Desert Island List
It's the standard question that's been asked a million times by a million different people a million different ways:
"So, if you were stranded on a desert island, what would be your all-time desert island top 5... 10... or 20 films?"
If you know me personally and have been to my house, you'll notice that it's a hard question to answer. You've seen my movie library. Are you asking me to pick one "child" over another? And no, I don't think any of my DVDs or Blu-rays are my children, but I'm sure you now understand my dilemma, the severity of the question you ask, and how hard it is for me to answer.
So, after hemming and hawing, writing and rewriting, scratching out one, adding three more, I've finally come to the definitive list. My essential twenty-five. Twenty-five? Why twenty-five? But you're on a desert island. Are you sure they allow that many?
Well, it's my list and so I chose 25. I'm sure I could have eventually whiddled it down if someone had put a gun to my head. But since they didn't, here's my list in alphabetical order.
Note: While I already have a special page dedicated to Top 5 Lists, this is my personal list - what I consider my favorite films of all-time - listed alphabetically, not in order of preference.
Amélie
(Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain - original title)
Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Written by Guillaume Laurant & Jean-Pierre Jeunet
"Life's funny. To a kid, time always drags. Suddenly you're fifty. All that's left of your childhood... fits in a rusty little box."
Amélie (Audrey Tautou) is a shy waitress who's struggling with issues of isolation. When she discovers a tin box hidden away in her apartment - the contents revealing the treasures of a young boy from decades past - she decides to track the owner and vows that if she finds him, and reuniting him with his long forgotten belongings makes him happy, that she'll dedicate her life to bringing joy to others.
An enchanting romantic comedy that grabs you by heart almost instantaneously, Amélie seduces your senses and feeds your imagination.
The Apartment
Directed by Billy Wilder
Written by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond
"Ya know, I used to live like Robinson Crusoe; I mean, shipwrecked among 8 million people. And then one day I saw a footprint in the sand, and there you were."
C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) is a lonely office accountant for Consolidated Life of New York who lends his apartment out to upper management in hopes of moving up the company ladder himself. Until one day he falls for Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), a cute and perky elevator operator who has a past with Baxter's new boss, Mr. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray). Sheldrake desires the use of Baxter's apartment, and unfortunately for him, Sheldrake desires Fran Kubelik as well.
An hysterical yet brutally honest and sentimental picture, The Apartment laid the foundation for the popular "dramedy" genre that is still entertaining us today.
Back to the Future
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Written by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale
"Last night, Darth Vader came down from planet Vulcan and told me that if I didn't take Lorraine out that he'd melt my brain."
Teenager Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is having a hard time succeeding in a family that's ripe with losers. After being rejected to perform at the high school dance, he meets up with one of his few friends, Dr. Emmet Brown (Christopher Lloyd), to test out his latest invention, a time machine built out of a DeLorean. A random set of events accidentally transports Marty back to 1955, where after he innocently prevents his father's fateful introduction to his mother, he tracks down Brown to try and help send him Back to the Future.
A refreshingly original science fiction comedy even by today's standards, Back to the Future made Fox a household name and produced several iconic images that are synonymous with the 1980s.
The Big Lebowski
Directed by Joel Coen
Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
"That rug really tied the room together."
When "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) is mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski, two thugs urinate on his rug to coerce him into paying a debt he knows nothing about. While attempting to acquire compensation for his ruined rug from his wealthy counterpart, "The Big Lebowski," he accepts a one-time job with an extremely high payoff. Partnered with his bowling buddy, Walter (John Goodman), a gun-toting Vietnam vet with aggression issues, their "investigation" leads to more trouble, where it seems that everyone from an adult movie mogul to nihilists all want a piece of "The Dude."
This hilarious Coen Brother's comedy -- which drew similarities to Raymond Chandler's novel, The Big Sleep -- failed at the box office, but has since been elevated to the status of a beloved cult classic by fans and critics alike. This film firmly established the Coen's ability to define and master their own bizarre sub-genre; a sub-genre that only they seem to have a key which fits that particular lock.
Chinatown
Directed by Roman Polanski
Written by Robert Towne
"Let me explain something to you, Walsh. This business requires a certain amount of finesse."
J.J. "Jake" Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is a divorce-specializing private investigator who's recent employment inadvertently sets up an innocent man to be murdered. When he begins to dig deeper into the case, he unearths everything from incest to real estate corruption that revolves around the widow, Evelyn Mulray (Faye Dunaway) and her father, Noah Cross (John Huston).
Chinatown is a brilliant metaphor for the futility of good intentions. While most first-time viewers are usually confused by the time the credits role (myself included), the film skillfully interwove a plethora of plot-lines that all successfully arrived at the same location in the end. Robert Towne practically broke the mold with his original screenplay.
Citizen Kane
Directed by Orson Welles
Written by Herman J. Mankiewicz & Orson Welles
"You're right, I did lose a million dollars last year. I expect to lose a million dollars this year. I expect to lose a million dollars next year. You know, Mr. Thatcher, at the rate of a million dollars a year, I'll have to close this place in... 60 years."
Following the death of a millionaire newspaper tycoon, news reporters attempt to decipher the dying man's last words "rosebud," unraveling the mystery behind the 'larger-than-life' persona that was Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles).
Considered by film connoisseurs and critics as one of the greatest motion pictures ever made -- if not the greatest -- Citizen Kane is a timeless classic and is just as innovative and groundbreaking today as it was back in 1941. It was the only time that Orson Welles was given 100% complete control over his projects; and because of it, he butted heads with studio executives for the rest of his career.
The Empire Strikes Back
Directed by Irvin Kershner
Written by Leigh Brackett & Lawrence Kasdan; Story by George Lucas
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
The middle installment of the original Star Wars trilogy, The Empire Strikes Back follows the story Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) as they struggle from the suffocating grip of the Galactic Empire, causing them to abandon their base, fleeing for the survival of the rebellion. While Luke leaves the group to continue is Jedi training on a remote planet, Han and Leia try to escape the clenches of Darth Vader, who always seems to be one step ahead of them.
Regarded by most, including myself, as the best film of the trilogy (or entire saga, for that matter), The Empire Strikes Back left viewers on an extremely dark note; it gave them a serious desire for completion, along with retribution.
Fight Club
Directed by David Fincher
Written by Jim Uhls
Based on the novel Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
"We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off."
A young urban professional (Edward Norton) plagued with insomnia, unintentionally joins forces with a slippery soap salesman (Brad Pitt) and discover that there's more to life than being a slave to consumerism. Instead, they begin to channel their pent-up primal male aggression into a form of therapy they like to call Fight Club.
One of the most controversial films released in 1999, Fight Club spoke to a generation of young men who were tired of the status quo. While it failed to draw viewer-ship and box office numbers in the theaters, it later became a commercial success with its DVD release, establishing Fight Club as a certified cult classic.
The Godfather
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Written by Francis Ford Coppola & Mario Puzo
Based on the novel by Mario Puzo
"Luca Brasi held a gun to his head, and my father assured him that either his brains or his signature would be on the contract."
Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) is the aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty in the 1940s. When an assassination attempt renders him incapable of running the "family" business, his youngest son Michael (Al Pacino) reluctantly takes charge, setting in motion events that will change the course of his life forever.
A cinematic masterpiece that glorified organized crime, The Godfather is highly regarded to be one of the greatest motion pictures ever put on celluloid. While the film reaped a second Oscar-winning performance by Marlon Brando, it also laid the foundation for Al Pacino as an up and coming Hollywood icon.
The Godfather Part II
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Written by Francis Ford Coppola & Mario Puzo
Based on the novel by Mario Puzo
"There are many things my father taught me here in this room. He taught me: keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."
Continuing the saga of the Corleone family, The Godfather Part II follows the parallel story-lines of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) and the early life and career of his father, Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro). A malicious Michael moves his family from New York to Nevada, cashing in on the budding casino business of the 1950s, all the while becoming increasingly paranoid. Meanwhile in Sicily, we follow the tumultuous early life of Vito as he flees for his life to the United States, along with his rise to power within the immigrant-flooded streets of New York City.
The first sequel to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, many consider The Godfather Part II to be equal, if not better than the original. I firmly claim that it's just a continuation of the Corleone family saga, and that it shouldn't be viewed as a competitor.
Goodfellas
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Written by Nicholas Pileggi & Martin Scorsese
Based on the novel Wise Guy by Nicholas Pileggi
"One day some of the kids from the neighborhood carried my mother's groceries all the way home. You know why? It was outta respect."
Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) didn't care about anything in his life as much as being a gangster. Based on the true story of a mobster-turned-informant, Goodfellas follows criminal lives of Henry and his two closest friends Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) and Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) as they rise in the ranks of the New York mafia.
While The Godfather always approached organized crime as an initial necessity for the Italian immigrants in the early part of the 20th century along with strong family ties, Goodfellas embodied the epitome of cool while breaking the law. It also glorified organized crime, but it also drew upon the alpha-male desires to have as much money, power, and respect as humanly possible, no matter what the consequences.
JAWS
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Written by Peter Benchley & Carl Gottlieb
Based on the novel by Peter Benchley
"Martin, it's all psychological. You yell barracuda, everybody says, "Huh? What?" You yell shark, we've got a panic on our hands on the Fourth of July."
When a gigantic great white shark claims Amity Island as its new feeding ground, Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) fights with political leaders to close the beach during the island's most profitable season. Finding opposition at every turn, he joins forces with marine biologist, Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), and cantankerous shark hunter, Quint (Robert Shaw), in an attempts to kill it.
The 'godfather' of summer blockbusters, JAWS catapulted the careers of Steven Spielberg and Richard Dreyfuss, while scarring the hell out of an entire generation, removing their desires to swim in the ocean ever again. Spielberg turned every negative that occurred during production into a positive, and the end result was a nail-biting money-making machine that transformed the way movies are released.
JFK
Directed by Oliver Stone
Written by Oliver Stone & Zachary Sklar
Based on the novels On the Trail of the Assassins by Jim Garrison
and Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy by Jim Marrs
"Fundamentally, people are suckers for the truth. And the truth is on your side, Bubba."
A detailed account of Jim Garrison's (Kevin Costner) investigation and the only trial ever held for the murder of the 35th Present of the United States, John F. Kennedy. Drawing from conspiracies that originated in New Orleans, Garrison prosecutes Clay Shaw (Tommy Lee Jones) for his association with Lee Harvey Oswald and his alleged involvement with the assassination of the President.
Whether or not the film's accusations are true, JFK opened a pandora-sized box full of questions doubting the validity of the Warren Commission's investigation. Polarizing critics upon it's release, the film is extremely captivating - grabbing its viewer and shoving them directly into the conspiracy.
L.A. Confidential
Directed by Curtis Hanson
Written by Curtis Hanson & Brian Helgeland
Based on the novel by James Ellroy
"I'm talking about the gas chamber, and you haven't even asked me what this is about. You've got a big Guilty sign around your neck."
Set in the seedy backdrop that was Los Angeles in the 1950s, L.A. Confidential follows three very different police officers: Ed Exley (Guy Pierce), the rule-following golden boy who's trying to get out from under shadow of his slain father; Bud White (Russell Crowe), the tough cop who's willing to break the rules to seek justice; and Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), the spotlight-focused money-driven technical advisor for the television show 'Badge of Honor.' As they search for the truth following the tragic events of the "Night Owl Massacre," they uncover corruption at every corner.
Praised by critics and fans alike, L.A. Confidential is seductively beautiful, yet cynical and twisted. It doesn't pull any punches as our hero has to embrace the methods he knows to be wrong, in order to reveal a corrupt foundation to what at first appeared clean and polished.
Memento
Written and Directed by Christopher Nolan;
Story by Jonathan Nolan
"Memory can change the shape of a room; it can change the color of a car. And memories can be distorted. They're just an interpretation, they're not a record, and they're irrelevant if you have the facts."
Memento follows the story of Leonard Shelby (Guy Pierce), an ex-insurance investigator who suffers from anterograde amnesia, unable to form new memories. The last memory he has is the death of his wife, so he's dedicated the rest of his life by tattooing "facts" of the crime across his body, hunting down her murderer in order to exact vengeance.
While the above synopsis is easily understandable, Memento requires a formidable amount of concentration upon first viewing, since the film's story is told in reverse chronology. Christopher Nolan's picture is endlessly fascinating and extremely thought provoking, making its viewers ponder their own memories compared to the truth of the events that first created it.
North by Northwest
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Written by Ernest Lehman
"Now you listen to me, I'm an advertising man, not a red herring. I've got a job, a secretary, a mother, two ex-wives and several bartenders that depend upon me, and I don't intend to disappoint them all by getting myself slightly killed."
North by Northwest is a tale of mistaken identity, where Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant), a Madison Avenue advertising executive, is mistaken for a government agent by a mysterious organization. When the event spawns a series of misadventures across the country, Roger is aided by a beautiful blonde (Eva Marie Saint) while fleeing for his life.
Cary Grant was the king of wit and sarcasm, and he shined no better than in this fantastic espionage adventure, North by Northwest. Ernest Lehman skillfully crafted this script after Hitchcock suggested just three plot-points while having lunch together: mistaken identity, the United Nations building, and a chase scene across the faces of Mt. Rushmore. The finished product became one of Hitchcock's most beloved classics and has been considered one of his greatest films.
Pulp Fiction
Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Story by Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary
"I do believe Marsellus Wallace, my husband, your boss, told you to take me out and do whatever I wanted. Now I wanna dance, I wanna win. I want that trophy, so dance good."
Pulp Fiction is a series of vignettes where the main character's separate stories are all interlaced together: Vincent (John Travolta) and Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) are just two hit-men trying to return their employer's stolen property; Vincent is requested by his boss to take his wife, Mia (Uma Thurman), out on a date while he's out of town; and Butch (Bruce Willis) - an aging prizefighter who's tired of "taking a dive" for the right price - runs into trouble when he decides to bet against his benefactor and attempts to evade capture with his winnings.
The pinnacle of postmodern films, Tarantino's Pulp Fiction transformed traditional movie-making by throwing caution to the wind with it's non-linear format. It revitalized John Travolta's career, and it made American independent film cool. While Tarantino was heavily influenced by an unprecedented amount of pop culture material - ranging from exploitation films to film-noir to television shows to kung-fu movies - he combined everything to make it his own; creating one of the most original motion pictures - along with some of the greatest dialog - ever to grace the silver screen.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Written by Lawrence Kasdan
Story by George Lucas, Philip Kaufman
"You Americans, you're all the same. Always overdressing for the wrong occasions."
An archaeologist and professor named Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is commissioned by the United States government to locate the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis, which Hitler believes will make his army invincible.
The only one on this list that I will happily label as my 'favorite movie of all-time,' Raiders of the Lost Ark revolutionized the action-adventure film. While its critical and popular success spawned three sequels, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is the only worthy successor in my most honest and humble opinion. This film gave us one of the most iconic action stars, it put viewers on the edge of their seat, and it treated Biblical artifacts with the utmost respect (and those who didn't got their face melted off).
Rear Window
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Written by John Michael Hayes
Based on the short story "It Had to Be Murder" by Cornell Woolrich
"Why would a man leave his apartment three times on a rainy night with a suitcase and come back three times?"
'Master of Suspense' Alfred Hitchcock spins the dark tale, Rear Window, from the claustrophobic confines of L.B. Jeffries' (James Stewart) apartment. Bound to his residence after breaking his leg while on assignment, L.B. enters the world of voyeurism through the lens of his camera and begins to suspect that his neighbor from across the courtyard has murdered his wife.
An outstanding achievement in cinematic tension, Rear Window expertly combined paranoia with an active imagination. This was one of the first Hitchcock films I ever remember seeing and it still fascinates me to this day. Hitchcock's perfectly executed direction - along with his tendencies to be a control freak - is what make this picture work so well.
Saving Private Ryan
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Written by Robert Rodat
"I looked up 'fubar' in the German dictionary and there's no fubar in here."
Following immediately after the D-Day Invasion in WWII, Army Ranger Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) is instructed by his superiors to go deep into enemy territory and extract the one surviving son of the Ryan family, after his first three brothers are previously killed in combat.
A cinematic tour-de-force, Saving Private Ryan dropped its viewers right into the of the action of the Omaha Beach invasion. It opened my eyes to the reality of war and the sacrifices my grandfathers made for their family and their country. Critically noted for its realistic portrayal of combat, the film contributed a resurgence in America's fascination with World War II and is book-ended with some of the most intensely shot action sequences ever put on film.
Seven Samurai
(Shichinin no Samurai - original title)
Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Written by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni
"Danger always strikes when everything seems fine."
Kambei, a hardened samurai who has fallen on hard times, accepts a village's request for protection from bandits. He selects six additional samurai to aid him in his quest, and they teach the townspeople how to defend themselves while waiting for the imminent battle.
This Kurosawa classic became the precursor of the modern action film, Seven Samurai was the crowing jewel of his brilliant filmmaking career. While the running time may seem daunting, especially for those who either fear Black & White Cinema or reading subtitles (or both), the film is expertly paced and is laced with fantastically dynamic characters and humorous dialog, allowing the viewer to slowly warm to each samurai's plight.
The Shawshank Redemption
Written and Directed by Frank Darabont
Based on the novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King
"Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane."
Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is a young and successful banker who's life is turned upside down when he's convicted for the murder of his wife and her lover. Given a two life sentences, he's sent up to serve them at Shawshank State Penitentiary in Maine. Continually clinging to his innocence, he befriends Red (Morgan Freeman), a sort-of prisoner entrepreneur, eventually finding solace and redemption.
An outstanding example of how one's outlook on life can truly define how one is free mentally, The Shawshank Redemption is an amazing story of friendship; the fundamental importance of friendship, and how vital it is for our survival and our sanity. While there are many who avoid the picture due to its subject matter, the ending is one of the most gratifying in cinematic history. Additionally, the film has consistently held the position of #1 on Internet Movie Database's list of the top 250 films.
Star Wars
Written and Directed by George Lucas
"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together."
A space opera of epic proportions, Star Wars tells the story of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), a young farmer who leaves his home planet to join the Rebel Alliance during the galaxy's civil unrest and the dictatorship of the Galactic Empire. He's guided by Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guiness), a Jedi Knight from the past, and teams up with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) a scoundrel with a heart, and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), a member of the Imperial Senate and leader of the Rebel Alliance.
Star Wars has been a part of the fabric of my life for so long that I don't really remember the first time I saw it. I know I was too young for its theatrical release. Lucas was heavily influenced by many cinematic masterpieces to create his own unique vision; most importantly, Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress, where the story is told through the eyes of two bickering peasants (the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO). A groundbreaking cinematic achievement in its own right, Star Wars forever changed the motion picture industry and pop culture.
The Sting
Directed by George Roy Hill
Written by David S. Ward
"Luther said I could learn some things from you. I already know how to drink."
Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) is a small time grifter who lives fast and spends his money even faster. When his good friend is killed after they unknowingly steal from crime boss Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw), he teams up with Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) in order to hit Lonnegan where it hurts: financially, with the elaborately-staged long con.
Compared to the majority of the other Best Picture winners from the 1970s, The Sting was like a breath of fresh air. The film is extremely fun to watch, and the filmmaker's involved knew it. While other "con movies" come and go, this film is a classic that still pleasantly fools me every time I pop it into my DVD player.
The Usual Suspects
Directed by Bryan Singer
Written by Christopher McQuarrie
"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist."
Roger 'Verbal' Kint (Kevin Spacey) is a below-average crook who until now, flew under the radar of the police. Now he's under fierce interrogation from special agent Dave Kujan (Chazz Palminteri) after surviving the destruction of a ship containing over $91 million worth of cocaine. Verbal's story becomes increasingly convoluted and quite complex when he links a seemingly meaningless line-up of five criminals and their involvement with the mythic Hungarian mobster, Keyser Söze.
The Usual Suspects is a masterfully told story where the 'final reveal' doesn't come until the last 90 seconds of the film. After I picked up my jaw from the floor in utter shock and amazement, I rewound the video (yes, rewound) and watched it again. The 1990s were filled with extremely original films and this one was probably my favorite and what first help drive my desires to become a filmmaker.
"So, if you were stranded on a desert island, what would be your all-time desert island top 5... 10... or 20 films?"
If you know me personally and have been to my house, you'll notice that it's a hard question to answer. You've seen my movie library. Are you asking me to pick one "child" over another? And no, I don't think any of my DVDs or Blu-rays are my children, but I'm sure you now understand my dilemma, the severity of the question you ask, and how hard it is for me to answer.
Well, it's my list and so I chose 25. I'm sure I could have eventually whiddled it down if someone had put a gun to my head. But since they didn't, here's my list in alphabetical order.
Note: While I already have a special page dedicated to Top 5 Lists, this is my personal list - what I consider my favorite films of all-time - listed alphabetically, not in order of preference.
Amélie
(Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain - original title)
Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Written by Guillaume Laurant & Jean-Pierre Jeunet
"Life's funny. To a kid, time always drags. Suddenly you're fifty. All that's left of your childhood... fits in a rusty little box."
Amélie (Audrey Tautou) is a shy waitress who's struggling with issues of isolation. When she discovers a tin box hidden away in her apartment - the contents revealing the treasures of a young boy from decades past - she decides to track the owner and vows that if she finds him, and reuniting him with his long forgotten belongings makes him happy, that she'll dedicate her life to bringing joy to others.An enchanting romantic comedy that grabs you by heart almost instantaneously, Amélie seduces your senses and feeds your imagination.
The Apartment
Directed by Billy Wilder
Written by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond
"Ya know, I used to live like Robinson Crusoe; I mean, shipwrecked among 8 million people. And then one day I saw a footprint in the sand, and there you were."
C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) is a lonely office accountant for Consolidated Life of New York who lends his apartment out to upper management in hopes of moving up the company ladder himself. Until one day he falls for Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), a cute and perky elevator operator who has a past with Baxter's new boss, Mr. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray). Sheldrake desires the use of Baxter's apartment, and unfortunately for him, Sheldrake desires Fran Kubelik as well.An hysterical yet brutally honest and sentimental picture, The Apartment laid the foundation for the popular "dramedy" genre that is still entertaining us today.
Back to the Future
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Written by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale
"Last night, Darth Vader came down from planet Vulcan and told me that if I didn't take Lorraine out that he'd melt my brain."
Teenager Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is having a hard time succeeding in a family that's ripe with losers. After being rejected to perform at the high school dance, he meets up with one of his few friends, Dr. Emmet Brown (Christopher Lloyd), to test out his latest invention, a time machine built out of a DeLorean. A random set of events accidentally transports Marty back to 1955, where after he innocently prevents his father's fateful introduction to his mother, he tracks down Brown to try and help send him Back to the Future.A refreshingly original science fiction comedy even by today's standards, Back to the Future made Fox a household name and produced several iconic images that are synonymous with the 1980s.
The Big Lebowski
Directed by Joel Coen
Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
"That rug really tied the room together."
When "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) is mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski, two thugs urinate on his rug to coerce him into paying a debt he knows nothing about. While attempting to acquire compensation for his ruined rug from his wealthy counterpart, "The Big Lebowski," he accepts a one-time job with an extremely high payoff. Partnered with his bowling buddy, Walter (John Goodman), a gun-toting Vietnam vet with aggression issues, their "investigation" leads to more trouble, where it seems that everyone from an adult movie mogul to nihilists all want a piece of "The Dude."This hilarious Coen Brother's comedy -- which drew similarities to Raymond Chandler's novel, The Big Sleep -- failed at the box office, but has since been elevated to the status of a beloved cult classic by fans and critics alike. This film firmly established the Coen's ability to define and master their own bizarre sub-genre; a sub-genre that only they seem to have a key which fits that particular lock.
Chinatown
Directed by Roman Polanski
Written by Robert Towne
"Let me explain something to you, Walsh. This business requires a certain amount of finesse."
J.J. "Jake" Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is a divorce-specializing private investigator who's recent employment inadvertently sets up an innocent man to be murdered. When he begins to dig deeper into the case, he unearths everything from incest to real estate corruption that revolves around the widow, Evelyn Mulray (Faye Dunaway) and her father, Noah Cross (John Huston).Chinatown is a brilliant metaphor for the futility of good intentions. While most first-time viewers are usually confused by the time the credits role (myself included), the film skillfully interwove a plethora of plot-lines that all successfully arrived at the same location in the end. Robert Towne practically broke the mold with his original screenplay.
Citizen Kane
Directed by Orson Welles
Written by Herman J. Mankiewicz & Orson Welles
"You're right, I did lose a million dollars last year. I expect to lose a million dollars this year. I expect to lose a million dollars next year. You know, Mr. Thatcher, at the rate of a million dollars a year, I'll have to close this place in... 60 years."
Following the death of a millionaire newspaper tycoon, news reporters attempt to decipher the dying man's last words "rosebud," unraveling the mystery behind the 'larger-than-life' persona that was Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles).Considered by film connoisseurs and critics as one of the greatest motion pictures ever made -- if not the greatest -- Citizen Kane is a timeless classic and is just as innovative and groundbreaking today as it was back in 1941. It was the only time that Orson Welles was given 100% complete control over his projects; and because of it, he butted heads with studio executives for the rest of his career.
The Empire Strikes Back
Directed by Irvin Kershner
Written by Leigh Brackett & Lawrence Kasdan; Story by George Lucas
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
The middle installment of the original Star Wars trilogy, The Empire Strikes Back follows the story Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) as they struggle from the suffocating grip of the Galactic Empire, causing them to abandon their base, fleeing for the survival of the rebellion. While Luke leaves the group to continue is Jedi training on a remote planet, Han and Leia try to escape the clenches of Darth Vader, who always seems to be one step ahead of them.Regarded by most, including myself, as the best film of the trilogy (or entire saga, for that matter), The Empire Strikes Back left viewers on an extremely dark note; it gave them a serious desire for completion, along with retribution.
Fight Club
Directed by David Fincher
Written by Jim Uhls
Based on the novel Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
"We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off."
One of the most controversial films released in 1999, Fight Club spoke to a generation of young men who were tired of the status quo. While it failed to draw viewer-ship and box office numbers in the theaters, it later became a commercial success with its DVD release, establishing Fight Club as a certified cult classic.
The Godfather
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Written by Francis Ford Coppola & Mario Puzo
Based on the novel by Mario Puzo
"Luca Brasi held a gun to his head, and my father assured him that either his brains or his signature would be on the contract."
Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) is the aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty in the 1940s. When an assassination attempt renders him incapable of running the "family" business, his youngest son Michael (Al Pacino) reluctantly takes charge, setting in motion events that will change the course of his life forever.A cinematic masterpiece that glorified organized crime, The Godfather is highly regarded to be one of the greatest motion pictures ever put on celluloid. While the film reaped a second Oscar-winning performance by Marlon Brando, it also laid the foundation for Al Pacino as an up and coming Hollywood icon.
The Godfather Part II
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Written by Francis Ford Coppola & Mario Puzo
Based on the novel by Mario Puzo
"There are many things my father taught me here in this room. He taught me: keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."
Continuing the saga of the Corleone family, The Godfather Part II follows the parallel story-lines of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) and the early life and career of his father, Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro). A malicious Michael moves his family from New York to Nevada, cashing in on the budding casino business of the 1950s, all the while becoming increasingly paranoid. Meanwhile in Sicily, we follow the tumultuous early life of Vito as he flees for his life to the United States, along with his rise to power within the immigrant-flooded streets of New York City.The first sequel to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, many consider The Godfather Part II to be equal, if not better than the original. I firmly claim that it's just a continuation of the Corleone family saga, and that it shouldn't be viewed as a competitor.
Goodfellas
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Written by Nicholas Pileggi & Martin Scorsese
Based on the novel Wise Guy by Nicholas Pileggi
"One day some of the kids from the neighborhood carried my mother's groceries all the way home. You know why? It was outta respect."
Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) didn't care about anything in his life as much as being a gangster. Based on the true story of a mobster-turned-informant, Goodfellas follows criminal lives of Henry and his two closest friends Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) and Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) as they rise in the ranks of the New York mafia.While The Godfather always approached organized crime as an initial necessity for the Italian immigrants in the early part of the 20th century along with strong family ties, Goodfellas embodied the epitome of cool while breaking the law. It also glorified organized crime, but it also drew upon the alpha-male desires to have as much money, power, and respect as humanly possible, no matter what the consequences.
JAWS
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Written by Peter Benchley & Carl Gottlieb
Based on the novel by Peter Benchley
"Martin, it's all psychological. You yell barracuda, everybody says, "Huh? What?" You yell shark, we've got a panic on our hands on the Fourth of July."
When a gigantic great white shark claims Amity Island as its new feeding ground, Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) fights with political leaders to close the beach during the island's most profitable season. Finding opposition at every turn, he joins forces with marine biologist, Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), and cantankerous shark hunter, Quint (Robert Shaw), in an attempts to kill it.The 'godfather' of summer blockbusters, JAWS catapulted the careers of Steven Spielberg and Richard Dreyfuss, while scarring the hell out of an entire generation, removing their desires to swim in the ocean ever again. Spielberg turned every negative that occurred during production into a positive, and the end result was a nail-biting money-making machine that transformed the way movies are released.
JFK
Directed by Oliver Stone
Written by Oliver Stone & Zachary Sklar
Based on the novels On the Trail of the Assassins by Jim Garrison
and Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy by Jim Marrs
"Fundamentally, people are suckers for the truth. And the truth is on your side, Bubba."
A detailed account of Jim Garrison's (Kevin Costner) investigation and the only trial ever held for the murder of the 35th Present of the United States, John F. Kennedy. Drawing from conspiracies that originated in New Orleans, Garrison prosecutes Clay Shaw (Tommy Lee Jones) for his association with Lee Harvey Oswald and his alleged involvement with the assassination of the President.Whether or not the film's accusations are true, JFK opened a pandora-sized box full of questions doubting the validity of the Warren Commission's investigation. Polarizing critics upon it's release, the film is extremely captivating - grabbing its viewer and shoving them directly into the conspiracy.
L.A. Confidential
Directed by Curtis Hanson
Written by Curtis Hanson & Brian Helgeland
Based on the novel by James Ellroy
"I'm talking about the gas chamber, and you haven't even asked me what this is about. You've got a big Guilty sign around your neck."
Set in the seedy backdrop that was Los Angeles in the 1950s, L.A. Confidential follows three very different police officers: Ed Exley (Guy Pierce), the rule-following golden boy who's trying to get out from under shadow of his slain father; Bud White (Russell Crowe), the tough cop who's willing to break the rules to seek justice; and Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), the spotlight-focused money-driven technical advisor for the television show 'Badge of Honor.' As they search for the truth following the tragic events of the "Night Owl Massacre," they uncover corruption at every corner.Praised by critics and fans alike, L.A. Confidential is seductively beautiful, yet cynical and twisted. It doesn't pull any punches as our hero has to embrace the methods he knows to be wrong, in order to reveal a corrupt foundation to what at first appeared clean and polished.
Memento
Written and Directed by Christopher Nolan;
Story by Jonathan Nolan
"Memory can change the shape of a room; it can change the color of a car. And memories can be distorted. They're just an interpretation, they're not a record, and they're irrelevant if you have the facts."
Memento follows the story of Leonard Shelby (Guy Pierce), an ex-insurance investigator who suffers from anterograde amnesia, unable to form new memories. The last memory he has is the death of his wife, so he's dedicated the rest of his life by tattooing "facts" of the crime across his body, hunting down her murderer in order to exact vengeance.While the above synopsis is easily understandable, Memento requires a formidable amount of concentration upon first viewing, since the film's story is told in reverse chronology. Christopher Nolan's picture is endlessly fascinating and extremely thought provoking, making its viewers ponder their own memories compared to the truth of the events that first created it.
North by Northwest
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Written by Ernest Lehman
"Now you listen to me, I'm an advertising man, not a red herring. I've got a job, a secretary, a mother, two ex-wives and several bartenders that depend upon me, and I don't intend to disappoint them all by getting myself slightly killed."
North by Northwest is a tale of mistaken identity, where Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant), a Madison Avenue advertising executive, is mistaken for a government agent by a mysterious organization. When the event spawns a series of misadventures across the country, Roger is aided by a beautiful blonde (Eva Marie Saint) while fleeing for his life.Cary Grant was the king of wit and sarcasm, and he shined no better than in this fantastic espionage adventure, North by Northwest. Ernest Lehman skillfully crafted this script after Hitchcock suggested just three plot-points while having lunch together: mistaken identity, the United Nations building, and a chase scene across the faces of Mt. Rushmore. The finished product became one of Hitchcock's most beloved classics and has been considered one of his greatest films.
Pulp Fiction
Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Story by Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary
"I do believe Marsellus Wallace, my husband, your boss, told you to take me out and do whatever I wanted. Now I wanna dance, I wanna win. I want that trophy, so dance good."
Pulp Fiction is a series of vignettes where the main character's separate stories are all interlaced together: Vincent (John Travolta) and Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) are just two hit-men trying to return their employer's stolen property; Vincent is requested by his boss to take his wife, Mia (Uma Thurman), out on a date while he's out of town; and Butch (Bruce Willis) - an aging prizefighter who's tired of "taking a dive" for the right price - runs into trouble when he decides to bet against his benefactor and attempts to evade capture with his winnings.The pinnacle of postmodern films, Tarantino's Pulp Fiction transformed traditional movie-making by throwing caution to the wind with it's non-linear format. It revitalized John Travolta's career, and it made American independent film cool. While Tarantino was heavily influenced by an unprecedented amount of pop culture material - ranging from exploitation films to film-noir to television shows to kung-fu movies - he combined everything to make it his own; creating one of the most original motion pictures - along with some of the greatest dialog - ever to grace the silver screen.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Written by Lawrence Kasdan
Story by George Lucas, Philip Kaufman
"You Americans, you're all the same. Always overdressing for the wrong occasions."
An archaeologist and professor named Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is commissioned by the United States government to locate the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis, which Hitler believes will make his army invincible.
The only one on this list that I will happily label as my 'favorite movie of all-time,' Raiders of the Lost Ark revolutionized the action-adventure film. While its critical and popular success spawned three sequels, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is the only worthy successor in my most honest and humble opinion. This film gave us one of the most iconic action stars, it put viewers on the edge of their seat, and it treated Biblical artifacts with the utmost respect (and those who didn't got their face melted off).
Rear Window
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Written by John Michael Hayes
Based on the short story "It Had to Be Murder" by Cornell Woolrich
"Why would a man leave his apartment three times on a rainy night with a suitcase and come back three times?"
'Master of Suspense' Alfred Hitchcock spins the dark tale, Rear Window, from the claustrophobic confines of L.B. Jeffries' (James Stewart) apartment. Bound to his residence after breaking his leg while on assignment, L.B. enters the world of voyeurism through the lens of his camera and begins to suspect that his neighbor from across the courtyard has murdered his wife.An outstanding achievement in cinematic tension, Rear Window expertly combined paranoia with an active imagination. This was one of the first Hitchcock films I ever remember seeing and it still fascinates me to this day. Hitchcock's perfectly executed direction - along with his tendencies to be a control freak - is what make this picture work so well.
Saving Private Ryan
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Written by Robert Rodat
"I looked up 'fubar' in the German dictionary and there's no fubar in here."
Following immediately after the D-Day Invasion in WWII, Army Ranger Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) is instructed by his superiors to go deep into enemy territory and extract the one surviving son of the Ryan family, after his first three brothers are previously killed in combat.A cinematic tour-de-force, Saving Private Ryan dropped its viewers right into the of the action of the Omaha Beach invasion. It opened my eyes to the reality of war and the sacrifices my grandfathers made for their family and their country. Critically noted for its realistic portrayal of combat, the film contributed a resurgence in America's fascination with World War II and is book-ended with some of the most intensely shot action sequences ever put on film.
Seven Samurai
(Shichinin no Samurai - original title)
Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Written by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni
"Danger always strikes when everything seems fine."
Kambei, a hardened samurai who has fallen on hard times, accepts a village's request for protection from bandits. He selects six additional samurai to aid him in his quest, and they teach the townspeople how to defend themselves while waiting for the imminent battle.This Kurosawa classic became the precursor of the modern action film, Seven Samurai was the crowing jewel of his brilliant filmmaking career. While the running time may seem daunting, especially for those who either fear Black & White Cinema or reading subtitles (or both), the film is expertly paced and is laced with fantastically dynamic characters and humorous dialog, allowing the viewer to slowly warm to each samurai's plight.
The Shawshank Redemption
Written and Directed by Frank Darabont
Based on the novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King
"Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane."
Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is a young and successful banker who's life is turned upside down when he's convicted for the murder of his wife and her lover. Given a two life sentences, he's sent up to serve them at Shawshank State Penitentiary in Maine. Continually clinging to his innocence, he befriends Red (Morgan Freeman), a sort-of prisoner entrepreneur, eventually finding solace and redemption.An outstanding example of how one's outlook on life can truly define how one is free mentally, The Shawshank Redemption is an amazing story of friendship; the fundamental importance of friendship, and how vital it is for our survival and our sanity. While there are many who avoid the picture due to its subject matter, the ending is one of the most gratifying in cinematic history. Additionally, the film has consistently held the position of #1 on Internet Movie Database's list of the top 250 films.
Star Wars
Written and Directed by George Lucas
"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together."
A space opera of epic proportions, Star Wars tells the story of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), a young farmer who leaves his home planet to join the Rebel Alliance during the galaxy's civil unrest and the dictatorship of the Galactic Empire. He's guided by Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guiness), a Jedi Knight from the past, and teams up with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) a scoundrel with a heart, and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), a member of the Imperial Senate and leader of the Rebel Alliance.Star Wars has been a part of the fabric of my life for so long that I don't really remember the first time I saw it. I know I was too young for its theatrical release. Lucas was heavily influenced by many cinematic masterpieces to create his own unique vision; most importantly, Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress, where the story is told through the eyes of two bickering peasants (the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO). A groundbreaking cinematic achievement in its own right, Star Wars forever changed the motion picture industry and pop culture.
The Sting
Directed by George Roy Hill
Written by David S. Ward
"Luther said I could learn some things from you. I already know how to drink."
Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) is a small time grifter who lives fast and spends his money even faster. When his good friend is killed after they unknowingly steal from crime boss Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw), he teams up with Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) in order to hit Lonnegan where it hurts: financially, with the elaborately-staged long con.Compared to the majority of the other Best Picture winners from the 1970s, The Sting was like a breath of fresh air. The film is extremely fun to watch, and the filmmaker's involved knew it. While other "con movies" come and go, this film is a classic that still pleasantly fools me every time I pop it into my DVD player.
The Usual Suspects
Directed by Bryan Singer
Written by Christopher McQuarrie
"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist."
Roger 'Verbal' Kint (Kevin Spacey) is a below-average crook who until now, flew under the radar of the police. Now he's under fierce interrogation from special agent Dave Kujan (Chazz Palminteri) after surviving the destruction of a ship containing over $91 million worth of cocaine. Verbal's story becomes increasingly convoluted and quite complex when he links a seemingly meaningless line-up of five criminals and their involvement with the mythic Hungarian mobster, Keyser Söze.The Usual Suspects is a masterfully told story where the 'final reveal' doesn't come until the last 90 seconds of the film. After I picked up my jaw from the floor in utter shock and amazement, I rewound the video (yes, rewound) and watched it again. The 1990s were filled with extremely original films and this one was probably my favorite and what first help drive my desires to become a filmmaker.
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