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Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Top 100 Movies: Part 2

My Top 100 Movies list continues with ten more entries ranging from old classics to recent thrillers. 



At Number 90: Alien
"In space no one can hear you scream." Although I do not believe it to be as "scary" as some say, I did find it suspenseful with a unique atmosphere. On the other hand, my prior knowledge of knowing who lives and who dies lowered the overall suspense, which, admittedly, lessened my enjoyment. Despite this, Alien is most certainly a must-watch if only to watch the even more awesome sequel, Aliens.
At Number 89: The Bridge on the River Kwai
Based on the novel of similar name, The Bridge on the River Kwai deals with the psychological, opposed to physical, damage caused by the horrible things that the Japanese put the POWs through in World War II. Despite the heavy subject matter, the film is still entertaining and a good watch for fans of classic movies. Also, Alec Guinness’ Oscar winning performance is positively fantastic.

At Number 88: Sword of the Stranger
Sword of the Stranger takes a familiar story and manages to add enough heart and style to make the story fresh and utterly entertaining. Sword of the Stranger is the story of a lone Ronin (Samurai without a master) that is hired by a young boy to help him escape from his pursuers. The film has two big things going for it, likable characters and freaking awesome fight scenes. In fact, Sword of the Stranger’s action scenes are among my favorite from any animation, which is saying a lot.

At Number 87: Shaun of the Dead
Edgar Wright's first entry in the popular Cornetto trilogy, Shaun of the Dead is as good as zombie movies get. While many will likely not find the witty and dry British satirical humor funny, I found it positively hilarious! Amidst the humor, the movie has surprisingly fun and memorable characters, and the ending is absolutely perfect.

At Number 86: The Bourne Ultimatum
While the Bourne Identity revolutionized modern action films with its mostly effective use of shaky-cam, which has never been used well since, and introduced audiences to a new type of action hero, The Bourne Ultimatum perfected the formula. It gave us the answers we wanted and found the perfect balance between suspense and visceral action.

At Number 85: The Great Escape
Based on the WWII POW Paul Brickhill’s account of the mass escape from the German prison camp Stalag Luft III, The Great Escape is one of the best WWII films ever made. While it does take a more lighthearted approach to the story, there are still moments of realism along with the exciting action and charismatic cast. 
The Great Escape Review.

At Number 84: Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance
Evangelion is the thinking man's Pacific Rim. Despite a disappointing ending, Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance retells the Evangelion story with unexpected twists and turns. While the characters and some of the events of the series are the same, the movie's version alters the original plot just enough to make it fresh and new, but still distinctly Evangelion. The best part of the film, however, is the new direction that the characters are taken and the stunning animation.


At Number 83: Lawrence of Arabia
Over three hours in length and featuring some of, if not, the best cinematography from the era, Lawrence of Arabia is the definition of a film epic. As the name implies, the film is about T. E. Lawrence, played brilliantly by Peter O'Toole, during World War I. The film captures the personal struggles of Lawrence, and his fall into madness.

At Number 82: Whisper of the Heart
Yoshifumi Kondō's one and only Studio Ghibli film before his unfortunate passing, Whisper of the Heart is different than most other works from the studio. Instead of taking the audience on an adventure through some fantastical land, Whisper of the Heart is a much more personal story about a girl named Shizuku Tsukishima and how she finds her true calling in life as a writer. It is slice-of-life anime at its finest, and the movie remains one of my favorite works from Studio Ghibli to date.

At Number 81: Charade
Considered by many to be the "Best Hitchcock film, Hitchcock did not make", Charade is a suspenseful and often funny adventure. Despite the age different, Grant and Hepburn have great chemistry. On a fun side note, in 1978, when making the copyright for the film, Universal Pictures forgot to include the proper copyright information, so the movie is actually in the Public Domain. That basically means that no one owns the right to the film, and therefore you can watch it free and legally at a variety of places online.
Charade Review.

Please let me know in the comments if any of these are your favorite movies, and what you think of my list thus far. Also, please check back tomorrow for my review of Shaun of the Dead and the next day for Whisper of the Heart Review.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

18 comments:

  1. Great additions to the list! :D I also love "Whispers of the Heart" and it is definitely one of my favorites by Studio Ghibli. A lot of these films look good as well and are on my to-watch list! :)

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    1. Thank you! :) "Whispers of the Heart" was a real surprise for me. I heard it was good when I watched it, but I did not expect it to be such a compelling story about a writer.

      Of the movies that you have not seen on the list, you need to watch Alien and Lawrence of Arabia since both are classics, and will probably be reference in film school.

      -James

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  2. The only ones on the list I've seen is Alien, and I think I've seen at least part of one of the Bourne movies, I'm not sure which one, though.
    I am not ashamed to admit that I squealed a lot during Alien. A lot a lot. It's actually the first horror film to do that, actually. But, I don't normally watch horror films like Alien (I'm more of a Scream girl myself), but it was definitely a good movie.
    Great list, James! I can't wait to see what's next!
    -Tegan

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    1. So, have you seen the Alien sequel, Aliens? It is even better! You would probably enjoy the Bourne trilogy if you decide to watch it.
      Cool, you like Scream. That almost made my list! It is such a good parody of the horror genre.
      Thanks Tegen!

      -James

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  3. I have seen some of these, but not a lot. I have been planning on watching Lawrence of Arabia for awhile but I think, part of the reason I haven't yet, is because it is so long. When I get caught up on work and have time for long movies, it is going to have to be first on my list.

    The Great Escape! I plan to watch that one this week or next! I love that movie

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    1. Yes, Lawrence of Arabia is, by no means, a "light watch," so if you happen to have about four hours, you might want to watch it then.

      Isn't such a fun and cool movie!

      -James

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  4. Speaking of Evangelion, I recently watched four episodes and one is at the very saddest. Great help you lent me to watch the show, I shall watch more episodes on the internet video.

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    1. That's great! I am glad to have convinced you to watch Evangelion. It would interesting if you would review the series on your blog once you finish it.

      If you need a better website to watch Evangelion, here is a link to the series dubbed.
      http://kissanime.com/Anime/Neon-Genesis-Evangelion-Dub

      -James

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  5. YAY the next part!

    ALIEN WAS SO GOOD. XP It made me jump a lot! Lol! Thoroughly enjoyable, though. :D

    I've not seen The Bridge on the River Kwai so I can't comment on it. :)

    Haven't seen Sword of the Stranger either...

    SHAUN OF THE DEAD. I LOVE THAT MOVIE SO MUCH. I would say it is the best zombie movie ever. :P I should probably see some more zombie films before making that claim but I think there are a limited few that could really compare to what Shaun is. :D :D :D :D :D So glad you liked it!

    I need to see the Bourne Trilogy I think! :P GAH, SO MANY GOOD MOVIES I'VE YET TO SEE...

    I haven't seen The Great Escape or Evangeline...

    While I remember being just a teeny bit bored with Lawrence of Arabia, it was still impressive. I can't imagine the crew gathering all those extras!

    I can't wait to see Whisper of the Heart!

    CHARADE! Charade is so awesome. That is one of my favorite performances from Cary Grant especially. :D

    ~Jamie

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    1. Honestly, Alien only made me kind of jump once, but it was still a great movie! :)

      Thank you again for recommending Shaun of the Dead!!!!!

      Oh my, I have forgotten that you have not seen the Bourne movies! YOU NEED TO WATCH THEM!

      You also need to watch The Great Escape!

      Yeah, the pacing can be slow, but I really appericated the filmmaking skill in the movie. :)

      I really hope you like Whisper of the Heart!

      Thank you for recommending Charade! :D

      -James

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  6. Even though I didn't write a review of Whisper of the Heart, I've seen it (in the time I was binge watching Ghibli works) and loved it very much. I haven't seen Sword of the Stranger but it pops up a lot on some forums I randomly visit. And yeah, the animation is given good credit by those in the forums.

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    1. Ah, I am glad to hear you loved Whisper of the Heart as well. As for Sword of the Stranger, it is not a deep movie by any means, but if you enjoy a classic Samurai stories with amazing Bones animation, you should enjoy the movie.

      -James

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  7. I love "The Great Escape" and "Charade." Also very fond of "The Bridge on the River Kwai" and "The Bourne Ultimatum." And I'd always wondered why copies of "Charade" are both prolific and dodgy -- thanks for clearing that up!

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    1. Glad to someone else that loves the "The Great Escape" as much as I do! I watched that movie so many times when I was a kid, and it is a ton of fun! I am glad that I was able to clean that up about Charade. Thanks for the comment Hamlette.

      -James

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  8. More great pics and reviews. I have to agree with those who say Lawrence did not age perfectly but still a beautiful epic and acting tour du force.

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    1. Thanks Steve! I do agree that Lawrence did not age perfectly and it has its flaws, but that cinematography is amazing!

      -James

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  9. In my top 100 would be a handful of B movies. Cant think of a Chuck Norris but there should be one. On the other hand Steven Segal Under Siege has to be there. I just reviewed one of his latest and bonus its available for free on You Tube. I have embedded the link in my review.

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    1. To think of it, I haven't seen any of Segal's movies. Maybe I will give that one a watch sometime.

      -James

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One rule: No strong profanity. If you want to link to one of your posts, please do; I am always interested in other reviews and such.

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