EWB Votes On... The Greatest Movies Ever

[Benji]

You know the rules. Ten films, ten points for first choice, nine for second, all the way down to one point for tenth.

Just to make things interesting and add a bit of discussion - adding some decent blurb to a choice will gain one additional point for that choice.

Go!

[Naitch]

1st: Trainspotting

It's gritty, the characterisation of major characters is brilliant, and the way their interpersonal relationships evolve over the course of the film is brilliant. I haven't seen the sequel yet, and I've heard it's underwhelming, but I'm not sure anything could've matched the original.

2nd: Some Like It Hot

Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon have the perfect chemistry and play off the other characters really well. The Great Race also features the duo and is similarly enjoyable.

3rd: Leon

Gary Oldman as the psychotic cop is THE perfect movie villain. The father/daughter relationship cultivated between Jean Reno and Natalie Portman feels a bit forced but Leon's character arc is better off for it, and it probably wouldn't have the same emotional gravitas without it.

4th: Back to the Future

It's a classic, in a different way to some of the older films on my list, but possibly just because almost everyone has seen it and it's packed full of memorable scenes. The sequels aren't nearly as good but they do manage to tap into the great chemistry between the cast (except Danny Glover, who stands out even more in the first one as a result).

5th: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

Somehow combining the grit and comedy exceedingly well, every character in Lock, Stock gets what they deserve by the end of the film.

6th: The Wizard of Oz

Probably my all-time favourite story alongside Alice in Wonderland. It's been adapted so many times but the Judy Garland version is the one that everyone knows. Tin Man is also a personal favourite in terms of the many adaptations.

7th: Die Hard

Another 80s classic. It basically introduced Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman (even though it wouldn't have been the first movie I saw either in), who are both brilliant in almost all of their roles. Hans Gruber would probably be #2 in my all-time movie villains list behind Norman from Leon.

8th: North by Northwest

Something about this film just seems right. It flows incredibly well, building suspense and maintaining drama and has so many scenes that have been referenced since. Cary Grant is also a brilliant lead actor.

9th: Snatch

Not as good as Lock, Stock but still a great movie. It basically feels like a sequel. It's probably also the only movie I actually like Brad Pitt in.

10th: The Princess Bride

It's wacky, long-winded, and totally nonsensical at times, but it does it all so entertainingly that none of it matters.

[RPS]

1. The Wizard of Oz: Wizard of Oz is the perfect movie for me. It is old Hollywood, but also the first movie to really utilize color in an interesting way. It blends sci-fi, comedy, musicals and mild action into what I think is the greatest movie of all time. You laugh, you cry, you reflect. In my view, you can watch those movie if you are 5, 35 or 75 and have that same universal reaction of joy and wonderment. 
2. The Great Dictator: this movie is amazing. Everyone should watch it. The message is all the more important today than when it was released 80 odd years ago. The comedy is timeless. It is hysterical despite being a movie about oppression, despair and the Holocaust. The highest level of satire. 
3. Get Out: Man oh man. This movie is something else. It has lived in my brain ever since I saw it 1-2 years ago. I am traditionally skeptical of hyped up movies. This movie hits you like a sledgehammer. It creeps up on you. The imagery, the acting, the story, the cinematography. It is all so very fantastic. The way the movie took traditional horror tropes and through them on their head was masterful. 
4. Pink Flamingos: The first time you watch Pink Flamingos, you are in shock and horror. People can prepare you for the movie. But you simply cannot be prepared for how shocking, outrageous and quotable this movie is. The movie is about who is the filthiest person alive. It ends with Divine, a drag queen playing the role Babs Johnson, eating literal dog shit to end the movie. That is the end frame. A dog shits, she eats it and it is all one take. Every raunchy comedy that has come out since has aspired to  be as counter culture, offensive and shocking as this movie. 
5. How to Survive a Plague: A documentary about HIV/AIDS and the activism that occurred in the 1980s. This movie pushes the boundaries of what we expect from a documentary. There are scenes of individuals who are on their death bed participating in protests against the Government, pharmaceutical companies, the Catholic church. It is, in my opinion, the greatest documentary of all time because it does not provide easy answers or solutions or lead their audience to a conclusion. Is it right for individuals to protest a Catholic church by showing up during mass and throwing themselves on the ground? The documentary does not provide you an easy answer. 
6. The White Ribbon: If you like psychological horror movies, you have to watch Michael Haneke's White Ribbon (or any of his movies). It is about WWI Germany, a small town and the tensions that lead to fascism. It is fantastic. I will not spoil much other than - it is an incredible mystery that slowly reveals itself of the course of the movie. 
7. Spirited Away: This movie is so fascinating and bizarre for a kids movie. It is full of allegories and heavy themes, but is still a captivating kids movie. My kids - 7, 5 and 3 - adore this movie. Every time I watch it, I find something new to love about the movie. 
8. Moonlight: Like Get Out, this movie just impacted me in a way I cannot describe. There are times that certain frames of the movie or parts of the movie stick with me. As a queer person, it captured so clearly coming of age in such an uncertain time of your life. I also think it is such a fascinating look at how the core people in your life can enter and exit your life so casually. 
9. Bridesmaids: I do not care what anyone says about this movie. It is hysterical. Every time I watch it, the same scenes make me laugh over and over and over again. Every character is cast perfectly. The dialogue is so great. And I love that it sticks true to itself the whole movie. The female characters are the central focus with Chris O'Dowd just being a minor distraction for Annie. The theme of growing up and moving on is so universal and captured so amazingly in this movie .
10. Elephant: Elephant was the first "indie" or "art-house" movie I watched. I have tried to avoid spoiling major parts of movies here, but Elephant is about a school shooting. I think it is better knowing that fact going on. The dread that builds the entire movie is tense. It suffocates you. 

[Liam]

1 Cinema Paradiso - I love stories about stories, books about books, films about films. I'm not entirely sure why, but I do. For those who haven't seen it, it is about the death of a projectionist from an old Italian village and the relationship he had with a young boy that we see in flashback. A beautifully told story that is a love letter to the power of film with a great ending.

2 Rocky - This is something of a reward for the franchise as a whole, but I felt I had to include the 'best' movie of the bunch. I've watched 3 and 4 more times than the original film that sparked this series, yet it is the debut film that is by far the best actual movie. Whenever I talk to people who've never watched Rocky before or don't care about it due to what it became/the sports film element, I do implore them to watch the first film as it rightfully deserved every plaudit that it got.

3 Audition - I watched Audition when I was way too young to watch Audition. It was part of a Scream Week or something like that on Channel 4 and I was in bed when it began, so I decided to watch it. For almost an hour, I had no idea what made it part of this week of horrific and 18-rated films...until everything goes to shit. Of course, your mileage will vary on this film, but I still love it today even when you factor in the random places it goes towards the end. I even wrote a paper at University on it, that's how much I loved it.

4 Gladiator - I'm not one for the big Hollywood spectacle necessarily, but this was a 'wow' film when I saw it at the cinema. The scale and scope are amazing, while the actual story it tells was incredibly emotive. The 'Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife' scene is one of the greatest in film history, I genuinely feel.

5 Big Fish - This is back to stories about stories just like Cinema Paradiso. The idea of the truth and the fiction within the stories we tell about each other is explored within a film that feels magical throughout. I'm not sure if I'd like it as much now as I did when I first saw it, but it was another that truly wowed me when I saw it at the cinema.

6 Life is Beautiful - This could have been higher. I get why people don't like it, but it is one of the most emotive films I've ever seen.

7 Predator - I'm not a huge fan of the big 80s action film, but this is the one that rises above all the others I have seen. When I first started dating my now-wife, it was one of the films I showed her (she isn't a big film fan) as it has everything enjoyable about these films - violence, cheesy characters, iconic lines. So so good.

8 The Bicycle Thieves - just go and watch it. Such a beautifully put together piece of cinema that explored what it was like to be in Italy post-World War II.

9 The Princess Bride - other people have put it, and it goes back to the story within a story aspect once more. A brilliant book turned into a brilliant film with a cast that is spot on all across the board.

10 The Seven Samurai - I watched this once when my wife was away and I had some time to myself. I didn't regret any of the three hours. Epic, but tells such a good story that it never feels like it is dragging for one moment.

I really wanted to include Starship Troopers, so that will be my honourable mention.

Edited August 28, 2020 by Liam

[Lineker]

Con Air.

[OctoberRaven]

1. The Warriors- Just a fun movie. Gang members from a small-time outfit trying to make it home after being framed for an assassination. Every moment is significant, everybody is realistic. The story hints at a rich setting just waiting to be expanded on. The video game adaptation definitely helped with that, but there's so much that could be opened up on.

2. Star Wars: A New Hope- The movie nobody expected to succeed that launched a cultural monolith. What else is there to say?

3. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back- While some say Empire is better than A New Hope, there wouldn't be Empire without A New Hope, and the things that make Empire great wouldn't be as special without ANH to make it so.

4. The Joker- Joachim Phoenix is so fucking good in this. The thing about it is, that it's not about The Joker the DC character at all. In fact, I don't think The Joker in this movie IS The Joker. He's a man who society has failed. I know it's mostly a remake of an older movie, but the social commentary in this film that makes it relevant today makes it a must-watch.

5. Alien- A sci-fi horror film that puts horror first, and makes it all the better for it. The attention to detail and level of special effect fidelity make it a triumph of filmmaking.

6. Ghost In The Shell (1995)- Fun fact: The Wachowskis originally wanted to make a GITS adaptation, and their screen treatment would eventually become The Matrix. A thrilling, psychological story with visuals that are unmatched even today.

7. Akira- Like Ghost In The Shell, a groundbreaking movie whose influences run deep. While not as well-paced as GITS, still an amazing journey.

8. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi- While the weakest of the trilogy, it's still a great story of it's own right. You can see the beginning of Lucas' "make it for younger fans" ethos that would, for better or worse, shape the prequel trilogy.

9. Pulp Fiction- While Tarantino, like all of his movies, basically borrowed Pulp Fiction's core concept from movies he watched in film school (that is, a story told from multiple perspectives), he brought the format into the mainstream. It was a sleeper hit for a reason and every one of it's star-studded cast give career-highlight performances.

10. Monty Python and the Holy Grail- Just an insanely fun, infinitely quotable film. Every gag is inspired and without knowing the film's production and budget issues you'd never guess it wasn't the original vision.

[DFF]

1. It's a Wonderful Life

Simply put, my favourite film of all time, and a genuine contender for the greatest 'anything' ever made. Stellar acting and direction. Yes, the concept has been aped to death now, but this is the OG. 

2. Die Hard

The greatest action film ever made. 

3. Goodfellas

I genuinely think this is a better gangster flick than the Godfather films, though I'm not sure why, and the best I've seen to date. 

4. Before Sunrise 

For my money Sunrise/Sunset are two of the greatest romcom/romdrams of all time. It's a little aloof, sure, but their is an honesty to the interactions that I find infectious. Both characters are flawed, but likeable - but not in a way that feels contrived. Add in great performances and a banging all round script. 

5. 12 Angry Men

Cracking almost single-room court room (or should that be jurors room?) drama that explores how humans perceive each other and their prejudices, as well as showing how easy it is to descend into mob culture. 

6. Whiplash

A super tense/intense film about obsession. Banging soundtrack too. 

7. The Raid

The second best action film of all time >_>. There's some similarities with both the first Die Hard and the (underated) Dredd. Some of the most amazingly choreographed fight scenes put on film (including, for my money, potentially the best - the 1 villain vs 2 good guys fight late on, where they do a spectacular job to portray the heroes as still at a disadvantage, even with numerical superiority). 

8. LA Confidential 

I dig neo-noir period pieces and, for me, this is the best of the bunch. Stonking cast too. 

9. Nightcrawler

The end of a run of back-to-back films (End of Watch, Prisoners, Enemy, then this) that really hammered home to be just how brilliant Jake Gyllenhaal is (I still think he's underated to this day). Nightcrawler is wonderfully creep suspensful thriller/black comedy. 

10. The Guest

Probably a slight reach for me, but if it potentially gets someone to watch it out of interest then it's worth it. Was the first thing I saw both Dan Stevens and Maika Monroe in (both great), and I just love the sort of homage to old school thrillers (and horrors) touched upon through out. The soundtrack is phenomenal too. 

 

 

 

 

 

[GhostMachine]

I am sticking to my top 5, for now. Will edit the rest in later:

1. The Shawshank Redemption - I do not even own a copy, but I try to watch it on cable once a year. 

2. The Maltese Falcon - Anyone who doesn't appreciate Humphrey Bogart probably has no soul. The movie is friggin' perfect. And as you'll eventually note, this isn't the only Bogey movie on my list.

3. The Empire Strikes Back - Still the best Star Wars film, in my opinion. Only one flaw: it introduced the most overrared movie character of all time, Boba Fett.

4. 12 Angry Men - Possibly the best courtroom drama ever made, though I can name a few that come close. (Anatomy of A Murder is a good example.) What makes this my favorite of that genre? The cast. Jack Klugman and Henry Fonda really shine, but the entire cast is excellent. Lee J. Cobb is also outstanding.

5. The Princess Bride - Do I even need to say why?

6. Dark Passage - Humphrey Bogart as a man wanted for a murder he didn't commit, who changes his appearance through plastic surgery, and tries to solve the crime. 

7. Godzilla, King of the Monsters - The 1950's movie with Raymond Burr, NOT the recent movie. If you get a chance, check out Gojira, the original version without Raymond Burr and some scenes in different order. Only available subtitled, though.)

8. Die Hard - The greatest Christmas movie ever made. 

9. Eight Men Out - Though some parts of it are sketchy, its my favorite baseball movie based on real life. (Shoeless Joe was definitely railroaded, and the Baseball Hall of Fame is a joke until he is enshrined.)

10. You know what? I am actually going to leave this blank, because my mind changes on that just about every day. I *almost* put Highlander, House On Haunted Hill (the original with Vincent Price), Arsenic and Old Lace, The Man Who Came To Dinner, Superman or Double Indemnity down. But there are far too many great films, including those and others, for me to do a legitimate top 10. I was also tempted to add a third Humphrey Bogart movie. Will not say when it was, but it was NOT Casablanca, The African Queen, or The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

Edited August 28, 2020 by GhostMachine

[DFF]

29 minutes ago, GhostMachine said:

I am sticking to my top 5, for now. Will edit the rest in later:

1. The Shawshank Redemption - I do not even own a copy, but I try to watch it on cable once a year. 

2. The Maltese Falcon - Anyone who doesn't appreciate Humphrey Bogart probably has no soul. The movie is friggin' perfect. And as you'll eventually note, this isn't the only Bogey movie on my list.

3. The Empire Strikes Back - Still the best Star Wars film, in my opinion. Only one flaw: it introduced the most overrared movie character of all time, Boba Fett.

4. 12 Angry Men - Possibly the best courtroom drama ever made, though I can name a few that come close. (Anatomy of A Murder is a good example.) What makes this my favorite of that genre? The cast. Jack Klugman and Henry Fonda really shine, but the entire cast is excellent. Lee J. Cobb is also outstanding.

5. The Princess Bride - Do I even need to say why?

some great picks here! Shawshank was very close to making mine  

[Red Devil-Taker316]

1. The Dark Knight (2008)

2. Shawshank Redemption (1994)

3. Coco (2018)

4. Good Will Hunting (1997)

5. A Few Good Men (1992)

6. Toy Story (1995)

7. Frozen (2013)

8. Spider-Man: Into the SpiderVerse (2018)

9. Avengers: EndGame (2019)

10. Logan (2017)

[Kaney]

Was trying really hard to think of all time great films rather than just my personal all time favourites, but then I saw someone put The Joker down so I loled and went with my favourites too.

The Prestige - my all time favourite film. I love the book but the film changes are every bit as good. One my all time favourite performances from Christian Bale and a wonderful turn by Jackman as well. Legit fell out with the mrs one night because she wasn't paying enough attention to it.

Die Hard - The blueprint for what I consider to be a great action film pretty much all comes from this film. Greatest action lead, and a fantastic villain. 

In Bruges - There's something so very stylish about it, along with how quotable it is that I always come back to In Bruges. First film I saw Colin Farrell in and really liked him, changed my opinion of him a lot.

John Wick/The Matrix - Its hard to separate these and not just because they are Keanu Reeves best films. Matrix did so much right even as a standalone film that had such an influence on everything going forward, and I think John Wick had a similar effect. They've gotten very goofy going along (both franchises tbf) but the first in each are both amazing films in different ways.

Jurassic Park - The first blockbuster I can remember seeing in the cinema. Still looks amazing today.

The Silence Of The Lambs - There's a quite level of unease throughout the whole thing that makes it so memorable for me, I don't really think of it as a horror movie but the buildup to the one real gory bit is fantastic. Psychological stuff is always far more interesting than jump scares and this is a classic.

True Romance - The best Tarantino film. Don't @ me, I think the kids say.

Unforgiven - I love the man with no name trilogy and it was either this or For A Few Dollars More but I think overall the story is better here. Eastwood will always be remembered as the quintessential cowboy and I'm a sucker for one-last-job type of stories.

Avengers Infinity War - I tried hard not to have any Marvel films on a "greatest of all time" list but in all honesty, seeing the culmination of the whole saga (I know, Endgame, but I think Infinity War is a better film) of something that I grew up reading my whole childhood on screen is just too magical to leave out.

[Draevyn]

1. The Crow - It has been at the top of my list for as long as I can remember. People claim that it's only as big as it is because of the tragedy that surrounded it but to me, even if you take that out of the equation, this movie is amazing. There was a time when I had watched the movie so many times that I honestly knew the script word for word. So many quotes in this movie that I loved.

2. Silence Of The Lambs - While I love action movies, I don't think there's anything better than well crafted dialogue between two characters, and this movie was perfect for that. The interactions between Sir Anthony and Jodie Foster were electric and in all honesty, Sir Anthony wasn't even on screen all that much but it just felt like so much more. It was also probably the most well adapted movie from the book series that they did. The sequels didn't do themselves justice.

3. The Dark Knight - The original Batman was great. Michael Keaton was amazing in the role. Jack Nicholson made The Joker his own and I honestly never believed at the time that they could be outdone but here we were. People will debate it but Christian Bale was perfect as Batman and Heath Ledger surprised just about everyone. Much like The Crow, tragedy looms over it but much like The Crow, I believe it stands on it's own merits.

4. Scream - This one will probably raise eyebrows, and I'll be honest in saying that it's a personal pick for me. I feel like it was game changing in that style of movies and honestly I even love the sequels/reboots that came after it. It's another one of those movies that have so many quotable lines that I've used over the years. On a personal level, a buddy of mine from high school and I used to sit in class and develop scripts based on the movie and talked about doing something with it. I did not go on to do anything with it but he actually went on to have a short lived comic for Zuda Comics (an offset of DC) called Lily Of The Valley. He also does a lot of artwork now for various television shows such as Umbrella Academy and the new Star Trek show. I talk to him every once in awhile and he still mentions those times back in school when we would do this stuff as what moved him to keep working on that stuff. So yeah, on a personal level this is probably higher than it should be.

5. The Negotiator - Much like Silence of the Lambs, this is a movie that is driven by the dialogue and the intriguing nature of what's going on around that dialogue. Samuel L Jackson and Kevin Spacey at their best and once again so many quotable lines in this movie. (Are you seeing a theme?) I still use the Marine joke every once in awhile when I can fit it in.

6. Die Hard - The quintessential Christmas movie (Shut up all you "It's not a christmas movie" people including Bruce Willis) and it is one that I watch every Christmas (along with Home Alone and National Lampoons). To me it doesn't feel like Christmas until I've watched this movie.

7. Hackers - It's cheesy but it's so underrated. I always thought Jonny Lee Miller was going to be more than he was. It also had Angelina Jolie in it before she became a big name. Plus Matthew Liliard was just so fun in this movie. I swear this was him training to be Shaggy from Scooby Doo many years before that movie was even thought of.

8. Casablanca - I only watched this recently so it doesn't have as big of an emotional impact on me as the movies I've listed beforehand, which is why it rates this low on my list. It's an amazing piece of film with iconic lines.

 

I'm going to have to think on the last 2. There are tons of movies that I like but I can't think of them at the moment.  

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Ahhhh beautiful. Love an EWB top ten!

1. Gosford Park - The film is layers upon layers. Each viewing adds more and more to the deep and vivid story, as subtle background storylines become clear, characters get rounded out and the weekend plays out more and more colourfully. An incredible cast and very clever direction too.

2. Alien - A lot of people prefer the second film, but for me the original encapsulates everything perfect about horror in a sci-fi setting. Enclosed space, lack of weapons, the unknown. The fact that the viewer waits nearly an hour for things to really "kick off" is a beautiful pacing exercise that can only be found in older horrors and Japanese horrors (such as Audition). Characters are fleshed out. It's iconic. Definitely my favourite Alien film with the best movie tag line ever. Also, the trailer utterly set the scene but gave nothing away. Perfect trailer. 

3. The Big Lebowski - My favourite comedy. Again, this is all about pacing, setting and scripting. Nothing happens, yet everything happens. 

4. Zatoichi - There are "better" Japanese movies made, particularly Seven Samurai and Ran. You could even push for Kitano's Hana-Bi and Sonatine being better, but Zatoichi for me is a beautiful thing. A wonderfully shot modern samurai movie, using a very popular and revered Japanese character but with a modern twist and a big dance finale. It's a brilliant film that I got to see at the cinema with about 6 other people in the room!

5. Amelie - Amelie is peak romantic movie. The French are amazing at them. Jeunet was at his total peak at the time and Tautou was wonderful in it. Everything about it is full of magic and whimsy and lovely storytelling. Also it has the best ending of any film. So there.

6. The Platform - Certainly not a perfect film but it provides that perfect kind of film setting and piles the plate of social and political references and ideology high. It's brutal, dark and difficult at times but it is extremely affecting and challenging if you let it be.

7. Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind - Gondry is a great director anyway, but Carrey turns in a career best, as does Kate Winslet. The supporting cast is brilliant and the concept is unique and fascinating. The morals and outcomes that the film provides are satisfying but challenging at the same time.

8. Battle Royale - I would like a special cut where they don't end up on the island. I would like to watch that. That said, I have a Battle Royale tattoo, so of course I like it. It's got Kitano, it's a decent (not perfect) retelling of the novel that shafts a few characters but overall is head and shoulders above every other film or game that tries to be it.

9. Ex Machina - This film is ALL in the setting and mood and how it plays with the viewer. It's wonderful in that regard. Acting is top notch, cinematography stunning. I've got a LOT of time for Alex Garland's work and he nails it here.

10. Sunshine - Look, I really like Sunshine alreet. Alex Garland and Danny Boyle. Underworld doing music. Cillian Murphy, Hiroyuki Sanada (in one of my favourite scenes ever), Chris Evans. Michelle Yeoh, Rose Byrne.....fantastic cast. Really interesting concept. amazing visuals, pacing, style. Love it. Even the final third which some people hate I really like. I understand if people don't buy into it, but I love it.

[Azazel]

1. The Thing - Unbelievable atmosphere and practical effects.  Great characters and built in a way that you cannot read into foreshadowing giving you a constant sense of paranoia and leaves the you unsure of the ending.  Just a fantastic movie and easily my favorite movie of all time and one of the many absolute brilliant John Carpenter/Kurt Russell movies of the 80's.

2. From Dusk Till Dawn - I've always greatly preferred Robert Rodriguez movies over Tarantino.  This is really a tale of two movies.  The first half is just an amazing thriller and George Clooney is an absolute badass the entire time.  Then the major plot shift in the middle is so out of nowhere and unexpected and it turns into an incredibly fun over the top adventure.  Selma Hayek's dance scene is iconic and Sex Machine may be the best minor character ever put on screen.  I can probably quote this entire movie if I had to.

3. Aliens - My favorite action movie, amazing characters, iconic monster.  I love the Alien franchise but to be honest it is 90% because Aliens is just so amazing.

4. Big Trouble in Little China - Another Carpenter/Russell gem.  It's basically a kung fu cartoon but it does one this that I love that I do not see in many other movies.  To everyone in the film all of the insanity seems normal and they understand what is going on and almost never explain it to the audience.  Instead you are basically in the role of Jack Burton who is in way over his head and doesn't really have a clue what is going on.

5. The Warriors - Just such a cool movie.

6. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - I think its the best of the LotR trilogy and its heavily because of Helms Deep.  Amazing battle scene.

7. Avengers: Endgame - Endgame gets my nod for favorite Marvel movie, which surprisingly beats out The Winter Soldier.  This movie hits me hard on an emotional level many times, between Lang/Cassie, Tony/Howard, Nat/Clint and "on your left" I'm usually a bit of an emotional wreck after watching it.

8. Desperado - Another super fun Rodriguez action movie and I LOVE Antonio Banderas.

9. The Wild Bunch - This is the western I always tell people to watch because it's just a great story bookended with two of the bloodiest scene on screen for decades.

10. The Muppet's Christmas Carol - An odd once but this was a childhood favorite and let's just admit it, it's amazing.  Michael Caine is fantastic, the songs are catchy, The Ghost of Christmas Future is terrifying and Gonzo/Rizzo narrating it is just a fun addition.

Edited August 30, 2020 by Azazel

[GA!]

I'll fill in my reasons later...

1. The Truman Show
2. Blue Velvet
3. Donnie Darko
4. The 400 Blows
5. The Apartment
6. Invasion of the Bodysnatchers (1956)
7. Jaws
8. Network
9. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
10. Adaptation

[Pooker]

Can't promise I'll fill in any thing about them later but here we go.

1. The Dark Knight

2. The Avengers

3. Ghostbusters

4. Back to the Future 

5. The Empire Strikes Back

6. The Princess Bride

7. Jurassic Park

8. Avengers: Endgame

9. Mulan

10. The Emperor's New Groove

[mattu29]

1. Die Hard

2. Toy Story

3. Shawshank Redemption

4. Rocky

5. Pulp Fiction

6. Terminator 2

7. No Country For Old Men

8. Heat

9. Saving Private Ryan

10. The Town (Just a personal favourite)

[VerbalPuke]

1. Trainspotting

2. Taxi Driver

3. Raging Bull

4. The Warriors

5. Pulp Fiction

6. Gangs of New York

7. Deer Hunter

8. Dawn of the Dead

9. A Clockwork Orange

10. Platoon 

[METALMAN]

I'm not so good or knowledgeable when it comes to films. I don't watch many. So I'm not going to back myself to make good explanations, but here we go:

1. Once Upon a Time in the West

2. The Good the Bad and the Ugly

3. Shawshank Redemption

4. Strangers on a Train

5. Some Like it Hot

6. Jeune Femme

7. Witness for the Prosecution

8. The Apartment

9. Gregory's Girl

10. City of God

 

[GoGo Yubari]

ten spots is not enough

1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

The first movie I had a real "I need to see this in theaters multiple times" relationship, the movie that I think expanded my mind on film in general. Listened to the soundtrack for sixteen years, rewatched it when I had one of my absolute roughest nights of this truly terrible year. Jim Carrey getting overlooked for this one was peak "the Academy thinks they're above giving comedy stars credit for good dramatic work" bullshit.

2. Spirited Away

Just gorgeous stuff. I think this and #1 are ones where I don't necessarily think I'd say they're the two best movies ever made but they're the two movies that are closest to my heart. I'm due a rewatch of this one, maybe this weekend.

3. Seven Samurai

This is probably the one I think is the best movie ever made. Again, I'm overdue to rewatch it since I've watched a lot of Kurosawa's other classics in the last year or two. Toshiro Mifune as Kikuchiyo is probably a top-five all time performance/character too.

4.  12 Angry Men

Sidney Lumet never gets the same kind of love that a lot of the pantheon directors (Scorsese, Kurosawa, Kubrick, etc. etc.) get but I'd put this, Dog Day Afternoon, and Network up against nearly any combination of films from any of them. 12 Angry Men is just a bunch of jurors sitting in a room and talking, and it never gets boring to me.

5. Goodfellas

It's kind of a boring choice for a Scorsese rep, I guess, but it's what it is (sorry, referenced the wrong Scorsese/De Niro/Pesci gangster flick there). Sometimes movies get absorbed and constantly referenced in pop culture in a way that dilutes its effect once I finally actually see it (I just had this problem with Silence of the Lambs last month), but Goodfellas has been referenced to infinity and back and it takes none of the magic away from stuff like the Copacabana tracking shot, or the "Layla" montage. Often imitated, never duplicated.

6. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

My favorite comedy. It's basically just a bunch of sketches vaguely tied together by an A-plot that deliberately ends in an anticlimax but man, what a bunch of sketches. Had fun rewatching this with EWB's own Josh-oo-wuh and his now-wife the last time I was in Chicago and there were a bunch of times where he was like "oh, [reference he's heard a million times] was from this?"

7. The Apartment

The best romantic comedy of all time, I think. I ended up rewatching it because it came up against Yojimbo in a Best Movies of All Time bracket on Twitter, and it's just so good and so likable. No wasted time, every character is great, and Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine are perfect leads.

8. Citizen Kane

Like Goodfellas, sometimes a thing comes up a billion times as being great and being the measuring stick because it's sincerely very good. A neat thing with this one, too, is that only the twist (which really doesn't spoil anything!) is the thing that's embedded as a constant reference so once you get past that it's just a wonderful film with great performances by Orson Welles and Joseph Cotten.

9. This is Spinal Tap

Last time I went to Norway, one of the in-flight movie options was Spinal Tap. Nothing else was grabbing me all that dramatically on the menu but I was still like "man, I've seen this movie a dozen times. I'll watch the first half hour and then maybe do something else." Naturally I ended up watching the whole thing instead. It's got some glaring flaws (the subplot with David St. Hubbins' girlfriend is not great!) but there's no movie I'm more likely to rewatch, as someone who rarely rewatches much of anything.

10. Lady Bird

Wanted to get one recent movie in here, and I don't think there's a movie from the last five years I love nearly as much as this. I like small, slice-of-life stories, and this is another one where I think every scene is fantastic, every character is fully realized. I could watch it again and again, and frankly I pretty much did because as a dirtbag semi-professional movie theater usher I'd just sneak in to watch certain scenes, or time my theater checks so I could watch certain scenes, over and over and over again. One of my favorite depictions of teens, too (everyone in the movie is so endearingly lame, even the two representatives of cool, popular kids), and an incredibly accurate reflection of being a teen in the early '00s.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Yojimbo, The Producers, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Inglourious Basterds, probably a lot more, I'm done writing