Antioch Forever

Lucainan's Top 100 Favorite Movies, Part III

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Part I (100–71)
• Part II (70–41)
• Part III (40–11)
• Part IV (Top Ten)

Part III (40–11)

040. L'Avventura (1960) Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni
Starring Gabriele Ferzetti, Monica Vitti, Lea Massari, Dominique Blanchar, and Renzo Ricci

L'Avventura is the kind of long, ponderous character and relationship allegory that most people would forego watching in favor of breasts and explosions. And while both of those have their merits, this film has something important to be said. Is it just a two hour long movie where nothing happens, is it an idea that didn't translate into good filmmaking, or is it about an entire society and its cry for help from the mundane?

BONUS POINTS: Italian women are hot.
"Tell me you don't."

039. The Maltese Falcon (1941) Directed by John Huston
Starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane, Lee Patrick, and Sydney Greenstreet

This film will always be known for giving birth to the film noir genre, but what about the fantastic cast of characters? Humphrey Bogart at his coldest, along with Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet, two of the most powerful screen presenses of all film. But the birth of film noir would prove some radical changes. Gone were the classic Hollywood happy endings and the straight laced good guy. Film noir exposed a whole new, grittier side of society to the world of film.

BONUS POINTS: Bogart does whatever he wants. And that's how it should be.
"I distrust a man who says 'when.' If he's got to be careful not to drink too much, it's because he's not to be trusted when he does."

038. Chinatown (1974) Directed by Roman Polanski
Starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Perry Lopez, John Hillerman, and Darrell Zwerling

Continuing in the noir tradition, but adding more depth is Chinatown. Where Bogart is cold and uncaring, Nicholson is sad and weary of lies and deceit and just wants to get to the bottom of things. The gritty atmosphere and despicable characters are still there, but their motivations are more clear and make more sense. It takes the genre to another level.

BONUS POINTS: She's my sister AND my daughter!
"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."

037. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) Directed by Nicholas Meyer
Starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelly, James Doohan, and Ricardo Montalban

Hah hah, did I really put this up this high? Psh, yeah. I love Star Trek and I love this movie, especially. I love the over the top performances, I love the game of cat and mouse that Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Khan (Ricardo Montalban) play, I love these characters and this is the greatest of all their voyages.

BONUS POINTS: You know what it is.

Wait for it.

Wait for it.

Okay.

"KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!"

036. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Starring Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn, and Slim Pickens

While it's not laugh out loud hilarious, this movie is undeniably clever and witty and incredibly smart. It's a great juxtaposition of comedy and tragedy. From what goes on in the war room and what is actually happening in the field and the air. And you know what, the plan at the end isn't such a bad idea.

BONUS POINTS: A young James Earl Jones. I actually didn't ever think he was young.
"You can't fight in here! This is the war room!"

035. The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) Directed by Peter Jackson
Starring Elijiah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Andy Serkis, and John Rhys-Davies

Of all the trilogies I have seen, this is the best one. While there certainly have certainly better movies within trilogies, they all have weak links, except for The Lord of the Rings, because the quality and style is consistant from film to film. On top of that, the films include some of the very best large scale battle sequences I've ever witnessed. Great on both a large scale level and a small scale character-driven level.

BONUS POINTS: Hearing the Orcs argue in The Two Towers. Just plain old entertainment.
"PO-TA-TOES! Bake 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew!"

034. Rear Window (1954) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Starring James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Raymond Burr, and Judith Evelyn

It's said a lot that Alfred Hitchcock was a master of suspence. What needs to be said is that Alfred Hitchcock is the master of suspence. No one did it better and as of yet, no one has. Anyone who says Shamalayan is the next Hitchcock has probably never sat through an entire Hitchcock film. M. Night is good (sometimes), but with great films like Rear Window, there's no comparison.

BONUS POINTS: Jimmy Stewart has a funny voice.
"I'm not much on rear window ethics."

033. The Deer Hunter (1978) Directed by Michael Cimino
Starring Robert De Niro, John Cazale, John Savage, Christopher Walken, and Meryl Streep

Of all the films about Vietnam, this is by far the most emotional, which might just be why it's my favorite. It is the story of friends and how Vietnam effects them in their different ways. Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken, as with so many films, not only steal every scene but run away with them. There are few things ever filmed that are more emotionally packed than the Russian Roulette scenes in The Deer Hunter.

BONUS POINTS: Christopher Walken. Pshaw.
"You have to think about one shot. One shot is what it's all about. A deer's gotta be taken with one shot."

032. Rashomon (1950) Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Starring Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyo, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura, and Minoru Chiaki

Every multiple perspective film or movie you've seen told from a subjective viewpoint owes it all to Rashomon. A crime is told from the perspective of the perpetrator, the victims, an observer and no one viewpoint is the absolute truth. Kurosawa lets the viewer decide with this film that was years ahead of its time.

BONUS POINTS: Referenced in The Simpsons back when it was still good.
"Dead men tell no lies."

031. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) Directed by David Lean
Starring William Holden, Jack Hawkins, Alec Guinness, Sessue Hayakawa, and James Donald

This is one of the best war films ever made for the reason that it's not really about the war itself, it's about prisoners building a bridge with time and other factors against them. It's about a POW camp and its brutal conditions. It features an Oscar-winning performance from Alec Guinness which is another reminder than it's such a shame that he'll basically only be remembered in the minds of many from Star Wars and not from so many of his other great performances.

BONUS POINTS: This is getting exceedingly difficult.
"One day the war will be over. And I hope that the people that use this bridge in years to come will remember how it was built and who built it. Not a gang of slaves, but soldiers, British soldiers, Clipton, even in captivity."

030. The Producers (1968) Directed by Mel Brooks
Starring Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Kenneth Mars, Estelle Winwood, Renee Taylor, and Christopher Hewett

This is Mel Brooks' first film and also his funniest. But just to say it's his funniest movie is an understatement. The Producers is one of the funniest movies of all time. And, of course, the most memorable thing about the film is how absolutely hysterical the play, Springtime For Hitler really is. Couple that with a lot of great and completely over-the-top performances and you have a true classic on your hands.

BONUS POINTS: Bialystock and Bloom never have conversations. Just shouting matches.
"Don't be stupid, be a smarty. Come and join the Nazi party."

029. Casino (1995) Directed by Martin Scorcese
Starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Sharon Stone, James Woods, Don Rickles, and Alan King

This is a far overlooked gem in the gangster / crime genre. A fascinatingtrue look into the corruption and mafia involvement in the gaming industry of Las Vegas. Whereas Goodfellas concentrated on the life of a common mafia wiseguy, Casino gives us a look at the upper echelon of organized crime.

BONUS POINTS: "Fuck" is uttered four hundred and twenty two times. That's 2.4 times a minute.
"We're supposed to be robbin' this place, you dumb fuckin' hebe."

028. Citizen Kane (1941) Directed by Orson Wells
Starring Orson Wells, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Agnes Moorehead, and Ruth Warrick

This is frequently lauded as the greatest films of all time, but is it really? Possibly. I haven't seen enough films to make that kind of a judgement on it, but for what it's worth, Citizen Kane is a fantastic and revolutionary film, which changed the way we view films with full-focus photography and heavy use of perspectives. Ahh, and "rosebud." What's it supposed to be? A symbol from his misplaced childhood? Or, as Peter Griffin once said, "It's a sled! It's a freakin' sled! There. I just saved you two long, boring, boobless hours."

BONUS POINTS: "Rosebud" was used as a slam at William Randolf Hearst, who the film was based on, because it was Hearst's nickname for Marion Davies' clitoris.
"I don't think there's one word that can describe a mans life."

027. Schindler's List (1993) Directed by Steven Spielberg
Starring Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall, Jonathan Sagall and Embeth Davidtz

Schindler's List is not just a holocaust movie. It's not just a movie about a man who saves Jews. It's about Oskar Schindler's own redemption and how he turns from a greedy man only interested in himself to someone who cares about the value of human life and who realizes the err of his ways. One of the emotionally powerful films I've ever seen.

BONUS POINTS: It was playing unedited on TV when I was in the fifth grade. I was watching it and there were boobs. EXCELLENT.
"This list... is an absolute good. The list is life. All around its margins lies the gulf."

026. Ran (1985) Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryu, Mieko Harada, and Yoshiko Miyazaki

In Kurosawa's adaptation of King Lear, it shows that his amazing work is only aided by color. The bright colors and lavish landscapes work to counteract the tragedy and the betrayal going on in the story, along with the growing madness of Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakadai). It also makws for a spectacular battle that Kurosawa has proven himself time and again to be a master of.

BONUS POINTS: Every shot of this film was storyboarded as a painting. The process took ten years. Holy shit.
"Man is born crying. When he has cried enough, he dies."

025. Vertigo (1958) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore, and Henry Jones

If anyone knew how to use images and music to get into a charcter's head, it was Hitchcock. In Vertigo, we enter the sad and confused mind of Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart) where the line between reality and fantasy is blurred and when he finally learns the truth, your heart breaks with his.

BONUS POINTS: The vertigo shot. Come on, film nerds. You know what I'm talking about.
"Did he train you? Did he rehearse you? Did he tell you what to do and what to say?''

024. The Third Man (1949) Directed by Carol Reed
Starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, Trevor Howard, Paul Horbiger, and Ernst Deutsch

The single most unmistakable thing about The Third Man is the score. Instead of using an orchestra as in most films, the whole movie is done on a classical guitar, which adds an interesting backdrop to the dark film nior story and the seedy characters who populate the film. Orson Welles steals the show here with his usual great performances, which reminds me why it was such a shame he fell from the spotlight as he did.

BONUS POINTS: Best. Entrance. Ever.
"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. What the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock. So long Holly."

023. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) Directed by Milos Forman
Starring Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, William Redfield, Michael Berryman, and Peter Brocco

This is a film about setting people free from their own prisons. It is about individuality and conformism. It's about people setting limits and things on themselves that they need not have. It's about rebellion and oppression. This is the kind of film that really gets inside of a person and examine his or her own life. The mental patients are reflections of ourselves and how some of us continue to accept our circumstances.

BONUS POINTS: The kindest portrayed females in the movie are hookers.
"I'm a goddamn marvel of modern science."

022. 12 Angry Men (1957) Directed by Sidney Lumet
Starring Henry Fonda, Ed Begley, Jack Warden, E. G. Marshall, Lee J. Cobb, and Jack Klugman

What's fascinating to watch in 12 Angry Men is how the verdict in what seems to be an open and shut, clear-cut case can completely change in a short period of time to the completely opposite direction. And it's also interesting how each individual juror's background influences the way he approaches the evidence at hand. This classic should be shown in every American government class.

BONUS POINTS: Throw that switchblade down! Yes!
"It's very hard to keep personal prejudice out of a thing like this. And no matter where you run into it, prejudice obscures the truth. Well, I don't think any real damage has been done here. Because I don't really know what the truth is. No one ever will, I suppose. Nine of us now seem to feel that the defendant is innocent, but we're just gambling on probabilities. We may be wrong. We may be trying to return a guilty man to the community. No one can really know. But we have a reasonable doubt, and this is a safeguard which has enormous value to our system. No jury can declare a man guilty unless it's SURE. We nine can't understand how you three are still so sure. Maybe you can tell us."

021. The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Directed by Irvin Kirshner
Starring Mark Hammill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Bill Dee Williams, David Prowse, and Frank Oz

In the sequel to the mega-hit Star Wars, Kirshner did something brilliant. Instead of trying to copy the lighthearted fun and exhuberance in the first film, he took the characters and made them deeper and took the universe to a darker place, while still maintaining the spirit of the first. I think this really accounts to the fact that this saga can only be helped by having someone other than Lucas in the director's chair. Many call this one of the greatest sequel of all time. In my opinion, it's actually the second.

BONUS POINTS: Romance that doesn't involve describing the texture of the scenery.

Oh, fine. "No. I am your father."

020. L.A. Confidential (1997) Directed by Curtis Hanson
Starring Kevin Spacey, Russel Crowe, Guy Pierce, James Cromwell, Kim Basinger, and Danny DeVito

A criminally underrated and underseen classic which didn't get the recognition it deserved because of the monstrous and bloated Titanic, this film is smart, slick, and brutal. The 50's Hollywood setting makes an interesting universe for these three cops that must work together to unearth a conspiracy. It's great how the three main characters, all three played by fantastic actors play off each other, each providing a good foil for the other.

BONUS POINTS: Russel Crowe living up to his reputation of fightin' 'round the world.
"Off the record, on the Q-T, and very hush-hush."

019. The Usual Suspects (1995) Directed by Bryan Singer
Starring Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio Del Toro, Kevin Pollak, Kevin Spacey, and Chazz Palminteri

This is a movie when the first time you see it, first you don't know what's going on, then you catch up, then you figure out the answer, the movie tells you were wrong, so you change your answer, then it finally laughs at you and takes a massive dump on your face. The Usual Suspects not only makes you think by keeping you on your toes the entire time, it has spectacular action and is often pretty hilarious. Definately one of the best ensemble pieces in recent years.

BONUS POINTS: The line up scene.
"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

018. //M// (1931) Directed by Fritz Lang
Starring Peter Lorre, Ellen Widmann, Inge Landgut, Otto Wernicke, Theodor Loos, and Gustaf Grundgens

//M// is the first film ever made about a serial killer. What you would expect is for him to be portrayed as an evil monster with no motivation other than killing children, but with the little screen time he has, I don't want to say he's portrayed sympathetically, because he isn't, it's just that he's shown as a torn and person in deep emotional pain. That doesn't make us excuse his actions, but such insight into the mental condition of a disturbed person like that on this early of a film is impressive.

BONUS POINTS: In the Hall of the Mountain King.
"What do you know about it? Who are you anyway? Who are you? Criminals? Are you proud of yourselves? Proud of breaking safes or cheating at cards? Things you could just as well keep your fingers off. You wouldn't need to do all that if you'd learn a proper trade or if you'd work. If you weren't a bunch of lazy bastards. But I... I can't help myself! I have no control over this, this evil thing inside of me, the fire, the voices, the torment!"

017. This Is Spinal Tap (1984) Directed by Rob Reiner
Starring Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, and Tony Hendra

When I'd first seen it, within the first twenty minutes, I already knew this was the funniest movie I've ever seen. Even if you don't know anything about metal or rock music in general, I defy you not to find This Is Spinal Tap absolutely hilarious. There are so many great gags and lines in this film, it's really surprising that almost all of the dialogue was improvised.

BONUS POINTS: The fact that the songs are a lot better than the real heavy metal songs that came out along that time.
"You can't really dust for vomit."

016. North By Northwest (1959) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, Jessie Royce Landis, Leo G. Carroll, and Josephine Hutchinson

Of all the films considered to be Hitchcock's masterpieces, North by Northwest is probably the closest to just pure, good-old-fashioned entertainment. It's funny how Hitchcock's suspence films are both very alike and very different from those of today. In this film, the director respects the audience enough to leave clues for the viewer so we can follow along in the mystery, instead of resorting to a out of nowhere surprise ending.

BONUS POINTS: Ahhh! Cropduster!
"Now you listen to me, I'm an advertising man, not a red herring. I've got a job, a secretary, a mother, two ex-wives and several bartenders that depend upon me, and I don't intend to disappoint them all by getting myself 'slightly' killed."

015. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) Directed by David Lean
Starring Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins, Omar Sharif

I have to admit that I've never been able to watch Lawrence of Arabia in one sitting. Not because of boredom or anything like that. It's just because I've really never had enough time. That's something I need to change very soon, because this could and should be considered the most epic film of all time. All the key ingredients are there. Huge and beautiful shots, exciting battles, a diverse cast of characters, and a fantastic score. But most importantly, it's a near four hour film that's never boring.

BONUS POINTS: Lawrence's gay dance.
"Yes, it was my privilege to know him and to make him known to the world. He was a poet, a scholar and a mighty warrior. He was also the most shameless exhibitionist since Barnum & Bailey."

014. Patton (1970) Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner
Starring George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Steven Young, Michael Strong, Carry Loftin, and Albert Dumortier

Patton is much more of a character study than a war film. World War II being more of a backdrop to General Patton's struggles with himself and others. The war is an integral part of the story, but the story is not about the war or Patton's triumphs in battle. It's about a man who has one singular goal and mindset in his life, who only hopes to have but one achievement and how he constantly drives himself away from that dream, but he brings himself back to end in triumph.

BONUS POINTS: The American flag speech.
"For over a thousand years, Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of a triumph - a tumultuous parade. In the procession came trumpeters and musicians and strange animals from the conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments. The conqueror rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. Sometimes his children, robed in white, stood with him in the chariot, or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror, holding a golden crown, and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting."

013. The Seven Samurai (1954) Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Starring Takashi Shimura, Toshiro Mifune, Yoshio Inaba, Seiji Miyaguchi, Minoru Chiaki, and Daisuke Kato

This film gave birth the modern action-adventure movie and it's rarely been topped in that genre. Not only is there great action, but great drama and tension. In the center of the movie are the two characters Kambei and Kikochiyo, played by Kurosawa mainstays Takashi Shimura and Toshiro Mifune, respectively. Kambei is the old veteran master warrior who keeps the group of samurai and expertly maps out the plan against the bandits. He does not help the village in need for money or payment. He does it because he is a samurai and it is his way.

BONUS POINTS: Automatic bonus points for being a movie with samurai in it.
"Danger always strikes when everything seems fine."

012. Casablanca (1942) Directed by Michael Curtiz
Starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre

Casablanca is just as much about its namesake as it is about love and loss. The Casablanca we see through Rick's bar and the other locales is a fascinating and fantastic setting. A place where outlaws and mobsters coexist along with the French and German armies at the height of the second world war. For me, it is the great cast of characters that makes the film stand out. Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, and Claude Rains especially make the criminal undercurrent of the film so wonderful. And of course, there is the great Bogart / Bergman romance that is probably the best in the history of film. Rick Blaine's journey could definitely draw some comparisons to Han Solo in terms of his motivations, and speaking of which...

BONUS POINTS: Rick never actually says, "Play it again, Sam."
"Play it again, Sam."

011. Star Wars (1977) Directed by George Lucas
Starring Mark Hammill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, Anthony Daniels, and David Prowse

If you don't like Star Wars, you have no soul. This movie is perfect. It is pure, rousing, make-you-feel-good-watching-it entertainment. People call The Empire Strikes Back the better film, but while it is a great film and one of my favorites, Star Wars isn't deep or thought provoking, it's just a whole lot of fun. Who didn't want to be Luke Skywalker (Mark Hammill) or Han Solo (Harrison Ford) growing up? Who still wouldn't like to be them? And to be honest, Star Wars didn't need a sequel. We're certainly lucky that we got some really great ones. It's perfectly clear that they went into it making a stand alone film. All of this is why it breaks my heart when I hear George Lucas talk about the saga. I don't even think he remembers what it was about in the first place.

BONUS POINTS: Wedge gets bonus points. I love Wedge.
"I find your lack of faith disturbing." (What a badass line.)

—Lucainan

• Previous to Part II (70–41)
• Next to Part IV (Top Ten)

• Preferences
• Random Page
• Files
• Upload Form

Edited Saturday, November 6th, 2004 at 12:57 PM by typhoon.

User name:  Password:  Submit