KOA's 100 Films: 50-41

By: Luke Florence

A couple weeks ago I wrote how it was quite difficult to rank the movies I put in the 50-90 range. There wasn't much differentiating movie ranked #89 from #51. Well we are now past that. We are getting into the second half of the list, where you will find my favorite 50 movies. These are the films I came up with right off the bat when I first created the list. These are my favorite films.

Enjoy.

#50: Renaissance Man (1994)

Director: Penny Marshall

Starring: Danny DeVito, Gregory Hines and Mark Wahlberg

Plot: "A down-on-his-luck businessman desperately takes the only job offered - a teacher in the U.S. Army. His mission: keep a ragtag bunch of underachieving misfits from flunking out of basic training."

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It's weird seeing Danny DeVito playing anything but Frank Reynolds on It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, but that's what he does as Bill Rago in this underrated 90s flick.

If it wasn't for Mr. Bridinger I don't think I would have ever seen this movie. Our high-school English teacher, Mr. B appreciated this film because it was funny and because it took a unique approach on Shakespeare. We probably watched it in every class he taught and I couldn't have been happier.

I was shocked when I saw that Penny Marshall directed this film, mainly because I silently laughed when Barnes put two Marshall movies on his list. Well her directing didn't win any awards, but I guess I owe her an apology seeing as she shows up in my top 50.

Renaissance Man also fields a couple solid performances by Gregory Hines and a young Mark Wahlberg. This isn't an overly complicated movie, and it's fairly predictable, but it is also a heart-warming, family-fun film. One that should be able to find a home somewhere on this list for a long time.

#49: Old School (2003)

Director: Todd Phillips

Starring: Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell

Plot: "Three men are disenchanted with life and try to recapture their college days."

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I was a little late to the Old School take. This film came out my junior year of high school but I didn't see it until my junior year of college. To this very day I have no idea what took me so long to finally watch it, but I'm glad it eventually happened, even if my friends were quoting one-liners four years before I understood them.

Old School was - and still is - a cult classic. It's just straight-up, flat-out hilariousness. Will Ferrell as Frank The Tank is perfect. Vince Vaughn does what he does best, playing the fast-talking organizer, and not even the usual bland performance by Luke Wilson can derail this all-time great.

What I like about Old School is that it appeals to a broad range. Teenagers will like the swearing and the naked girls. College kids will love all the university references and parties. And the adults will appreciate trying to overcome a mid-life crisis.

As shocking as it was to see Penny Marshall direct an all-time favorite of mine, it was equally so to be 51 films in and not have any Will Ferrell or Vince Vaughn appearances. Without spoiling anything, it's safe to say it won't be the last for either of these funny guys.

#48: Memento (2000)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano

Academy Awards: Nominated twice (Best Writing and Best Editing).

Plot: "A man, suffering from short-term memory loss, uses notes and tattoos to hunt for the man he thinks killed his wife."

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This is me drawing a line. Right here.

Usually there are tiers with my lists. I use them to separate the good from the great and the great from the all-time great. Well, this is a tier-drawn line moment. This is where we begin to discuss the films I consider to be in the all-time/legendary category.

We start with a film that shows you the ending right away and tells you the entire story backwards ... and here's the kicker ... it actually makes sense.

Barnes mentions frequently how much I enjoy the "thinking man" films and he's right. I enjoy movies that I can discuss and dissect and argue with afterward. Memento is one of those films that you have to talk about when it's over.

Guy Pierce plays the role of Leonard, a man suffering from short-term amnesia. He can't make any new memories so he lives day-by-day, almost moment-to-moment at times. His last memory is of his wife being killed and he has made it mission to avenge her death. Along the way he meets some people who could be trying to help him or they could be using him. It's a terrific movie, certainly unique, and one worth watching.

Big props to Devin Frank for making sure I watched this one ... as usual, Devin's taste in movies is spot-on. Good form sir.

#47: Requiem For A Dream (2000)

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto and Jennifer Connelly

Academy Awards: Nominated once (Best Actress/E. Burstyn).

Plot: "The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island individuals are shattered when their addictions become stronger."

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Another credit to Devin Frank for suggesting I watch this bizarre film and another credit for Darren Aronofsky, who also directed The Wrestler. And, another credit for Jennifer Connelly who has taken the lead in my Best Actress race ... and she was a huge long-shot at the start of this.

I used the word bizarre in the intro for good reason - it's the word most apt to describe Requiem For A Dream. Well that and "disturbing." Let's go with "bizarrely disturbing" and call it a day.

I've never had a drug problem and to be fair, I honestly don't know anyone who has. I'm aware that I'm in the minority on this, but it was that naive-ness which made my viewing of Requiem For A Dream so memorable.

It chronicles a tale of a group of people who all end up struggling with drugs. The people who are affected come in all different shapes, colors and sizes. How they become addicted, what they do once they are hooked, and how they handle the aftermath all add up to a mesmerizing, eye-opening, unforgettable experience.

If my mom thought Silence of The Lambs was disturbing, she doesn't want any part of this.

#46: Dead Poet's Society (1989)

Director: Peter Weir

Starring: Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard and Ethan Hawke

Academy Awards (1): Won Best Writing. Nominated three more times (including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor/R. Williams).

Plot: "English professor John Keating inspires his students to a love of poetry and to seize the day."

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Poetry is not my strong-suit ... never has been. I struggle grasping the concept of interpreting words/sentences I can barely pronounce. So when I first heard of a movie called "Dead Poets Society," I didn't exactly rush to see it. But once I did, I most certainly didn't forget or regret it.

This is the film that vaulted Robin Williams into one of my favorite actors. He plays English teacher John Keating who as the plot line says, inspires his students to take control of their lives ... to stop letting others dictate.

Despite this film being a little dated and a tad old, it is still a very inspiring and heart-wrenching movie. It's one of those rare films that is almost even more than just a movie ... it's a work of art. As I grow older I find more and more things I appreciate with Dead Poets Society, something that is quite difficult to do.

#45: Billy Madison (1995)/Happy Gilmore (1996)

Director: Tamra Davis/Dennis Dugan

Starring: Adam Sandler, Darren McGavin and Bridgette Wilson/Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald and Julie Bowen

Plot: "In order to inherit his fed up father's hotel empire, an immature and lazy man must repeat grades 1-12 all over again./A rejected hockey player puts his skills to the golf course to save his grandmother's house."

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Am I bending the rules a bit here?? Probably, but it's my list and I can cry if I want to. As you will soon find out, I had to make some room for an unexpected guest.

If I had made this list when I was 12, these two movies would have both resided in the top five easily, might have even been ranked #1 and #2 respectively. As I've grown older they have dropped significantly, but they are clearly responsible for developing my young mind.

Scary I know.

Adam Sandler was my favorite actor/comedian after he released these two movies. I thought he was the funniest guy in the world. Since then he has been replaced by numerous others, but you can't take away how funny I thought this guy was growing up. He could do no wrong.

There's hardly any difference in Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore. They are the same two films with different settings. Sandler plays a grown-up going back to school in one and a hockey player turned golfer in the other. He gets to act silly and goofy in both, and I still haven't stopped laughing.

#44: Mystic River (2003)

Director: Clint Eastwood

Starring: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Kevin Bacon

Academy Awards (2): Won Best Actor (S. Penn) and Best Supporting Actor (T. Robbins). Nominated four more times (including Best Picture, Best Director/C. Eastwood, Best Supporting Actress/M. Harden, and Best Writing).

Plot: "With a childhood tragedy that overshadowed their lives, three men are reunited by circumstance when one loses a daughter."

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Last week I tweeted, "Well I finally found a movie I completely forgot during my list-making. Would have been a top-40 pick as well ... so upset right now."

This is the forgotten film.

My worst fears came to fruition last week as I stumbled upon Mystic River's page at IMDB.com. I couldn't believe I had missed this dramatic movie. What made it worse was that I felt there would be no room for it since my list was half-way over. Luckily I combined Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore (something I thought about doing originally), to guarantee Mystic River's spot.

Throw Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins, and a murder mystery together in a Boston town and you have all the ingredients for an awesome movie. The three main characters grew up together, experienced a tragic event at a young age, and are now experiencing another tragic event 30 years later.

Eastwood has an amazing knack for providing such depth to his films. All of the main characters are not only fully developed but superbly acted. There's a reason both Penn and Robbins won Academy Awards with Eastwood getting a director nomination. Great movie and glad it could join us.

#43: October Sky (1999)

Director: Joe Johnston

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper and Laura Dern

Plot: "The true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes."

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Two things amaze me about this movie. One, that it stars Jake Gyllenhaal, who much like Ben Affleck and Angelina Jolie, is not one of my favorite actors. And two, that it was actually produced in 1999. It's based on a true story from the 1950s, and the way this movie is shot it truly feels like the 50s. I was stunned it was made a short dozen years ago.

On the surface, October Sky is about Homer Hickam's obsession with rockets. It propels him to accomplish great things. Digging a little deeper, October Sky is about following your dreams, the value we place on family, and overcoming adversity. It's a lot like Rudy if you replaced footballs with rockets.

Back in my high school days, a group of us were so pumped up after watching this movie we decided to try to build a rocket ourselves. The best thing we could come up with was a tube filled with alka seltzer tablets. It got about four inches off of the ground. While our rocket-building skills were certainly a failure, October Sky is a giant success.

#42: Aladdin (1992)

Director: Ron Clements and John Musker

Starring: Scott Weinger, Robin Williams and Linda Larkin

Academy Awards (2): Won Best Music and Best Song (A Whole New World). Nominated three more times (including Best Song/Friend Like Me).

Plot: "Aladdin, a street urchin, accidentally meets Princess Jasmine, who is in the city undercover. They love each other, but she can only marry a prince."

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The very first movie I saw in the theatre twice was Aladdin. I saw it with my dad (who took us to the majority of the "kiddy" movies growing up) the first time, and the second time the whole family (grandparents included) went to the Ritz to see it again (Grandpa Florence was out cold).

I loved the songs, loved the genie, was head-over-heels in love with Jasmine, and absolutely despised Jafar. It has all the necessities for not just a great Disney movie, but any kind of film ... period.

Robin Williams gets his second nod in this section alone, as he lends his voice to the Genie, Aladdin's sidekick. He is classic, over-the-top Williams, but it fits well in the context of the film.

I have a favorite cup that resides back home in Tiffin. I've been drinking out of it for almost 20 years. It's a Burger King Aladdin cup.  When I buy my first home, that cup will be coming with me.

It's a film that will always be a part of me. It's my favorite Disney movie and according to these ranking, it's my favorite animated film as well.

#41: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Director: David Fincher

Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton

Academy Awards (3): Won Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction and Best Makeup. Nominated ten more times (including Best Picture, Best Director/D. Fincher, Best Actor/B. Pitt, Best Supporting Actress/T. Henson and Best Writing).

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I can see my mom having a big smile on her face when she reads this. She was practically begging me to see this film.  Meanwhile, I continued to make fun of the plot thinking it was slightly amusing that a boy grows backwards. He is born old and dies young. And you expect me to take this film serious?? Well, not only did I finally succumb and sit down and watch it, I left more than impressed. I left in a state of awe.

Never has a movie impressed me more from a visual standpoint. It's absolutely incredible. It's the best blu-ray I've ever watched. The visual effects are out of this world. I was upset when I first saw how many Oscar nominations this movie raked in (13), but now that I've watched it, I completely understand.

Along with the outstanding visuals, Brad Pitt is exceptional as Benjamin Button. It's not an easy role to play, but Brad makes it his own and succeeds all across the board.

Benjamin Button reminds me of Forrest Gump in a way. It centers around one individual, but it also has a revolving love story. It also has a historical context behind it as it chronicles World War One all the way to the recent Hurricane Katrina.

My one complaint with this film is that it is 160 minutes long. But as you are watching, it doesn't feel like a 2.5 hour movie usually does. It takes you on a journey of escapism. One that I'm glad my mom nagged me into seeing.

Moms always know best don't they?

Sorry for being a day late, but we will be back on Thursday with trailers and a reaction to Matt Barnes' picks. Keep letting us know what you think boys and girls.

Until next time, "read it, roll it, hole it."