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Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Top 100 Movies: Part 7

My Top 100 Movies list continues with yet another set of ten. Now we are getting to the best of the best, the Top 50. Please remember that these are my FAVORITE movies. Even though critics might not like a few of these movies, they are the ones that I personally own and watch more than once, and considering how few movies I will rewatch, that is saying something.

At Number 50: Ghostbusters
"If there's something strange in your neighborhood Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!" From the classic theme song to the hilarious and memorable quotes there is so much to like in Ghostbusters. When it comes to comedies, few rival this classic of the genre. Bill Murray’s deadpan performance along with perfect comedic timing is the driving force behind most of the unforgettable humor. In addition, the plot is surprisingly clever for a comedy. 

At Number 49: The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man is an excellent and mostly accurate adaptation of my favorite superhero origin story, but also gave it something new and fun. As great as Tobey Maguire was in the role, Andrew Garfield is the quintessential Peter Parker. He embodies almost all aspects of the character perfectly. Even though the film feels a little incomplete due to the changes made on the editing table, it certainly lives up to its “Amazing” title. Of course, a lot of readers will probably disagree about the film's ranking, but it is one of the few films that I actually own on Blu-Ray, and one of the movies that I rewatch, thus the ranking as one of my favorites.
The Amazing Spider-Man Review.

At Number 48: The Lego Movie
It takes a lot for western animated film to impress me, and The Lego Movie certain succeeded. From the creative and clever plot, to the hilarious gags and geeky references. If you loved Legos as a kid, there should be absolutely no reason why you will not love The Lego Movie, it is pure fun and entertainment.
The Lego Movie


After watching Sergio Leone's other Spaghetti Westerns, which, while good, were a little disappointing, my expectations for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly were rather low. To my surprise however, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly turned out to be one of the best westerns and films of all-time. Sergio Leone used his unique directorial style to great effect throughout the film, and Clint Eastwood’s cool demeanor and humorous wit added a lot to the film.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Review.


Some love it, others hate it, but as a hardcore Indiana Jones fan, the Temple of Doom is still a blast! Spielberg and Lucas did not take the easy route and rehash Raiders' story and tone, but instead, he took a chance that they should be applauded for. Some plot elements and action scenes are a little too unbelievable compared to the utter brilliance of the original, yet the Temple of Doom is still a lot of fun.


At Number 45: Skyfall
Considering that Skyfall was the big 50th Anniversary celebration of the legendary James Bond film series, there was a lot riding on Sam Mendes and Daniel Craig, and they did not disappoint. Skyfall is, quite possibly, the best James Bond film to date, although I still prefer Casino Royale. It delved deeper into what a man with gun can do in an age of computers. In addition, Skyfall provided a new beginning for the franchise as well as paying homage to many films from James Bond’s past. Hopefully Sam Mendes and Daniel Craig can pull another high quality James Bond film next year!
Skyfall Review: Part 2.

At Number 44: Fight Club
Fight Club is the ultimate guy movie. That is not to say that women cannot enjoy it as well, but there is a lot more to relate to for the male audience with the sheer amount of testosterone and manliness. Manliness aside, Fight Club is one of those movies that surprises you by the end, and it makes you to rewatch just so that you understand everything that happened. *Possible Spoiler* It carefully crafted to build up to the twist and then everything makes sense. *End Spoiler* Also, if you missed it, you can read my full review by clicking here.

At Number 43: Memento
Memento is the film that put Christopher Nolan on the map. Plot wise, Memento might be Nolan's tightest and most flawless film to date. Telling the story of Leonard, a man suffering from anterograde amnesia, which prevents him from creating new memories, is searching for the man that murdered his wife


At Number 42: Ip Man
Ip Man is like Hong Kong's Rocky, except a lot more inspirational (for me at least) and with higher stakes. From the superb performances, to the mind-blowingly amazing fight sequences that may be the best fight sequence ever put to film, Ip Man is a foreign film that you will be remiss not to see, plus it is on Netflix right now.

At Number 41: Princess Mononoke
Princess Mononoke is, essentially, the Japanese version of the Lord of the Rings. It has an epic story, epic battles, brilliant animation, and an intriguing mythos. Despite having made many truly brilliant films, Princess Mononoke is Hayao Miyazaki's and Studio Ghibli’s masterpiece. Even though the environmentalist overtone are a little overstated, Princess Mononoke is no less of a stunning fantasy epic that everyone should at least watch once.
Princess Mononoke Review

Please check back tomorrow for my review of the 45th movie on the list, Memento, and Friday for my review of Ip Man. Also, please let me know know what you think of my picks in the comments below.

P.S. Sorry for still not replying to comments. The recovery time on my arm is taking much longer than expected.

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

12 comments:

  1. I disagree SHARPLY w/your assessment of Skyfall as 'the best James Bond film to date'. I think From Russia w/Love and Goldfinger are much better than "The Dark Bond Rises" (and I'm beginning to detest Skyfall's theme song, which I call the 007 Funeral Theme).

    However, I do agree w/Princess Mononoke as being among the best films, and while I am squarely Sub Over Dub, I liked both the Japanese & English-language versions.

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    1. Did I say that Skyfall was the best? Oh, that must have been from an earlier draft, because Casino Royale is my current favorite. However, I do still like Skyfall. Both Goldfinger and From Russia with Love are excellent films though, and they are not far behind in my favorite Bond movies.

      For the most part, I agree about being sub over dub, but I agree, Mononoke has one of the stronger dubs. It really is Ghibli's crowning achievement though. Thanks for the comment.

      -James

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  2. Ghostbusters! That's one of my favorite songs. I saw the movie a looong time ago, and it was pretty good. I'm glad to see The Amazing Spider-Man on here. While I think I prefer the second movie over the first (mainly because of how long the first one is), it's still a really good movie. Personally I like the new Amazing Spider-Man films, but their main problem is their length (not that more Spidey's a bad thing!). I've seen a couple of Indiana Jones movies, but I can't remember if that's the one I saw or not. I also saw bits and pieces of Skyfall, and I liked Q, he was cool. Plus the theme song by Adele is awesome, I have it on my playlist. Awesome list, James! Can't wait to see what's next!
    -Tegan

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    1. I agree, the second Amazing Spidey film was better, (it is on the list later), and I agree they are a bit long. And yes, that Skyfall song is great! Thank you Tegan!

      -James

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  3. Enjoying your list! Though you're right, I wouldn't put TASM where you did. :P But I understand. Oh, I want to see Memento so bad... looking forward to the review! And the rest of the list!

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    1. Memento is fantastic, so I recommend it for sure!

      -James

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  4. Great list! :) I also loved Princess Mononoke! Definitely Studio Ghibli's best work! :D The Amazing Spider-Man was also really great, as was the Lego Movie! (I heard there was going to be a sequel). It's been years since I last saw Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom- I need to re-watch that(I was, like, 9 or 10 when I saw it).
    Which of the other films do you think I'd like?
    Sorry your arm is taking so long to heal :(

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    1. Of these, I'd recommend Memento and Ip Man. :)

      -James

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  5. Ghostbusters was a good movie but I'm afraid I don't remember that much about it. :(

    The Amazing Spider-Man! Such a good movie; I love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker so much! (And Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy all the way!)

    THE LEGO MOVIE. THAT MOVIE WAS SO GOOD IF IT DOESN'T WIN BEST ANIMATED FEATURE AT THE OSCARS THIS YEAR ...

    You already know I was a bit bored from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly because of it's length, but I'm glad you were able to enjoy!

    And I can't comment on any of the Indiana Jones movies outside of the first one because I haven't seen them yet...

    Bond and I should work on paper but we've never been able to start off right, which means I left my mom to watch this by herself when she got it from Redbox (I got bored.) I sound horrible right now.

    Fight Club; really glad I finally watched that for myself since it's such a cult classic. It *is* more of a guy movie, since I enjoyed it but didn't get invested in it....

    MEMENTO. I personally think that is one of Nolan's best works but it's so underrated because I never hear anyone talk about it! And it was really really good, too!

    I think I need to watch Ip Man.

    SO EXCITED TO SEE PRINCESS MONONOKE BEAT FIGHT CLUB ON YOUR LIST THAT IS RATHER SATISFYING TO ME FOR SOME REASON. :P

    Sorry I didn't comment yesterday; I got caught up in my writing and reached 50K on accident, lol!

    ~Jamie

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  6. Great List! I am enjoying the countdown. I can wait to see where you put Snowpiercer and if you include Upstream Color (I think its on Netflix now). I dont know if you have done it in the past but it would be nice if you put the whole 100 in one post as a summary after you finish.

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    1. Thanks for letting me know about Upstream Color on Netflix!

      -James

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