Part 2, Films 80 - 61
Part 3, Films 60 - 41
Part 4, Films 40 - 21
20: Apocalypse Now!
One of many films that threw me off on the first viewing; Francis Ford Coppola’s war epic is a strange experience. It is a memorable and vivid one though. Its story takes after Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness, and the film proves that the concept can work in just about any setting. It is pretty trippy and invoking to watch the characters descend into the depths of insanity (hence, the heart of darkness). With all the hell the filmmakers went through to make this, it turned out to be one unique picture.
The Redux edition of this movie runs for over three-and-a-half hours, and offers a myriad of strange new scenes. It is worth seeing at least once.
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19: Requiem for a Dream
Darren Aronofsky’s adaptation of Hubert Selby Jr’s novel is one of the most harrowing and depression experiences one can have watching a film. The story revolves around four individuals, whose lives unravel with drug addiction and abuse, leading to the obliteration of their dreams. While the novel didn’t have much structure to its story, the director brings it to vivid life with a strong cinematic style, and the actors emphasize the pain of their nightmare through their quality performances. Clint Mansell’s score is equally powerful. By the end of the film, I guarantee that you’ll be too scared to even think of using drugs ever again. Because of that, I recommend that everybody should see this film at least once in their lifetime.
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18: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Kaze no tani no Naushika)
Of all the wonderful pictures that Hayao Miyazaki created, this one hits me the hardest. As a post-apocalyptic fantasy, it’s quite hard-edged, but still carries a sense of whimsy and high adventure that would define most of the man’s other films. It’s hard not to feel for the main character and her cause (thus, underscoring strong themes concerning the environment). In the end, it’s a wonderful film with a strong story and lots of strong action scenes.
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17: A Clockwork Orange
Ah, what bliss to viddy this old zammechat picture, seeing the red red krovvy and watching young devotchkas doing the old in-out-in-out. This raskazz is real horrowshow, quite unlike any other gloopy pictures; like milk plus, it can sharpen you up for a bit of the old ultraviolence.
Yeah, this is one weird trip. The film is notorious for its brutality and violence, but memorable for its insane art design and its unique use of the Nadsat language. What really make it work are its story, characters, and very strong themes revolving around the artificial tampering of the human mind and spirit. While this film won’t appeal to everyone, I’ve always found it a profound experience to join Alex and his droogs on their harrowing venture.
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16: Children of Men
There is probably no worse fate than to have no fate at all. Children of Men offers the grim and sobering premise that the human race will become infertile, leading to a downward spiral of social decay. This film is extremely depressing, with its hard-hitting violence, and numerous scenes of injustice. It is a strong and powerful film though, as its darkest moments serves to make the one light of hope shine brighter (which in turn mirrors the nativity story). There is action to the movie too, and it is impressive; the filmmakers flex some impressive muscle in regards to scene composition, choreography, and logistics, as the camera follows the characters across the countryside and a decrepit refugee camp with hardly any cuts. For the most part though, it wasn’t so much the action that stood out, as it was one specific scene toward the end that really made the movie for me: it is an arousing scene in which, in the midst of all the fighting and bloodshed, the human spirit prevails. It gets to me every time.
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15: Braveheart
Of all historical epics that have been made, there aren’t many that can match the emotional power and strength of Mel Gibson’s film. Even though very little about this film is historically accurate, it presents an impressive portrayal of the war between the Scotts and the English; there are a few major battles in this film that are incredibly gruesome and harrowing. More interesting than the war are the characters; it is an invoking experience to watch William Wallace suffer the loss of his wife, and then embark on a bloody rampage of vengeance. With gorgeous photography and a decent-looking production, Braveheart is still one of the most powerful experiences I’ve seen on film.
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14: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
I remember watching this in the theater, and around thirty minutes in, it dawned on me that everything about the film was darn near perfect. It has action and impressive-looking special effects. It has quality craftsmanship and cinematography. It has good strength in storytelling and characterization. A fairly faithful adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s original story, the film presents a quality adventure with a satisfying amount of action and depth. Only the sequels would come to surpass this film’s superiority.
Extended editions exist for all three Lord of the Rings films, which seamlessly offer a huge number of new scenes with completed special effects and music. They offer great insight on the story and characters, and come recommended for all three films.
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13: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
This second part of Peter Jackson’s epic depiction of JRR Tolkien’s epic saga takes everything that was great about The Fellowship of the Ring and manages to make it a grade better. The Two Towers has more impressive action scenes, especially with the Battle of Helm’s Deep. It has a slightly stronger visual flair. Above all, it still maintains steady focus on the story and characters. With a strong, quality production backing it, this film remains as quality entertainment.
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12: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Dr. Henry Jones Jr’s third adventure in the series proves every bit as fun and adventurous as his previous outings. Aside from plentiful amounts of fights and chases, the movie’s tank chase scene is a marvelous sequence. At its core, the film revolves around Indy and his father, and their interactions help give the film a substantial heart and soul (in addition to lots of witty comedy). This comes very close to being my favorite of the series, but between this and the first film, it’s a pretty close call. Both films are great fun and have great stories to tell.
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11: Casino Royale (2006)
While some folks will still be transfixed on the classic James Bond adventures, there is much to be said about this refreshing new take on a classic action hero icon. Daniel Craig brings Ian Fleming’s character to life, with a raw and primal passion that has rarely been touched upon before (maybe a little from Timothy Dalton), and a level of class that hasn’t been seen since Sean Connery (who’s still a strong and endearing contender for being the best Bond of them all). This action-packed film starts off strong and maintains a good level of tension and thrills with its frequent shootouts, chases, and fights. Even when the action dies down, the tension lingers for most of the picture. It follows the original book faithfully while keeping things modern and fresh. Characters are at their strongest here; it is especially groundbreaking for Bond’s evolution from a cocky, arrogant amateur to a cold, hardened superspy. The film looks very slick and stylish. In short, of all the 007 films out there, the latest series has been the most satisfying. Quantum of Solace makes for an excellent follow-up, for it rounds off the characters, but is marred by its jittery camerawork. Chances are good that Skyfall could take over as my favorite Bond film. As it is though, Casino Royale remains definitive.
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10: Star Trek (2009)
For the past five decades, Star Trek has captured the imaginations and hearts of many audiences, with its intelligent and perilous adventures and endearing characters. With the film series trailing off after Star Trek: Nemesis (and with the old cast having already expressed their farewells in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country), JJ Abrams regenerated the series with astonishing new vitality. The 2009 Star Trek is briskly-paced, with loads of fantastic space battles, shootouts, fights, chases, and occasional witty humor. While it makes for great popcorn entertainment, the film still shows excellent storytelling prowess, with its emphasis on developing rich characters (in turn, breathing new life into characters who have otherwise turned stale). Some audiences will lament for the way it uses time travel to create an alternate universe Trek, that will ultimately allow filmmakers to do anything they please. At the same time, this opens up the possibilities brilliantly, and loosens the constraints of the Trek canon. Some audiences will also hate the way Abrams plays on the camera like a drum, and shines flashlights at the camera to simulate lens flares. I’ve learned to forgive the film’s erratic style, and appreciate how it uses less to make more (it’s a bit weird to think that the interior of the Enterprise was comprised of a beer factory). Altogether though, the new Star Trek represents a fantastic mix of pleasing entertainment and pleasing storytelling.
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09: Kill Bill Volume 1
Tarantino’s two-part revenge saga is an exceptional story that’s as thrilling as it is stylish. While the story is best viewed as two parts of a complete whole, I’ve always favored volume one of this saga the most; not only is it the most action-packed, but it also has the most vivid cinematic style (complete with ultra-violent anime sequences) and the most interesting narrative techniques. While the impressive fight scenes tend to stand out above most other scenes, it is most rewarding to watch the Bride rise from an unjust atrocity and tear apart the ones who had done her wrong. With the mixed-up editing techniques, deciphering the story is quite an interesting and profound joy. Of course, the ending for volume 2 is even sweeter than the bitterness of volume 1; I prefer to see them together back-to-back for the complete experience. As it is though, volume 1 thrills me the most.
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08: The Passion of the Christ
This film was quite controversial upon its release; it is by far the most violent and brutal portrayal of Jesus’ sacrifice. The film takes every moment and draws out the agony, forcing the audience to feel the pain He goes through. Thankfully, it is not violence alone that makes this film powerful; Mel Gibson directed this picture with a strong visual flair, an excellent eye for detail, and an extreme sense of power. The film captures the passages of the book of Luke word for word and verse by verse, taking few artistic liberties that would help reinforce the movie’s theology, and bring the characters to life. Whether you can stand to watch it or not, the film is a powerful and heart-wrenching experience. It is an experience that helped me understand the events and their meaning a lot better, and it is an experience I don’t mind revisiting. It’s certainly far more rewarding than previous candy-coated biblical epics that Hollywood released over the past fifty years (like The Greatest Story Ever Told…I just don’t feel it with that one).
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07: Lawrence of Arabia
Despite the film’s age and its extremely long runtime, the film has never yet bored me once. Even when I wanted it to (at a time when I was ill and needed something to put me to sleep), the film has always sparked my interest and captured my imagination. Taken from the historical accounts of Colonel TE Lawrence, this film chronicles the character’s descent into Arabia, where he immerses himself in the culture and lifestyle of the desert, before leading the war against the Turks. At the same time, Lawrence constantly struggles to maintain his sanity and civility. Not only does the film boast some nice, epic battle scenes, it also sheds interesting light on the politics and conflicts of Arabia (which still resonate today). Featuring beautiful cinematography, the film captures the character and explores him in a manner that is deep and moving. As it is, this remains as my favorite picture among old classics.
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06: Terminator 2: Judgment Day
The first Terminator film is a clever, original story with enough thrills to keep it engaging. James Cameron’s follow-up is something far bigger, far more polished, and a Hell of a lot more ambitious. It is most memorable for its groundbreaking special effects, which bring to life a frightening villain made entirely of liquid metal. Combined with frequent car chases and shootouts, the film never fails to entertain. At its core, it’s still a strong story, with thoughtful emphasis on the threat of nuclear annihilation (and thus, a glimpse at humanity’s destructive nature). The characters still receive strong treatment, and it is especially heartwarming to see the Terminator character humanized. With slick camera work and strong production values, T2 is a sequel that manages to match, if not outmatch, its predecessor.
Three cuts for this movie exist on home video; the theatrical cut, an extended cut, and an extended cut with an alternate ending. I find myself most attracted to the extended cut without the alternate ending; there are about fifteen minutes of new footage that offers some more insight on the characters and help bridge the gaps of continuity in certain scenes. It’s worth seeing at least once.
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05: Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones’ first adventure on the big screen is still a blast, even after all this time. Right from the start, Indy is pitted against danger at every turn (including one of the most iconic moments, in which he has to swap a golden idol with a bag of sand). In the same manner as the old-fashioned serials, one thing leads to another, building up to a chilling climax. The story manages to dig up some important questions regarding faith (as opposed to cold scientific fact), and there’s enough depth to the characters to make them stand out. With stylish, classy photography and style, Spielberg’s adventure is as timeless as it is exciting.
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The next four entries comprises what I refer to as the "Holy Quadrinity" of films: four favorite franchises. I love all the films in each franchise, and each franchise is masterfully pieced together to form complete wholes. However, I only chose four specific films in each franchise to come out on top.
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04: The Dark Knight
This film runs for well over two hours, and is just chock full of everything. Its opening bank robbery scene, its epic convoy pursuit scene, the hospital explosion, the scenario with the ferries…hardly a moment goes by without a high-stakes situation propping up. Not only are these scenes gripping, they serve to push the title character to the limit.
The plot for this is winding and complex. But the real charm of this film is in the characters and their interactions. The Joker easily steals the show at every turn, as he diabolically works to test the limits of Batman, and society in general. While the Batman struggles to maintain order and perfection, the Joker represents chaos and corruption. One is good, the other evil. One abides by the rules, the other has no rules. The two characters connect with a perfect system of duality, like the Yin and Yang; the Joker himself even describes their relationship as the result of when an unstoppable force strikes an unmoving object. The moral dilemmas and convolutions extend to other parties as well; the situations involving Harvey Dent, Rachel Dawes, Jim Gordon, and the rest of Gotham City, are all caught in the line of fire, resulting in collateral damages and drastic repercussions. In the end, the film often underscores the issues that have plagued modern society (such as terrorism or the invasion of privacy), depicting us as “indecent men in an indecent time.”
Despite some chaotic editing, the film looks sharp and is cut in a very unique way. For its superb combination of style and substance, Christopher Nolan’s middle part of the Batman saga always sticks with me long after the credits roll. Collectively, all three films in this saga comprise a complete, complex, and coherent masterpiece among superhero films.
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03: The Matrix
I remember when this film came out, it seemed to stimulate everyone’s brain cells. Its premise posed the question: if our reality is defined by electrical stimulations to the brain, how would we recognize the real world from a virtual one? How do we know we aren’t living in a synthetic reality right now? Not only do such questions hint at even greater thematic material (such as the question of whether or not it’s better to live in blissful ignorance of the truth, or accept the truth and live in misery), it also sets the film up for some of the most groundbreaking action sequences that have graced the big screen. After all, it is explained that if nothing is real, rules can be bent or broken; the characters go on to dodge flying bullets in graceful slow-motion photography, jump vast distances, throw their fists at a hyperfast rate, and conjure weapons at a whim.
The story is staged in a manner which prompts mystery in the first act, followed by a sense of discovery, which leads into an epic series of struggles and conflicts. At its core, it’s a film concerning self discovery, as the main character goes from being just another node in the great machine to a superpowered savoir. As such, the film boasts powerful themes of death and rebirth, as Thomas Anderson dies and becomes the prophesized “the One” to transcend the rules of the Matrix and liberate mankind. Just as the film impeccably presents this story, it also immerses the audience into an interesting new universe; the world of the Matrix is one full of interesting rules and philosophies, just as it is filled with murderous machines and hovercrafts. Not only is the film deep, it is also highly detailed.
With strong cinematography and a quality production, the Watchowskis succeeded in replicating the style of Japanese animation into a live-action film, and the results are extraordinarily entertaining. With each new viewing, the film still resonates strongly, for there is always something new to discover.
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02: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Those who knew me best will probably not be surprised to see this so close to the top (although you might be wondering why this isn’t my number-one favorite film of all time). Back in the day, George Lucas broke the mold of grim, gritty, hard-edged 70s cinema with this throwback to high-adventure science fiction and fantasy. Right from the start, the film hits the ground running and hardly lets up; every moment is either something really exciting, or something really iconic. The space battles and pursuits are as thrilling as they are unique and imaginative (it must have been a feat of imagination to envision a bunch of fighters zooming down a trench on a space station the size of a moon…to say nothing of the fact that the said space station can obliterate other planets). Even when the space fighters aren’t in flight and the laser beams aren’t flashing across the screen, the film moves fast with its quirky dialogue, and a myriad of memorable scenes (such as the Cantina scene). Through and through, the film captures a lighthearted, adventurous spirit that most other films strive for, but rarely accomplishes with such heart and imagination.
The story is a carbon-copy of the samurai film The Hidden Fortress (which in itself is pretty decent), with elements of classic sci-fi (such as Buck Rodgers, Flash Gordon, or John Carter) heaped on. What the story lacks in originality, it makes up for with its insanely detailed universe; the biggest appeal of Star Wars is in the settings, the characters, the overall way of life depicted, which are sketched out with full depth and background. Once again, many films strive for this level of immersion and detail, but many seem to miss their mark.
George Lucas has been criticized for lots of things over his career (especially in regards to changing things in the Star Wars saga), and he is better known for his technical prowess than his abilities as a storyteller. Regardless, he managed to pump out a decent story to accompany the awe-inspiring visuals in this film. It also helps that he composed it really well on film and made the most out of the tools he was given. Altogether, a quality film of timeless entertainment.
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And my number one favorite movie is…
01: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
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| "My precious!!!" |
For the longest time, I considered myself a big sucker for grand finales. I still get a rush from seeing the epic final battle of The Matrix Revolutions, or the final duel in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Much like these movies, the finale for Peter Jackson’s epic Lord of the Rings films coherently ties up the story, and goes out with a tremendous bang. The film starts off with a dire note, showing the heartbreaking tale of how Sméagol became Gollum. From there, it follows all the heroes on their various tangents; the most thrilling of which has got to be Aragorn’s quest to Minas Tirith, which becomes besieged by what must be the hugest army ever put onto film. This siege runs for a good length of the picture, cramming in thousands of orcs, men, Nazgul, cavalry, ghosts, and giant oiliphants onto the battlefield. Meanwhile, Frodo finally makes it to Mount Doom and fights the most profound battle in the story: the battle with himself.
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| "It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered." |
This film definitely delivers the spectacle, but what makes it stand out is its steady, detailed focus on characterization and storytelling, and Peter Jackson’s unique filming style. Not only does it make for a perfect combination of action, storytelling, and quality, but it also does the best possible justice to JRR Tolkien’s saga. To say nothing of the twelve Oscars that were bestowed upon this film and its dedicated cast and crew.
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| "For Frodo." |
Within thirty minutes of The Fellowship of the Ring, I realized that everything about the Lord of the Rings saga (from its story and characters, to its style) was close to perfection. As coherent and tightly-knit as the trilogy overall is, I tend to rank all three movies as one lump film, which would reign supreme over all other movies. If I had to pick just one part of the trilogy to call a favorite, it is definitely the final part; the perfect ending for an otherwise perfect film saga.
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And that's all I got: 100 films that have resonated with me so much that they came out on top. These are the films that have penetrated my deepest consciousness, stirred my imagination, inspired my intellect, and tugged at my heartstrings. Some I value for having deep stories, others for having style. The vast majority are simply entertaining as hell. But none of them would have made it on this list if they didn't cling to me in some fashion, making me want to think about them and revisit them regularly.
In composing this list, I tried my best to maintain some level of variety and nuance, but in the end, I couldn't deny my personal impulses. I am a nerd, so I will always have a love for Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, Indiana Jones, James Bond, anime, superheroes, and sci-fi galore. I just can't give due credit to real film snob fodder, like The Godfather or Lost in Translation or countless other artsy films that have no real plot. They just don't do much for me, and to list them here would be lying to myself. Thus, you know that I'm not being pretentious anywhere; everything on this list is definitely a favorite. Chances are that, even if some of them drop off over the years and get replaced by others, many of them will continue to be favorites for years to come.
Whether you agree with this list or not, I do hope that you'll find some value in it, even if they're not all about art and class. Some of them might surprise you with their qualities. Above all, though, if you do go out and discover or rediscover the films listed here, I do hope that you enjoy them as much as I do. If you go out and watch a movie listed here that you've never seen, I definitely hope that it entertains and inspires you the way it has for me.
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