One of the hardest parts about making this list was differentiating movies 50-90. It was quite difficult slotting those films for a variety of reasons. They all were movies that I loved, but weren't on all-time status. It was easy picking out my all-time favorites, but not so much on all the rest. Just so you know, there is hardly any difference in these next thirty flicks. The margins between them is minuscule to say the least.
Director: John Landis
Starring: John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd
Plot: "Jake Blues, just out from prison, puts together his old band to save the Catholic home where he and brother Elwood were raised."
Stock: Down
Movies on television are usually pretty good. Yes you have to deal with commercials and a couple edited scenes/lines, but for the most part you can nearly enjoy a film on television just as well as if you were watching it on DVD. However, that's not the case with every flick, and certainly not with The Blues Brothers.
The Blues Brothers always seems to be on TBS and while you can follow the plot and get a few chuckles, it's not nearly the same movie. It's much better unedited on DVD and is a completely different - and better - film.
John Belushi died more than three years before I was even born, but with performances like this one as Jake Blues I think I would have enjoyed Belushi. He's a nice mixture of Alex Lucius and Chris Farley.
The Blues Brothers is funny, has great music (Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Cab Calloway, and James Brown all make appearances), and plenty of classic one-liners. I could think of worse ways to spend two hours.
Director: Spike Lee
Starring: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen and Jodie Foster
Plot: "A cop has to talk down a bank robber after the criminal's perfect heist spirals into a hostage situation."
Stock: Holding
Matt Barnes posted Fight Club as his #100 favorite movie, and while it is very good, it did not crack my list because I saw the ending coming before-hand. Same reason The Prestige does not make my top 100. I correctly predicted the twist. So, when a movie completely stumps me I have to give it credit.
Inside Man has an unbelievable cast. Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, and Willem Dafoe all give excellent performances. It also has a great story with an unpredictable finish. But the reasons for its' inclusion isn't just because of the twist, it's a film that stirs up discussion.
It's not a tale of simple right-and-wrong. The sides of good-and-evil are not clearly drawn. It's a film you need to watch more than once because it's not just a bank-robbery movie. It's much more - and better - than that.
Director: John Lasseter
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Don Rickles
Academy Awards: Nominated three times (including Best Song and Best Writing).
Plot: "A cowboy toy is profoundly threatened and jealous when a fancy spaceman toy supplants him as top toy in a boy's room."
Stock: Up
Apologies to Tim Allen. When Barnes put Jungle 2 Jungle on his list I made the following comment, "The best thing Tim Allen has done the past 15 years was lend his voice to the Welcome to Michigan commercials." It was false ... barely. The best thing Tim Allen has EVER done was to lend his voice for Buzz Lightyear.
It's a little ridiculous to think that Toy Story came out more than fifteen years ago. But that's part of the reason why it's such a great film ... it was way ahead of its' time. The animation was unprecedented - almost unheard of - and the script was very clever. It's a kid's story but is written in a way that both the young and the old will appreciate.
Score yet another film for Tom Hanks who has quickly taken the lead in my favorite actor category. And score one for Tim Allen, who is certainly not a great comedic actor, but in this role he's good enough.
Director: Chris Columbus
Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern
Academy Awards: Nominated twice (including Best Song).
Plot: "An eight year-old, who is accidentally left behind while his family flies to France for Christmas, has to defend his home against idiotic burglars."
Stock: Up
Two weeks ago as we were enjoying the nightlife that Huntfest can only offer, Andy said three simple words that got everyone laughing, including yours truly. "Say goodnight Kevin." The only acceptable response was - of course - "Goodnight Kevin." It's one of a thousand reasons why Home Alone will always be a part of my favorite 100 movies. It's a lifer.
This is the film that launched Macaulay Culkin into stardom. He parlayed the success of this movie (highest grossing film of 1990) into a solid sequel and not much else. That's fine by me, because it doesn't take away how great he is in Home Alone.
Some films (see: Jurassic Park, Titanic, Ace Ventura) do not hold up well in the test of time. As they get older they lose some value. Home Alone is the exact opposite for me. As I get older the more I appreciate this classic flick. Just this past Christmas I almost lost it when Uncle Frank said the following ...
"Look what you did you little jerk."
When I was younger I related to Kevin (Culkin's character). All he wanted was his own cheese pizza (don't we all??). Now that I've gotten older I've enjoyed Uncle Frank more than I did two decades ago.
Lest we forget the performances clocked in by Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci. They take a beating in this movie, but are perfect villains for this flick.
Goodnight Kevin.
Director: Peter Hedges
Starring: Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche and Dane Cook
Plot: "A widower finds out the woman he fell in love with is his brother's girlfriend."
Stock: Down
After I had revised this list multiple times I gave it a final once over and found myself scratching my head a little bit. I honestly couldn't believe this movie made the cut. It survived numerous revisions and nearly ended up in the top-75. But why??
My favorite aspect of this film is that it is real. The characters are real, the family is real, and their interactions with each other also feel real. It has a unique "real" quality to it that differentiates it from other romantic-comedies.
Steve Carell is terrific as the star of Dan In Real Life. He plays the main character who has a wonderful moment with a girl only to realize the girl is dating his brother. Yes, the plot is a tad corny, but Steve makes the movie worth watching ... even with Dane Cook in it.
Director: David M. Evans
Starring: Tom Guiry, Mike Vitar and Patrick Renna
Plot: "Scotty Smalls moves to a new neighborhood with his mom and step-dad, and wants to learn to play baseball. The neighborhood baseball guru Rodriquez takes Smalls under his wing, and soon he's part of the local baseball buddies
Stock: Up
Took us until our third week, but finally Barnes and I have the same movie on our lists. I love that the first (of hopefully a few more) is The Sandlot. This movie defines our generation and just like Home Alone, will be a lifer on here.
I had a great childhood ... couldn't have asked for a better one. The summers were filled with neighborhood wiffle-ball games and Little League baseball. What more could a kid ask for? Whenever The Sandlot comes on it takes me back to that time - a much simpler time - and I always end up smiling.
The Sandlot has some solid one-liners and is a funny movie, but that's not why it's on this list. It's here because it resonates so well with me. It makes me forget about the real world and brings me back to my youth. And any film that can consistently do that deserves recognition.
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson
Academy Awards (4): Won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Writing and Best Editing. Nominated one more time (Best Supporting Actor/M. Wahlberg).
Plot: "Two men from opposite sides of the law are undercover within the Massachusetts State Police and the Irish mafia, but violence and bloodshed boil when discoveries are made, and the moles are dispatched to find out their enemy's identities."
Stock: Up
Leo, Damon, Jack, and Marky Mark ... all under one roof in an unforgettable crime thriller. The Departed brings these four outstanding actors together under the watchful eye of Martin Scorsese and doesn't disappoint.
The reason for The Departed not being higher on my list is because I've only seen it just one time. Similar to how Barnes liked Gladiator after one viewing, I thoroughly enjoyed my one-and-only experience watching The Departed ... so much so that it lands here at #74.
Not too often do we get to see Jack Nicholson play the bad guy, but he pulls it off brilliantly. Expect to see some more of Jack as we go on with this list.
The Departed is more than just a simple cop-and-robber film. It centers around complex father-son relationships and the ever-revolving concept of identity. Whenever I get around to watching it again, I'd expect a shift slightly up my board.
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon
Plot: "Danny Ocean and his ten accomplices plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously."
Stock: Down
I am just as surprised as you are to see George Clooney on here for a second time. He now has more appearances than the likes of Leo, Jack and Ferrell. Go figure.
Ocean's Eleven shows up because it has a great cast, clever script, and an ever-moving plot. Kind of like a quality page-turning book that you can't put down, Ocean's Eleven never loses your interest.
As with Inside Man, Ocean's Eleven has an ending that the first time through I did not see coming at all. I haven't seen either of the two sequels to this film for fear of it letting me down and possibly even ruining the original. It's happened before and I don't want it to happen again.
This is just a "fun" movie, one that creates a great a carefree movie-going experience.
Director: Roland Emmerich
Starring: Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger and Joely Richardson
Academy Awards: Nominated three times (including Best Music and Best Cinematography)
Plot: "Peaceful farmer Benjamin Martin is driven to lead the Colonial Militia during the American Revolution when a sadistic British officer murders his son."
Stock: Up
Some scenes in movies never leave you. They stay in your memory forever. The Patriot has not one - but two - of those scenes, and they play a rather large role for its' inclusion.
Say what you will about Mel Gibson's personal life, but as an actor he's not too bad. I'd have a very difficult time imagining anyone else except Mel portraying Benjamin Martin. Gibson does an excellent job showcasing Martin's compassion for his family, his love for his country, and his desire to revoke revenge.
The late Heath Ledger, as usual, was outstanding as Gibson's oldest child. The way they play off each other you almost feel as if they are father-son.
The Patriot has great fight scenes, memorable moments, and top-notch acting. It's a tad long (165 minutes), but if you got the time, the pay-off will be worth it.
Director: Mike Judge
Starring: Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston and David Herman
Plot: "Comedic tale of company workers who hate their jobs and decide to rebel against their greedy boss."
Stock: Holding
The older I get, the more I love Office Space. Maybe it's because I'm in the real-world now and understand so many of the themes that this movie touches on. Whatever it is, I'm having a tough time seeing this list without Office Space in it somewhere.
Multiple bosses telling you the same thing. Mundane days where everything is always the same. Annoying co-workers who just don't leave you alone. These are all things that every one of us deals with almost on a daily basis. Wouldn't we all like to get back on our bosses and our work situation??
There is a great cameo appearance by Scrubs very own John C. McGinley which always has me rolling. "So what exactly would you say you do here?" It's just one of the multitude of classic one-liners this film presents.
Apologies for being a day late, but blogger wasn't being very user-friendly last night. Hope to have the trailers posted by Thursday night. Would also like to wish a belated happy birthday to Matt Barnes who turned 25 last night. Do him a birthday favor and check out his blog HERE to see what new ridiculous film he decided to include.
Until next time, "read it, roll it, hole it."
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