MY TOP 100 MOVIES

These are my favourite movies of all time. Not the greatest films ever made, just movies I think are cool. It was tough to cut it down to a hundred, so I could easily post a completely different list another day. Oh, and I've cheated and put some sequels in the same entry as the original, but only if they're part of a continuing story from the same filmmaker.
Last updated June, 2006

1. The Abyss (1989) Underrated underwater classic.
2. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) Classic swashbuckling fun in glorious technicolor.
3. Airplane (1980) The start of the golden age of spoofs. "And don't call me Shirley."
4. Alien (1979) The first, and still the best, of the modern "monster on the loose" films. Aliens is a great action film, but I don't consider it anywhere near as groundbreaking.
5. An American Werewolf in London (1981) Rips the throat out of every other werewolf film and lifts its hindleg to piss on the corpse. You can quote me on that.
6. Annie Hall (1977) Woody Allen's best film, even though I don't believe it deserved to beat Star Wars at the Oscars.
7. Apocalypse Now (1979) A flawed masterpiece, which was even more impressive in the Redux version. Ride of the Valkyries and "Charlie don't surf" are the two standout parts for me.
8. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) Hillarious black comedy that still holds up today.
9. Artificial Intelligence (2001) Flawed but still awesome. Steven Spielberg made the best Kubrick film since 2001.
10. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) Probably still John Carpenter's best film. A tense, low-budget thriller with one of the greatest anti-heroes of all time - Napolean Wilson.

11. Back to the Future Trilogy (1985-1990) The original is a classic, of course, but the sequels actually expand upon the story. Part II has an especially clever time paradox plot.
12. Badlands (1973) One of the classic "lovers on the lam" movies.
13. Batman Returns (1992) See here for my review.
14. Beetlejuice (1988) See here for my review.
15. Big Fish (2003) Burton's second most moving film after Scissorhands.
16. Big Trouble in Little China (1986) John Carpenter's last great film, featuring an iconic performance by Kurt Russell as Jack Burton. "Son of a bitch must pay!"
17. Blade Runner (1982) Still one of the great sci-fi films. I actually prefer the original version to Ridley Scott's cut.
18. Blazing Saddles (1974) Remember when Mel Brooks made hilarious films? "You are so smart. And they are so dumb."
19. Bonnie & Clyde (1967) The start of Hollywood's modern golden age - a superlative crime movie.
20. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) A faithful (for the most part) and visually stunning adaptation of the novel, featuring one of Gary Oldman's best performances.
21. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) The greatest western/buddy movie of all time. No contest.

22. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) I found this more awe-inspiring and moving than Spielberg's later E.T.
23. Contact (1997) A near perfect mix of greact acting, awesome visuals and an intelligent sci-fi script.

24. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) One of the few fifties sci-fi films that hasn't dated, thanks to its powerful anti-war message.
25. The Dead Zone (1983) One of the best adaptations of a Stephen King novel, with Christopher Walken giving a surprisingly moving performances as the teacher gifted, or cursed, with the power of second sight.
26. The Deer Hunter (1978) A great Vietnam epic, especially during the Russian Roulette scenes.
27. Dirty Harry (1971) The definitive cop anti-hero. "Do you feel lucky, punk?"
28. Dog Day Afternoon (1975) A great heist movie based on a true story.
29. Dr. Strangelove (1964) One of Kubrick's best is a merciless satire of cold war paranoia.

30. Easy Rider (1969) This is where the counter-culture invaded Hollywood. "Born to be Wild."
31. Edward Scissorhands (1990) See here for my review.
32. Ed Wood (1994) See here for my review.
33. The Elephant Man (1980) David Lynch's most "normal" film also happens to be his best. An unrecognisable John Hurt gives a very moving performance in the title role.
34. Evil Dead II (1987) The best of the trilogy, with just the right mix of gore and laughs.

35. Fargo (1996) A superb dark comedy from the always reliable Coen Brothers.
36. Field of Dreams (1989) Don't be turned off by the baseball theme. This is one of the most moving films ever made about fathers and sons.
37. The Fly (1986) Excellent remake by David Cronenberg.
38. Forrest Gump (1994) I know a lot of people have problems with this film, but I think they're taking it too seriously. It's a witty and touching epic with another great performance from Tom Hanks. And that's all I'm gonna say about that.
39. Full Metal Jacket (1987) Kubrick's last great film has a powerful outlook on the Vietnam experience, especially during the gruelling boot camp scenes.

40. Ghostbusters (1984) Bill Murray's finest hour was in this spectacular and hillarious blockbuster.
41. Goldfinger (1964) The best Bond film. Nuff said.
42. The Godfather (1972)/The Godfather Part II (1974) Two excellent gangster dramas that perfectly compliment each other. Shame about the third one not quite meeting expectations.
43. Goodfellas (1990) Martin Scorsese's take on the mafia is a perfect mix of great acting, writing, directing and music.
44. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) Clint Eastwood's best western, with one of the most memorable themes of all time.
45. Gremlins (1984) Wonderfully sick and twisted Christmas movie.
46. Groundhog Day (1993) Bill Murray's second finest hour - an inventive and funny fable.

47. Halloween (1978) The first, and undoubtedly the best, of the teen slasher genre.
48. Harold and Maude (1971) Superb black comedy.
49. Heathers (1989) Ditto. Christian Slater and Winona Ryder were never better than in this generation-defining satire. "Fuck me gently with a chainsaw."
50. Highlander (1986) Innovative fantasy epic with a great Queen soundtrack. "There can be only one."

51. Jaws (1975) The film that scared an entire generation off swimming in the ocean. If they replaced the rubber shark, it would be perfect.
52. Jurassic Park (1993) The best dinosaur film ever. The groundbreaking effects still hold up alongside the CGI overloaded epics of today.

53. Kes (1969) A moving look at life up North in the UK that is funnier and more honest than anything in The Full Monty or other modern British comedies.
54. Kill Bill (2003/04) I prefer the spectacle of Vol. 1, but together the films make an epic homage to the films Quentin Tarantino grew up on.
55. King Kong (1933) One case where the original is still the best. The first modern adventure movie.

56. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003) Peter Jackson managed to adapt the complex books into a true classic of epic adventure. Return of the King is my favourite part, since it combines the emotion and character development of the first film with the breathtaking action (and Gollum!) of the second.
57. Mars Attacks! (1996) See here for my review.
58. Midnight Express (1978) Powerful true story of life in a Turkish prison.
59. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) The Python's first and funniest movie is a glorious collection of bizarre and twisted sketches and vignettes loosely based around the quest for the Holy Grail.
60. Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) Almost as funny as Holy Grail, but with more plot.

61. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) Another masterpiece from Tim Burton. The best stop-motion animated film ever made. See here for my review.

62. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) Jack Nicholson's career best performance was in this insane comedy drama.
63. Once Upon a Time in America (1984) Epic crime masterpiece from Sergio Leone.

64. Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) See here for my review.
65. Pinocchio (1940) One of Disney's best, especially because it's not toned down for kids like many of their later films.
66. Planet of the Apes (1968) The other classic sci-fi film from 68. The sequels and remake are all good, but lack the shocking impact of the original.
67. Platoon (1986) Oliver Stone managed a double-whammy in 86, with another impressive film, Salvador. But it was Platoon that captured the Oscar glory.
68. The Princess Bride (1987) Exciting, funny and romantic - a fantasy adventure for all ages. "Inconceivable!"
69. Pulp Fiction (1994) More pretentious than some of Tarantino's other films, but still a ground-breaking classic.

70. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) The perfect action adventure movie. The sequels were good, but lacked that special quality of the original.
71. Raising Arizona (1987) My favourite Coen Brother's film is a hillariously inventive crime caper.
72. Repo Man (1984) The definitive cult film, directed by Alex Cox.
73. Reservoir Dogs (1992) Tarantino's first and, in some ways, still his most impressive. Lean and mean, it ushered in a new era of filmmaking.
74. Robocop (1987) The perfect comic book movie, even though it wasn't based on one. Paul Verhoeven's greatest film. "Your move, creep."

75. Saving Private Ryan (1998) Epic WWII movie that deserves special mention for its shockingly realistic opening battle.
76. Scarface (1983) Brian DePalma's classic gangster epic. The director and star later reteamed for the brilliant Carlito's Way, which makes an interesting companion piece.
77. Schindler's List (1993) Spielberg's other great "serious" film.
78. Seven (1995) A scary and stylish descent into the depths of human depravity.
79. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Another classic Stephen King adaptation, with moving performances by Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman.
80. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) The ultimate serial killer movie. The disappointing sequel only shows how good it was in every area.
81. Sleepy Hollow (1999) See here for my review.
82. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) Disney's first feature length cartoon still impresses today.
83. Starman (1984) John Carpenter's moving sci-fi romance is like E.T. for adults.
84. Star Wars Saga (1977 - 2005) The greatest series of films ever, bar none. See here for my reviews of all six episodes.

85. Taxi Driver (1976) Robert DeNiro's and Scorsese's greatest collaboration. Gritty and naturalistic as Hell. "You talking to me?"
86. The Terminator (1984)/Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) Two classic sci-fi action films. The first has more heart, the second more thrills, but they go together to make one great story.
87. The Thing (1982) Carpenter's remake is far superior to the overrated original. Still a benchmark for grisly special effects.
88. This Is Spinal Tap (1984) Rob Reiner's first film, and possibly still his best. The hillarious antics of the band have taken on a life of their own.
89. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) Classic buddy movie with Eastwood and Jeff Bridges.
90. Time Bandits (1981) One of Terry Gilliam's best, a classic comedy fantasy.
91. Titanic (1997) It's popular to bash this film, but I think it deserved every one of its Oscars. Epic cinema at its finest.
92. Toy Story (1995) A classic computer animated comedy that was the beginning of the end for Disney's traditional hand drawn films (a good or bad thing depending on your point of view). The sequel and most of Pixar's other films also deserve a spot on my top 100, but I chose this as their defining movie.
93. Trainspotting (1996) Virtuoso British drug drama.
94. True Romance (1993) Tony Scott's best film by far has a perfect cast and brilliant screenplay from QT.
95. Twelve Monkeys (1995) Dark sci-fi from Gilliam featuring a clever script and superb performances from Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt.
96. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Kubrick's finest film, and the best serious sci-fi epic ever made.

97. V for Vendetta (2006) This amazing comic book adaptation surpasses the Wachowski Brother's own Matrix films because beneath the stylish action it also has a heart and a clear message.

98. The War of the Roses (1989) Brilliant black comedy from Danny DeVito that isn't afraid of going all the way to its logical conclusion.
99. The Wizard of Oz (1939) Groundbreaking fantasy musical that still enchants today.

100. Yellow Submarine (1968) One of the best non-Disney animated films ever. Soundtrack is pretty good, too. Wonder what happened to those Beatles guys?