Chances are that my list will not jive with everybody's tastes. My tastes lean pretty heavily toward action, sci-fi, fantasy, and everything nerdy. I don't even think I have any romance films on here. I certainly don't have a whole lot of "classics" or prestige pieces here. You know what? It doesn't matter. These are favorites not because of influence or acclaim, but because I love the whole lot of them. Whether you agree with this list or not, I wouldn't change it for the world. I do encourage you to check out a lot of these films, either for your own enjoyment or enlightenment, but if you don't like these films, then that's your opinion and I can respect that.
Thus, without further ado, here is Al's Top 100 Favorite Movies!
100: Army of Darkness
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| "You see this? This is my BOOMSTICK!!!" |
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Good | Film: Good | Resonance: Highest
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99: Sin City
It took a couple of viewings for me to appreciate Robert Rodriguez’s adaptation of Frank Miller’s comic series. It’s one crazy ride, filled to the brim with gut-wrenching brutality, rampant bloodshed, and scenes that are just plain wrong! It uses some really strange and stylish effects; the whole film is done on green-screen, and rendered with black and white photography with occasional bits of color added in to specific elements. With four short stories cut and intercut together, the film comes off as rather convoluted at first glance. However, it is a picture-perfect replication of the original graphic novels. Each of the stories has its share of strengths, and is animated brilliantly by the massive cast. Altogether, Sin City makes for one of the darkest and most decadent pleasures one can have in the cinematic world.
Entertainment: Very Good | Stories: Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Highest
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98: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones’ second adventure sees the hero descending into a figurative Hell, where children are enslaved and people’s hearts are ripped from their bodies before being lowered into a pit of red hot magma. It’s so brutal, it’s the film that caused the creation of the PG-13 rating (for features too rough for PG, but not rough enough for R). Strangely enough, this dark Vedic adventure still has frequent moments of comedy and heart. It makes for a rather strange experience, having such brutal scenes juxtapose to such silliness, but it is a highly entertaining adventure all the same.
Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Very High
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97: Christine
Closely adapted from Stephen King’s novel, John Carpenter’s film offers a dark and brutal tale in which the title characters massacres a bunch of high school kids in the name of love. Did I mention that the title character is really a bright-red antique car? It’s one heck of a unique story; one that entertains, and one that’s presented quite perfectly on film.
Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Very High
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96: Equilibrium
Imagine George Orwell’s 1984 with lots and lots of gunfighting! Viola, you have Equilibrium! This sci-fi flick definitely entertains with its wild “gun-katta” fight sequences. Even moreso, the film underscores the importance of human emotion, as the characters discover them for the first time, before going on to rebel against forces of oppression. Maybe not the most original film out there, it has its heart in the right place.
Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Very High
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95: A Bittersweet Life (Dalkomhan Insaeng)
Upon watching this Korean crime drama, it’s hard not to feel for the main character; he is a loyal, immaculate, heartfelt man who finds himself betrayed and struggling to survive. The film offers plenty of thrills as the main character is forced to fight for his life, and eventually to fight for vengeance. It is also poetic in tone, thanks to its delicate filmmaking prowess and quality performances.
Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Very High
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94: I Saw the Devil (Akmareul Boatda)
An epic and brutal struggle between two wicked men: one a serial killer, the other a secret agent seeking vengeance for the loss of his fiancé under the killer’s hands. With this set up, it’s a simultaneously thrilling and chilling experience to watch the two men pursue and confront each other over and over again. It’s quite a bloody ordeal, but a somber and memorable one, filmed with style.
Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Very Good
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93: 127 Hours
Danny Boyle managed to do something extraordinary: he took an ordinary subject and presented it in an extraordinary manner. You’d think that a movie about a guy trapped in a canyon would be dull. In the hands of any other director, this simple story could have been really boring or trashy. With Boyle’s interesting cinematic style, 127 Hours is a vivid, gripping, memorable experience that not only entertains, but gives the film a unique life of its own.
Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Very High
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92: Conan the Barbarian
This film offers something rarely seen in fantasy films: an R-rated adventure full of primal brutality and a certain old-fashioned mysticism. It’s enthralling to watch Conan literally crush his enemies, see them driven before him, and hear the lamentations of da women! It’s a blast to follow this story, especially with its endearing characters and its epic film score. Even with the 2010 remake, and movies like The Pathfinder, no other film has come close to replicating the fine balance between hard-edged brutality and high adventure the way this film does.
Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Very High
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91: Brazil
A wacky yet insightful view on what the future could be: a crazy world in which rampant bureaucracy, commercialization, and industrialization turns everyday life into a living hell. At the center stage, Sam Lowry, as a victim of circumstances, winds up rebelling against the powers that be to make his dreams come true and find true love. It is as thrilling of a journey as it is insightful, and at times surreal. It is a must-see for any sci-fi fan (like me).
Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Very High
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90: Lord of War
It’s been said before, but I’ll reiterate: this film does for guns what Scarface did for drugs. Both Scarface and Lord of War are stories about criminals who descend into madness and evil, in their obsessive pursuits over their given vices. In this case, the vice is gun running. It is quite an eye-opener to watch the main character deal and double-deal between the different countries (including our own; I couldn’t tell you if this kind of stuff really happens or not, but it makes you think). Believe it or not, Nicholas Cage delivers a strong performance in the lead role, and the film has the coolest style imaginable.
Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Perfect | Film: Perfect | Resonance: Good
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89: Downfall (Der Untergang)
Perhaps one of the best and most realistic World War II movies available. It chronicles the final days of Adolf Hitler and his top commanders, trapped in a bunker beneath war-torn Berlin. The drama is gripping and intense, as the characters face insurmountable odds, madness, and ultimately death. All of it appears historically accurate. With fantastic performances by the cast, Downfall stands as a must-see for any war movie buff.
Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Perfect | Film: Perfect | Resonance: Good
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88: The Mist
Taken from the Stephen King novella, with perhaps some influence by HP Lovecraft, this film starts off with a basic yet freakish concept. It remains tense, not only with all the creepy monsters that literally come out of the mist, but also with the primal violence that emerges within the group of survivors. While the devolution of the group serves as a sobering reflection on humanity’s own bestial nature, the film’s ending provides the biggest emotional punch, and stands out as the single most memorable moment in the film. It’s a scene that will leave many either loving or hating the film. I for one love it, for it is like bitter icing on a sweet cake. This bittersweet film comes pretty darn close to being my favorite Stephen King adaptation (but not quite…one other film has that honor…).
Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Perfect| Film: Very Good | Resonance: Very High
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87: Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi)
This anime feature is a rather odd affair, but one with enough charm and whimsy to match up with most Disney features. Hayao Miyazaki’s picture offers an interesting Japanese fairy tale that’s not only full of heart, but also has enough peril and striking visuals to keep it entertaining. This excellent coming-of-age story is ordained with superb animation quality.
Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Perfect | Resonance: Very High
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86: Gladiator
Despite taking some liberties with the historical events, this movie does an impressive job of bringing the Roman Empire to life on the screen, thanks to its immaculate detail and art design. In the center of the arena, it’s a simple revenge story, but one full of power and heart. The film drags just a little in between the impressive yet bloody action scenes. It’s still mighty impressive for its immersive environments, its vivid style, and its strong performances.
Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Perfect | Resonance: Very High
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85: Psycho
This has got to be Hitchcock’s most famous piece of work; it was purposefully designed to invoke fear by pushing the envelope as far as it could (by 1960s standards). It’s pretty tame by today’s standards, but its shower scene is still iconic. The film does a great job of maintaining tension. It is a piece of work with both style and substance, and it still resonates strongly after all these years.
Entertainment: Very Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Perfect | Resonance: Very High
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84: Air Force One
Like Die Hard on an airplane, Air Force One presents a thrill ride of nonstop action, depicting a lone man (the President, nonetheless, played with serious machismo by Harrison Ford) picking off terrorists one by one. The shootouts and air battles are sweet! At its core, though, the movie still has a decent focus on building a gripping story and depicting interesting characters. While it may not stand as a great artistic achievement, this film is one of the best action movies of the 90s.
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Very Good
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83: Ip Man (Yip Man)
No, Ip Man is not “Internet Protocol” man. This martial arts master was an actual person: he was the one who originally trained the legendary Bruce Lee. This semi-autobiographical film shows Ip Man’s earlier years, however, as a humble man confronting the oppression of Japanese invaders during World War II. It’s quite uplifting to watch the Ip Man spearhead the resistance movement (even though it wasn’t his first choice). Above all, it’s incredible and awe-inspiring to watch the man fight. Donnie Yen shows off some mad martial arts skills as he beats down all his opponents with rapid successions of punches and kicks (in one scene, he even takes down ten different enemies all at once!). Despite the action, the film still has excellent focus on the story and depicting its characters, and they are every bit as strong and compelling as the fighting.
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Very High
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82: Wanted
Russian director Timur Bekmambetov’s American debut doesn’t exactly follow the original graphic novel that closely. But I don’t care. From start to finish, this film is just loaded with the most incredible spectacle. It takes the most impossible concepts – curving bullets, cars pulling off gravity-defying stunts, exploding rats, and more – and orchestrates an awe-inspiring ballet of violence and mass destruction. To accentuate the impressive action, the film just seethes with attitude, as if it just wants to tell the audience to frakk off (…in fact, the film does so a couple of times). A lot of people dismiss this film as average or substandard garbage, but I totally dug the characters and the story, no matter how much disbelief it asks to suspend.
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Very Good
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81: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Of all the Star Wars pictures, this one is probably the most iconic, thanks to a certain twist in the characters that put the whole series into a new perspective. Even without that twist, the film is still quite thrilling with its massive battle on ice planet Hoth, its epic asteroid field chase, and the gripping duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. The film is successful at taking the classic characters and throwing them into new types of peril, ultimately laying the groundwork for the series’ epic conclusion.
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Very High
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To be continued...
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