10 Documentaries to Watch on Netflix

Documentaries are great.  They're shorter than fictional films (for the most part), they're real stories (for the most part), and they make us realize how horrible we are as people (for the most part).  After recently noticing that some of my friends, family, and enemies are becoming increasingly interested in documentaries, I decided it would be a good idea to share some of my favorites that are also viewable on Netflix.

In All Seriousness:

(These are in no specific order, just a list of 10)

1. A Few Documentary Series

Because I can never make these lists without cheating somehow, here is the sole cheat entry on the list.  In this slot I'd like to recommend ESPN's 30 for 30 series, Cosmos, The Story of Film: An Odyssey, and Planet Earth.  These are 4 very different documentary series that I enjoy quite a bit.  ESPN's 30 for 30 series is nearing the end of it's second season, and for those who are unaware of the greatness that is 30 for 30, it is a sport's documentary series presented by ESPN films, and they have released upwards of 70 sports-related documentaries that can be found (for the most part) on Netflix.  They also have made more than 30 shorts about various sports events/figures/etc, that can be found online.  I'll recommend Survive and Advance as my favorite of the 30 for 30 docs, but I would have felt bad not suggesting watching all or as many of these as you can.  Maybe in the future I'll have a ranking of my favorites from this series, but for now you're on your own.

The other series that I recommend are Cosmos, which is Neil Degrasse Tyson's reboot of the science series of the same name from the 80's.  He uses beautifully animated graphics, and narration straight from his vast knowledge of science.  The Story of Film: An Odyssey is similar in it's story telling, the history of film is told through narration by film historian/critic Mark Cousins, and through use of film clips (some popular and some that even the most avid filmgoer has never seen before).  And lastly, Planet Earth is a great series that showcases wildlife in every corner of our home, from the arctic to the rainforest to the deepest parts of the ocean, pretty much everything is touched upon, and yet there is still so much that hasn't been.  These documentaries are geared towards four separate interests (sports, science, film, and nature), and while the more curious of us who want to learn about everything should seek out all 4 series, they may not all be for you, so start with what you find interesting and work from there.

2. Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)

Exit Through the Gift Shop takes a look at the mysterious world of street/graffiti artists.  It starts off with a man traveling around with and film famous artist Shephard Fairey, and then eventually with the anonymous Banksy, who then turns it around on the guy.  Anyone who's even remotely curious about how street art is made should make this the next documentary they see.  Filled with some really interesting people, and a particularly exciting segment at Disney World, I can not recommend this film (which I've stated is my favorite documentary) enough.

3. Man on Wire (2008)

This thrilling documentary, set-up kind of like a heist film, is about Philippe Petit (a french tightrope walker), and his plan to break onto the roof of one of the Twin Towers to tightrope walk from one to the other.  With first hand accounts from Petit himself and the crew who helped him accomplish this feat, along with re-enactments and actual footage from the "artistic crime of the century", you get placed right in the middle of all the chaos.  The story is so exciting that it's being made into a non-documentary film starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Petit.

4. The Act of Killing (2013)

What is probably the most critically-acclaimed documentary of two years ago, director Joshua Oppenheimer asks Indonesian death-squad leaders to create short films based on the mass-killings that they performed during an Indonesian genocide years ago.  At times hard to stomach for the viewer and even occasionally the death-squad leader subjects of the film, The Act of Killing is one of the most creative documentaries to be released in recent years.  If you wind up liking it, keep an eye out for the not-exactly-a-sequel, counterpart documentary to this that was just released this week, called The Look of Silence.  It's also by Joshua Oppenheimer, and about a family that survived the genocide and confronts the men who killed their brother.

5. Stories We Tell (2013)

In Stories We Tell, actor/writer/director Sarah Polley asks various members of her family as well as close friends to tell stories about Sarah's mother, who is deceased.  She seeks to uncover the truth about her mother, but that can be difficult when your family's stories start to not line up.  Polley, makes her quest for the truth, both entertaining and at times saddening.  A great story(ies) told by a family of storytellers.

6. The Imposter (2012)

This film is insane.  It's about a french man who pretends to be the missing son of a Texas family.  Beautifully filmed with re-enactments and talking head accounts from the family, and the imposter himself.  Without getting into too much of the plot, all I can say really is that the film digs a lot deeper than just this one case of him pretending to be this family's child, and by the end you're not gonna know who's side your on, or if there even is a side to be on.

7. Grizzly Man (2005)

Timothy Treadwell, the Grizzly Man who is the subject of this documentary, lived among grizzly bears for several consecutive summers in Alaska until he was killed by one in 2003.  The film documents his life as a grizzly bear activist, with Survivorman-esque footage shot by Treadwell himself over the years.  Director Werner Herzog carefully, and magnificently pieces together the right footage from the hours of footage recorded, in order to portray Treadwell as a complex human being, and not just a crazy guy living with bears.

8. The Thin Blue Line (1988)

This documentary was famously rejected from the Best Documentary category at the Oscars, because of it's use of scripted re-enactments.  This was the first time that these were used in a documentary about crimes, and started what you would later see in countless documentary and true crime tv shows later on.  This is documentary goes very in depth into this case of the murder of a cop, bringing in pretty much every one involved with the case, and giving really greatly film reenactments, and edited brilliantly.  Most crime documentaries that you have seen in your life, owe a lot to this one right here.

9. Hoop Dreams (1994)

This story of two inner-city Chicago African-American boys, following them through their journey as high school basketball players with dreams of making it into college and then the NBA, can be both heart-breaking and uplifting.  At nearly three hours, Hoop Dreams takes the time to touch upon several key moments in these two kids lives as high schoolers.  Whether it is injuries, getting good grades, or family problems, director Steve James shows us every struggle these boys have had to face realistically, without diving into the sea of sports movie clichés that he easily could have filled this movie with by interfering.  Like The Thin Blue Line was the godfather of crime documentaries, Hoop Dreams is the godfather of sports documentaries.

10. Life Itself (2014)

Director Steve James who I just talked about in the previous entry, also directed this touching portrait of the most famous film critic to ever put pen to paper, Roger Ebert.  James explores Ebert's life leading up to adulthood, and then his career as a film critic, leading up to the painful-to-watch last months of his life.  Ebert was an interesting man, and a brilliant film critic, and it's proved time and time again in this film.  A must-watch for any film fan.

Well those are 10 documentaries for you to watch on Netflix, but there an unbelievable amount of docs available on instant streaming, so let me know if there are any others you think are worth me giving a watch and maybe they'll be on a list like this in the future.

-Ryan

Career Review: Quentin Tarantino

Grab a Big Kahuna burger, blast K-Billy's Sounds of the Seventies, and enjoy this review of the career of Quentin Tarantino.  With The Hateful Eight being released later on this year, and me wanting to review the exact opposite of Pixar (my last Career Review), and the fact that he has only directed 8 feature films (although the poster for The Hateful Eight says that is his 8th film, which I guess means he considers Kill Bill one movie, but I don't, so he's made 8.), I decided Tarantino would be the best choice for the next Career Review.

In All Seriousness:

Quentin Tarantino's films:

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

It's not Tarantino's best film, but the most important film in his catalogue of films is his cool-as-the-other-side-of-the-pillow debut.  For as much criticism that Tarantino gets for imitating aspects of films he has a fondness for, this film along with Pulp Fiction after it has been influential on countless films.  Regarded as one of the greatest independent films to ever be made, it's success has inspired independent filmmakers to make films as well as studios to take the risk of releasing those films.  It's success can be attributed to the snappy writing, the quality acting, and the overall coolness of the film.  Many of the motifs (trunk shot, talking in a diner/restaurant, use of popular music, slow-mo shots, etc.) that Tarantino would go on to use throughout his career can be seen in their first appearances in Reservoir Dogs.

Rating (out of 5 stars): ****1/2

Favorite Performer: Steve Buscemi as Mr. Pink

Favorite Scene: Opening diner scene

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Pulp Fiction I think is Tarantino's most fun movie.  Not a scene or word of dialogue is wasted.  It's exciting during every minute of this film.  Each actor in the film gives arguably the performance of their careers.  I think the true longevity of this film is proven by the fact that my favorite scene and performer usually changes each time I watch it. And it's really just one of the most quotable movies out there, and if that ain't Kool and the Gang, then I don't know what is.

Rating (out of 5 stars): *****

Favorite Performer: Samuel L. Jackson as Jules

Favorite Scene: The Bonnie Situation

Jackie Brown (1997)

I watched this movie for the first time almost three years ago, I was very on the fence about it.  Upon re-watching it for this blog post, I realized it's brilliance.  It has elements of a Tarantino film sprinkled throughout for sure, but it's definitely the oddball of his canon, being the only of his films that's adapted from a novel.  Tarantino favorite Samuel L. Jackson gives another great performance here, Pam Grier is cool and perfectly cast (because he wrote the role for her), Robert Forrester is wonderful and deserving of his Oscar nomination, but it's Robert De Niro's stoner who really won me over.  The subtlety of his performance and the moments of him that Tarantino shows are hilarious, and the brightest spot of this very good film.  

Rating (out of 5 stars): ****

Favorite Performer: Robert De Niro as Lewis

Favorite Scene: The real money swap

Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)

Kill Bill Vol. 1 is incredibly entertaining, and that's primarily owed to the brilliant choreography and editing of each and every second of these fight scenes.  Tarantino's choice of music, and his quirky dialogue is a lot more fun than I remembered.  The animated sequence and the crazy 88 fight and fight with O-Ren are among my favorite scenes of the entirety of Tarantino's filmography, and they are all packed into volume 1, which is why...

Rating (out of 5 stars): ****1/2

Favorite Performer: Lucy Liu as O-Ren Ishii

Favorite Scene: Crazy 88 Battle or the anime section.

Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)

... I'm not as big into Vol 2., as against the grain as that might be.  It has a lot of great moments, for example the training with Pai Mei, and the entire last 30 minutes.  However, the rest of the film is less exciting to me than the purely entertaining and intense Vol 1.  Also of all of the violence that is scattered throughout all of Quentin Tarantino's films, the only instance of it that I can never watch it the eyeball squishing scene.  Eye stuff grosses me out.

Rating (out of 5 stars): ***1/2

Favorite Performer: Uma Thurman as Beatrix Kiddo

Favorite Scene: The training with Pai Mei

Death Proof (2007)

Even Tarantino has acknowledged the fact that this is his worst film.  It's a bit of a fun little experiment to try and capture the look and feel of Grindhouse films for his dual-film collaboration with Robert Rodriguez called Grindhouse.  Kurt Russell brings a nice enthusiasm, and some of "The Girls" give pretty good performances, but that's the best I can say about the film.  It's a fun experiment with some enthusiasm.  This was my second time seeing this film, and I'm not sure if there will be a third time, at least not for a very long time.

Rating (out of 5 stars): **

Favorite Performer: Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike

Favorite Scene: The end chase.

Inglorious Basterds (2009)

Oddly enough, this was the first Tarantino film I ever saw.  It was around the time where I was first starting to be allowed to watch rated-r movies, and I got this on blu-ray hoping it would be interesting, and it blew me away.  I had never seen a movie before this that mixed english and foreign languages, had longs scenes with tons talking, and jumped around with timelines a little bit.  Then I watched this film and became interested in the person who made it, which led me to Pulp Fiction and then Reservoir Dogs afterwards.  So this film means a lot to me in terms of introducing me to Tarantino.  I also think this movie has the best writing of his career (slightly edging out Pulp Fiction), and a great ensemble cast of actors who would later become much more famous (Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Daniel Bruhl, etc.).

Rating (out of 5 stars): *****

Favorite Performer: Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine

Favorite Scene: The basement bar scene.

Django Unchained (2012)

Django Unchained and it's countless references to the Western genre's classic make this a very enjoyable watch for me.  It's a genre I probably admire more than most, and Tarantino's take on it is very fun.  The soundtrack has been frequently played on my iPhone, and Tarantino achieves his best-looking film with Django.  The only thing keeping this movie from being on the same level as a Pulp Fiction or an Inglorious Basterds is that it is a little too long.  At 2 hours and 45 minutes, it can be slower at times than I want it to be.  Also the mandingo fighting scene is another one that's hard for me to watch (again, I can't do eye stuff).

Rating (out of 5 stars): ****

Favorite Performer: Leonardo DiCaprio as Calvin Candie (Favorite small performance: Don Johnson as Big Daddy)

Favorite Scene: The raid on the dentist wagon.

Overview

The films of Quentin Tarantino seem to be either loved or hated by anyone who has seen them.  There is rarely, if ever a middle ground.  Some, like myself, enjoy the hyper-stylized, dialogue-heavy, shockingly-violent, sometimes pretentious work of the director.  Many others believe he is overrated, and don't like him for those reasons.  Others might like him or not like him for a variety of different reasons (for example: they hate feet).  The one thing I'm sure of, is that I like his films.  I eat up all of the dialogue, I think the characters he writes and the music choices he makes are cool as hell, and I'm always excited when I hear about his latest project.  He has stayed pretty consistently good throughout his career, with one blip.  Besides that, his movies are pretty easy to lend multiple viewings to, and will receive multiple viewings from me for as long as I'm watching movies.

Side Note: For anyone who is interested, although I didn't include them on this list, Tarantino directed a portion of the film Four Rooms, and also wrote the movies True Romance, From Dusk Till Dawn, and conceived the story for Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers.

Final Ranking:

1. Pulp Fiction

2. Inglorious Basterds

3. Reservoir Dogs

4. Kill Bill Vol. 1

5. Django Unchained

6. Jackie Brown

7. Kill Bill Vol. 2

8. Death Proof

Keep and eye out for the next Career Review, which will be a look at either Stanley Kubrick or David Lynch's careers.  I haven't decided yet, but if you would like to help me decide, please let me know in the comments.

-Ryan

Review: Every Film Released in 2015 That I've Seen So Far

So I have been slacking when it comes to reviewing movies from this year that I've seen.  And I'm sorry, because I understand that this is literally the only blog/website that does movie reviews on the entire internet.  While I was watching movies, you were all refreshing and refreshing, dying to know what I thought about the latest movies, and I kept you waiting.  So as an apology for causing countless accounts aimlessly wandering around movie theaters looking for any sign of indication as to which movies are good and which movies are bad, I will now give a short review of every movie I've seen that was released this year, and I'll let you know how badly you should want to see it.  Because if there is anyone on this planet who knows exactly what you, ::insert random reader's name here::, likes, it's me.

In All Seriousness:

The Lazarus Effect (Director: David Gelb)

Starring: Olivia Wilde, Mark Duplass, Evan Peters, Sarah Bolger, Donald Glover

Even with the help of the usually great Olivia Wilde, The Lazarus Effect was a rough film to see first this year.  The premise interested me in the beginning, but not enough to keep me heavily invested until the end.  Filled with one horror movie cliche or rip-off after another, the film drowned in it's own unoriginality.  That and the fact that it relied way too heavily on jump scares and built very little suspense throughout.

Rating: 3/10

Should I watch this?: Only if you're forced to.

Furious 7 (Director: James Wan)

Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emannuel, Kurt Russell

With the Fast and Furious franchise, you pretty much get exactly what you'd expect.  Impossible car stunts, ridiculous action sequences, and one-liners from Tyrese Gibson.  It's kind of like the creators copy and pasted the previous film and then reworded it to make it their own (Sound familiar anyone who has ever written a paper for school ever?).  Having seen all of the films in the series, minus Fast Five (which is the best one apparently), I don't go into these movies with any hopes as to what they might do this time.  I kind of just go into them and then leave when it's over.  This movie was fun,  and it's touching tribute/bookend to Paul Walker and his character of Brian was nice.  But with that being said I only need to see this movie as many times as Iggy Azalea appears in it, once.

Rating: 6/10

Should I watch this?: If you're a fan of the series or would really like to see Ronda Rousey and Michelle Rodriguez fight.

Lost River (Director: Ryan Gosling)

Starring: Christina Hendricks, Iain De Caestecker, Saoirse Ronan, Matt Smith, Ben Mendelsohn, Eva Mendes

For anyone who actually reads a lot about movies, film festivals, and other aspects of the industry, I don't need to tell you how this movie was initially received by critics.  For those (most of you) who don't read very in depth into the film industry, it was received poorly, very poorly.  Which is the wrong reception in my opinion.  The film is nowhere near perfect, and clearly takes a lot of influence from well-established directors (such as David Lynch, Terrence Malick, and Nicolas Winding Refn).  But I thought it was a really interesting debut film for Mr. Gosling with a few really good performances and a cool looking aesthetic.  I look forward to any future projects that Ryan Gosling chooses to direct.

Rating: 7/10

Should I watch this?: If you like weird movies with elements of horror, or you think you'd be interested in a David Lynch movie that was directed by an actor instead of David Lynch.

It Follows (David Robert Mitchell)

Starring: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Lili Sepe, Olivia Luccardi

While The Lazarus Effect relies on jump scares, It Follows relies on suspense to bring it's horror, and boy is it scary.  Without giving anything away, I'll tell you that it's an interesting idea for a horror film that I haven't seen before, and it's executed very well.  The acting is pretty decent for a low-budget teen horror film with essentially all unknown actors.  This film does what I think the best horror films do, it pushes aside the need for excessive amounts of gore, and instead focuses on building suspense and releasing it in various scary ways.  Like The Babadook from last year, I believe that this will be a horror film we talk about years from now.

Rating: 8/10

Should I watch this?: If you like horror movies, it's a must.

Slow West (Director: John Maclean)

Starring: Kodi Smit-Mcphee, Michael Fassbender, Ben Mendelsohn, Caren Pistorius

This is a classic case of a movie I was excited for not quite meeting my high expectations.  The presence of Michael Fassbender and Ben Mendelssohn (both actors I'm a big fan of) was the main cause for my excitement, throw in my love for the Western genre and you got a recipe for a movie made just for me.  However, I found it hard to really like any of the characters and therefore wasn't really interested in the story.  The film's finale however was really intense, it ended on a good note for sure.  And the lack of too many exhausted Western genre tropes was a big positive in my book.  I just wish I cared more about anything that happened in the movie.

Rating: 6.5/10

Should I watch this?: Yeah maybe.  Other people liked it more than me so maybe you will too.

The Tribe (Director: Miroslav Slaboshpitsky)

Starring: Grigoriy Fesenko, Yana Novikova

A brilliant film that I'm not going to be able to recommend to many people.  It is essentially a gangster film set entirely at a boarding school for deaf teenagers.  The Tribe has many scenes that are tough to watch, and some that are really tough to watch.  And to cap that all off, there are zero words of spoken dialogue.  The film is told entirely through sign language, and there are no translations.  Unless you are fluent in sign language, you are basically figuring out what is going on through the action of the film.  This is a little easier than it sounds, but still can be a daunting task for the casual filmgoer.  However, it's a really great idea, and deserves the praise it has been getting.

Rating: 7.5/10

Should I watch this?: Only if all of what I said above sounds good to you.

Ex Machina (Director: Alex Garland)

Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander

Science fiction films, especially modern science fiction films, have the most room to be as creative as possible.  When that creativity is geared towards showing aspects of science that are seemingly achievable in the near future (ex: Her, this film), that's when I am the most interested in science fiction.  Although it's not here yet, the AI in Ex Machina is something that seems achievable with how quickly technology is advancing.  And the way the film treats this thought, and the uncertainty of what it would be like to achieve these scientific feats is really fascinating.  Also Oscar Isaac has been on a fantastic streak of films since Drive, and I'm excited to see what else he'll do in the future.

Rating: 8/10

Should I watch this?: Yes.  (Is this me telling you yes, or your computer?! Wooahhhh, mind games!)

Mad Max: Fury Road (Director: George Miller)

Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult

I'm sure a lot of people are going to tell you, or have already told you that this movie is great.  Listen to them, because it is.  The energy is ramped up to 10 from frame one to the final frame.  It's exciting, it's fun, and has three lead actors in Hardy, Theron, and Hoult that all carry their own weight through out the film.  Visually pleasing, and still entertaining to those (me included) who haven't seen any of the other Mad Max films.

Rating: 8.5/10

Should I watch this?: If you have eyes and are physically able to watch it, then you should.

Love & Mercy (Director: Bill Pohlad)

Starring: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giamatti

It's rare for a biopic to use two different actors to portray the same person.  It's executed to incredible success here, with both Paul Dano and John Cusack giving different but similarly terrific performances.  Both the actors and the screenwriter capture the genius and the nervousness of Brian Wilson.  Also, as a big fan of The Beach Boys, the amount of time put into showing the creation of some of their music was a real treat to watch.

Rating: 9/10

Should I watch this?: Highly recommend it to everyone, but it's a must-see for Beach Boys fans.

Pitch Perfect 2 (Director: Elizabeth Banks)

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Hailee Steinfeld, Skylar Astin, Adam Devine, Ben Platt

The Bellas are back pitches!  (Please excuse me while I go waterboard myself for a few minutes for having just said that.)  I'm back.  Sorry to keep you waiting.  Anyway, I'm a fan of the first Pitch Perfect.  I was excited for Pitch Perfect 2.  I'm a fan of Pitch Perfect 2.  What can I say other than that they are fun movies.  The first one was definitely more original, and felt more put together.  This one was a little more of an attempt to rekindle what made the first one fun, but it still worked.  Just not as well.

Rating: 7/10

Should I watch this?: If you liked the first one, yes.  If you didn't like the first one, watch that one again.  If you still don't like the first one, I'm sorry but you shouldn't do everything I tell you to.

Inside Out (Director: Pete Docter)

Starring: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, Lewis Black, Kaitlyn Dias, Kyle MacLachlan, Diane Lane, Richard Kind

When I first heard the premise of Pixar making a film about the emotions inside one's brain, I had no idea what it was going to be like.  After seeing the film, my imagination was far exceeded by the brilliant imaginations of the people at Pixar.  The ideas at work in this film, and the adult themes that are found throughout are what will have the adults leaving the theater with a smile on their face.  The adorableness of the characters and the child-level themes that are found throughout are what will have the kids leaving with a smile on their face.  Only a Pixar film could have a character named Bing Bong, who is an elephant/cat/dolphin/cotton candy hybrid, and also have a reference to the movie Chinatown in the same film.  Not only is Inside Out a return to form for Pixar, which hasn't been at the top of their game for quite a few years, but it's also one of the better films that they have ever made.

Rating: 9/10
Should I watch this?: Yes.  All of you.  Why didn't you watch it on Friday when it came out?

Well those are all of the films from 2015 that I have seen so far.  If there are any that I missed and you think I should see, let me know in the comments.  Hopefully I'll get back to giving movies their own reviews in the near future, but who knows?  I'm so unpredictable, I could really do anything.

Top 50 Favorite Films of All-Time 2.0

In honor of the highly sought after milestone of 50 posts that this here blog is reaching with this very post, I decided I would revisit my 50 favorite films list and update it with the films that would now make that list.  A lot has changed since I first posted my original list a year and a half ago.  Many films have left the list, many films have joined.  A few films have moved up on the list, a few films have moved down the list.  Some films are in the exact same place as before.  But for the most part this is a vastly different list.

Since I'm sure many of you will just skip through and not read the blurbs on each film, and since I've talked about many of these films before, I'm going to keep it short and sweet as to why each film is on this list.  So read it if your interested, if not, you're dead to me.  I'm kidding.  Either way, enjoy, and please let me know if you also enjoy any of these films (or if you relentlessly deplore them, I don't care).

In All Seriousness:

The top 10 were pretty easy to come up with, but the rest were so difficult to order that I literally had to sleep on it.  While I feel good about my order, I left a lot of films that I really love off the list.  So here is a link to my Letterboxd page so you can see what else I would recommend but had to leave off this list: http://letterboxd.com/rytherb/  (Really anything that I rated between 5 stars and 4 stars was in contention for this list.)

50. Alien (1979) [Dir. Ridley Scott]

While I do love both Alien and Aliens, the first film is better in my eyes because of the horror film techniques it applies, as opposed to the more action-filled Aliens. The sound design and score assist in making this film cause poop to appear in your pants.  Wear your brown pants.

49. Caddyshack (1980) [Dir. Harold Ramis]

It's probably not the sole reason, but this film was a pretty big factor in making me want to play golf in high school.  Watching most of my comedy idols playing golf, talking about golf, it just drove the idea of golf into my mind.  Also it's still hilarious every time.

48. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) [Dir. Henry Selick]

This is one of the maybe two or three films on this list that I've loved (and have been allowed to watch) since I was young.  Even as a kid I recognized it as just a really fun and interesting film.  I still think it's the best thing that Tim Burton has ever been a part of.

47. The Godfather (1972) [Dir. Francis Ford Coppola]

The last time I made this list I combined the first and second Godfathers as one entry.  But now I decided to stop cheating you guys and pick one.  I used to think pt. II was better, but after a recent rewatch of the two, I realized my slightly greater appreciation for the first film.  It has more iconic moments and it's enhanced by the presence of Brando and Caan.

46. 8 1/2 (1963) [Federico Fellini]

8 1/2 I think spawned the huge wave of filmmakers (mainly amateur ones) who like to make films about making films.  I'm not sure though if any will ever reach or come close to reaching the greatness of this film.

45. Manhattan (1979) [Dir. Woody Allen]

For anyone who has seen this film, the obvious comparisons to the real life accusations against Allen might tarnish it.  But if you block out any outside stuff, it works so well and is one of Allen's best.  Funny and shot in beautiful black and white.


44. Fargo (1996) [Dir. The Coen Brothers]

Dark comedy and The Coen Brothers mix like peanut butter and Oreos (very well).  This film has an array of wonderfully acted characters from great actors.  I'd watch Steve Buscemi read a phone book.


43. Spirited Away (2001) [Dir. Hayao Miyazaki]

A brilliantly animated and incredibly creative film from one of the top 3 animation studios in the world.  It's so imaginative and makes me mad that I still haven't seen any of Studio Ghibli's other work.


42. All About My Mother (1999) [Dir. Pedro Almodovar]

Pedro Almodovar is among the most exciting modern foreign filmmakers.  He creates these wonderfully emotional films, and I consider this one his best.  Perfectly cast and wonderfully acted throughout.


41. The Great Dictator (1940) [Dir. Charles Chaplin]

Although mainly known for his silent films, The Great Dictator proves that Chaplin can do great things with sound.  A lot of his slapstick comedy is still really good here, but the two main speeches in the film (one played for comedy and one played to evoke emotion) are the highlights of the film in my opinion.  And they couldn't have been done in silent cinema.


40. Holy Motors (2012) [Dir. Leos Carax]

Leos Carax's inventive french film is something I'm still trying to completely wrap my head around.  I'm not sure if I ever will, but that doesn't mean I won't be completely engrossed in it every single time I watch it.  Also Denis Levant gives one of the best performances of the 21st century here.


39. The Night of the Hunter (1955) [Charles Laughton]

The first time I watched this film was in an intro to film class my freshmen year of college.  It was the only film on the syllabus that I hadn't heard of before, which caused me to be less excited for it than the others on the list.  Needless to say, it blew my mind and is now one of my favorite films.

38. Inglorious Basterds (2009) [Quentin Tarantino]

Say what you want about Tarantino, he can write movies.  Basterds has some of his best dialogue.  QT does a lot of cool stuff here, and creates a lot of memorable scenes that I think rival some of the best films from his earlier works Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction.


37. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) [The Coen Brothers]

Man does this movie really just punch me in the gut and make me feel for this hopeful folk singer, Llewyn Davis (played by the always great Oscar Isaac).  But the Coen Brothers don't make it easy for us to like him, because he is a jerk to pretty much every character in this movie.  Great characterization and great writing, and the soundtrack to this film is constantly playing on my iTunes.


36. The Dark Knight (2008) [Christopher Nolan]

This is one of my first "favorite films of all-time".  It was my go-to answer for a while, and with every re-watch I still enjoy every minute of it.  This is the kind of movie that blockbusters should be.


35. The Royal Tenenbaums (2003) [Dir. Wes Anderson]

Wes Anderson creates what I would consider a majority of his most memorable characters in The Royal Tenenbaums.  Many Wes-isms (what I'm referring to the director's consistent motifs as) are evident in his second feature, Rushmore.  But it's not until Tenenbaums that he really gets to go wild with his Wes-isms.


34. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966) [Dir. Sergio Leone]

Probably the most ripped off Western in the history of films, and for good reasons too.  It's incredible.  Anything really cool in most modern Westerns was probably done here first.  And you know the famous gun duel theme music that you here imitated in countless movies and tv shows?  That's from this movie too.  Ahhhhhoooo-wah-wah-wah!  Iconic.


33. Do the Right Thing (1989) [Dir. Spike Lee]

A film that is just as important now (if not more) then it was back when it was made.  Spike Lee creates great characters here, and gives them all a fair shot at our admiration.  But no one gets it because everyone does the wrong thing.


32. Sideways (2004) [Dir. Alexander Payne]

An expertly adapted script from Alexander Payne, perfectly cast, and as funny as it is sad.  Very easy to watch it multiple times.


31. Little Miss Sunshine (2006) [Dir. Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris]

All of what I just said about Sideways works for this film too.  Except it was an original screenplay by Michael Arndt, who would eventually go on to write another indie film sensation known as Toy Story 3.

30. Field of Dreams (1989) [Dir. Phil Alden Robinson]

Maybe if Kevin Costner only made baseball movies his entire career, he would have a perfect career. I don't know if he tops this performance though, as Ray Kinsella.  Funny, manic, almost schizophrenic, and sweet.  Field of Dreams should be the go-to film for anyone who loves baseball.  And a go-to film for just any one who loves good movies.

29. Badlands (1973) [Dir. Terrence Malick]

Thinking about it, Badlands is so weird and unconventional.  It's like if Bonnie and Clyde were one slightly socially awkward dude, and a little girl.  And instead of robbing banks they kind of just don't do that.  And only the guy kills people.  I don't know what I'm getting at with this, it's just really good.

28. Requiem for a Dream (2000) [Dir. Darren Aronofsky]

As much as I love this film, it's so hard to revisit it.  It's become more of a let me show it to these people who haven't seen it, and I'll watch their lives become ruined in real time.  Really good movie though, great editing.


27. The Conversation (1974) [Dir. Francis Ford Coppola]

It wasn't until my most recent viewing of The Conversation that I really fell in love with it.  The sound design is rivaled by very few films, if any in the history of cinema.  Great directing, as of now I think it's Coppola's best work.  But then again his filmography switches around all the time in my head.

26. Toy Story (1995) [Dir. John Lasseter]

It's incredible.  Not much else I need to say.  If you want to see more thoughts on it you can check out my Pixar post from last month.

25. Sweet Smell of Success (1957) [Dir. Alexander Mackendrick]

This film was a more recent discovery for me.  It shows how disgusting the people in media can be, and the performances are fantastic.  Tony Curtis is incredible here, and delivers some of the best lines in the film.  "Don't do anything I wouldn't do.  That gives you a lot of leeway..."


24. Sherlock Jr. (1924) [Dir. Buster Keaton]

Buster Keaton is one of the true geniuses of film history.  A comedian who would stop at nothing to make sure a joke works.  For instance he fractured his neck performing one of the stunts in this film, and completed the take anyway.  Such a funny film, with brilliant physical comedy that would still be impressive to pull off today.


23. Psycho (1960) [Dir. Alfred Hitchcock]

This movie is still scary.  Hitchcock knew suspense, and this film keeps me sweating every time I watch it.  That Anthony Perkins can be one creepy dude.

22. The Tree of Life (2011) [Dir. Terrence Malick]

Hands down one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen.  Every scene is filmed with such care, and the actors all give effectively reserved performances.  I want to put every frame of this film up in my house as wallpaper.


21. Raging Bull (1980) [Dir. Martin Scorsese]

It's crazy to think that this movie was almost never made by Scorsese (because he almost died from cocaine addiction in the late 70's)/was almost his last film ever.  Both of those scenarios would have sucked.  Also the black and white photography is beautiful, arguably Scorsese's best looking film.


20. Rosemary's Baby (1968) [Dir. Roman Polanski]

I recently had the opportunity to see this film in theaters, and it was such a great experience.  Some of these next films I guess could be classified as partially horror.  But among the films that are primarily considered horror films, this is my second favorite. (You'll see my favorite later on.)  Also Mia Farrow is so perfectly cast in this movie (as is the rest of the cast), it's unreal.

19. Blue Velvet (1986) [Dir. David Lynch]

Good luck drinking a Heineken again after watching this movie.  Dennis Hopper as Frank Booth (who was quoted saying that he has to play Frank Booth because he is Frank Booth) is one of the most memorable movie characters I can think of.  Few actors can unnerve you solely by quoting the beginning of a Roy Orbison song.  But Hopper's demand to hear "Candy Colored Clown" (In Dreams by Roy Orbison) will remain in my head for life.


18. Seven Samurai (1954) [Dir. Akira Kurosawa]

I'm always impressed when a 3+ hour long movie can not lose me for it's entirety, and Kurosawa's masterpiece not only doesn't lose me, but has me thinking about it for hours after the credits roll.  I think Kurosawa gets some of his best performances here, and makes a wonderful jidai-geki film (just showing off because I took a class on Kurosawa this past semester).


17. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) [Dir. John Hughes]

I always considered Cameron Frye the movie character most similar to myself.  Feel free to disagree those of you who know me probably more than I know myself.  But I always just really connected with him, I think he, as well as the entire movie, is perfectly written.  I often cite this as one of the movies that I would have loved to have written the most.

16. A Clockwork Orange (1971) [Dir. Stanley Kubrick]

Up there with Requiem for a Dream as a movie that's a hard to watch again too often.  Although this one doesn't really crush my soul, it's more that it's uncomfortable sometimes.  But that being said it's brilliant and beautifully shot.  The sets are all great.  And that slow-mo scene by the water is just one of the coolest looking shots ever.


15. Rear Window (1954) [Dir. Alfred Hitchcock]

The master of suspense creates his most suspenseful film with Rear Window.  I know every single detail of this plot, yet I stay on the edge of my seat each time.  Maybe this is because I am always so anxious while watching it or because I always watch it with six obese men on a small couch.

14. Taxi Driver (1976) [Dir. Martin Scorsese]

This movie should be in the same group as Requiem for a Dream and A Clockwork Orange of movies that are hard to watch multiple times.  Because there are a lot of disgusting things in this movie.  And moments that are incredibly hard to watch.  For some reason though, I just can't stop coming back to it over and over again.  De Niro is too good.


13. Groundhog Day (1993) [Dir. Harold Ramis]

My favorite performance from my favorite comedic actor.  Although I think Murray's best acted scene is the final scene in Scrooged, I think overall he does the best in Groundhog Day.  It's so funny, so smart, and Andie Macdowell is perfect.

12. The Shining (1980) [Dir. Stanley Kubrick]

Here is the aforementioned favorite horror film.  I never really found it too scary, but it's so interesting and entertaining.  I love every second of it.  It's also cool that the steadi-cam was pretty much invented for this movie, because most of the videos I have ever made are primarily steadi-cam. Side Note: The best Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episode spoofs The Shining incredibly.


11. There Will Be Blood (2007) [Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson]

On to slot 11 and this is my first Paul Thomas Anderson film.  That's a first for my Top films of all-time list.  Usually his filmography is scattered throughout the list.  I think There Will Be Blood is his best film, although it's not my favorite (you'll anticlimactically see my favorite later on).

10. Her (2013) [Dir. Spike Jonze]

The last film to skyrocket into the top tier of my favorite movies of all-time list shortly after it was released is number 4 on this list.  But man, this movie just kills me every time I watch it.  Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johannson and Amy Adams are all perfect.  Spike Jonze is quickly becoming one of my idols.  I've already seen this movie like five times and it came out about a year and a half ago.


9. Nashville (1975) [Dir. Robert Altman]

A recent re-watch of this film in a Films of the 70's class further exposed me to the brilliance of Robert Altman and this film.  Every song in it is so catchy, and I find myself watching the final scene on youtube almost every other day.  It's the feel of the 70's (so I've read, I wasn't there) captured expertly.  Great ensemble cast.

8. Annie Hall (1977) [Dir. Woody Allen]

Woody Allen's most quotable movie by far, his funniest movie too.  He does so many interesting things like the subtitled conversation, the breaking of the fourth wall, and flashback sequences.  It's a perfect comedy.  And in my opinion Woody Allen's best film (although I've only seen 7 of his slightly under 50 total films.)

7. Goodfellas (1990) [Dir. Martin Scorsese]

Roger Ebert once said about Goodfellas, "No finer film has ever been made about organized crime - not even The Godfather."  I completely agree with the late Mr. Ebert.  This movie is paced so damn well, and it's the perfect movie to put on the tv and start from any point (granted you've already seen it multiple times).  "Goodfellas is on tv, you want to watch it," is as common in my house as "What's for dinner?"  Not actually but you get the idea.

6. Mulholland Drive (2001) [Dir. David Lynch] 

Mulholland Drive isn't just a movie you want to watch multiple times, it's a movie you need to watch multiple times.  Even after having most of the movie explained through various youtube videos and blog posts, those are just theories.  The only person who knows what this movie is all about is David Lynch, and maybe he doesn't even know what it's about.  Lastly, Naomi Watts gives like a top 3 performance of the 21st century here.  I'd say behind only Daniel Day-Lewis (in the previously mentioned There Will Be Blood) and Joaquin Phoenix (in the film also from PTA, The Master).

5. The Graduate (1967) [Dir. Mike Nichols]

I wish I could watch this movie for the first time again.  The feeling I had when this movie finished for the first time was something I'll never forget.  And being that I will be graduating from college in a little less than a year, I have a feeling that my next viewing of this film is going to destroy me.  That final shot.  That Simon and Garfunkel soundtrack.  Fantastic.

4. The Social Network (2010) [Dir. David Fincher]

The primary reason for loving this film is the script.  Some people aren't into mountains of dialogue, but I love it.  And this setting is perfect for the hectic, fast-paced style of Aaron Sorkin's writing.  It furthered Jesse Eisenberg's career, made stars out of Andrew Garfield and Armie Hammer, and showed that Justin Timberlake could hold his own as an actor.  Also this score is the only one I've ever actually bought on iTunes.

3. Pulp Fiction (1994) [Dir. Quentin Tarantino] 

As stereotypical as it is for Pulp Fiction to be anyone's top 3 films, let alone a college film student, I can't help it.  It's so cool and so much fun.  Endlessly quotable.  Love this movie.

2. Dog Day Afternoon (1975) [Dir. Sidney Lumet]

My favorite performance from my favorite actor.  Pacino brings so much energy to this role.  It's like a two-hour acting school.  I mentioned how good the pacing is in Goodfellas, this movie is the perfect example of excellent pacing.  It's also a movie I will openly recommend to anyone, anytime.


1. Boogie Nights (1997) [Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson]

I almost feel bad that these top 4 haven't changed since the last time.  But then again, no one is really that invested in these lists.  Maybe something will change come the third edition of this, but for now, Boogie Nights is still the favorite.  It's always awkward when I have to tell new people this, and they find out what it's about.  But I can't help but love it.  The script, the soundtrack, the ensemble, the camerawork.  It's all right down my alley.  The main reason why I love it so much, is because it inspires me more than any other film.  As odd as that is, but when those credits start rolling, I can't help but imagine my name in a movie's credits one day.