June 26, 2008

The top 100 films of the last 25 years - modern classics?

Continuing a chain from blog-to-blog, I’m borrowing this idea from Voenix Rising.

Using the Entertainment Weekly list of the top 100 movies from the last 25 years [editor’s note – debatable, at best]:

  • Bold the movie if you’ve seen it
  • Put asterisks next to the movies you’ve seen and really liked. If you saw a film and hated it, cross it out.

I’ve seen a whopping 66 of the Top 100 films, but outright hated only four of them. That’s probably because I’m a bit choosy about what I will and won’t see in the theater. Although the age of Netflix has helped me delve into a lot more so-so movies, I admit.

If I had to pick a single favorite on this list, it would undoubtedly be the LOTR trilogy. But since that might be considered an unfair advantage, I’ll give honorable mention to…The Breakfast Club. A true modern classic!

As for the worst, I think I'd have to say Breaking the Waves. My other crossed-out titles I just thought were overhyped. But Waves was just...bizarre.

  1. Pulp Fiction 1994**
  2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy 2001-03**
  3. Titanic 1997
  4. Blue Velvet 1986
  5. Toy Story 1995
  6. Saving Private Ryan 1998
  7. Hannah and Her Sisters 1986
  8. The Silence of the Lambs 1991
  9. Die Hard 1988
  10. Moulin Rouge 2001
  11. This Is Spinal Tap 1984
  12. The Matrix 1999
  13. GoodFellas 1990
  14. Crumb 1995
  15. Edward Scissorhands 1990
  16. Boogie Nights 1997**
  17. Jerry Maguire 1996
  18. Do the Right Thing 1989
  19. Casino Royale 2006**
  20. The Lion King 1994
  21. Schindler’s List 1993
  22. Rushmore 1998
  23. Memento 2001**
  24. A Room With a View 1986
  25. Shrek 2001
  26. Hoop Dreams 1994
  27. Aliens 1986
  28. Wings of Desire 1988
  29. The Bourne Supremacy 2004**
  30. When Harry Met Sally… 1989
  31. Brokeback Mountain 2005**
  32. Fight Club 1999
  33. The Breakfast Club 1985**
  34. Fargo 1996
  35. The Incredibles 2004**
  36. Spiderman 2 2004
  37. Pretty Woman 1990
  38. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 2004
  39. The Sixth Sense 1999
  40. Speed 1994
  41. Dazed and Confused 1993
  42. Clueless 1995**
  43. Gladiator 2000
  44. The Player 1992
  45. Rain Man 1988
  46. Children of Men 2006**
  47. Men in Black 1997
  48. Scarface 1983
  49. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2000
  50. The Piano 1993
  51. There Will Be Blood 2007
  52. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad 1988
  53. The Truman Show 1998
  54. Fatal Attraction 1987
  55. Risky Business 1983
  56. The Lives of Others 2006**
  57. There’s Something About Mary 1998
  58. Ghostbusters 1984
  59. L.A. Confidential 1997
  60. Scream 1996
  61. Beverly Hills Cop 1984
  62. sex, lies and videotape 1989
  63. Big 1988**
  64. No Country For Old Men 2007
  65. Dirty Dancing 1987
  66. Natural Born Killers 1994
  67. Donnie Brasco 1997
  68. Witness 1985
  69. All About My Mother 1999
  70. Broadcast News 1987
  71. Unforgiven 1992
  72. Thelma & Louise 1991
  73. Office Space 1999
  74. Drugstore Cowboy 1989
  75. Out of Africa 1985
  76. The Departed 2006
  77. Sid and Nancy 1986
  78. Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991
  79. Waiting for Guffman 1996
  80. Michael Clayton 2007
  81. Moonstruck 1987
  82. Lost in Translation 2003
  83. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn 1987
  84. Sideways 2004
  85. The 40 Year-Old Virgin 2005**
  86. Y Tu Mamá También 2002**
  87. Swingers 1996
  88. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery 1997
  89. Breaking the Waves 1996
  90. Napoleon Dynamite 2004
  91. Back to the Future 1985
  92. Menace II Society 1993
  93. Ed Wood 1994
  94. Full Metal Jacket 1987
  95. In the Mood for Love 2001
  96. Far From Heaven 2002
  97. Glory 1989
  98. The Talented Mr. Ripley 1999
  99. The Blair Witch Project 1999
  100. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut 1999

So how about you - how many have you seen, and what do you think is the best and the worst?

5 comments:

Stef said...

Oooh, fun! I just finished that big mega-issue of EW. I'll have to continue this on my blog, i think, I just have to figure out how to do a strikethrough. :-)

Anonymous said...

I saw this elsewhere earlier in the week, but haven't posted mine yet.

I count 53 seen, with none that I really hated. There are a few I don't feel have "aged well" but I'm not ready to say I don't like them anymore. That said, I would put Clueless and Pretty Woman at the bottom of my list as merely "mildly amusing."

Favorites: #1 by far off this list* is Goodfellas. Other faves include LotR trilogy and a couple of superhero (go figure :) ) entries: The Incredibles and Spider-Man 2.

*I just realized The Princess Bride (My 2nd favorite of all time, after Bull Durham) isn't on this list. Unacceptable.

Anonymous said...

OMG. I've not seen 6 of them. Only 6. And they are mostly films that came out in the past 2 years.

I'm completely fine with Pulp Fiction being #1. I would move 2 up the list for me, though. Hoop Dreams started the documentary revolution, and it's breathtaking. And sex, lies, and videotape brought the fledgling independent movement to the public. I'm also a sucker for James Spader.

Anonymous said...

Here's a link to my list:

http://bobmungovan.livejournal.com/59896.html

DC Food Blog said...

I read that issue on a flight to Minneapolis. I agree with your hatred of Breaking the Waves. Any Lars Von Trier movie is an exercise in masochism. I think it's criminal that Dangerous Liaisons got left off the list.