The 100 Best Movies I’ve Ever Seen
Posted: July 13th, 2010 | Filed under: Pop Culture | 201 Comments »
A few years ago, my good friend Chuck and I decided to exchange lists of our 100 favorite songs. The key to the exchange, though, was to really put our 100 favorite songs on there and not the 100 songs we thought should be on the list. If we really thought “Mandy” deserved to be on the list rather than, say, “Heard it Through The Grapevine” or Satisfaction,” then we had to put it on the list, regardless of what we thought it might say about our musical taste.*
*Neither of us had “Mandy” on our list.”
Well, how do you accomplish that? How do you put together a list that reflects how you feel rather than how you want other people to believe you feel? It’s a tough question because, in so many ways, the two concepts intersect. Maybe I do not like Bob Dylan’s music. Maybe I do. Maybe I appreciate the words but don’t like the voice. Maybe I like the voice but am bored by the words. Maybe I do not like Bob Dylan’s music but I want people to think I like Bob Dylan’s music. maybe I want people to think I DO NOT like Bob Dylan’s music. At some point, it all feels about the same. And in the end we can be like the Steve Martin character in Bowfinger who, when asked by Heather Graham if he likes Smashing Pumpkins, responds: “I love doing that.”
Anyway, Chuck and I decided the best way to handle it was to hand over the lists with absolutely no explanation. No defense. No excuses. No defiance. No nothing. Just 100 song titles on a piece of paper. We figured that if you didn’t have to explain — were not even ALLOWED to explain — that you would come closer to putting down what you really felt. I thought it worked pretty well. I have lost that list of songs, which is both a shame and probably for the best.
Anyway, that’s the theme behind the following list; The 100 best movies I have ever seen. The inspiration comes from the great Roger Ebert; I have been spending the last few days reading his books The Great Movies and The Great Movies II. It has been such fun and wonderful reading; I honestly believe Ebert is one of the great writers of our time. To read his thoughts on Casablanca or Do The Right Thing or Goodfellas is almost as fun as watching the movies themselves. In some cases, the essays are more fun than watching the movies themselves.
And while reading those essays that I thought it would be fun to compile my 100 favorite movies. It’s an impossible task, of course, but that’s what makes it fun. Tomorrow’s list would probably look different from today’s. A list next year might have 30 or 40 different movies on it. It all depends on the mood.
The majority of the movies here are in one of Ebert’s two books, which I suspect makes them pretty universal. Well, just because other people were blown away by The Bicycle Thief doesn’t make my own experience with it any less cool. A few movies are not anywhere near Ebert’s book — I’m sure you can pick a few of those out.
There are, of course, many, many, many of Ebert’s all-time classics (and most other critics’ all-time classics) that I have seen but are not on my list — 2001, Gone With The Wind, The 400 Blows, Nosferatu, on and on and on. I’m not going to say why they are not on my list because that will break The Chuck Rule. Some movies just did not hit me the same way. My mother’s favorite movie is probably “My Fair Lady.” It will irritate her that it’s not on my list (and Music Man is). But … that’s just how it is. Everyone can make their own Top 100 list.
As explanation goes, I will only say this: The movies that are on this list are the ones that, one way or another, transported me into another time and another place. They made me laugh so hard I couldn’t stop, or they changed the way I looked at the world, or they made me fall in love, or they made me ridiculously happy, or they chilled me to the bone. What they did was take me outside of myself for an hour and a half or two hours or however long. Some of the movies I saw again later and was not quite so entranced. Some really do get a little bit better every time I see them — or anyway, like the best sprinters in the last 20 meters of the 100, they maintain their speed.
These are not necessarily my favorite movies, though just about all of my favorite movies are on here. These are also not my favorite movie EXPERIENCES — I think I have mentioned here before that I saw “When Harry Met Sally” in a packed Los Angeles theater shortly after it came out, and it was one of the great movie watching nights of my life. And I generally love “When Harry Met Sally” anyway. But it’s not on the list.
* * *
12 Angry Men
Airplane
All About Eve
All the President’s Men
Amadeus
Annie Hall
The Apartment
Apocalypse Now
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Babe
Being There
Beauty and the Beast
The Bicycle Thief
Big
Boyz n the Hood
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Broadcast News
Bull Durham
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Casablanca
Chinatown
Cinema Paradiso
Citizen Kane
City Lights
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Defending Your Life
Diner
Do The Right Thing
Double Indemnity
Dr. Strangelove
Duck Soup
E.T.
The Empire Strikes Back
Fargo
Fiddler On The Roof
From Here To Eternity
Gandhi
Gentleman’s Agreement
Glengarry Glen Ross
The Godfather
The Godfather: Part II
Goldfinger
Goodfellas
The Graduate
Heaven Can Wait (Warren Beaty version)
His Girl Friday
Hoop Dreams
Hoosiers
The Hudsucker Proxy
The Hustler
Il Postino
It’s A Wonderful Life
Jaws
Life Is Beautiful
Lost In Translation
The Maltese Falcon
The Manchurian Candidate
The Matrix
My Favorite Year
Music Man
Network
North By Northwest
Notting HIll
On the Waterfront
One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest
Patton
Psycho
Pulp Fiction
Quiz Show
Radio Days
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raging Bull
Rebel Without A Cause
Rocky
Roger and Me
Saving Private Ryan
Schindler’s List
The Shawshank Redemption
Singin’ in the Rain
The Sixth Sense
Some LIke It Hot
The Sunshine Boys
Top Hat
Toy Story II
Rear Window
Say Anything
Sideways
Sweet Smell of Success
Swingers
Sunset Boulevard
Taxi Driver
The Producers
The Terminator
The Third Man
Truly, Madly, Deeply
The Wizard of Oz
This Is Spinal Tap
Unforgiven
Up In The Air
Waiting For Guffman
Loading ...
Off topic, but I hope we see a post from you on George Steinbrenner. RIP George.
Thanks for the list. I hope Boogie Nights received honorable mention.
I assume you mean the original Manchurian Candidate? Not sure how many other re-makes there are on your list…
You know this already, Joe, but “Mandy” should in fact be on your song list.
Looks like you have 6 sports-related movies on the list: Bull Durham, Heaven Can Wait, Hoop Dreams, Hoosiers, Raging Bull and Rocky. Wish a couple more had made it
Nice to see you have Life Is Beautiful on the list.
Circle me Gigli!
You’ve got good timing in your reading, Joe: Ebert’s newest Great Movies book, The Great Movies III, will be published in October by the University of Chicago Press, where I work as a publicist. Drop me a note if you’d like to see a copy.
(And good choice on “Mandy.”)
Love the list, missed “The Hustler”. To me an All-Time game changer.
lovely list – I’d gladly sit through all of those.
but one thing strikes me: I can only spot, after a quick scan, only one non-US film. interesting.
I know there’s no explanation, but Austin Powers 2 and not Austin Powers 1? Say it ain’t so, Joe. Austin Powers 2 was bad.
You have fantastic taste, man. There are bits and pieces I’d do differently, of course, but it’s a very well-rounded list. Roger Ebert’s list wouldn’t be dramatically different, I don’t think.
What a great list. You know, for kids!
Our lists are very similar…I have “The Departed” on my list, however.
I didn’t count, but it appears Some Like It Hot appears twice. While a wonderful film, I’m not sure it deserves double mention. Notting Hill? The only one I would ask for explanation on even as there are several that are not my favorites. Interesting list.
Which “The Producers”?
I would have added The Usual Suspects.
How about The Hunt for Red October…definitely a classic guy movie. I stop channel surfing whenever it is on.
interesting that only 3 or so of your top 100 are from the past decade.
Hmmm… I’m still trying to figure out if Mary Poppins or The Longest Day has a higher Value Over Replacement Movie.
Eh, heck with it. The Tuxedo sold more popcorn and jujubees, so it must be better.
interesting that only 3 or so of your top 100 are from the past decade. Perhaps time gives us perspective
@9 – there’s at least five foriegn films: the bicycle thief, cinema paradiso, life is beautiful, crouching tiger, notting hill
@8
“The Hustler” is on the list…did I misread what you were saying in your post?
I’m assuming you’ve never seen The Royal Tenenbaums, or else it would be on this list.
Joe, if you were inspired from Ebert’s Great Movies lists, do yourself a favor and watch Killer of Sheep and Gates of Heaven – two of Ebert’s favorites from those lists.
And while Ebert is great, if you’re the kind of person who enjoys knowing as little about movies as possible prior to seeing them, wait to read his reviews until afterwards. While his writing and insight are second-to-none, he provides plot synopses that are way too detailed for my tastes.
Toy Story 2 and Austin Powers 2? What is it with you about underperforming sequals when the original is much better.
Joe, have you ever seen “Almost Famous”? That’s my favorite film of all-time.
@24
I disagree…while I would have had both Toy Story 1 and 2 on my list, I do think that 2 was better than 1. I routinely watch TS2 with my 3 year old daughter more than I watch TS1. We also have found ourselves watching Wall-E as well, which I didn’t like as much when I saw it in the movies as I do now, after my 10th viewing.
Pretty sure I saw “Rear Window” twice, although it’s good enough to allow for double inclusion.
Here’s how sad and pathetic my movie going life is: I’ve seen approximately 15 of Joe’s movies beginning to end, and another enough pieces of 4-5 others to feel like I know the film.
To me a truly great movie is one that you will watch even though you’ve seen it several times already
A Few Good Men
The Hunt for Red October
Witness for the Prosecution
@1,
I’d rather read about Joe’s 100 Favorite Brands of Rock Salt or Joe’s Top 100 Cuticles than read one single word about that federal white-collar criminal who was twice – not once, twice – suspended from Major League Baseball, George Steinbrenner.
And I positively loathe the Racist New England Nation that backs the Boston “White” Sox.
Finally, Steinbrenner is out of the game. Hope he winds up with box seats next to Marge Schott, another worthless piece of filth.
Now, if we can only get rid of the racist fan base that supports the Boston “White” Sox and cleanse their public relations firm, with its Sinn Fein fund-raising element, at The Boston Globe.
Steinbrenner is gone. He will most certainly NOT be missed.
@29
Mark, why not tell us how you really feel? Your pathetic angry rantings are a disgrace. Maybe you didn’t like the Yankees under George, but you have to respect that the guy spent money, unlike most of the cheap-assed owners of his time. He most certainly WILL be missed. I hate the Yankers, but could NEVER hate a guy like Steinbrenner. EVER.
Joe: You have “Rear Window” and “Some Like it Hot” on there twice, which buys you two extra slots to fill out the Top 100.
Honestly, how is Jerry Maguire not on this list??
Great sports movie.
Also, I’m more pleased that you left Avatar OFF the list than any of the ones on the list I disagree with.
What, no Jeremiah Johnson? Joe, you spent too much time reading books, and not enough time exploring the woods. Do they have woods in Cleveland?
“Say Anything” has been on my list since it came out over twenty years ago. I keep hoping that I’ll stop ovulating and start hating it, but I love that dumb movie. Same should be said for “Bull Durham,” a movie that my Y chromosomes have tried to reject forever.
@29 – you are a sad troll just looking to instigate and its not worth wasting any time commenting on what you said, as you are what I said you are at the start…a sad troll.
Forgive me for hijacking a movie post, but I have to say a few words on behalf of George Steinbrenner.
People who aren’t New York Yankees fans undoubtedly hated George Steinbrenner, and I understand. Even we Yankee fans weren’t always crazy about him.
To Yankee-haters, Steinbrenner looked like an arrogant bully who bought championships and used New York’s “big market” status to keep small-market teams down.
But let’s remember something: when George Steinbrenner bought the Yankees in 1973, the Yanks did NOT look like a great investment. He didn’t pay much for the team because they looked like a dying franchise.
In 1973, the Yankees were terrible, and had been for nearly a decade. The Mets OWNED New York in those days. The Yankees were a washed-up franchise playing in the worst neighborhood in New York City (one of the worst neighborhoods in America!). When Steinbrenner bought the team, EVERYBODY knew he was going to move them out of town- the only question was whether he’d take them to Florida or “only” to New Jersey.
He didn’t do either, to my surprise and delight. Instead, he saw a bright future for the team at a time when NOBODY else saw one. He spent money to bring Catfish Hunter to New York. He won New York fans back from the Mets. He got dozens of big stars and millions of fans to come back to the South Bronx.
He could be a jerk, no question about it, and I won’t pretend otherwise. He EARNED much of the animosity he received. But, lest any jealous Yankee haters try to claim “ANYBODY could have accomplished what Steinbrenner did, in a big, rich market like New York,” I have to remind everyone: the Yankees were NOT a glamorous franchise when Steinbrenner bought them. He turned them into a glamorous franchise. If anybody else had bought the Yankees, they’d have left New York nearly 40 years ago.
So, for that alone, I say thank you and RIP, George.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Joe Posnanski, baseballfan. baseballfan said: Joe Posnanski » Blog Archive » The 100 Best Movies I've Ever Seen: And in the end we can be like the Steve Martin … http://bit.ly/apuhDJ [...]
Great list, although I agree with the above that you under-represent the last 10 years or so.
And while I’m with you on listing the second Toy Story and Star Wars, I have to object to choosing the second Austin Powers. It is 100% derivative of the excellent first film (basically it’s only new joke, albeit a very good one, is the introduction of Mini-Me) and Elizabeth Hurley >> Heather Graham.
That’s quite a sturdy list. Well done, Joe. My initial reactions:
I like film noir, as well–even the sappy stuff. I would’ve included “To Have and Have Not” and “The Big Sleep”, however.
As Ryan F (22) mentioned, I’m surprised Wes Anderson didn’t make the list.
In “Quiz Show”, when the elder Van Doren proclaims, “Your name is mine!”, I always get a little verklempt.
No Blazing Saddles? What in the Wide World of Sports is a-goin’ on here? Thought that would be more in your wheelhouse than belt-high fastball to Hank Aaron. That said, it’s a good list otherwise.
My List of 3 are
Schindler’s List
The Bucket List
The List of Adrian Messenger
Notting Hill?
Great list
@ 32. Yes , Jerry Maguire makes my top ten.
With:
An Officer and a Gentleman
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Breakfast Club
Wonderland
Scarface
Dog Day Afternoon
Training Day
Easy Money / Back to School
48 Hours
Ghostbusters
Return of the Jedi
to name a few…
How sick is it that the top two guys in your “Who would you want to pitch the 7th game of the World Series” poll could have been pitching the FIRST, SECOND, FOURTH, SIXTH, and SEVENTH games of the 2010 World Series for the Philadelphia Phillies? Thanks, Ruben.
Circle me Harry Potter hexalogy. (That’s like trilogy but six, and will soon be a heptalogy)
Good List. How about:
Dead Man Walking
Mississippi Burning
Planes Trains and Automobiles
Slum Dog? (Too recent? Is there a rule on recent movies…like they have to sit for a period of time to see if they stack up?)
My personal entry I don’t expect a ton of people to agree with:
School of Rock
OT: I realize he doesn’t really fit into the point of the exercise, but is there any chance Robert Horry could be considered as a wild card addition to the shot-for-your-life poll?
[...] Joe Posnanski » Blog Archive » The 100 Best Movies I’ve Ever Seen [...]
Re: Steinbrenner. He hired George Costanza and was great on SNL. So he gets some credit for that. And he never tried to contract his team, unlike the richest owner in sports (Carl Pohlad).
I like the list and NOT explaining it. But I sometimes think that top 100 or “500 places to see” or these big lists are easier than being forced to go with something like the top ten. You make me do 100 and it takes awhile to think of them all, but I have to think more about my choices for just ten.
And Joe Pos makes my Top Ten list of favorite writers!
Circle me, Hudson Hawk!
good list, thought it was a little bizarre that you had the second Toy Story over the first. What I would love to see is a top 25 list of your favorite sports movies ever
@Jackie Ballgame,
School Of Rock is excellent! I would throw that on my list
A good list and difficult to prepare – others to consider:
The Big Lebowski
Clockwork Orange
LA Confidential
Usual Suspects
One of my favorites usually not on a list such as this — “Kelly’s Heroes”
“Why don’t you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don’t you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don’t you say something righteous and hopeful for a change? “
THE USUAL SUSPECTS. That omission must be accidental.
I despised Jerry Maguire and couldn’t finish it. By the expectations model Joe outlined, it would be the worst movie of my life. Expected four stars, got none.
The movie I am surprised didn’t make the list was The Big Lebowski. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, and was thoroughly delighted the entire time.
Il Postino! The Apartment! Sideways! and yes, Notting Hill!
You came surprisingly close to duplicating my top 100 list.
You left off “The Princess Bride” and “It Happened One Night”. If you still have two spots left, your list is excellent. Otherwise, you’re dead to me.
Glad to see Notting Hill. As reinforced in the comments it is often mentioned with derision, but I love it.
Fight Club!
On the discussion of sequels, I’m surprised (maybe I’m the only one) that T2 wasn’t in place of The Terminator.
I thought it was the general consensus that T2 was superior to the original.
I agree with everyone about Austin Powers and Toy Story, although I’m less adamant about Toy Story. I’d pick 1, but they are both great.
Given Joe’s age, I don’t blame him for having fewer modern movies and more from past generations. Its hard for something new to come along and kick out one of your favorites.
Joe, as an American male of roughly the same age as you, I’m amazed at the overlap between your list and mine — maybe more than half the list.
One sports-related film you do not have that would be high on mine is the ultimate 70s film about failure and deindustrialization Slap Shot. It remains my favorite Paul Newman performance above all others.
All The President’s Men would inspire anyone to want to become a journalist. Says a lot for a movie when at heart it’s just a factual retelling of events and yet plays out as a gripping thriller.
I like this exercise (probably b/c I’m sick of explaining why Empire Strikes Back, which is the consensus “best” Star Wars movie, is only my 4th favorite Star Wars film – that’s right, I said 4th), so here’s my top 10:
Star Wars
Return of the Jedi
Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade
Jurassic Park
Braveheart
Lawrence of Arabia
Fight Club
Wall-E
The Dark Knight
Happy Gilmore
All movies that, if I see them on TV, I will not change the channel and will watch till the end, even though I own all of the DVD’s.
Love the list Joe, especially with the “don’t have to explain” option. No way everyone (or anyone for that matter) would agree with all 100 choices.
As for why Joe doesn’t have more movies from the past 10 years, it’s probably because (like me) he has kids around 10 years old. I’m thankful Pixar and Dreamworks have been around this past decade, because all I’ve seen are animated movies. And while Pixar is hands-down the more consistent company, Shrek has made my “watched it 100 times, would watch it again” list. Last non-animated movie I saw which would make my list is “The Full Monty”.
#25 (Almost Famous), #28 (3 good ones) and #53 (4 good ones)
I jogged my memory by skimming the table of contents of The N.Y. Times Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made.
here’s a few that deserve consideration that I haven’t seen mentioned:
african queen
american graffiti
body heat
born on the 4th of july
bullitt
catch 22
cool hand luke
the crying game
deliverance
downhill racer
fat city
french connection
hannah and her sisters
in cold blood
last picyure show
last waltz
malcolm x
man for all seasons
mean streets
my left foot
red river
reservoir dogs
the verdict
year of living dangerously
I did the same thing with the same inspiration!! These are pretty much in order but they are two years old and the Dark Knight would move up into the top 40 for sure
Casablanca,
The Godfather,
Field of Dreams,
The Exorcist,
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,
Double Indemnity,
Strangers on a Train,
Pride of the Yankees,
Passion of the Christ (I am agnostic by the way)
Psycho,
Modern Times,
The Evil Dead II,
Re-Animator,
King Kong,
The Sweet Hereafter,
Passion of Joan of Arc,
Citizen Kane,
Notorious,
Manchurian Candidate,
Godfather 2,
The Matrix,
Airplane!,
The Blair Witch Project,
The Hustler,
The Kid,
Bridge on the River Kwai,
Jaws,
Night of the Demon,
Whale Rider,
Annie Hall,
United 93,
Sherlock, Jr.,
The Evil Dead,
House of Games,
Million Dollar Baby,
Invasion of the Body Snatchers, (original)
Unforgiven,
The Naked Gun,
Touch of Evil,
The Natural,
Texas Chainsaw Massacre,
Young Frankenstein,
Rear Window,
The Untouchables,
Fail-Safe,
Nosferatu,
Pulp Fiction,
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,
Breaker Morant,
Rocky,
The Deer Hunter,
Saving Private Ryan,
Spellbound, (documentary not the Hitchcock)
Glengarry Glen Ross,
Play It Again, Sam,
The Maltese Falcon,
City of God,
Spiderman 2,
Ed Wood,
The Shining,
Apollo 13,
Hotel Rwanda,
Lost Skeleton of Cadavra,
Man on The Train,
Capturing the Friedmans,
Seven Chances,
Prince of Darkness,
Cool Hand Luke,
Steamboat Bill Jr.,
Jurassic Park,
Hoosiers,
Goodfellas,
Night of the Living Dead,
Bull Durham,
Casino,
Ran,
The Exorcist III,
The Thing, (Carpenter’s)
Kung Fu Hustle,
The Circus,
Terminator2,
Narc,
12 Angry Men,
A Few Good Men,
Husbands and Wives,
King Kong 2005,
Rififi,
Once,
Who Framed Roger Rabbit,
The Tingler,
A Beautiful Mind,
Anatomy of a Murder,
The Caine Mutiny,
The Matrix Reloaded,
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,
The Navigator,
The Wages of Fear,
L.A. Confidential,
Batman: The Dark Knight
The problem with making a top 100 list is that the next day you can come up with 100 movies you should have put on the list but didn’t. My top 100 seems to change daily. So I won’t complain about you failing to rank Memento, my personal favorite movie of the last 10 years.
What I love about lists like this are the quirky choices. Anyone can rank The Godfather, but Hudsucker Proxy? Roger and Me? Goldfinger? Well done, sir. That’s where someone’s personality peeks through. That’s why a top 100 list is fun.
And let me be the first to applaud you for ignoring Wes Anderson. I can’t help it, I really hate his movies. I want to like them, and I like idea of Wes Anderson films, I just actively hate the finished product.
[...] Joe Posnanski » Blog Archive » The 100 Best Movies I've Ever Seen Anyway, that’s the theme behind the following list; The 100 best movies I have ever seen. The inspiration comes from the great Roger Ebert; I have been spending the last few days reading his books The Great Movies and The Great Movies … [...]
The effects in T2 were superior, but The Terminator is far superior from a plot and cinematography standpoint. The first Terminator was dark and actually scary… plus, since it was the original, you didn’t really know how it was going to end. The only knock it has against it is that it looks like it was made in the 80s.
What about Kingpin? It was munsoned.
Glad to see you had “Unforgiven” on your list…it is a tremendous film and one of the greatest Westerns of all time…but THE greatest Western of all time is “Lonesome Dove”, which brings me to the question- Are you counting made-for-television movies as well?
No John Wayne on that list???
I’m not sure High Fidelity would make my top 100 but I’m surprised it’s not in yours, based on your other selections. Perhaps you read and preferred the novel?
I agree with some earlier posters who said the best part is thinking of the movies that AREN’T on your list after you put together a top 100. I just thought of another one, in the same vein as Terminator and T2…Alien and Aliens. Personally, I enjoyed Aliens more, because I was 15 when it came out and it scared the living crap out of me when I saw it in the HUMONGOUS theater I saw it in with my dad. However, he was quick to tell me afterward that Alien was far and away better and scarier when HE saw it at the Drive-In with my mom and they both had to turn on the light inside the car because it was so scary. I see Alien today, and think…eh? Nothing scary there. Not after seeing Aliens. What do you guys think…Alien vs Aliens?
[...] this article: Joe Posnanski » Blog Archive » The 100 Best Movies I've Ever Seen Share and [...]
I’m a librarian so….The Producers should be in the P’s not the T’s.
I hated every minute of Raging Bull except the ones with Kathy Moriarty.
My list would include It Happens Every Spring and Angels in the Outfield. (Both with Paul Douglas.)
Joe, you’ve got vision and the rest of the world wears bifocals.
I would like to see a list of top 10 or 25 movies people are supposed to like or it is cool to like.
Kind of like with the music thing and the Bob Dylan reference. Today’s music reference I think would be Drake.
Movies on that list to me would be
Glengary Glen Ross
Gangs of New York
Departed
Coffee and Cigarettes
Royal Tenanbaums
No Rudy??? it is the best sports football movie of all time. I am going to assume you forgot about that one.
Haven’t seen mentioned, would be on my list:
Lone Star
About a Boy
Hannah and Her Sisters
Manhattan
Much of my list would overlap with Joe’s.
Great list Joe. I’m with those surprised that “The Princess Bride” didn’t make your list. Certainly would be on mine. Couple of other personal favs –
The Great Escape,
The Sting (except after the first time it’s done)
On Golden Pond (sad, but true as with some of the other sappy movies other BRs have noted),
Monty Python’s Search for the Holy Grail & Life of Brian.
Two of my all-timers that are missing from the list (and I haven’t seen mentioned yet):
History of the World, Part 1
Sneakers
You could put The Jerk in my DVD player, weld it shut, and I’d be O.K. with that.
Fargo and The Hudsucker Proxy, but no Big Lebowski?! That’s blasphemy!
Remember the Titans
Snatch (He isnt exactly a set of car keys now , is he?)
Michael Clayton
The Full Monty
#44 Amen.
Will agree with everybody adding LA Confidential and Usual Suspects..and love that Sneakers was even mentioned.
I’d replace Defending Your Life with Lost in America.
Lord of the Rings, hello! (as a trilogy or one at a time)
Fargo, fine, but Hudsucker Proxy? And where’s The Big Lebowski, Blood Simple, No Country for Old Men?
Aliens
Terminator 2 over The Termintor
I’d also include a handful of Coen Bros. films. Miller’s Crossing might be the most re-watchable. O Brother Where Art Thou? and Intolerable Cruelty are underrated. A Serious Man should age well, IMO. Barton Fink might appeal to writers and Wallace Beery fans.
Sorry. But I love the movies. I will only clog the blog with movies I havent seen named.
Platoon
A Fish Called Wanda
Bad Boys (w Sean Penn)
Ferris Buellers Day Off
All of my absolute favorites are on there except one: Chariots of Fire.
The commercials kept me from going to see it. But when I finally did take the time, and it was a very boring day, wow.
Think the character development in Amadeus and Chariots of Fire is very similar.
Kudos on including Defending Your Life. So few people I know have seen it.
@29: um, the White Sox play in Chicago. You’ll never get taken seriously if you can’t get your facts straight!
The film’s title in Italian is “Ladri di biciclette” which translates to “Bicycle Thieves”. Strangely all British editions of the film I’ve seen translate this correctly. Until Criterion’s recent issue, no American edition did. Those who have seen the film will understand why the plural is needed.
I love your list but mine would include most on your list but NONE of the musicals except Beauty and the Beast, my daughter loved that movie and you know, the songs in that one weren’t half bad (breaking the Chuck Rule, I know…).
I would also include:
The Incredibles, Das Boot, On Any Sunday, Blade Runner, Star Wars, Intolerable Cruelty, The Big Lebowski, Lawrence of Arabia, The Right Stuff, Rushmore, Saturday Night Fever, Thunderball, Mad Max, After Hours, Cool Hand Luke, Reservoir Dogs
I’m having trouble comming up with titles not already listed…
12 Angry Men
A Christmas Story
A Clockwork Orange
A Time to Kill
Airplane!
Amadeus
American History X
American Psycho
Anchorman” The Legend of Ron Burgandy
As Good As It Gets
Awakenings
Back to the Future
Bambi
Batman
Battle Royale
Being John Malkovich
Best in Show
Blazing Saddles
Borat
Bottle Rocket
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Dr. Strangelove
Enter the Dragon
Escape from L.A.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Fargo
Fight Club
Forrest Gump
Full Metal Jacket
Gandhi
Glengarry Glen Ross
Glory
Goodfellas
Grease
Groundhog Day
Hot Fuzz
It’s a Wonderful Life
Jurassic Park
Kill Bill Vol. 1
Kill Bill Vol. 2
Kung Fu Hustle
Leaving Las Vegas
Legend Of The Drunken Master II
Minority Report
Misery
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
No Country for Old Men
Office Space
Oldboy
Princess Mononoke
Pulp Fiction
Punch-Drunk Love
Pyscho
Rain Man
Requiem for a Dream
Reservoir Dogs
Rocky
Saving Private Ryan
Schindler’s List
Se7en
Shaun of the Dead
Sin City
Spider-Man 2
Stand By Me
Star Trek (2009)
Star Wars
Superman: The Movie
Swingers
Team America
Terminator 2
That Thing You Do!
The Adventures of Robin Hood(1938)
The Blair Witch Project
The Bourne Identity
The Crow
The Dark Knight
The Departed
The Empire Strikes Back
The Hustler
The Life of Brian
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Matrix
The Neverending Story
The Royal Tenenbaums
The Seven Samurai
The Shawshank Redemption
The Sixth Sense
The Sting
The Truman Show
The Untouchables
The Usual Suspects
The Wizard of Oz
Toy Story
Unforgiven
V for Vendetta
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate
Yojimbo
Young Frankenstiein
Obviously I can’t believe my movie, Caddyshack, didn’t make it, but the only entry that got me fired-up was the inclusion of Up In the Air, a truly awful and depressingly predictable movie. I had never been more excited to leave the theatre when the credits rolled. Most critics loved it; maybe I’m just not smart enough to get it.
Beyond Austin Powers, you don’t have many “over-the-top” comedies. I respect that fact.
However, I think two guy comedies merit inclusion:
–Old School. The best of the Will Ferrell franchise.
–Meet the Parents. The best of the Ben Stiller franchise.
Nice job with Glengary, Glenross. And Drowning Mona is a great flick, very much along the lines of Fargo.
I love all the Billy Wilder selections, greatest Writer/Director in film history in my opinion.
Given your age a little surprised there were no John Hughes films. I can re-watch all of those endlessly, especially Ferris Bueller
No Princess Bride?!? Inconceivable!
@93,
And the Boston “White” Sox, with their racist fan base and Sinn Fein fund-raisers at The Boston Globe, operate in the most racist city in America, Beantown.
Check the number of Caucasians on every Red Sox roster since the game began.
Check the histories of Willie Mays (Sox refused to scout him in the Negro League), Ernie Banks (same), Pumpsie Green (first non-white Boston Red Sox and scorned by the racist press throughout New England), Reggie Smith, and Jim (I’m Not Freddy Lynn) Rice.
Or look more recently at, say, Pedro Martinez, Mo Vaughn, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Hanley Ramirez, Julio Lugo, Edgar Renteria, and a whole host of other non-J.D. Drew white boys in Boston.
You’ll never get taken seriously, 93, if you accept the racism that is New England and the Boston “White” Sox.
Joe,
Lots in common with your list. If you haven’t seen them, check out:
Cool Hand Luke, The Seven Samurai, Blood Simple, La Dolce Vita, and In Cold Blood.
How about a top list of movie villains?
M.Emmett Walsh in Blood Simple is right up there, along with Daniel D-L in Gangs of NY.
p.s. … and Best Years of Our Lives.
Parenthood (Did he say Cool?)
@29,
I did not hate George Steinbrenner.
I simply had no use for George Steinbrenner. He was worthless.
A convicted federal criminal who’s whined like a little girl until Bedtime for Bonzo granted him a presidential pardon in 1989.
An owner twice suspended by Major League Baseball. The first time, after the Nixon fiasco, allowed Gabe Paul, then-Yankees GM, to have some peace and quiet to deal for the likes of Gregg Nettles, Mickey Rivers, Willie Randolph, and Bucky “Bleeping” Dent. The second time allowed Gene Michael and Bob Watson to nurture some kids on the farm named Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte, Williams, Posada, and Mendoza.
On each occasion, the Yankees won multiple World Series titles – two the first time and four the second – after the Commish sent Little Georgie to bed with out his toy to screw up in the Bronx.
So bury him. Get him out of our misery. Just don’t try selling the idea of some redeeming qualities in the man.
George Steinbrenner was a jerk. Let’s remember him that way. Let’s not allow some PR hack to polish up the Pile of Excrement that was George Steinbrenner.
You don’t like the truth, son? Too damn bad.
American Beauty
Philadelphia
Crash
Colors
To Kill a Mockingbird
New Jack City
The Player
Mystic River
Mean Streets
Animal House
Saturday Night Fever
Grease
And Bleepin Rocky!!
Me Myself & Irene
Theres Something About Mary
Great list Joe, as most of the posters have said. It seems that anyone’s list would be a function of when they grew up and where. I can understand you not picking “O Brother Where Art Thou?” if you have no connection to the South, but if, as I do, you spent significant time there growing up, it has to be a favorite.
I am also a fan of older movies and was happy to see a few on your list. I would lean more heavily on John Wayne (especially “The Quiet Man”), Jimmy Stewart, Spencer Tracy and Cary Grant (even though I am only about two years older than you).
But the one older movie I would definitely add, that no one has mentioned, is “Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”. Classic.
Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you’re fired.
Up in the Air. I’m going to quote the best thing you’ve ever written Joe just so folks can read it again:
” It was New Year’s Eve, and I sat in my hotel room, and I looked out the window, and I felt thoroughly alone, a kind of desolate loneliness, the sort of acute melancholy that I imagine sparks love songs, good and bad, and poetry, good and bad, and drunken nights in hotel bars. I never felt that alone before and I never felt that alone since. And the strange part, the part that did not make sense, the part that I still do not quite understand, is this: I kind of liked it.”
If I’m going on a three hour tour with somebody smart enough to make a DVD player (or VHS deck) out of coconuts, I’m probably going to pack the following, just in case:
Fletch
Die Hard
Shawshank
Tombstone
Christmas Vacation
Cast Away (for irony, mostly)
Rudy
Remember the titans
To End All Wars
Chariots of Fire
The Dark Knight
Something the Lord Made
A Beautiful Mind
Awakenings
Pope (@113) – Dadgummit, why did you have to slip one of Joe’s most hauntingly beautiful paragraphs in just before my low-brow love note to Chevy Chase films?
It’s like following a beautiful symphony with “Jingle Bells” (as performed by barking dogs)
The Bank Dick
Nevada Smith
@the Mark maligning all of New England,
Please go somewhere and drown yourself. Or just stop posting here. You’re not wanted.
You have ‘Dr. Strangelove’ on the list but do not include ‘Dr. Zhizago’?
How strange is that? – Call a doctor for Joe!
Trainspotting
No Country for Old Men
Master and Commander
Blade Runner
Heat
Terminator
Need to find their way onto that list….
…With apologies to Joe and all the BRs here.
@21 and Joe. Apologies. I don’t know how I missed it. Right where it should be.
How about “Birth of a Red Sox Nation,” just for crazy-daisy Mark?
Mark @ 105: When it comes right down to it, it’s just baseball, man. If Steinbrenner had been just some rich guy who was never involved in sports I’m sure you wouldn’t give a rat’s @$$. The man is dead. It’s just baseball. Chill the f* out.
@109 — oh thats a classic call!! The big W! I love that one.
There are a few movies my father MADE me watch: (I know no explaining, sorry Im bendin rules again)
I can hear him now — e , come here, sit down, try to shut up , and learn sumthin:
The Jazz Singer
The Chosen
Pocketfull of Miracle (boss kissed the apple, I kissed the steal door)
Stalag 17
“Major League” didn’t make the Joe list?
Also, I’m surprised to see the omission of “The Usual Suspects”. It’s on everybody’s top movie list.
Monty Python?
I remember watching ‘Butch Cassidy & Sundance kid’ about a year ago on TCM – That was really one WEAK-ASS movie. I saw it when it was first out (1969-70?) and enjoyed it okay but it doesn’t hold up all that well. Those silly bicycle scenes (complete filler) and the bull chasing Newman out of the field…Really lame 40 years later.
If Austin Powers is on a list, Bad Santa had better be on it too.
Somebody mentioned “The Hunt for Red October” as a classic guy flick. I could not agree more – I ALWAYS stop channel surfing when I come across it.
I would humbly suggest “The Fugitive” as a top 100 worthy movie.
One last possible inclusion for Joe’s list…
“The Fortune Cookie”
What is there not to like here? Walter Matthau (one of the best ever…) and Jack Lemmon, Cleveland Browns football, B&W, a wonderful comedy. It’s gotta be better than some stuff listed here. “Lost in Translation” ??? Please tell me that got mixed in with the 1000 best – and it sneaked in the back door of that group too!
I can agree with all of Joe’s picks, and all of the other movies suggested by commenters. My addition would be “Wrestling Ernest Hemingway” starring
Robert Duval, Richard Harris, Shirley MacLaine and a young Sandra Bullock.
I thought it was a lock for Oscar but didn’t even get mentioned. Still stunned.
As an aside, I never liked Steinbrenner while he was alive, but not so much I would disrespect him in print on the day he died. My condolences to his family and friends.
Easy Rider
Any Which Way but Loose
OK, now this is getting into favorite movies that haven’t shown up on someone else’s list… and I have 3 of them:
-Witness (Harrison Ford)
-The Great Race (Jack Lemmon, Peter Faulk & Tony Curtis)
-Zorro the Gay Blade (George Hamilton) – kind of a cult classic, but some memorable lines that get re-used every year at the family gatherings.
Bravo @ 130!!
As the comments list gets longer it gets more and more difficult to name a movie not already listed. Nice Shot!
That movie solidified , IMO , Bobby Duvall as my favorite actor. He played a Cuban barber better than Pacino played a Cuban kingpin.
And it also taught me to never call out an entire bar after having a few too many because you never know who is drinking there.
I know…I know…no explainin…but can we explain why we love other peoples choices??
“The Naked Gun” got jobbed here. Otherwise, solid list.
Aww, who am I kiddin’? Haven’t seen a third of ‘em. Garners solid-list honors only because Joe wrote it.
But I did see “The Naked Gun.” Frank was awesome, Enrico Palazzo still gets referenced to this day, and Mr. October was never better in the clutch.
One not commented on that I would have on my personal list is The 5th Element.
Slingblade (mmm taters..haha)
Less Than Zero (Jamie Gertz)
St Elmos Fire
Panic in Needle Park
Presumed Innocent
two HBO flicks
Rebound: The Legend of Earl the Goat Managault
Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story
Aw, not a single vote anywhere here for Local Hero? I love that little move.
And I second the Witness vote.
Oh, I *love* Truly, Madly, Deeply! Happy to see that on there.
Another great sports movie – Breaking Away. Just shared that one with my sons; it’s still so inspirational!
No Blazing Saddles
———————-
If you’re going to go Mel Brooks, I’ll take History of the World Part I
No Ferris Bueller though? I consider that the best comedy of all-time. Especially if Austin Powers is going to make the list. And if something as silly as APowers can make the list, Office Space should.
Name one person who doesn’t like Office Space. You can’t.
Being a history buff, I have a soft spot for The Patriot, but I prob wouldn’t list it in the top 100 either.
Sandlot.
@ 138 — Breaking Away aged real well.
Better Off Dead
Nightmare on Elm Street Part 1
The Outsiders
Karate Kid
Stir Crazy (can I stay longer?)
Stripes (call me Francis and I’ll kill ya)
Munich
Guess Whose Coming to Dinner
and oh…
The Aviator
Where did the comic sans post go?! I thought it was great!
Disco @#139: Name one person who doesn’t like Office Space. You can’t.
Me. But that’s because I’ve never seen it, so am unable to form any opinion on it.
Who is the old guy who plays Mike Wallace in The Insider? And the power broker in Syriana? Because of him and him alone those two movies make my top 100.
Good list. Obviously some puzzling omissions (The Big Lebowski) but can’t see any strange inclusions among the movies I know and, anyway, this would be an intolerable world if everyone thought alike.
Odd that it’s western-free (Butch Cassidy doesn’t qualify).
And can somebody get Mark to take his medication. Please!
“Z”
Won 1969 Oscar for Best Foreign Film.
I know I am flooding the joint. But, this takes some time. I am sitting back , relaxing, thinking of my 100 favorite movies. I’m not googlin nuthin, just thinking of movies I have watched over and over that have not been mentioned. Plus, Im only up to 60. Add:
Wall Street
Some Kind of Wonderful
Mask
Beverly Hills Cop Part 1
Sleepers (the dirt nap hahaha)
Juice
Night Shift
Donnie Brasco
Ali
Ray
JFK
Revenge of the Nerds Part 1
Trading Places
Weird Science
Inside Man (Check out the pizza box — pizza from Sals Famous — I knew he’d rebuild the joint and get back on his feet)
Highlander – sword fighting, Sean Connery and a sound track by Queen.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly?
Glad to see you included Hoop Dreams. Such an interesting and overlooked film on many different levels.
Wow, I expected The Natural.
Did someone say Highlander?
Totally!
Lots of good movies on the list, many of which I’ve seen and many that I haven’t. The only on there that I’ve seen and disliked was “Crouching Tiger”. Don’t know why, but that movie just didn’t click with me.
Add me to the list of people who didn’t like “Office Space.” Incredibly tiresome, cliche-ridden movie; even worse than most sports movies in that regard, really.
I’m glad to see both Duck Soup and Singin’ in the Rain on your list. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed as hard as I did when I saw Duck Soup for the first time, while Singin’ in the Rain is one of the few movies that I felt really was one of the all-time greats right after watching it and have never wavered on that opinion.
Bronx Tale
Running Man
Total Recall
Good Will Hunting
Smokey and the Bandit
The Color of Money (you think I need to lose some weight?)
Rounders
Clerks
25th Hour
Sixteen Candles
The Tramp
Ruthless People (The angel of death was in the room)
Krush Groove
Cocoon
Back to the Future part 1
Police Academy part 1
Time Bandits
Fatal Attraction
Up In Smoke
Catch Me if You Can
Johnny Dangerously
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
[...] more from the original source: Joe Posnanski » Blog Archive » The 100 Best Movies I've Ever Seen doclix_pid = 16503; doclix_cid = 1128; var cache_buster=Math.random((new [...]
pretty light on foreign films….
Do you care for Almodovar?
Inarritu?
Tarkovsky?
Jules et Jim
Manhattan
Stalag 17
And if Joe meant anything other than the original The Producers, he’s out of his mind. A line I remember from a review of the movie of the musical was “the direction indicates that the director has never seen a movie.”
Mat at #158
I’m guessing there’s a good reason the list is light on foreign films – they are pretty much all crap. Here’s the late, great Al Capp: “I have never actually seen a French New Wave movie, because of my conviction that they are all Doris Day scripts filmed backward.”
I watched Cinema Paradiso three nights ago, second time I’ve seen it, first was 15 or more years ago, and it stood up pretty well. But the viewing experience is tainted by having to make allowances for its shortcomings, something that has to be done with all foreign language films and something we’d never do for an American movie. And Cinema Paradiso is considered one of the all-time greats of Italian cinema. If it was American it would be “yeah, OK”.
[...] Joe Posnanski » Blog Archive » The 100 Best Movies I've Ever Seen Anyway, that’s the theme behind the following list; The 100 best movies I have ever seen. The inspiration comes from the great Roger Ebert; I have been spending the last few days reading his books The Great Movies and The Great Movies … Go here to see the original: Joe Posnanski » Blog Archive » The 100 Best Movies I've Ever Seen [...]
And while not a film, per se, The Decalogue would be worth at least one (if not several more) columns unto itself.
Rather than quibble with a few of the selections from a pretty decent list, I’ll make two observations. 1. It’s totally mainstream. 2. It’s devoid of documentaries (not mockumentaries). I’m surprised that Joe has either never seen a non-Hollywood-style movie or that he’s seen them but doesn’t feel that any of them are worthy of mention on his list.
I agreed with 18 or 19 of your picks. Some others I would add:
1. The Kid (Chaplin)
2. The Gold Rush
3. White Heat
4. Red River
5. The Quiet Man
6. The Searchers
7. Lawrence of Arabia
8. Beckett
9. Farewell My Concubine
10. The Scent of Green Papaya
11. Once Upon a Time in America
12. Rain Man
13. Three Days of the Condor
14. The Day of the Jackal
15. Dr. Zhivago
16. Wuthering Heights
17. The Last Emperor
18. Shanghai Triad
19. Miller’s Crossing
20. Gladiator
21. Manhattan Melodrama
22. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
23. Duel in the Sun
24. Manhattan
25. The Natural
26. Sophie’s Choice
27. The Deer Hunter
28. Silverado
29. Field of Dreams
30. Shakespeare in Love
Trying to list movies that haven’t been mentioned… how about
Raising Arizona (Hit the deck, boy!)
Crazy People
Basquiat
Koyaanisqatsi
Thank You for Smoking
96, GREAT call on Back To The Future…that’s a Top 10 all-time film for me.
I don’t think I saw these:
Big Lebowski (best Coen bros.)
The Incredibles (best Pixar)
Dumbo or Pinnocchio (best Disney)
Buffalo 66 (quirky but good)
Good, Bad & Ugly (best Eastwood)
You Can Count On Me
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
@ 144
The actor you like is Christopher Plummer. And both your movies are worthy.
There’s been some grumbling about the dearth of westerns. Anybody mention Shane or High Noon yet. Ox-Bow Incident. Gunfight at the OK Corral (remake of My Darling Clementine). Dances with Wolves.
The inclusion of the atrocity that is Austin Powers 2 has to be a level.
OK, here goes. I’m going to attempt to put forward a list of excellent movies that have not yet been mentioned by ANYBODY. (It’s a public service – readers of this topic will find a gem or two in here.)
alice doesn’t live here anymore
anatomy of a murder
asphalt jungle
badlands
birdy
breaker morant
breaking away
buddy holly story
caine mutiny
close encounters
color of money
day for night
dead ringers
dracula (1931)
48 hours
gallipoli
hud
ipcress file
king of comedy
kiss of the spider woman
klute
last tango in paris
madness of king george
marty
MASH
the men
midnight cowboy !
mister roberts
moonstruck
out of the past
friends of eddie coyle
patton
platoon
prizzi’s honor
reversal of fortune
silence of the lambs !
spartacus
stop making sense
tom jones
tootsie
war of the roses
I submitted my first list in #66.
Great tastes run together…I’ve seen 77 of those 100 movies. Missing for me:
O Lucky Man
The Lion In Winter
The Pope of Greenwich Village
and of course….Road House
I’m not going to try and post the full 100, because most of your list is in my list. But I think you give short shrift to animation in general. I’d have Mary Poppins, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Allegro Non Troppo, and Fantasia on my list, all either animated or with significant animated sequences; Tim Burton’s Batman and Batman Returns; It Happened One Night (first movie to sweep the top four awards); X-Men (the first one); Fellowship of the Ring; The Empire Strikes Back. I wrestled with the notion of Life of Brian instead of Holy Grail, because Brian’s clearly a much better movie (it has a plot) but Holy Grail is a funnier movie by enough to win. I don’t think Hot Fuzz or Shaun of the Dead will stand up; I saw them both a second time and they were far from riveting. And I think “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”, “The Caine Mutiny”, are both clear classics, and at least one Sergio Leone film (Once Upon a Time in the West? Good, Bad, or Ugly?”) deserves to be on the list. I’m happy that you have a Marx Brothers and a Chaplin; I recently saw “Night at the Opera” again and it just didn’t hold up well, but Duck Soup was less about special effects and more about the characters and might still be worth it. I’d pick “Modern Times” and “The Great Dictator” ahead of “City Lights” but it’s like arguing between Bonds and Williams and Rickey for your left fielder; all three were great, and not in the same ways.</P
One, Two, Three
A Bridge Too Far
Fort Apache
Sorry, hit the wrong button too early. If I’m replacing fewer than 20 of your films, I think we’re mostly in violent agreement. And I apologize for some of what I wrote; I must have not gotten all the way to the top to your list (because others posted all 100 of their picks in the same format) as I now see you have Empire Strikes Back. Finally, I’d consider adding “Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan” to my list, and “The Thin Man.”
Is that the old version of The Manchurian Candidate?
To be one of my favorites, it has to be a movie I enjoy watching as much the 4th time I see it as the first.
1) Back to the Future!!!
Once Upon a Time in the West
2) A Hard Days Night.
3) The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
4) American Graffiti
5) E.T.
6) Rainman
7) To Kill a Mockingbird
9) Groundhog Day
10) Little Big Man
11) Field of Dreams
[...] Joe Posnanski ?????: That omission must be accidental. 56: Curtis said at 9:56 am on July 13th, 2010: I despised Jerry Maguire and couldn’t finish it. By the expectations model Joe outlined, it would be the worst movie of my life. … last waltz malcolm x man for all seasons mean streets my left foot red river reservoir dogs the verdict year of living dangerously. 67: patrick dicaprio said at 10:47 am on July 13th, 2010: I did the same thing with the same inspiration! … [...]
@173: Thanks for mentioning the Thin Man. I was stunned while reading through the replies that nobody brought it up (or maybe I simply missed it). Loy & Powell’s snappy patter is fantastic.
[...] Joe Posnanski » Blog Archive » The 100 Best Movies I’ve Ever Seen [...]
Dave Moore @#170: and of course….Road House
It’s not one of my all-time movies, but it has what might be my favorite movie quote ever. I regularly trot out Patrick Swayze’s, “Pain don’t hurt.”
Rather than quibble with a subjective list, I’ll just say that – based on what I know of Joe (and admittedly, that’s just through reading his blog for years,) I’m amazed that he didn’t include the Princess Bride.
I’m equally amazed that I only saw it mentioned by one other commenter.
I’m going to assume it was an oversight, not just because I love the movie but also because I seem to recall Joe loving the movie as well.
No “Chariots of Fire”? But you include Warren Beatty’s “Heaven Can Wait?” It’s only the second-best version of that movie.
And no “High Noon”?
Oh well, good effort overall. It’s amazing that a list of 100 favorite movies can be too brief to mention all the great ones you would like to include.
One more quick thing. I see somebody mentioned M*A*S*H, which I love, but my personal Altman favorite is “McCabe and Mrs. Miller”. Or maybe it’s “Nashville”? I just thought of about four other non-Altman films I would include. I give up. This could make one crazy.
Animal House! Last time I can recall truly laughing uncontrollably at a movie. Then again, I WAS a teenager at the time…
my only issue is the non-inclusion of the Usual Suspects, my #1 fave.
Certainly nothing to be embarassed about. Pretty solid list.
Justin @ 180
I agree. Princess Bride is on my list, but I forgot to mention it at 164.
Haven’t seen half these movies.
Have you seen Fail Safe? It should replace Sr Strangelove on any list. Same plot, but with Boss Hogg as an actor.
I cannot believe that someone truly believes that Jerry Maguire is one of the best 100 movies. That type of idiocy is simply astonishing.
Anthony-It’s about favorites, not best’s. Everyone has a guilty pleasure.
Movies that have not been mentioned that I like:
Comedy-My Cousin Vinny makes me laugh every time I see it
Romantic Comedy- The Sure Thing
Thriller-Seven
Artsy movie that no one else likes- Magnolia (no not the chick flick with a similar title)
Sort of has sports in it-Diggstown
Father-son movie-Frequency
War Movie-Glory
Spy Movie-Marathon Man (Is it safe?)
Western-The Outlaw Josey Wales
Small Movie that no one saw-The Gift
Mike N @ #186
No no no no no no no no no no no no no. No.
Despite the dream sequences, Fail Safe is just a movie that uses an accidental nuclear attack as the driver of its plot. It never deviates from its sombre message at any point.
Dr Strangelove is an allegorical tale, wonderfully told and with some of the best character portrayals ever seen on film.
Joe! How can you not put “The Natural”, maybe the greatest baseball movie ever!
Great list otherwise.
You’re right, Khazan. My bad. Everyone does have a guilty pleasure.
Damn i haven’t even seen most of those. I’ll add them to my need to watch it list
[...] loves Joe Posnanski, so clearly everyone will love the 100 best movies he’s ever seen. It’s the greatest misapplication of the transitive property since the last [...]
I was affected by the cinematography and the soundtracks of Days of Heaven and of Gallipoli. And by the claustrophobia of Das Boot. Thanks for your list, Joe.
I’m impressed. These lists are hard to do. Here are a few that would be up for consideration on mine that haven’t been mentioned:
The Road Warrior
Bubba Hotep
The Fall (2006)
28 Days Later…
Out of Sight
The House of Flying Daggers
Hero (2002)
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly has been mentioned, but the entire Dollars Trilogy is worthy
Joe Posnanski » Blog Archive » The 100 Best Movies I've Ever Seen…
I found your entry interesting do I’ve added a Trackback to it on my weblog
…
you left out Lon Chaney’s Phantom of the opera from 1925 and his only talkie the unholy three from 1930. how could you skip Frankenstein or the Bride of Frankenstein with Boris karloff. Sun Valley serenade with the original Glenn Miller Orchestra. i am 38 and love the big band music of the 30′s and 40′s. also the Glenn Miller Story. one of Jimmy Stewart’s finest if not greatest movies. Also Eldorado with John wayne. the 1911 Count of Monte Cristo. how could you forget the original 1941 Wolf man. Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein is one of the funniest monster comedies around. Plus The Invisible Man.
also Lillies of the field. Rock, Rock, Rock. Go Johnny Go.
I lean toward comedy anyway, but Blazing Saddles and Caddyshack will always be in my top five.
It took until reply #186 to mention “High Noon”?
Maybe I’m getting too old.
Fail by me. Reply #181. Jeez.