Tuesday, February 17, 2009
FRIDAY THE 13TH REVIEW
When I went into the new Friday The 13th movie I wasn’t expecting much. I figured this would be another hollow attempt by Hollywood to jump-start an old franchise without actually doing anything new to it. The only reason I was even going to see this was that the original Friday The 13th really wasn’t very good. Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and movies of that ilk were completely brilliant in their original form so re-making them was a terrible mistake.
Friday The 13Th however was just a bad slasher flick. So while I wasn’t expecting great things from this new version I wasn’t offended they had made it. When I walked out of the new Friday The 13th I wasn’t surprised that I didn’t like it what surprised me was why. My disappointment with this film wasn’t because it was awful but more that the filmmakers chickened out on what could have been a really interesting new take.
The first half of this movie is actually pretty interesting. First off it does a great job of reducing the entire original first film into a fifteen-minute opening. It also manages to humanize Jason in a way that allows him to be brutal but removes the idiotic supernatural element the old films tried to make us buy into. Sure the young victims are one-dimensional and the plot is laughable but as far as horror films go there are some really great moments here.
This new version opens with a flashback to 1980 when Pamela Voorhees snaps over the death of her son and slaughters the counselors working at Camp Crystal Lake . As per the original first film the one surviving counselor beheads the psycho mamma and somewhere out there Jason sees this and decides to take revenge on anybody who comes near the camp. When the film jumps ahead to today the filmmakers start taking their liberties and adding new touches.
First off nobody is coming to try and reopen Camp Crystal Lake, it was closed in 1980 and remains that way. The kids we’re following now are coming up chasing a rumor about a huge field of marijuana they’re hoping to harvest and sell for instant cash. The kids are all caricatures and their dialogue badly written but the new twist of why they’re there keeps you interested until Jason appears (sans hockey mask) and starts hacking away.
The interesting thing here is that Jason, while still brutal, isn’t mindless. This new Jason plans his attacks, even going so far as to set traps that keep his victims immobile until he can get around to slaughtering them. The only eye rolling part of this opening attack is that the one girl who is obviously the good girl of the bunch looks exactly like a younger version of Jason’s mother. To make matters worse she’s the only one of the bunch we don’t see violently murdered. Gee, I wonder why that is.
Jump ahead six months and we find a group of way-too-attractive kids heading to a cabin for a weekend of sex, drugs and booze. The kids here are even more one dimensional than the first bunch. There’s the rich douche bag, the bad boy, the good girl, the bad girl, the token black guy and the comic relief dork. As they head up to the rich kid’s parent’s cabin they run into Clay (Supernatural’s Jared Padalecki) a young man looking for his missing sister. As it turns out this sister is the same good girl from before who looked like Jason’s mother. Clay heads off to find his sister as the kids hit the cabin and start the orgy. This is about half way through the film and right about the time the movie starts to fall apart.
Suddenly plot devices that seemed silly get ridiculous, the dialogue grows worse and the film resorts back to the slasher clichés it was trying to avoid. First of all there is too much exposition. We don’t find out anything instead the audience is spoon-fed the whole plot. Clay who seems like such a great guy has a dark past (oohh didn’t see that coming) and is trying to redeem himself by finding his missing sister.
As the movie progresses any personality the kids might have had gets dropped in order to line them up as victims. There’s also this ludicrous plot point (that we also see coming) where Jason has actually kidnapped Clay’s sister and is keeping her in his secret hidden lair. We’re supposed to believe Jason thinks this girl is his mother back from the dead yet he keeps her chained up like a prisoner. We also learn from a local cop talking to Padalecki that the state police did a gigantic manhunt for his sister. A man hunt that somehow missed entirely Jason’s huge secret lair built underneath Camp Crystal Lake.
There are also these moments that seem to be there simply to kill time. A run in with an old woman that goes nowhere, a local farmer who has lived in the area for years but suddenly gets attacked by Jason for no reason and a tension between the rich douche bag and Padalecki that never develops. The filmmakers also manage to address Jason finding his iconic hockey mask, which to me really brought the movie down. Up until now part of what made the film different was Jason sporting only a homemade cloth mask not the hockey mask. Not only is his discovery of the mask clunky in this version, it’s totally unnecessary.
From there the movie becomes a predictable series of violent deaths, near misses and chase scenes. The few things that seemed to try and set this movie apart from the original get lost and the new Friday The 13th basically becomes a replica of any of the earlier Friday The 13th movies without the roman numerals. Jared Padalecki is pretty strong as the protagonist but the rest of the cast is essentially forgettable, even the end falls back on a boring cliché that’s way too familiar to most horror films.
I know Hollywood will never stop with these remakes but if they’re going to tag them as “re-imaginations” of the original then they should live up to their end of the bargain. Friday The 13th seems like it started that way but then got nervous it wouldn’t sell tickets and fell on it’s own sword. Don’t get me wrong this new Friday The 13th movie isn’t god awful, in fact it’s a much better than either the Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Halloween remakes. That being said it still isn’t something you need to fork over your hard earned dollars for. Save that for when Hollywood doesn’t define “re-imagining” as “better special effects”.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
THOR #600
In Thor #599 the god of thunder was sent to Ragnarok after Asgard was reduced to rubble and his friends killed by Loki. For five years Thor remained absent from the Marvel Universe and when he returned it was in great form with Thor #1 penned by J. Michael Straczynski. For the next 12 issues Thor began rebuilding Asgard and retrieving the souls of his fallen comrades from the human forms they inhabited. Even Loki returned though now in the guise of a woman but still unchanged. Loki has been driving a wedge between Balder and Thor through innuendo and lies and now it's come to a head.
Moving away from the previous numbering Thor #600 picks up where the new Thor #12 left off but it takes the story into the stratosphere. Straczynski is writing again with gorgeous art by Olivier Coipel and together they bring Thor to a place he has never been before. Loki has brought back to life Bor the father of Odin. Loki has also poisoned the mind of the Thor's grandfather driving him mad with rage and creating the mirage that everything and everyone is an enemy.
As Bor ravages New York Thor arrives to figure out who this is as he's never met his grandfather before. What follows is an epic battle that includes Thor, Bor, Balder, The Dark Avengers and ends with a shocking decision by the thunder god. The action in this book never lets up but also never subverts the plot. If this is the new direction that Thor is being taken in then sign me up. If you love Thor you owe it to yourself to pick this issue up.
Not only is this original story in Thor 600 but also a reprint of To Asgard Forever written by Stan Lee and penciled by David Aja. To top it all off are two separate Jack Kirby/Stan Lee stories as well as a cover gallery featuring every cover Thor appeared on in his own run.
This double sized issue is 4.99 (a dollar more than usual) but it's totally worth it.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
BAD BRAINS SNEAKERS
THESE ARE THE NEW BAD BRAINS VANS SHOE. I've been trying to find a place to order them with no luck. Don't they kick ass
Thursday, February 5, 2009
MY TOP 100 MOVIES
OK here they are, my top 100 films of all time. They started at 593 and i managed to widdle them down to these 100. It wasn't easy so please, enjoy!!!
1. ORDINARY PEOPLE (1980): The story concerns the disintegration of an upper middle class family in Lake Forest, Illinois, following the death of the oldest son. First film directed by Robert Redford this study of a family falling part will resonate with anyone from a broken home.
2. JAWS(1975): The police chief of Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town, tries to protect beachgoers from a giant great white shark. Could have been just a common B horror film but director Steven Spielberg manages to make an amazing film that is also a character study of a man who feels powerless to protect those who depend on him.
3. TRUE STORIES(1986): The film features Byrne 8as an unnamed, cowboy-hat-wearing stranger who visits the fictional Texas town of Virgil, where he observes the citizens as they prepare for the Celebration of Special-ness, sponsored by the Varicorp Corporation. Look for John Goodman as the heart of the film which is off center without trying too hard.
4. TAXI DRIVER(1976): Travis Bickle settles in Manhattan where he becomes a night time taxi driver due to chronic insomnia. His constant battle against lonliness and alienation comes to a violent and powerful end.
5. CASABLANCA(1942): focuses on a man torn between, in the words of one character, love and virtue. He must choose between his love for a woman and helping her and her Resistance leader husband escape from the Vichy-controlled Moroccan city of Casablanca to continue his fight against the Nazis. Could be the most perfectly written script ever.
6. HALLOWEEN(1978): The film centers on silent killer Michael Myers' escape from a psychiatric hospital, his murdering of teenagers, and Dr. Loomis' attempts to track and stop him. Though it gave birth to the awful slasher genre of horror films this movie owes more to Hitchcock by its use of tension and surprise as opposed to gore.
7. SUPERMAN(1978): The film depicts the origin of Superman, from infancy as Kal-El of Krypton and growing up in Smallville. Disguised as reporter Clark Kent, he adopts a mild mannered attitude in Metropolis and develops a romance with Lois Lane,while battling against the villainous Lex Luthor.
8. THE WARRIORS(1979): The leader of the Gramercy Riffs, calls a midnight summit for nine unarmed representatives of every gang in New York. After Cyrus is murdered The Warriors are blamed and the nine members must fight their way back home.
9. LA FEMME NIKITA(1990): Nikita is a junkie arrested for murder. Instead of prison she is trained to become the ultimate assassin. When she is put back into the world he dedication to killing begins to fail her in the light of love.
10. BREAKING AWAY(1979): tells the story of four teenagers in Bloomington, Indiana who have graduated from high school and are not sure what they want to do with their lives, other than hang out and go swimming in an abandoned limestone quarry. One of the best ensemble films ever released.
11. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND(1977): tells the story of Roy Neary, an Indiana electrical lineman, whose life changes after he has an encounter with an unidentified flying object. However, the United States government are also aware of the UFOs as are a team of international scientific researchers.
12. HANNAH AND HER SISTERS(1986): tells the intertwined stories of an extended family, told mostly during a year that begins and ends with a family Thanksgiving dinner. One of Woody Allen's greatest accomplishments as he juggles several characters and is able to keep them all different and fascinating.
13. PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE(1986): The film tells the story of Pee-wee Herman embarking on nation-wide adventure in search of his stolen bicycle.
14. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK(1980): Set three years after the destruction of the Death Star. The Rebel Alliance are being pursued by Darth Vader and the elite forces of the Galactic Empire. While Han and Leia are chased across the galaxy by the Empire, Luke studies the Force under Jedi Master Yoda. Vader is secretly plotting a trap for Luke that will lead to a vicious confrontation and a shocking revelation.
15. THE SHINING(1980): The film tells the story of a writer, Jack Torrance, who accepts the job of the winter caretaker at a hotel. The psychic hotel chef discovers the psychic abilities of Jack's son Danny, and Danny's ability to detect ghostly presences in the hotel. In the chef's family, this ability is called "shining". When the hotel becomes snowbound, Jack Torrance is driven mad by the ghosts in the hotel, and he tries to murder his wife and son.
16. THE STUNT MAN(1980): tells the story of a young fugitive who hides as a stunt double on the set of an anti-war movie whose charismatic director will do seemingly anything for the sake of his art. Peter O'Toole is simply brilliant as the director.
17. THE DARK KNIGHT(2008): The film follows Bruce Wayne/Batman, District Attorney Harvey Dent and Police Commissioner James Gordon and their struggles combating the new threat of the Joker.
18. MILLER’S CROSSING(1990): The plot concerns a power struggle between two rival gangs and how the protagonist (Byrne) plays both sides off each other.
19. CITIZEN KANE(1941): The film traces the life and career of Charles Foster Kane, a man whose career in the publishing world is born of idealistic social service, but gradually evolves into a ruthless pursuit of power
20. KRAMER VS KRAMER(1979): The film tells the story of a married couple's divorce and its impact on everyone involved, including the couple's young son.
21. THE LIFE AQUATIC (2004): The offbeat comedy stars Bill Murray as Steve Zissou, an eccentric oceanographer. In this ensemble cast, Steve Zissou sets out to exact revenge on the "jaguar shark" that ate his partner Esteban.
22. THE WALL(1982): The film depicts the construction and ultimate demolition of the metaphorical wall built up by the film’s protagonist Pink. Though the film is highly interpretable, the wall itself clearly reflects a sense of isolation and alienation.
23. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK(1981): The film pits archeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones against the Nazis, who search for the Ark of the Covenant, in an attempt to make their army invincible.
24. THE STATION AGENT(2003): A man suffering from achondroplasic dwarfism seeks solitude in an abandoned train station in Newfoundland, New Jersey but instead finds an over zealous new friend and a woman crippled by the death of her son.
25. FACES(1968): The movie, shot in cinéma vérité-style, depicts the final stages of the disintegrated marriage of a middle-aged couple.
26. THE DARK CRYSTAL(1982): This Jim Henson film tells the story of a gentle gelfling raised by the mystics who travels into the dangerous world of the Skesis in order to return the cracked Dark Crystal to it’s full glory.
27. EDUCATING RITA(1983): An English working-class girl wants to better herself by studying literature. Her assigned Open University professor, however, has long since openly taken to the bottle, and soon develops misgivings about her ability to adapt to academia.
28. HAROLD AND MAUDE(1971): The film, featuring slapstick, dark humour, and existentialist drama, revolves around the exploits of a morbid young man – Harold – who drifts away from the life that his detached mother prescribes for him, as he develops a relationship with septuagenarian Maude.
29. THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY(1966): Te film centers around three gunslingers competing to find a fortune in buried Confederate gold amid the violent chaos of gunfights, hangings, Civil War battles, and prison camps.
30. THE ICE STORM(1997): Set during Thanksgiving 1973, The Ice Storm is about two dysfunctional suburban Connecticut families who are trying to deal with tumultuous political and social changes of the early 1970s, and their escapism through alcohol, adultery, and sexual experimentation.
31. MY BODYGAURD(1981): Clifford Peache becomes a target of abuse from school bully Melvin Moody. Clifford turns to school mystery Ricky Linderman who, according to school legend, killed his own little brother.
32. OVER THE EDGE(1979): The kids of development community New Grenada are restless. With nothing to do after the Teen Center closes at 6pm the kids turn to drugs and hanging out to pass the time. Ignored by wealth consumed parents the outcry for attention reaches a boiling point when one of the kids is shot by an abusive local cop.
33. REPO MAN(1984): LA Punker Otto loses his supermarket job and falls into the repossession business. Between the drug use, violence, CIA and aliens, Otto becomes to busy to keep going to shows and hanging with his friends.
34. ROAD WARRIOR(1981): Mad Max is back to kick ass. Long dead inside since the murder of his wife and child Max gets a chance to regain his humanity by helping a community of settlers battle against The Mighty Humongous and his band of roving marauders.
35. TOOTSIE(1982): Tells the story of a talented but volatile actor whose reputation for being difficult forces him to go to extreme lengths to land a job.
36. WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY(1971): Tells the tale of Charlie a boy who finds a magic ticket allowing him to visit the enigmatic Willy Wonka and his magical chocolate factory. Gene Wilder is brilliant in the movie which excels on all levels. Do yourself a favor an skip the awful Tim Burton version.
37. TERMINATOR(1984): The Terminator's mission is to kill Sarah Connor whose future son leads a resistance against the machines. A human, Kyle Reese, is also sent back from the future to protect her. As far as I’m concerned the only Terminator movie ever made.
38. AMELIE(2001): Tells the story of a shy waitress who decides to change the lives of those around her for the better, while struggling with her own isolation. Sweet and romantic without being schmaltzy and I defy anyone to watch this and not fall in love with Audrey Tautou.
39. AMERICAN SPLENDOR(2003): A wonderfully handled biopic on the life of underground comic writer Harvey Pekar. Mixing the film with vignettes featuring the actual people raises this above a common biopic as does Paul Giamatti’s performance as Pekar.
40. BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET(1984): Joe Morton stars in this dramatic comedy, set in New York City in the early 1980s, as "The Brother," an alien and escaped slave who, while fleeing "Another Planet," has crash-landed in Upper New York Harbor. One of the best takes on racism and racial bias I have ever seen it’s also very funny.
41. GODFATHER I&II(1972 & 1974): While made as two separate films this is really one story about a mafia family trying to survive in the modern world. Executed like Shakespearean drama this could be the best gangster movie ever made.
42. SWIMMING TO CAMBODIA(1987): The film is a performance of Spalding Gray's monologue which centered around such themes as his trip to Southeast Asia to create the role of the U.S. Ambassador's aide in The Killing Fields, the Cold War, Cambodia Year Zero and his search for his "perfect moment".
43. KING OF NEW YORK(1990): The brutal, dark and violent world of drug dealer Frank White is at the center of the film. White’s release from prison signals his decision to take over the New York drug market with violent results.
44. Near Dark(1987): While most cry Lost Boys when asked about the best vampire movie I cry Near Dark. A western themed film Near Dark tells the story of a brutal gang of vampires forced to take in a new member when one them falls in love with him. The battle for the boy’s life is sometimes funny, sometimes horrific and always kick ass.
45. NOBODY’S FOOL(1994): Donald "Sully" Sullivan is something of an oddball in the small village of North Bath, New York. He free-lances in the construction business, often at odds with Carl Roebuck, a local businessman whose wife Toby Sully openly flirts with at every opportunity. This is one of Paul Newman’s best and shows how subtle and nuanced performances are always key.
46. PRINCE OF DARKNESS(1987): A priest asks a group of scientists to study a vat of green liquid found in the Church. As the scientists go about their task it leads to horrifying discoveries involving Satan and an ancient brotherhood who guard against the liquid.
47. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE(1974): The plot involves a group of friends, who embark on a road trip to rural Texas to visit the Hardesty family grave site, which, according to radio reports, had been gruesomely vandalized. On a detour to visit the Hardesty mansion, the friends fall victim to a family of cannibals, including the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface.
48. NETWORK(1976): Satirical film about a fictional television network, Union Broadcasting System (UBS), and its struggle with poor ratings. One of the first movies to show the corporatization of the media and expose how “News” is truly manipulated.
49. THE VERDICT(1982): The Verdict is a 1982 feature film which tells the story of a down-on-his-luck alcoholic lawyer who pushes a medical malpractice case in order to improve his own situation, but discovers along the way that he is doing the "right" thing.
50. UNFORGIVEN(1992): tells the story of William Munny, an aging and retired gunslinger who takes on one more job years after he had hung up his guns and turned to farming.
51. AFTER HOURS(1985): Depicts a New Yorker, Paul Hackett, who experiences a series of adventures and perils in trying to make his way home from SoHo.
52. MIDNIGHT COWBOY(1969): An amazing character study of the marginalized man. Cowboy Joe Buck comes to New York to become a for-hire stud. His naiveté soon costs him everything and he’s forced to team up with a con man named Ratso Rizzo in order to survive.
53. THE THING(1982): The story centers around a shape-shifting alien that infiltrates an Antarctic scientific research station and kills the Norwegian research team. A nearby American research team investigates the incident and is in turn attacked by the alien.
54. LA DOLCE VITA(1960): Set in Rome in the 1950s where Marcello (Marcello Mastroianni) covers the more sensational side of the news: movie stars, religious visions, and the decadent aristocracy. The film shows seven days and nights in the life of the reporter.
55. CINEMA PARADISO(1988): Told in flashback, it tells the story of the return to his native Sicilian village of a successful film director Salvatore for the funeral of his old friend Alfredo, who was the projectionist at the local "Cinema Paradiso". Ultimately, Alfredo serves as a wise father figure to his young friend who only wishes the best to see him succeed, even if it means breaking his heart in the process
56. BOTTLE ROCKET(1996): Dignan "rescues" Anthony from a voluntary mental hospital where he has been staying for self-described exhaustion. Dignan has an elaborate escape planned and has developed a 75-year plan. The plan is to pull off several heists and then meet Mr. Henry, a landscapist and part-time criminal known to Dignan.
57. LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK(1972): a 1972 documentary-style film dealing with an alleged creature known as the "Fouke Monster", a Bigfoot-like being seen in and around Fouke, Arkansas since the 1940s.
58. THE HUSTLER(1961): The film tells the story of small-time pool hustler, "Fast Eddie" Felson, and his desire to prove himself the best player in the country by beating legendary pool player "Minnesota Fats."
59. REQUIEM FOR A DREAM(2000): The film depicts different forms of addiction, leading to the characters’ imprisonment in a dream world of delusion and reckless desperation that is subsequently overtaken and devastated by reality.
60. LEON THE PROFESSIONAL(1994): Leon, a quiet and shy hit man, has his solitary life violated when he’s thrust into taking care of young Mathilda a girl on the run from crooked cops that murdered her entire family.
61. ROADSIDE PROPHETS(1992): Jon Doe (of X) stars as a solitary man who sets out on a cross country trek to bury the ashes of a man he barely knew. Along the way he meets several characters who exist on the fringe of society.
62. THE RAPTURE(1991): The film tells the story of Sharon (Rogers), a young Los Angeles woman who engages in a swinging, libidinous lifestyle. She comes into contact with a sect that advises her that a true Rapture is imminent. In time, she comes to accept this belief herself and becomes a born-again Christian.
63. HARVEY(1950): The story is about a man whose best friend Harvey is a not only invisible but also a six-foot, three-and-one-half-inch tall rabbit.
64. GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS(1992): The film depicts two days in the lives of four real estate agents and how they become desperate when the corporate office sends a representative to "motivate" them by announcing that, in one week, all except the top two salesmen will be fired.
65. BEING THERE(1979): Chance is a simple minded gardener who learns everything by watching TV. When his wealthy benefactor dies Chance is forced to hit the streets. Through many strange twists and turns Chance becomes a king of industry and a trusted political confidant.
66. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD(1968): a story about the mysterious reanimation of the recently dead, and the efforts of seven people, to survive the night while trapped in a rural Pennsylvania farmhouse. A metaphor for race relations this was much more than a horror movie and way better than the many sequels and imitators.
67. THE BIG LEBOWSKI(1998): After being mistaken for a multimillionaire who has the same name, Lebowski is commissioned to deliver a million-dollar ransom in order to secure the release of the millionaire's kidnapped trophy wife. The plan goes awry, and the Dude's friend Walter Sobchak further complicates the ordeal.
68. ANNIE HALL(1977): Alvy Singer is a neurotic comedian, attempting to maintain a relationship with the seemingly ditzy but exuberant Annie. The film chronicles their relationship over several years, intercut with various imaginary trips into each other's history
69. THE FRENCH CONNECTION(1971): The movie tells the story of two New York City policemen who are trying to intercept a heroin shipment coming in from France.
70. HENRY PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER(1996): Stark, brutal and unforgiving look into the life of a serial killer who seems to strike with impunity. The film never flinches, even when you want it to.
71. FREAKS(1932): The central story is of a self-serving trapeze artist named Cleopatra who seduces and eventually marries a sideshow midget, Hans (Harry Earles), after learning of his large inheritance. Not only disturbing and seriously cutting edge for it’s time the movie also inspired the Ramones line “Gabba gabba we accept you, we accept you one of us”.
72. THE BICYCLE THIEF(1948): Tells the story of a poor man searching the streets of Rome for his stolen bicycle, which he needs to be able to work. Sounds boring but trust me this is one of the greats.
73. JULES AND JIM(1962): Jules (Oskar Werner) is a shy writer from Austria who forges a friendship with the more extroverted Jim (Henri Serre). They share an interest in the world of the arts and the Bohemian lifestyle.
74. CLASH OF THE TITANS(1981): A thrilling look at the adventures of Perseus as he battles mythic creatures including Medusa in order to save his true love Andromeda from the clutches of the Kracken.
75. ED WOOD(1994): The film concerns the period in filmmaker Ed Wood's life when he made his best-known films as well as his relationship with actor Béla Lugosi.
76. THE ELEPHANT MAN(1980): A heartbreaking look at the life of John Merrick a horribly deformed man in 19th century London and the Doctor who reaches out to him.
77. DRAGONSLAYER(1981): The film follows a young wizard who experiences danger and opposition as he attempts to defeat a dragon.
78. ALIEN(1979): The story of a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which stalks and kills the crew of a spaceship. Uses more tension and shocks than blood and gore.
79. THE MALTESE FALCON(1941): The story concerns a San Francisco private detective's dealings with three unscrupulous adventurers who compete to obtain a fabulous jewel-encrusted statuette of a falcon.
80. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST(1975): Randle Patrick McMurphy , a criminal serving a short prison term on a work farm for statutory rape, is transferred to a mental institution due to his apparently deranged behavior. This is possibly a deliberate gambit by McMurphy in the belief that he'll now be able to serve out the rest of his sentence in relative comfort and ease. What he finds there could possibly redeem his lost soul.
81. PANIC IN NEEDLE PARK(1971): The film is a stark portrayal of life among a group of heroin addicts who hang out in "Needle Park" (Sherman Square) in New York City.
82. DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES(1962): The film depicts the insidious nature of addiction in modern life, following the downward spiral of two average Americans who succumb to alcoholism and attempt to deal with their problem.
83. 12 ANGRY MEN(1957): the film tells the story of a jury member who tries to persuade the other eleven members to acquit the suspect on trial on the basis of reasonable doubt
84. DIRTY HARRY(1971): Tough as nails cop Harry Callahan is out to find a killer calling himself Scorpio. Problem is the department and everyone else is against Harry who dispenses justice in a violent and brutal manner.
85. DRUGSTORE COWBOY(1989): The story follows Bob Hughes and his "family" of drug addicts as they travel across the US Pacific Northwest in the early 1970s, supporting their habit by robbing pharmacies and hospitals.
86. POINT BLANK(1967): After taking all the cash robbed from a courier in a large gambling operation, Reese shoots his partner Walker multiple times, and leaves him apparently for dead. In a double-double-cross, Reese also makes off with Walker's wife, now Walker is back for revenge. Based on the Richard Stark novel “The Hunter”.
87. RUBEN AND ED(1991): The film centers around an eccentric, unsociable, young man who is forced by his mother to make some friends before she'll return his stereo to him. He is joined on a trip through a desert, by a pyramid-scheme salesman, to assist in finding a location to bury a frozen cat.
88. PSYCHO(1960): The film depicts the encounter between a secretary, Marion Crane, who is in hiding at a motel after embezzling from her employer, and the motel's owner, Norman Bates, and the aftermath of their encounter.
89. RIVERS EDGE(1986): A group of high school friends discover that they are in the presence of a killer. One of them, Samson, has murdered his girlfriend Jamie. He brags to his friends about killing her, and when they discover he is telling the truth, their reactions vary. Layne, the self-proclaimed leader of the group, is intent on keeping the murder a secret and protecting Samson, while the rest of the group (Matt, Clarissa, Maggie, and Tony) want to go to the police.
90. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD(1962): Atticus Finch a lawyer in rural Alabama is assigned to defend an innocent black man accused of a rape he did not commit. The entire film is shown through the eyes of Scout Finch Atticus’s daughter.
91. SLAUGHTER HOUSE FIVE(1972): The film follows the novel in presenting a first-person narrative from the point of view of Billy Pilgrim, who becomes "unstuck in time" and experiences the events of his life in a seemingly random order, including a period spent on the alien planet of Tralfamadore.
92. ROCK N ROLL HIGH SCHOOL(1980): Set in 1980, Vince Lombardi High School keeps losing principals to nervous breakdowns because of the students' love of rock 'n' roll and their disregard of education. Their leader, Riff Randall (P.J. Soles), is the biggest Ramones fan at Vince Lombardi High School. She waits in line for three days to get tickets to see The Ramones, hoping to meet Joey Ramone so she can give him a song she wrote for the band, "Rock N' Roll High School".
93. CRUMB(1994): A documentary film about the noted underground comic artist Robert Crumb (R. Crumb) and his family.
94. DEER HUNTER(1978): The film depicts the story of three friends who enter the Vietnam war enthusiastically and the ways their time in the war effects their lives and families when they return.
95. MANHUNTER(1986): The film follows Will Graham, a former FBI agent who captured the infamous Dr. Hannibal Lector and was almost killed in the process; he is so traumatized by the event that he retires from the FBI. His former boss, Jack Crawford, calls him out of retirement to help find a killer called "The Tooth Fairy" who is murdering entire families.
96. THE PLAYER(1992): Griffin Mill is a Hollywood producer with a studio executive girlfriend Bonnie Sherow. Mill's job is to hear story pitches from screenwriters and decide which films have the potential to get made and which films get rejected; 12 out of about 50,000 submisions he claims. His job is suddenly in danger, though, when up-and-comer Larry Levi begins work at the studio. Rumors swirl that Griffin may be replaced soon by Levi. Griffin has also been receiving threatening postcards, assumed to be from a disgruntled screenwriter whose pitch he rejected.
97. EXCALIBUR(1981): The film follows the tale of King Arthur from before his birth through his death. A brutal and violent take on the legendary tale.
98. DEFENDING YOUR LIFE(1991): The film centers around a man who must justify his life-long lack of assertiveness after he dies and arrives in the afterlife.
99. EVIL DEAD II(1987): A sequel of sorts to Evil Dead though much more original and funny. The film centers around main character Ash and his attempts to survive and attack by horrid and disgusting demons.
100. THE STRAIGHT STORY(1999): The film is based on the true story of Alvin Straight's journey across Iowa and Wisconsin on a lawnmower to visit his dying and estranged brother.
1. ORDINARY PEOPLE (1980): The story concerns the disintegration of an upper middle class family in Lake Forest, Illinois, following the death of the oldest son. First film directed by Robert Redford this study of a family falling part will resonate with anyone from a broken home.
2. JAWS(1975): The police chief of Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town, tries to protect beachgoers from a giant great white shark. Could have been just a common B horror film but director Steven Spielberg manages to make an amazing film that is also a character study of a man who feels powerless to protect those who depend on him.
3. TRUE STORIES(1986): The film features Byrne 8as an unnamed, cowboy-hat-wearing stranger who visits the fictional Texas town of Virgil, where he observes the citizens as they prepare for the Celebration of Special-ness, sponsored by the Varicorp Corporation. Look for John Goodman as the heart of the film which is off center without trying too hard.
4. TAXI DRIVER(1976): Travis Bickle settles in Manhattan where he becomes a night time taxi driver due to chronic insomnia. His constant battle against lonliness and alienation comes to a violent and powerful end.
5. CASABLANCA(1942): focuses on a man torn between, in the words of one character, love and virtue. He must choose between his love for a woman and helping her and her Resistance leader husband escape from the Vichy-controlled Moroccan city of Casablanca to continue his fight against the Nazis. Could be the most perfectly written script ever.
6. HALLOWEEN(1978): The film centers on silent killer Michael Myers' escape from a psychiatric hospital, his murdering of teenagers, and Dr. Loomis' attempts to track and stop him. Though it gave birth to the awful slasher genre of horror films this movie owes more to Hitchcock by its use of tension and surprise as opposed to gore.
7. SUPERMAN(1978): The film depicts the origin of Superman, from infancy as Kal-El of Krypton and growing up in Smallville. Disguised as reporter Clark Kent, he adopts a mild mannered attitude in Metropolis and develops a romance with Lois Lane,while battling against the villainous Lex Luthor.
8. THE WARRIORS(1979): The leader of the Gramercy Riffs, calls a midnight summit for nine unarmed representatives of every gang in New York. After Cyrus is murdered The Warriors are blamed and the nine members must fight their way back home.
9. LA FEMME NIKITA(1990): Nikita is a junkie arrested for murder. Instead of prison she is trained to become the ultimate assassin. When she is put back into the world he dedication to killing begins to fail her in the light of love.
10. BREAKING AWAY(1979): tells the story of four teenagers in Bloomington, Indiana who have graduated from high school and are not sure what they want to do with their lives, other than hang out and go swimming in an abandoned limestone quarry. One of the best ensemble films ever released.
11. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND(1977): tells the story of Roy Neary, an Indiana electrical lineman, whose life changes after he has an encounter with an unidentified flying object. However, the United States government are also aware of the UFOs as are a team of international scientific researchers.
12. HANNAH AND HER SISTERS(1986): tells the intertwined stories of an extended family, told mostly during a year that begins and ends with a family Thanksgiving dinner. One of Woody Allen's greatest accomplishments as he juggles several characters and is able to keep them all different and fascinating.
13. PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE(1986): The film tells the story of Pee-wee Herman embarking on nation-wide adventure in search of his stolen bicycle.
14. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK(1980): Set three years after the destruction of the Death Star. The Rebel Alliance are being pursued by Darth Vader and the elite forces of the Galactic Empire. While Han and Leia are chased across the galaxy by the Empire, Luke studies the Force under Jedi Master Yoda. Vader is secretly plotting a trap for Luke that will lead to a vicious confrontation and a shocking revelation.
15. THE SHINING(1980): The film tells the story of a writer, Jack Torrance, who accepts the job of the winter caretaker at a hotel. The psychic hotel chef discovers the psychic abilities of Jack's son Danny, and Danny's ability to detect ghostly presences in the hotel. In the chef's family, this ability is called "shining". When the hotel becomes snowbound, Jack Torrance is driven mad by the ghosts in the hotel, and he tries to murder his wife and son.
16. THE STUNT MAN(1980): tells the story of a young fugitive who hides as a stunt double on the set of an anti-war movie whose charismatic director will do seemingly anything for the sake of his art. Peter O'Toole is simply brilliant as the director.
17. THE DARK KNIGHT(2008): The film follows Bruce Wayne/Batman, District Attorney Harvey Dent and Police Commissioner James Gordon and their struggles combating the new threat of the Joker.
18. MILLER’S CROSSING(1990): The plot concerns a power struggle between two rival gangs and how the protagonist (Byrne) plays both sides off each other.
19. CITIZEN KANE(1941): The film traces the life and career of Charles Foster Kane, a man whose career in the publishing world is born of idealistic social service, but gradually evolves into a ruthless pursuit of power
20. KRAMER VS KRAMER(1979): The film tells the story of a married couple's divorce and its impact on everyone involved, including the couple's young son.
21. THE LIFE AQUATIC (2004): The offbeat comedy stars Bill Murray as Steve Zissou, an eccentric oceanographer. In this ensemble cast, Steve Zissou sets out to exact revenge on the "jaguar shark" that ate his partner Esteban.
22. THE WALL(1982): The film depicts the construction and ultimate demolition of the metaphorical wall built up by the film’s protagonist Pink. Though the film is highly interpretable, the wall itself clearly reflects a sense of isolation and alienation.
23. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK(1981): The film pits archeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones against the Nazis, who search for the Ark of the Covenant, in an attempt to make their army invincible.
24. THE STATION AGENT(2003): A man suffering from achondroplasic dwarfism seeks solitude in an abandoned train station in Newfoundland, New Jersey but instead finds an over zealous new friend and a woman crippled by the death of her son.
25. FACES(1968): The movie, shot in cinéma vérité-style, depicts the final stages of the disintegrated marriage of a middle-aged couple.
26. THE DARK CRYSTAL(1982): This Jim Henson film tells the story of a gentle gelfling raised by the mystics who travels into the dangerous world of the Skesis in order to return the cracked Dark Crystal to it’s full glory.
27. EDUCATING RITA(1983): An English working-class girl wants to better herself by studying literature. Her assigned Open University professor, however, has long since openly taken to the bottle, and soon develops misgivings about her ability to adapt to academia.
28. HAROLD AND MAUDE(1971): The film, featuring slapstick, dark humour, and existentialist drama, revolves around the exploits of a morbid young man – Harold – who drifts away from the life that his detached mother prescribes for him, as he develops a relationship with septuagenarian Maude.
29. THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY(1966): Te film centers around three gunslingers competing to find a fortune in buried Confederate gold amid the violent chaos of gunfights, hangings, Civil War battles, and prison camps.
30. THE ICE STORM(1997): Set during Thanksgiving 1973, The Ice Storm is about two dysfunctional suburban Connecticut families who are trying to deal with tumultuous political and social changes of the early 1970s, and their escapism through alcohol, adultery, and sexual experimentation.
31. MY BODYGAURD(1981): Clifford Peache becomes a target of abuse from school bully Melvin Moody. Clifford turns to school mystery Ricky Linderman who, according to school legend, killed his own little brother.
32. OVER THE EDGE(1979): The kids of development community New Grenada are restless. With nothing to do after the Teen Center closes at 6pm the kids turn to drugs and hanging out to pass the time. Ignored by wealth consumed parents the outcry for attention reaches a boiling point when one of the kids is shot by an abusive local cop.
33. REPO MAN(1984): LA Punker Otto loses his supermarket job and falls into the repossession business. Between the drug use, violence, CIA and aliens, Otto becomes to busy to keep going to shows and hanging with his friends.
34. ROAD WARRIOR(1981): Mad Max is back to kick ass. Long dead inside since the murder of his wife and child Max gets a chance to regain his humanity by helping a community of settlers battle against The Mighty Humongous and his band of roving marauders.
35. TOOTSIE(1982): Tells the story of a talented but volatile actor whose reputation for being difficult forces him to go to extreme lengths to land a job.
36. WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY(1971): Tells the tale of Charlie a boy who finds a magic ticket allowing him to visit the enigmatic Willy Wonka and his magical chocolate factory. Gene Wilder is brilliant in the movie which excels on all levels. Do yourself a favor an skip the awful Tim Burton version.
37. TERMINATOR(1984): The Terminator's mission is to kill Sarah Connor whose future son leads a resistance against the machines. A human, Kyle Reese, is also sent back from the future to protect her. As far as I’m concerned the only Terminator movie ever made.
38. AMELIE(2001): Tells the story of a shy waitress who decides to change the lives of those around her for the better, while struggling with her own isolation. Sweet and romantic without being schmaltzy and I defy anyone to watch this and not fall in love with Audrey Tautou.
39. AMERICAN SPLENDOR(2003): A wonderfully handled biopic on the life of underground comic writer Harvey Pekar. Mixing the film with vignettes featuring the actual people raises this above a common biopic as does Paul Giamatti’s performance as Pekar.
40. BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET(1984): Joe Morton stars in this dramatic comedy, set in New York City in the early 1980s, as "The Brother," an alien and escaped slave who, while fleeing "Another Planet," has crash-landed in Upper New York Harbor. One of the best takes on racism and racial bias I have ever seen it’s also very funny.
41. GODFATHER I&II(1972 & 1974): While made as two separate films this is really one story about a mafia family trying to survive in the modern world. Executed like Shakespearean drama this could be the best gangster movie ever made.
42. SWIMMING TO CAMBODIA(1987): The film is a performance of Spalding Gray's monologue which centered around such themes as his trip to Southeast Asia to create the role of the U.S. Ambassador's aide in The Killing Fields, the Cold War, Cambodia Year Zero and his search for his "perfect moment".
43. KING OF NEW YORK(1990): The brutal, dark and violent world of drug dealer Frank White is at the center of the film. White’s release from prison signals his decision to take over the New York drug market with violent results.
44. Near Dark(1987): While most cry Lost Boys when asked about the best vampire movie I cry Near Dark. A western themed film Near Dark tells the story of a brutal gang of vampires forced to take in a new member when one them falls in love with him. The battle for the boy’s life is sometimes funny, sometimes horrific and always kick ass.
45. NOBODY’S FOOL(1994): Donald "Sully" Sullivan is something of an oddball in the small village of North Bath, New York. He free-lances in the construction business, often at odds with Carl Roebuck, a local businessman whose wife Toby Sully openly flirts with at every opportunity. This is one of Paul Newman’s best and shows how subtle and nuanced performances are always key.
46. PRINCE OF DARKNESS(1987): A priest asks a group of scientists to study a vat of green liquid found in the Church. As the scientists go about their task it leads to horrifying discoveries involving Satan and an ancient brotherhood who guard against the liquid.
47. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE(1974): The plot involves a group of friends, who embark on a road trip to rural Texas to visit the Hardesty family grave site, which, according to radio reports, had been gruesomely vandalized. On a detour to visit the Hardesty mansion, the friends fall victim to a family of cannibals, including the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface.
48. NETWORK(1976): Satirical film about a fictional television network, Union Broadcasting System (UBS), and its struggle with poor ratings. One of the first movies to show the corporatization of the media and expose how “News” is truly manipulated.
49. THE VERDICT(1982): The Verdict is a 1982 feature film which tells the story of a down-on-his-luck alcoholic lawyer who pushes a medical malpractice case in order to improve his own situation, but discovers along the way that he is doing the "right" thing.
50. UNFORGIVEN(1992): tells the story of William Munny, an aging and retired gunslinger who takes on one more job years after he had hung up his guns and turned to farming.
51. AFTER HOURS(1985): Depicts a New Yorker, Paul Hackett, who experiences a series of adventures and perils in trying to make his way home from SoHo.
52. MIDNIGHT COWBOY(1969): An amazing character study of the marginalized man. Cowboy Joe Buck comes to New York to become a for-hire stud. His naiveté soon costs him everything and he’s forced to team up with a con man named Ratso Rizzo in order to survive.
53. THE THING(1982): The story centers around a shape-shifting alien that infiltrates an Antarctic scientific research station and kills the Norwegian research team. A nearby American research team investigates the incident and is in turn attacked by the alien.
54. LA DOLCE VITA(1960): Set in Rome in the 1950s where Marcello (Marcello Mastroianni) covers the more sensational side of the news: movie stars, religious visions, and the decadent aristocracy. The film shows seven days and nights in the life of the reporter.
55. CINEMA PARADISO(1988): Told in flashback, it tells the story of the return to his native Sicilian village of a successful film director Salvatore for the funeral of his old friend Alfredo, who was the projectionist at the local "Cinema Paradiso". Ultimately, Alfredo serves as a wise father figure to his young friend who only wishes the best to see him succeed, even if it means breaking his heart in the process
56. BOTTLE ROCKET(1996): Dignan "rescues" Anthony from a voluntary mental hospital where he has been staying for self-described exhaustion. Dignan has an elaborate escape planned and has developed a 75-year plan. The plan is to pull off several heists and then meet Mr. Henry, a landscapist and part-time criminal known to Dignan.
57. LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK(1972): a 1972 documentary-style film dealing with an alleged creature known as the "Fouke Monster", a Bigfoot-like being seen in and around Fouke, Arkansas since the 1940s.
58. THE HUSTLER(1961): The film tells the story of small-time pool hustler, "Fast Eddie" Felson, and his desire to prove himself the best player in the country by beating legendary pool player "Minnesota Fats."
59. REQUIEM FOR A DREAM(2000): The film depicts different forms of addiction, leading to the characters’ imprisonment in a dream world of delusion and reckless desperation that is subsequently overtaken and devastated by reality.
60. LEON THE PROFESSIONAL(1994): Leon, a quiet and shy hit man, has his solitary life violated when he’s thrust into taking care of young Mathilda a girl on the run from crooked cops that murdered her entire family.
61. ROADSIDE PROPHETS(1992): Jon Doe (of X) stars as a solitary man who sets out on a cross country trek to bury the ashes of a man he barely knew. Along the way he meets several characters who exist on the fringe of society.
62. THE RAPTURE(1991): The film tells the story of Sharon (Rogers), a young Los Angeles woman who engages in a swinging, libidinous lifestyle. She comes into contact with a sect that advises her that a true Rapture is imminent. In time, she comes to accept this belief herself and becomes a born-again Christian.
63. HARVEY(1950): The story is about a man whose best friend Harvey is a not only invisible but also a six-foot, three-and-one-half-inch tall rabbit.
64. GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS(1992): The film depicts two days in the lives of four real estate agents and how they become desperate when the corporate office sends a representative to "motivate" them by announcing that, in one week, all except the top two salesmen will be fired.
65. BEING THERE(1979): Chance is a simple minded gardener who learns everything by watching TV. When his wealthy benefactor dies Chance is forced to hit the streets. Through many strange twists and turns Chance becomes a king of industry and a trusted political confidant.
66. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD(1968): a story about the mysterious reanimation of the recently dead, and the efforts of seven people, to survive the night while trapped in a rural Pennsylvania farmhouse. A metaphor for race relations this was much more than a horror movie and way better than the many sequels and imitators.
67. THE BIG LEBOWSKI(1998): After being mistaken for a multimillionaire who has the same name, Lebowski is commissioned to deliver a million-dollar ransom in order to secure the release of the millionaire's kidnapped trophy wife. The plan goes awry, and the Dude's friend Walter Sobchak further complicates the ordeal.
68. ANNIE HALL(1977): Alvy Singer is a neurotic comedian, attempting to maintain a relationship with the seemingly ditzy but exuberant Annie. The film chronicles their relationship over several years, intercut with various imaginary trips into each other's history
69. THE FRENCH CONNECTION(1971): The movie tells the story of two New York City policemen who are trying to intercept a heroin shipment coming in from France.
70. HENRY PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER(1996): Stark, brutal and unforgiving look into the life of a serial killer who seems to strike with impunity. The film never flinches, even when you want it to.
71. FREAKS(1932): The central story is of a self-serving trapeze artist named Cleopatra who seduces and eventually marries a sideshow midget, Hans (Harry Earles), after learning of his large inheritance. Not only disturbing and seriously cutting edge for it’s time the movie also inspired the Ramones line “Gabba gabba we accept you, we accept you one of us”.
72. THE BICYCLE THIEF(1948): Tells the story of a poor man searching the streets of Rome for his stolen bicycle, which he needs to be able to work. Sounds boring but trust me this is one of the greats.
73. JULES AND JIM(1962): Jules (Oskar Werner) is a shy writer from Austria who forges a friendship with the more extroverted Jim (Henri Serre). They share an interest in the world of the arts and the Bohemian lifestyle.
74. CLASH OF THE TITANS(1981): A thrilling look at the adventures of Perseus as he battles mythic creatures including Medusa in order to save his true love Andromeda from the clutches of the Kracken.
75. ED WOOD(1994): The film concerns the period in filmmaker Ed Wood's life when he made his best-known films as well as his relationship with actor Béla Lugosi.
76. THE ELEPHANT MAN(1980): A heartbreaking look at the life of John Merrick a horribly deformed man in 19th century London and the Doctor who reaches out to him.
77. DRAGONSLAYER(1981): The film follows a young wizard who experiences danger and opposition as he attempts to defeat a dragon.
78. ALIEN(1979): The story of a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which stalks and kills the crew of a spaceship. Uses more tension and shocks than blood and gore.
79. THE MALTESE FALCON(1941): The story concerns a San Francisco private detective's dealings with three unscrupulous adventurers who compete to obtain a fabulous jewel-encrusted statuette of a falcon.
80. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST(1975): Randle Patrick McMurphy , a criminal serving a short prison term on a work farm for statutory rape, is transferred to a mental institution due to his apparently deranged behavior. This is possibly a deliberate gambit by McMurphy in the belief that he'll now be able to serve out the rest of his sentence in relative comfort and ease. What he finds there could possibly redeem his lost soul.
81. PANIC IN NEEDLE PARK(1971): The film is a stark portrayal of life among a group of heroin addicts who hang out in "Needle Park" (Sherman Square) in New York City.
82. DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES(1962): The film depicts the insidious nature of addiction in modern life, following the downward spiral of two average Americans who succumb to alcoholism and attempt to deal with their problem.
83. 12 ANGRY MEN(1957): the film tells the story of a jury member who tries to persuade the other eleven members to acquit the suspect on trial on the basis of reasonable doubt
84. DIRTY HARRY(1971): Tough as nails cop Harry Callahan is out to find a killer calling himself Scorpio. Problem is the department and everyone else is against Harry who dispenses justice in a violent and brutal manner.
85. DRUGSTORE COWBOY(1989): The story follows Bob Hughes and his "family" of drug addicts as they travel across the US Pacific Northwest in the early 1970s, supporting their habit by robbing pharmacies and hospitals.
86. POINT BLANK(1967): After taking all the cash robbed from a courier in a large gambling operation, Reese shoots his partner Walker multiple times, and leaves him apparently for dead. In a double-double-cross, Reese also makes off with Walker's wife, now Walker is back for revenge. Based on the Richard Stark novel “The Hunter”.
87. RUBEN AND ED(1991): The film centers around an eccentric, unsociable, young man who is forced by his mother to make some friends before she'll return his stereo to him. He is joined on a trip through a desert, by a pyramid-scheme salesman, to assist in finding a location to bury a frozen cat.
88. PSYCHO(1960): The film depicts the encounter between a secretary, Marion Crane, who is in hiding at a motel after embezzling from her employer, and the motel's owner, Norman Bates, and the aftermath of their encounter.
89. RIVERS EDGE(1986): A group of high school friends discover that they are in the presence of a killer. One of them, Samson, has murdered his girlfriend Jamie. He brags to his friends about killing her, and when they discover he is telling the truth, their reactions vary. Layne, the self-proclaimed leader of the group, is intent on keeping the murder a secret and protecting Samson, while the rest of the group (Matt, Clarissa, Maggie, and Tony) want to go to the police.
90. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD(1962): Atticus Finch a lawyer in rural Alabama is assigned to defend an innocent black man accused of a rape he did not commit. The entire film is shown through the eyes of Scout Finch Atticus’s daughter.
91. SLAUGHTER HOUSE FIVE(1972): The film follows the novel in presenting a first-person narrative from the point of view of Billy Pilgrim, who becomes "unstuck in time" and experiences the events of his life in a seemingly random order, including a period spent on the alien planet of Tralfamadore.
92. ROCK N ROLL HIGH SCHOOL(1980): Set in 1980, Vince Lombardi High School keeps losing principals to nervous breakdowns because of the students' love of rock 'n' roll and their disregard of education. Their leader, Riff Randall (P.J. Soles), is the biggest Ramones fan at Vince Lombardi High School. She waits in line for three days to get tickets to see The Ramones, hoping to meet Joey Ramone so she can give him a song she wrote for the band, "Rock N' Roll High School".
93. CRUMB(1994): A documentary film about the noted underground comic artist Robert Crumb (R. Crumb) and his family.
94. DEER HUNTER(1978): The film depicts the story of three friends who enter the Vietnam war enthusiastically and the ways their time in the war effects their lives and families when they return.
95. MANHUNTER(1986): The film follows Will Graham, a former FBI agent who captured the infamous Dr. Hannibal Lector and was almost killed in the process; he is so traumatized by the event that he retires from the FBI. His former boss, Jack Crawford, calls him out of retirement to help find a killer called "The Tooth Fairy" who is murdering entire families.
96. THE PLAYER(1992): Griffin Mill is a Hollywood producer with a studio executive girlfriend Bonnie Sherow. Mill's job is to hear story pitches from screenwriters and decide which films have the potential to get made and which films get rejected; 12 out of about 50,000 submisions he claims. His job is suddenly in danger, though, when up-and-comer Larry Levi begins work at the studio. Rumors swirl that Griffin may be replaced soon by Levi. Griffin has also been receiving threatening postcards, assumed to be from a disgruntled screenwriter whose pitch he rejected.
97. EXCALIBUR(1981): The film follows the tale of King Arthur from before his birth through his death. A brutal and violent take on the legendary tale.
98. DEFENDING YOUR LIFE(1991): The film centers around a man who must justify his life-long lack of assertiveness after he dies and arrives in the afterlife.
99. EVIL DEAD II(1987): A sequel of sorts to Evil Dead though much more original and funny. The film centers around main character Ash and his attempts to survive and attack by horrid and disgusting demons.
100. THE STRAIGHT STORY(1999): The film is based on the true story of Alvin Straight's journey across Iowa and Wisconsin on a lawnmower to visit his dying and estranged brother.
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