I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "I don't believe it." But yes, it's true. I have finally reached the final edition of the list of "100 movies I really like." I started this thing over eight freaking months ago (if this had been a list of 100 TV shows I really like, I could have said, "eight frakking months ago" there).
Now, remember that these movies have been listed in completely random order (actually determined by an online random number generator - no, I don't remember which one), so these are not necessarily my ten favourite movies. They are just the last ten left after I named ninety others.
(Actually, I have only named eighty-nine others, haven't I? I accidentally listed The Fugitive in both this list, and this one.) So, here are the movies. Comment on my choices as you will.
Alien - Earlier on this list I named the sequel to this film, Aliens. This is an entirely different creature (heh). In fact, this is much more of a Horror/Suspense/Thriller than a science fiction film. Heck, the audience doesn't even get to see the monster until almost the end of the movie. Also, the alien's method of reproduction falls under the category of most creepy sci-fi concept ever.
Big - Tom Hanks wasn't an unknown, by any stretch of the imagination, but Big was the film that lit the fuse on the rocket his career was to become.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day - What better way to deal with a man who can't act than to cast him as a robot? Heck, it worked for Peter Weller. I originally had the first Terminator movie here, but decided I liked the second one better. Hasta La Vista, Baby!
The Pink Panther - No, not the recent one starring Steve Martin. Are you kidding me? I'm sure Martin wakes up every morning, looks in the mirror, and askshimself, "what the hell was I thinking?" Who decided it was a good idea to remake a movie starring one of the funniest human beings who ever lived? And has that person learned their lesson?
Seriously, there is no one who could ever match the comic genius of Peter Sellers in the role of Inspector Clouseau.
Shrek - This movie was in the can when when Mike Myers decided Shrek should have a Scottish accent. So he went back into the studio and revoiced Shrek's dialogue for the entire film. At some point after that he walked away from the Sprockets project because he didn't want to release a steaming heap of crap that would make money anyway just because he was in it. That's just the way Mike rolls.
Lethal Weapon - In the best tradition of The Odd Couple. Detectives Murtaugh and Riggs are among the best cop partnerships ever filmed. Also, Gary Busey puts his natural born creepiness to good use as Mr. Joshua, the former special forces nut job/bad guy.
A Beautiful Mind - There had to be at least one Oscar winner on this list. Didn't there?
La Femme Nikita - The American Remake of this film, Point Of No Return, was actually pretty good. Credit where due, director John Badham didn't stray too far from the original. The original, a French film directed by Luc Besson, is described by one IMBD user as, "cooler than a fortnight in Antartica wearing a bikini, drinking chilled vodka with ice-packs strapped to your body."
Desperado - Antonio Badaras is almost as pretty as Salma Hayek in this one. This may be the most cinematographically attractive shoot-em-up movie ever made. Your mileage may vary.
First Blood - I can still see Sly pulling a needle and thread through his own skin (shudder). I think Richard Crenna's costume had an actual board sewn into it in this film. Brian Dennehy elevates everything he appears in. OK, maybe not Tommy Boy.
That's ten. I have now listed every film that appeared on my original list of 100. The only problem is, that original list only named ninety-nine different movies. So I owe you one. That fact is what has held up this last entry of the series for so long. I just didn't want to try and come up with one more movie to add.
Circumstance to the rescue. We went out to the theater to see Iron Man last night. Let me tell you, it rocked. The decision to cast Robert Downey Jr. was an inspired one, and he pulled off the role with ease. We totally believed his transformation.
The special effects were top notch, with special mention due the suit effects. It looks totally real. I thought Jeff Bridges overplayed his part a little bit, and I never quite bought Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, but Downey carried every scene he was in, and was able to lift the film past those deficiencies, and the few slow spots in the story. I highly reccomend you see this in the theater, with the Big Screen, and the Big Sound. It's worth the over-inflated tickets and popcorn prices.
Also worth mention were the previews preceeding the movie. The new Indy was the most notable, and I suspect we'll be back in the theater before the month is out to see it. The Dark Knight looks excellent, although I'm not a huge Batman fan, so this one will wait until it hits DVD. Also pretty funny looking were Kung Fu Panda, and You Don't Mess With The Zohan, Adam Sandler's latest. Although I suspect we saw most of the funny bits of the latter in the trailer.
Well, there you have it: one hundred movies I really like. Not an entirely comprehensive list, and were I to compile it again, I would not be surprised to see huge differences in the movies selected. At several points during this process, I have smacked myself on the forehead and said, "I could have had a V8!" Or at least remembered another film that should have been here.
But then again, I have carefully disclaimed any intention to make this list actually representative of anything other than a bunch of movies I really like throughout the whole process. Just in case you're interested, here is the full list, in the order I originally wrote them down, all those months ago:
1:Bull Durham
2:Star Wars
3:Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
4:The Maltese Falcon
5:The African Queen
6:Casablanca
7:Raiders of the Lost Ark
8:Blade Runner
9:The Rock
10:Big
11:Serenity
12:Back to the Future
13:Moulin Rouge
14:A Knight's Tale
15:Braveheart
16:The Fugitive
17:Frailty
18:Ghostbusters
19:Gladiator
20:Highlander
21:The Hunt for Red October
22:The Incredibles
23:The Iron Giant
24:Jurassic Park
25:Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
26:Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
27:The Matrix
28:Monsters Inc.
29:Pink Floyd: The Wall
30:Shrek
31:Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
32:Spiderman
33:Stargate
34:The Legend of Bagger Vance
35:This is Spinal Tap
36:Hard Core Logo
37:A Beautiful Mind
38:The Bourne Identity
39:Underworld
40:The Transporter
41:The Terminator
42:School of Rock
43:Men in Black
44:The Last Temptation of Christ
45:Ice Age
46:Armageddon
47:Ocean's Eleven
48:The Green Mile
49:Agent Cody Banks
50:Titan: AE
51:Die Hard
52:Beverly Hills Cop
53:Cast Away
54:Aladdin
55:The Lion King
56:The Nightmare Before Christmas
57:They Live
58:The Wizard of Oz
59:Scrooged
60:Stripes
61:Memento
62:Alien
63:Aliens
64:Ferris Bueller's Day Off
65:Saving Private Ryan
66:Hang 'em High
67:High Plains Drifter
68:The Sixth Sense
69:Little Miss Sunshine
70:Toy Story
71:Twelve Monkeys
72:Casino Royale
73:Blood Diamond
74:The Road Warrior
75:True Lies
76:Apollo Thirteen
77:Chicken Run
78:Close Encounters of the Third Kind
79:E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
80:La Femme Nikita
81:Shanghai Noon
82:The Fugitive
83:Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
84:Payback
85:The Pink Panther
86:Rain Man
87:Ruthless People
88:Shakespeare in Love
89:Mrs. Doubtfire
90:True Grit
91:Victor/Victoria
92:Benny and Joon
93:The Untouchables
94:Soylent Green
95:Gattaca
96:The Fifth Element
97:First Blood
98:Predator
99:Desperado
100:Lethal Weapon
really 100:Iron Man
<< previous ten
Tags: memes, 100 movies, blogplugs
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
100 movies - the last 10 (plus 1)
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13 comments:
That was a pretty good list. I expected more fireworks, some balloons, and maybe a clown with some sparklers at the end, but I know how things are with production values in today's economy.
Anyway, now you've got to do 100 Favourite Books.
Peace out!
-Dan
http://thewisdomofadistractedmind.blogspot.com/
"100 favourite books..." You know, I do believe you're right.
-Paul
Alien was definitely a far different movie that its successor. I prefer the second overall, but the first wins for sheer creep factor.
Big - I was young enough when I first saw it that I thought the kid was sure lucky to get laid at 13. Hey! I wanna be BIG too!
T2 - I found this way better than the first Terminator.
Pink Panther - Peter Sellers really can't be beat. I have a copy of The Party at home, and for a movie with so little dialogue, it's frikkin' hilarious.
Shrek - The best of the series. They could have stopped with this one. They SHOULD have stopped after the second one.
Lethal Weapon - like the Alien flicks, I liked the second better, but they're all good, solid, completely unbelievable cop and robber fluff.
Beautiful Mind - I almost hate to like Russell Crowe movies as much as I do, but they ARE good.
Never seen Femme Nikita.
Desperado almost makes you want to go out and buy a guitar case full of guns. Steve Buscemi had a wicked little part in it, too.
First Blood - been way too many years since I saw it to remember what I thought of it.
I've seen Iron Man twice in the theatre now, I thought it was so good. Very fun flick. And you DID stay until the very end of the credits to catch the little scene that helps ensure the sequel, didn't you??
Simon
http://simianfarmer.com
I admire your patience and persistance. Good job well done, Bill
I read you anyway, but I just ran across you on Magic Smoke listed as "a different Paul." I have always felt this way about you myself. :-) ~Mary
I'm the other Paul....and I don't believe it...you finished kudos
Anyone that gets labeled with the moniker "different" deserves the kudo's. Quite a list here, with several movies I have watched and enjoyed. I would say my all time favorite out of the bunch would be Pink Floyd: The Wall.
Can't wait till you do the 100 Favourite books. Sorry blame Dan for that one he started it. (Hugs) Indigo
Quite a few great flicks such as Casablanca. I also like a few not on the list for example:
The Other Half (Foreign film)
Animal House
Das Boot (foreign film)
Gone With the Wind
The Wizard of Oz
Fantasia
Charlie
Ooops, me bad. Just noted you have "The Wizard of Oz"
Yes, I do have The Wizard of Oz, but not Gone With The Wind, which I believe is one of the worst films ever made, and I am entirely resentful of it for those four frakking hours of my life that I will never get back.
-Paul
these are good for sure.
Are you going to see Ben Stiller's new movie?
"Expelled"?
I wrote about it on my blog Paul.
Check it out.
I would like to know if you are goin , or not and why.:)
nat
Natalie,
I wrote a bit about "Expelled: No Intelligence Apparent" a couple of weeks ago. I don't feel the need to readdress the topic.
-Paull
More classics Desperado is a favourite of mine. It has a great sound mix. The DTS DVD is a must!
I recently picked up the Rambo Trilogy at Future Shop for $16. Still haven't seen the latest Rambo movie.
Tommy Boy is another favourite, only because it was shot in and around Toronto. There's even a scene where Chris Farley and David Spade drive by South Brook Farms in Richmond Hill. Okay, Tommy Boy wasn't a great movie but how can you not like Chris Farley?
BTW, two thumbs up for putting Maltese Falcon in the top 5.
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