My 100 Favorite Movies with Reviews (40-36)

40. The Truman Show (1998)

Wow. The Truman Show is one of the few movies I could probably watch virtually every day and not get tired of. The story itself about a man who is living a tv show but does not realize it is both brilliant and quite funny. Adding Jim Carrey’s brilliant performance to the mix and intelligent and original screenwriting and directing, this is one of the best movies of the ‘90s.

Carrey is a show-stealer. He plays the type of role that Jimmy Stewart or Henry Fonda would have played over a half-century ago. He’s just a likeable, everyday guy. He proves here (and with Eternal Sunshine) that with a good script, he can be an outstanding dramatic actor and I still find it hard to believe that he wasn’t up for an Oscar.

This is a really short film, only about an hour and a half, which perhaps adds to its charm actually. It’s the perfect length for this film to leave its thematic impact and serve as a satire on reality television and power of corporations.

It’s revealed early in the film that Truman Burbank is living a fake life, but the entire film he experiences revelation. He becomes a very interesting character as the film goes along because he becomes more and more suspicious and unpredictable, unsure of who he can trust. At the end, he even risks his own life to complete his mission of self-discovery.

I mentioned Carrey’s performance but Ed Harris is also outstanding as the mysterious creator of the television show. He’s such an excellent actor, particularly in supporting roles, and he will appear in a film later on in this list. Outstanding actor Paul Giamatti also appears in a fairly minor role.

I also mentioned the creativity and intelligence of the script and directing. The script tells a very unique, almost Twilight Zone-like story in a way that adds a great deal of humor without taking away its thematic weight of self-discovery. And Peter Weir’s direction is certainly interesting, often times showing Truman from the angles that the viewers would see on television, such as his mirror cam, button cams, and the speedometer cam.

39. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

The highest rated film on IMDB is considered great for a reason. It’s a powerful film about a man wrongfully imprisoned for someone murdering his wife, his experiences in prison, his friendship with a fellow inmate, and his eventual escape.

Along with Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction and The Lion King, this is one of the classic films from 1994, though it somehow won no Academy Awards. It’s an adaptation of a Stephen King short story, proving that the Master of Modern Horror is capable of more than writing terrifying novels, and directed by Frank Darabont, who is utterly worthless when not adapting King’s work (he also did The Green Mile and The Mist).

It’s a film about adaptation. Andy Dufresne must adapt to his life in prison and the horrors and violence that that entails. In my favorite scene, a man who has been in prison for decades is finally released and is unable to adapt to the new world he finds himself in.

This is a powerful movie and very inspirational.

38. Platoon (1986)

“The first tragedy of war is innocence” is this film’s tagline and this is Oliver Stone’s film about the horrors of war in Vietnam. Stone served in Vietnam and this film is said to be quite autobiographical. It stars Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, and Willem Dafoe.

Charlie Sheen plays a soldier completely torn between two worlds. Sgt. Barnes, played by Berenger, makes a habit of abusing Vietnamese villagers. Sgt. Elias, played by Dafoe, does not stand for that kind of thing, and of course he and Barnes do not get along. Sheen is unsure on which to follow.

It’s a compelling human drama and an excellent good versus evil tale.

37. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

James Stewart and Doris Day star in this Hitchcock thriller which features their kid being kidnapped and them being in a desperate and frantic international search. It has the paranoia and suspense that you’d certainly hope for from Hitchcock. It’s got international intrigue and an exciting assassination plot.

This is also notable for its hit song, “Que Sera Sera” sung by Doris Day a few too many times throughout the film. It’s a good song but it gets a little old.

The assassination scene is great and so is the scene at the chapel. Overall it’s just a very effective thriller, one of Hitchcock’s more underrated films.

36. West Side Story (1961)

One of the great musicals in film history, West Side Story is a modern-day retelling of Romeo & Juliet, with New York gangs the Jets and the Sharks taking the places of the Montagues and the Capulets. It’s of course a wonderful love story but what makes the film so great is the music and the dancing.

When I first saw this, I couldn’t take it seriously. There are these gangs and they’re going around on the streets doing ballet and stuff; it’s pretty ridiculous. But now that I’m older and more mature and actually enjoy musicals, I love the dancing. The choreography is truly astounding and it accompanies the music wonderfully.

There are so many wonderful songs in the film but what elevates it past just a good musical and into the realm of a brilliant film is the direction. None of it is flat. It’s very much like a Broadway musical come to life, with more than just a stage to work with. The visuals are wonderful.

This beautiful film, of course, has insightful statements about love, coming of age, delinquency, and racism that make it both powerful and entertaining.

My 100 Favorite Movies with Reviews (45-41)

45. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Many say this is the best of the Star Wars films. I can’t say it’s my favorite, but the character development, love story, and poignant themes certainly make it great.

As one might assume from the title, this is a dark film in which the bad guys essentially win. Nonetheless it has a great battle scene on the snowy planet of Hoth and the best lightsaber duel of the series between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, as well as some of the greatest moments in the series with Luke being trained by Yoda.

Luke is separated from his friends as he escapes to Dagobah to seek out a great warrior named Yoda. Yoda is of course a little green puppet around eight hundred years old. While later proving himself to be wise, Yoda’s introductory scene is quite humorous. This is one of the very many points that bothers me about the Star Wars prequels; Empire introduces Yoda as a joke-playing character while the prequels play him as this ultra-serious dude. I understand him not making a joke in Jedi ‘cause he’s on his deathbed but whatever.

The most powerful scene of the film is when Yoda has Luke enter the cave, insisting that he doesn’t need his lightsaber, but he brings it anyways. He comes across Darth Vader who he fights shortly before defeating only to reveal his own face inside Vader’s mask. This scene carries more weight than any other scene in the series and is typically fresh on anyone’s mind who argues this as the best in the series.

There’s also a love story going on between Han Solo and Leia. It comes off as very genuine and real and is one of the best parts of the movie. All this makes the ending quite tragic as well.

44. 61* (2001)

This was a HBO film directed by Billy Crystal, essentially a salute to his younger years as a Yankees fan. More specifically than that, it’s a look at the 1961 home run race between teammates Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle.

Maris is the highlight of this film. He’s a tragic figure both in real life and in this film, never respected like the hero that Mantle was, though every bit as deserving. Barry Pepper and Thomas Jane do a great job as Maris and Mantle respectively, and they both look a great deal like them.

The look of the film is great, capturing the times well with the off-field clothes of the players and making great use of out-of-use Tiger Stadium in Detroit (now demolished) and some CG to make it look like the pre-1976 renovation of Yankee Stadium.

This is a film that non-baseball fans will not enjoy as much, of course, but it’s a fascinating look at two American heroes.

43. The Exorcist (1973)

Just about anyone who knows anything about horror films says this is the scariest film ever made. I don’t completely agree with that statement, but it is certainly one of the scariest and definitely one of the greatest.

Despite being a violent, gross, and disturbing horror film, this is also thematically powerful, with great statements on faith. While the average exorcism film sucks horribly and is an insult to the Catholic Church, the Vatican actually highly recommended this film at the time for both its realism and what it had to say about faith.

If you’re not familiar with the plot, in Georgetown, Regan MacNeil is possessed by the Devil. At first they think it’s just a psychological disorder but when all resources are exhausted, her faithless mother goes to a local priest to convince him to do an exorcism. The priest is Father Karras, played by an Oscar-nominated Jason Miller, a man terrorized by his mother’s recent death and troubles with his own faith. He’s the most interesting character in the film.

He’s joined by an elderly priest, played by Max Von Sydow, a man very experienced in exorcisms. He advises Karras that the Devil will tell lies, but also mix lies with the truth to make things seem more believable.

The scenes that show Reagan possessed, particularly toward the end, are gruesome but terrific. The things she does are so horrible and the special effects are so great. One can easily see why so many consider this the scariest film ever made. In addition to this, what is more terrifying than an innocent little girl being possessed by the Devil himself? All I can say is there’s a reason this was up for a lot of Academy Awards and is still today regarded as one of the greatest films ever made.

42. I’m Not There (2007)

This is a difficult movie to recommend to a lot of people. That’s not to say it’s bad at all; it’s a great film. Director Todd Haynes creates such an original arthouse film and utilizes some very talented actors, including Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger, Richard Gere, and Christian Bale.

The film is about Bob Dylan, perhaps the most mystically iconic figure in American music and coincidentally my favorite musician. The film is separated into different episodes of different actors and actresses playing Dylan-like characters at different stages in his life and career. It’s an abstract but very rewarding film. It makes great use of existing Dylan music and the covers by the cast are also great. The highlight is the Cate Blanchett segment, which earned her an Academy Award.

If you’re interested in music, Dylan, or unique art films, then there might not be any films I’d recommend higher than this one.

41. North by Northwest (1959)

North by Northwest is one of director Alfred Hitchcock’s most exciting and funniest films. It’s a tale of mistaken identity, catching witty and miserable advertising man Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) in the middle of an international espionage plot.

He’s arrested for drunk driving after nearly being killed and is unable to prove his story and is even framed for murder at the United Nations. He is then on the run for the rest of the film. This could have been done as a straight-forward and serious spy film, but there are darkly comic overtones throughout, making it even more entertaining. It’s even revealed that the spy Thornhill is confused for never actually existed, and he is then recruited for the American government to play the role of this spy.

This has had a huge influence on just about every spy film ever made. It’s obvious seeing the Sean Connery Bond films that this was the mold they would often follow. Coincidentally, Ian Fleming even based Bond’s appearance on Cary Grant in the late-‘40s/early ‘50s.

There are many classic scenes, the cropduster being the most classic but not my favorite. My favorite scene is actually an actionless scene in which Thornhill shows up as an auction and realizes he is going to be gotten rid of, so he draws attention to himself and is arrested before the enemy spies can get to him. It’s a hilarious scene and perhaps the best example of this film’s wit. There’s also the climax taking place on Mount Rushmore, which is great.

Modern audiences will probably find this pretty slow for an action movie and maybe a little boring, but the enjoyment of the film comes from the ridiculous situation Thornhill finds himself in. The adventure he partakes on is grand in scale and ridiculously entertaining.

The Term "Hater" and Why I Hate It

The term "hater" is the go-to word for horrendous artists to address people with taste. I've been called a hater many times. It's annoying. Essentially it's a term that no one can have a comeback to. Well guess what? I am creating a comeback for being called a hater.

Yes, people that are called haters typically have taste. I admire these people. They become martyrs in a way.

When people say "you're a hater," typically in response to a bad song or a bad work of art of some other kind, that is not a valid argument. If you hate the artwork, chances are it completely sucks. Art is a subjective topic and has been since the beginning of times, but that is not to say that there is not some objectivity to it. We can all point out shitty music or shitty poetry and there's a reason why we have these gut reactions. Art is supposed to elicit emotions, and perhaps more importantly, tell us something about what it is to be human. It's an educational experience. Music about "party rocking" by no means captures your imagination or makes you learn anything.

I'd also like to point out that every single person that accuses one of being a hater is doing so because they have no other argument, of course. Their artwork--whether it be music, writing, dance, or film--is worthy of hate. Whether it's out of self-denial or something else, they attempt to draw the attention not to their artwork, but to you. It is the observer's fault that the artwork is bad. In some cases, one might dislike something because they do not understand this but this hardly counts. It is not always the work of art's fault as to why it doesn't speak to someone. But when it is, us haters call the artists or the art's fans out on it and suffer accordingly.

You know what? I am a hater. I am a hater of many things. But I'm tired of apologizing for it. Being a hater is not in itself a negative thing. I am a hater because I have taste and dammit, that should be admired.

My 100 Favorite Movies with Reviews (50-46)

50. Annie Hall (1977)

Annie Hall begins very irregularly, with Woody Allen’s character telling two old jokes that describe his personality perfectly. Somehow it works, and that’s the brilliance of Woody Allen and in particular this film.

The film is filled with witty and intelligent humor and some brilliant one-liners from Allen. Diane Keaton also does a fine job in the titular role, winning an Academy Award and rightfully so.

I love the style to this movie. In one memorable scene when Allen disagrees with what someone in front of him is saying about writing, he pulls the actual writer from the side to explain to him that it’s wrong. It’s a hilarious little moment.

Of course, it’s a romantic comedy, and it’s easily the best ever made. It does a realistic job of showing two people that love each other eventually grow apathetic towards each other. It’s hilarious, moving, and actually quite sad.

49. The Departed (2006)

This is the most deserving Best Picture winner from the last nine years. Why do I say that? Well this film is an adrenaline rush of a movie, filled with fine performances from one of the greatest casts ever assembled, hard moral questions, entertaining dialogue, and suspense, and excitement. When this film, about two and a half hours long, is finished, you are exhausted, but also completely satisfied.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Billy Costigan, an undercover cop working with Boston crime lord Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson in one of his great recent roles). Matt Damon plays Colin Sullivan, an employee of Costello’s who works high up in the organized crime department of the police. The two main characters do not truly interact until the end but the film builds on this suspense of who is going to be exposed to make the ending truly memorable.

Of course, this film is directed by Martin Scorsese, who finally won some well-deserved Oscars for this that were long overdue. This is not my favorite film by him but it’s right up there.

My favorite little part comes after Costello is killed in which Sullivan calls a dead man’s cell phone that he knows Costigan has. He picks up and neither of them say anything for about thirty seconds. This is pure brilliance because they both know what’s up and nothing needs to be said. The suspense is brilliant.

48. Aladdin (1992)

This is my favorite animated movie. It’s an engaging underdog story and a good vs. evil piece. In addition to that, it has wonderful music and the hilarious Robin Williams as the Genie.

There is Aladdin, a young man in Arabia who falls in love with a beautiful young woman who turns out to be Princess Jasmine. He knows he can never see her again because he is poor and she is a princess. However, after being betrayed by the evil Jaffar, he stumbles upon a magic lamp and Genie who grants him three wishes.

One of my favorite themes in this film is how Aladdin lies to Jasmine about how he is a prince. Though he obviously has good intentions, he is dishonest. Jaffar also makes for an outstanding villain, one of the best in the Disney canon. The climactic fight against him, in the form of a giant snake, is as exciting a scene ever drawn.

47. Dirty Harry (1971)

In the days of Guantanamo, Dirty Harry, the story of a cop who will stop at absolutely nothing (including breaking laws) to catch a serial killer is as relevant as ever. The film, despite having an overall ‘70s feel to its cinematography and music, has thus aged remarkably well.

Clint Eastwood of course plays the titular role of Inspector Harry Callahan, in one of his many iconic roles. Perhaps off-topic, but I can’t think of a single actor that compares with Eastwood as having so many signature characters. He has the Man with No Name, Dirty Harry, William Munny, and Josey Wales, with a bunch of other great characters he has played.

When I first saw this movie, I was very impressed with the villain. Known only as Scorpio, the serial killer sends notes to the police telling them who he will kill. The man is completely insane and is utterly terrifying. He’s loosely based on the Zodiac Killer, who once terrorized San Francisco.

The film takes place in San Francisco, which makes for both fantastic scenery and the juxtaposition of Callahan’s ultra-conservatism with the most liberal citizens in America. This makes for some interesting thematic points and some great humor. Eastwood’s one-liners are never better than in this film.

This has a few great action scenes. The first comes pretty early and involves an iconic speech about a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world. This more than any other scene in the film illustrates the character so well that you almost feel you’ve seen an entire character study. Being more than just an ass-kicker, Eastwood and the screenwriters have managed to create a very interesting character.

The climax does not disappoint. When all hope seems lost, Callahan shows up and goes to town. It’s exciting and a great way to finish one of the greatest action movies of all time.

It should also be noted that this film was extremely groundbreaking for the time. The body count and amount of blood used made it the most violent film of its time, passing Bonnie and Clyde. It’s been surpassed hundreds of times since, of course, but I’m not sure the entertainment value has ever been surpassed in such a violent film.

46. Aliens (1986)

This is the first of four James Cameron-directed films that was the most expensive movie ever made at the time of its release, the second of his five blockbusters, and my third favorite film of his. It’s a sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1979 film, which I didn’t even like that much. I certainly didn’t love it, as I do this.

Ellen Ripley, the lone survivor of her mission in the first film, is awakened from suspended animation decades later, in which she learned that her daughter is dead and a human community was sent to where the aliens live. Saddened, she must stop all this and goes with a team of Marines. Some of the characters here are a little stupid but they’re all tolerable because it’s such an entertaining movie. Actually I’m not sure Bill Paxton is tolerable.

Once they arrive, the film becomes a shootout with aliens killing many Marines. It’s action-packed, violent, and gory. They also come across the one survivor of the human community there, a young girl named Newt, who essentially replaces Ripley’s daughter. The thematic strength in this film lies in Ripley risking her life to protect this little girl.

There are some great action scenes in this fun and frightening film. Ripley emerges as a true hero with tremendous depth, and Sigourney Weaver earned an Academy Award nomination for her performance, a rarity for an action/sci-fi/horror film like this. And I do not want to give away anything about the climax, but let me say that it’s one of the most exciting scenes in the history of cinema.

My 100 Favorite Movies with Reviews (55-51)

55. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

I don’t think I have anything bad to say about this movie. It’s a near-perfect adaptation of the near-perfect novel by Harper Lee. Its statements on racism, its characters, and its performance by Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch remain some of the best in Hollywood’s history.

It’s essentially two stories in one: the coming of age of Scout Finch and the story of her father, who must defend a black man in a very racist Alabama town. While there are some great moments early on, the court scenes are the best parts.

This film manages to perfectly balance nostalgia and the theme of the loss of innocence in a way I’ve never seen before or since. Scout is a flawed but well-meaning individual in a flawed society. This is an absolute classic and one of the few movies everyone must see before they die.

54. Pulp Fiction (1994)

While not my favorite filmmaker, I have a ton of respect for Quentin Tarantino and what he attempts to do with each film. Drawing inspiration from spaghetti westerns and other “campy” genre films, he always manages to make a completely unique story and tell it in an unprecedented way.

Pulp Fiction is his best film and also his hardest to explain. It’s a few different chapters, but they also intersect. So it’s nonlinear but at the end of the film, you can tell what happened when if you really care to think about it. And you probably will.

As usual, Tarantino fills his film with rich, entertaining dialogue, but unlike in Reservoir Dogs, he also has interesting and relatable characters that make the film at times hilarious and at times tragic.

53. Turner and Hooch (1989)

I love this movie. It’s the best stupid little dog comedy I’ve seen by far, because of the witticism of the dialogue. Tom Hanks, in one of his last comedian roles, is hilarious.

This movie is so quotable and has a ton of one-liners that have stuck in my head for years. In addition to this, it’s a pretty interesting murder mystery. By no means is this film groundbreaking but somehow, I still love it.

52. Major League (1989)

Major League is a hilarious baseball comedy about a team that is put together to be intentionally bad. Of course, the formula allows them to get their bearings and end up winning the pennant, but that’s not what this movie is about. It’s about the hilarity.

There are so many great moments, particularly in the beginning. When they’re looking at the list of players they want to sign and one scout says, “This guy here is dead” and when Charlie Sheen is asked what league he played in last year and replies, “California Penal.” It’s just a really funny movie.

And then there’s Bob Uecker as the announcer, Harry Doyle. He is great. I grew up with him in Milwaukee as one of the greatest baseball announcers of all time, but this more than anything is what cemented him as a classic. His serious commentary on otherwise ridiculous events and his occasional swearing on-air, justifying it by “no one is listening anyway” are all hilarious.

I can’t say this is a great film, but it is really entertaining and relentlessly comical.

51. Gran Torino (2008)

When I saw this, it was the first R-rated film I saw in theaters, and it didn’t disappoint. It features Clint Eastwood’s finest acting performance of his career, playing Walt Kowalski, an old, conservative Vietnam veteran living alone in a neighborhood of Hmong immigrants. He is disgusted by the foreign influence on his neighborhood but eventually becomes more disgusted with the violence of the Hmong gang.

He forms a relationship with a family, particularly a teenage boy named Tao. Predictably, perhaps, Kowalski begins to see things in a different light and become a good person, though his racist slurs never cease.

Another interesting relationship in this film is the one Kowalski has with a young priest who had known his deceased wife well. Though he seems to reject everything the priest has to say, it is clear through his changing actions that the young priest is affecting him.

I also thought the ending to this film was brilliant, and I am not going to give away anything about it.

While the storyline is pretty basic and predictable, it’s a very good movie primarily because of Eastwood’s acting. He plays basically an aged Dirty Harry who ends up becoming sentimental and you believe every bit of it. I still hate that he didn’t get an Oscar nomination, though I realize he wouldn’t have won going against Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke. It’s the perfect way to end a brilliant acting career that’s spawned half a decade.