The New Classics: Movies
July 17th, 2008 | by Scott |I almost skipped this list because it has one of the most glaring, inexplicable and inexcusable omissions in the history of list-making. I mean there wasn’t room for The Shawshank Redemption in the list of the 100 best movies of the last 25 years? It was pitch-perfect and doesn’t warrant a nod? The only thing I can think of is that it was accidentally left off the list.
However, I have seen so many of them that I thought I would use it as a springboard to look at ones that I might have missed.
I have seen 85 of the top 100 and that prompts me to think how differently my list would look from this one. Some omissions that I would include that jump out at me are: Run Lola Run, Amelie, St. Elmo’s Fire, The Insider, Magnolia and O Brother, Where Art Thou.
I do have to applaud their omissions of Beautiful Mind and the insipidly awful Forrest Gump.
How many have you seen? Do I need to make it a point to catch any of the 15 that I have missed?
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. Spider-Man 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)
17 Responses to “The New Classics: Movies”
By Greg Brooks on Jul 17, 2008 | Reply
I agree with critics who call Natural Born Killers a failure. But you might want to see it since Tarantino, who wrote the original screenplay, was dissatisfied with the changes Stone made. It’s interesting to see the differences between two giants of the art, Stone and Tarantino, brought into such stark contrast when you watch the themes that are indelibly Tarantino’s next to pieces that could only be Stone’s vision.
Except it was awful.
The Piano was, you know, all moving and stuff. One of those movies you just know is going to make some list. But let’s face it–why pay for the privilege of feeling stuff you can feel by going downtown and watching homeless people for free? Honestly, I just don’t watch nearly as many movies and TV shows as I used to. I get enough real life at work. I don’t need some auteur to make it more poignant. The suffering of real people is poignant enough already.
Ergo, I enjoyed Casino Royale immensely.
By Scott on Jul 17, 2008 | Reply
I never had the desire to see NBK. I have seen snippets of it on HBO and stuff but it never really appealed to me.
And I never really cared to see that much of Harvey Keitel if you know what I mean.
By Robert on Jul 17, 2008 | Reply
Of the 15 you haven’t seen that I have:
Ed Wood, Far From Heaven, Crumb, The Lives of Others, and Casino Royale are all worth watching. I don’t know that you need to be in a rush, though.
I’m glad that No Country got their attention. I’m always a little disappointed that “Miller’s Crossing” doesn’t get some respect. Or “Blood Simple” for that matter.
By Terri on Jul 17, 2008 | Reply
I don’t like the “mean” movies. I just couldn’t finish No Country For Old Men. I really don’t have the attention span to watch a whole movie at one sitting. I’d rather read a book for a while, come back to it later… DVDs help some but I still don’t watch a whole lot of movies.
By Matt on Jul 17, 2008 | Reply
No Lebowski?! What kind of list is this, anyway?
By Jeff Slater on Jul 17, 2008 | Reply
Are they in order? If so, how in the world could they put Pulp Fiction ahead of the Lord of the Rings trilogy?
And Pretty Woman is on the list?
Oh, and I really like Forrest Gump. I think it should be in the top ten.
By Terri on Jul 17, 2008 | Reply
Of course Pretty Women is on the list. Don’t forget, you guys gave us the right to vote!!!
By Terri on Jul 17, 2008 | Reply
’scuse me - Pretty Woman - not women
By jp on Jul 17, 2008 | Reply
no BRAVEHEART?!
By LukeD on Jul 17, 2008 | Reply
Casino Royale was a great reboot of the James Bond series. Of course, if you hate James Bond, you probably won’t like it, but it is different than other Bond movies.
I can’t believe the Last of the Mohicans didn’t make the list.
By John on Jul 17, 2008 | Reply
I have to agree with the comments on Casino Royale, I was a nice change from the over the top gadgets and such of the usual Bond films.
By Mark on Jul 17, 2008 | Reply
Do I get extra credit for seeing Pulp Fiction 7 times in the theater and one of those times I ran into Ike Turner. I too would have added Millers Crossing and Blood Simple to the list. Did not care for NBK at all, very disappointed with it. The only other one I’ve seen that you haven’t is Evil Dead 2, I liked it, very campy and I like Bruce Campbell.
By happy on Jul 17, 2008 | Reply
Well I’m glad you haven’t seen Y Tu Mamá También because then you would have to go up front on Sunday. But I actually liked Bernal better in Motorcycle Dairies. Glaring omissions is pretty much anything by the coen brothers staring with Raising Arizona. Million Dollar Baby or Mystic River or Unforgiven. And where the hell is Crash?
By Matt on Jul 18, 2008 | Reply
Speaking of Evil Dead 2, I actually posted a clip from it on my blog a few days ago dealing with John McCain’s seemingly possessed hand…
http://mattwisdom.wordpress.com/2008/07/16/mccain-and-the-possessed-hand/
By Scott on Jul 18, 2008 | Reply
I wonder about the politics of a list like this. I’m not sure if they tried to limit the number of entries that a film-maker had hence the lack of Coen Brothers films.
I feel safe to say that Crash is suffering the backlash that occurred when it beat out Brokeback for best picture.
By hermit greg on Jul 18, 2008 | Reply
Politics? Ha! Mags like EW make summer list issues because all the editors and writers are on vacation.
By Lane on Jul 21, 2008 | Reply
Swingers, quite possibly one of the best movies ever made. The duo of Favreau and Vaughn is amazing. I saw it for the first time in a dorm room at 1 a.m. The wife still won’t watch it with me.