, and David and Jennifer are going to show everybody. The courtroom scene where David and Mr. Johnson are put on trial for disturbing a town of a pleasant nature was a really nice visual resembling To Kill A Mockingbird. The acting in this movie is great. I feel this is some of Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon's best work. For me, it's both of their breakout roles, although, you can argue other movies are. I think they really felt how important their roles were and the passion in their performances was evident throughout. Maguire did well as the rebel leader of the youth, while Witherspoon did well as she becomes more of a conformist than a rebel, but was still rebellious in her own way. At the same time, both are discovering who they really are while in Pleasantville. Great work by both of them! Maguire and Witherspoon really started growing into their acting skin here, and along with Joan Allen, William H. Macy, Jeff Daniels portraying great characters this incredible cast was able to create compelling roles. There's great dialogue, phenomenal scenes, excellent themes, brilliant use of color, and a fantastic soundtrack make this underrated movie a definite favorite of mine.
77. THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH, & THE WARDROBE (2005):
I was first introduced to the world of Narnia in 5th grade when we read the book as part of our reading unit, and instantly became fascinated by it. It's still one of my favorite books. I always liked the animated movie a great deal, and always was hoping for a good live action version. Luckily, we saw that happen in 2005. I think this is a fantastic movie adaptation of a great book! C.S. Lewis's words and characters were presented so well on the screen. I think that Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Mosely, and Anna Popplewell all were great representations of the Pevensie quartet. Mosely presented a brave leader, Popplewell was great as the logical thinker, Keynes was great as the bratty, yet misunderstood Edmund, while Henley stole the show as Lucy with her youth and exuberance, and passion for imagination and adventure. The four blended well together and felt like real life siblings. Tilda Swinton is excellent as Jadis, The White Witch. She's cold, calculating, and methodical. Her outfits and look matched with her voice and demeanor made her a memorable antagonist. I really like the White Witch character as she is able to show many different sides of her personality to maintain control in Narnia. Liam Neeson was an excellent choice for Aslan! His voice matched the regal, yet tough exterior of the great lion. His first appearance is one of awe, and the cast sells it well. James McAvoy is one of the best actors, and we see it here as Mr. Tumnus-one of his first big acting roles. He had great chemistry with Henley's Lucy, and also presented somebody that captured the essence of Tumnus well. The visuals are fantastic, especially for the winter wonderland of Narnia, the look of Aslan and Jadis, the costume design, and, the brilliance of the Stone Table and battle scenes. The battle is beautifully shot with great color and artistic swordplay, as well as wondrous mythical creatures. Aslan and Jadis represent so much of what good and evil represent in animal and human form. I love their rivalry. I love the symbol of hope that the four Pevensie children represent for humanity and Narnia. The writing and directing is fantastic. The soundtrack is excellent-amazing score throughout that matches the mood of the scenes well. The cast all know their roles well either from reading the book or extensive notes, and it's noticeable in their exceptional performances. This is a movie I can always appreciate as it not only takes me back to childhood, but it also perfectly blends storytelling, family dynamics, incredible action sequences, and larger than life protagonists and antagonists! It also celebrates the importance of imagination and how you should always hold on to it no matter how young or old you are!
76. THE SHINING (1980):
This is an iconic movie that fits perfectly into two genres: horror and psychological thriller! Stanley Kubrick created an artistic horror piece here that transcends the genre and makes the audience think about what they're watching. He's a fantastic director in general always caring about attention to detail. It's a tremendous character study of a man descending further into madness due to isolation and bleakness. Jack Nicholson was the perfect casting choice for the role of Jack Torrance. I think he's absolutely amazing in terms of showing a drastic change from when we first meet him in that interview with his calm demeanor into the maniac he devolves into. Nicholson's facial expressions and voice tone mirrored his physical and mental psyche perfectly. Watching Nicholson just walk around the Overlook Hotel shows how charismatic this man is. I think this is a performance that deserved to win an Oscar. It's one of the best male performances you'll find. Watching Nicholson in the bar scene with Lloyd and in the bathroom scene with Grady are two of the most impressive dialogues you'll find in a movie. They are simple conversations about alcohol as well as the history of the Overlook and it's guests, but the intrigue in the delivery of the conversations and the subtle changes in tone from Jack, Lloyd, and Grady are impressive. I think while this movie has good jump scares (I mean, we all freak out at the sight of the old woman in Room 237, and if you don't, you're basically fearless), it relies more on symbolic imagery to further the story. While Kubrick does veer from Stephen King's book, I believe the movie stands on it's own as an amazing piece of artistic expression, and should be commended as such. I like that Kubrick took King's interpretation and made it his own vision, and, it's definitely worked for movie fans for 40 years. I think Shelley Duvall deserves more accolade for her work as Wendy Torrance. While Nicholson is definitely the show stealer in every scene he's in, you have to commend Duvall's amazing performance of showing fear as Jack descends further into madness. Her selling of his changes physically and mentally present Jack in an even more sinister light. Duvall's look of shock and sheer terror is a brilliant performance, and it quite honestly one of the most underrated performances you'll find. I absolutely love the use of color in the movie. The red in the bathroom scene with Grady represents the discussion of "dealing with their families". The purple and green in Room 237 represents a nice facade of something visually stunning, but walk or look deeper in the room, and you'll see some shocking things. The floor and carpet designs are really intriguing in terms of patterns and darker shades of red and orange. As Jack transforms, we notice his outfit change from serene blue to intense red. The brightness of the gold room leads Jack to realize certain things about himself and the Overlook. The design of the Overlook Hotel is really cool. I love the staircases inside, and the exterior is unique much like the content of the movie. The hedge maze is amazing to look at. The different twists and turns mixed with the dark green is menacing, but beautiful at the same time, just like the movie. Watching Jack chase Danny through the hotel, dispose of Halloran with that axe right to the chest, and torment Wendy in a threatening manner display a man transforming into a feral beast. His limp almost makes it look like he's a werewolf on the prowl. Fantastic imagery! In the maze, his speech is almost transforming into growls and unintelligible ramblings. With an iconic performance by Jack Nicholson-one of the best character studies in movie history, an underrated performance by Shelley Duvall, fantastic imagery, use of color, intriguing dialogue that you need to pay attention to, a great interpretation of Stephen King's work, and some of the most memorable scenes you'll find not only in the horror genre, but the medium of cinema. Now crank Midnight (The Stars and You) and book your room at the Overlook Hotel! It seems like a HELL of a good time!
