The 100 Greatest Movies Of My Generation

This is a list I researched and compiled based on the best cinema has had to offer from 1984 to the present day. I hope you enjoy the list, which I will present at five at a time increments. I'm sure many of you will have bones to pick about it, and will outrightly disagree with a lot of it, which I hope to read from all of you. Most likely, many debates will center around my decision to not include documentaries, for there are simply too many to count.

At the same token, I hope a lot of you are moved to find the movies on this list you have yet to see. Also, I hope this list remembers why you loved or hated the ones you may have already caught. I actually composed and organized this list a year ago, so after I present it, I will make some revisions...



100. OUT OF AFRICA
Written by Kurt Luedtke
Directed by Sidney Pollack
Romantic, epic and lush, the story of Karen Blixen and her struggles through an uncaring marriage and her longing for the Kenyan wilderness personified by Denys Finch (Robert Redford) is one that sweeps the viewer off their feet. Meryl Streep, possibly the most luminous and talented actress of her generation, shines magnificently.

99. GUMMO
Written and directed by Harmony Korine
Dilapidated and long forgotten is the universe of Xenia, Ohio. Perhaps years earlier, when a tornado swept through the quiet town, it would have been the ideal setting for a disaster movie, and maybe before that a topic drama with mature, collected people. However, it has become GUMMO, where all has wasted away, where education and society have been abandoned, and all there is that keeps us alive is life itself. GUMMO is a harrowing, frightening snapshot of the bottom of the evolutionary ladder, a portrait of life improbably thriving in a place you’d never think to find it.

98. GHOST WORLD
Written by Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff
Directed by Terry Zwigoff
Lost in the ghost world between high school and the real world are Enid and Rebecca, two loners who suddenly realize they don’t know what they want. Lost in their own confusion with only their friendship and their esoteric pop culture pleasures to comfort then, they begin to separate. It is not long before Rebecca tries to assimilate while Enid falls for Seymour, a middle aged malcontent. GHOST WORLD is alternately funny and painful, a reminder of where we were when things stopped making sense.

97. GEORGE WASHINGTON
Written and directed by David Gordon Green
Amid the hypnotic heat waves searing the lands of the South emerges this dreamy tale of a group of children stuck with a secret that none can adequately keep. GEORGE WASHINGTON is a lovely, haunting film, slow moving but immensely rewarding, highly reminiscent of Terrence Malick’s earlier work.

96. LAGAAN
Written by Kumar Dave, Sanjay Dayma and Ashutosh Gowariker
Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker
Despite a penchant for being excessive and impossibly high spirited, Indian cinema has never been more audacious than LAGAAN. Using a bit of revisionist history, LAGAAN imagines the rivalry between India and the British imperialists holding control over them as a sprawling, exciting game of cricket. With their way of life on the line, villagers untie behind the brave, impulsive Bhuvan, who has faith that their lack of knowledge involving the legendary game need not be a problem. Intoxicatingly thrilling, LAGAAN will make you sing, dance and cheer.

95. BAMBOOZLED
Written and directed by Spike Lee
The power of cinema can often be mesmerizing. Never more so is that apparent than in BAMBOOZLED, a production so full of hate and anger, a film so intense, that it can truly shock and electrify the viewer. Perhaps not Mr. Lee’s best written or most clever work, BAMBOOZLED, the story of the world’s most offensive television show and the loss of identity for all those involved, still manages to run on pure anger. Riffing on the history of blackface in cinema, BAMBOOZLED is a dangerous film with the voice of intolerance, of indignation, of outright violence. A scathing attack on blacks, whites and anybody else who’s ever turned on the television, went to a movie or read a newspaper, BAMBOOZLED stands as a significant landmark in the career of Mr. Lee.

94. PREDATOR
Written by Jim Thomas and John Thomas
Directed by John McTiernan
The ultimate variation of THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME, John McTiernan’s action spectacle focuses on a team of commandoes stalked by a mysterious alien force with one mission: to hunt human bounty. Far more than it may seem, this vicious bounty hunter story doesn’t spare the viewer, and remains an indelible viewing experience.

93. THE IRON GIANT
Written by Tim McCanlies
Directed by Brad Bird
The wistful story of a boy and his beloved robot, this underappreciated animated classic paints a loving picture not only of the relationship between friends but also of the era that it takes place in, the paranoia-fueled fifties. Gorgeous animation renders the lovingly detailed characters and dialogue in a fashion that deceives two dimensions.

92. THE PRINCESS BRIDE
Written by William Goldman
Directed by Rob Reiner
Old fashioned in its sweetness, this adaptation of the popular book (also by Goldman) may be one of the most perfectly written children’s stories of all time. While the film follows the adventures of the loyal servant Wesley and his passionate search for his lady love Princess Buttercup, there are plenty of memorable supporting characters along the way. Lively and with an acerbic cast, THE PRINCESS BRIDE represents perhaps the most perfect family film of its time.

91. THREE KINGS
Written and directed by David O’Russell
With the irreverent first line, “Are we shooting?” THREE KINGS easily established itself as the paramour to MASH, CATCH 22 and other cynical wartime classics. After the discovery of a map detailing the location of Kuwaiti gold during the Persian Gulf war, four soldiers decide to head out and find the gold for themselves. Along the way, they begin to understand what we may or may not have been fighting for all along. Especially after 9/11, THREE KINGS remains timely and piercingly effective.

90. BOYZ N THE HOOD
Written and directed by John Singleton
Painfully real and heartfelt, BOYZ N THE HOOD tells the story of childhood friends raised in south central Los Angeles and forever afflicted by their surroundings. While Ricky is looking at a sports scholarship and Doughboy has drifted on to a life of crime, Tre attempts to stay clean while also never forgetting who he really is. Despite a reputation of sorts, BOYZ N THE HOOD is not a “black” film but rather a film about one’s identity, and what it is that shapes you.

89. HAMLET
Written and directed by Kenneth Branagh
Despite his penchant for overdoing the adaptations he has taken on, Branagh, the greatest onscreen Shakesperean actor we’ve ever known, does a miraculous job framing William Shakespeare’s classic tale of the kingdom of Denmark and its flawed center, Hamlet, son of the late King and would-be heir to the throne. With a magnificently huge cast and luscious sets, Branagh’s surprisingly faithful HAMLET is a must for fans of Shakespeare.


88. THE COOK, THE THEIF, HIS WIFE AND HER LOVER
Written and directed by Peter Greenway
Sick and twisted, this macabre exhibition detailing the misdoings and adventures behind the scenes of a successful restaurant is intoxicating. With almost Gilliam-like abandon, Greenway thrusts us into a world where no one has any qualms about being as nasty and as foul as they can be, and where everyone has nothing but the worst intentions.

87. DIE XUE SHUANG XIONG (THE KILLER)
Written and directed by John Woo
As electric as action films get, the best work of Woo’s explosive career follows Joe, a hitman with a terrible guilt. After blinding a beautiful singer, he dedicates his final hit towards paying for an operation to restore her sight. Unfortunately, when a cop becomes suspicious of his intentions, Joe finds that he has bitten off more than he can chew.

86. Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN
Written by Alfonso and Carlos Cuaron
Directed by Alfonso Cuaron
From the fires of AMERICAN PIE and ROAD TRIP came Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN, and suddenly, teenage sexuality evolved. The tender story of two friends torn apart by the affections of an older woman, Alfonso Cuaron’s achingly real ode to sexual dysfunction gives no easy answers to complicated questions. Ride on, space cowboy.

85. OODISHON (AUDITION)
Written by Daisuke Tengan
Directed by Takeshi Miike
Frighteningly real and hauntingly nightmarish at the same time, Takeshi Miike’s OODISHON is the horror story of the heart. When a lonely widower decides to hold auditions for his new wife-to-be, he soon gets more than he bargained for. Is she what she claims to be, or is she deceiving him? Or is it a grotesque mix of the two? Grisly and surprising, OODISHON is unforgettable.

84. ADAPTATION
Written by Charlie and Donald Kaufman
Directed by Spike Jonze
Okay, it’s a movie written by a writer about himself and his own difficulties as a writer. That’s self-indulgent as hell, isn’t it? Or is it brilliant because he’s acknowledging that he is out of ideas? I can’t decide. This is so foolish. Why am I wasting my time with this list? Oh God, I’m a phony. I hope the world never finds out that this movie makes me want to be just like Charlie Kaufman, to have these struggles, to understand what it means to take someone else’s essence and attempt to make it their own, to love, to hate, to see art as a manifestation of our own insecurities. Oh God, I’m so ****ing fat. I wish this movie wasn’t so brilliant, filled with great dialogue and exhilarating performances and great music and wonderful performances. Oh crap, I said that already. Oh, **** it. This movie is one of the best films ever made about writer’s block. There, I said it. God, I’m a mess. I need to start wearing corduroy…

83. HEATHERS
Written by Daniel Waters
Directed by Michael Lehmann
Damned as this may be, HEATHERS is even more morally corrupt after the Columbine shooting. And damned as I am for saying it, but its funnier and more timely too. Focusing adeptly on the politics of high school, HEATHERS is the tale of two loners who band together to end all the cliques that you hated when you were in high school. With nothing to lose, the two find it far easier than anything else to simply kill the cheerleaders, the football players, and most importantly, all the Heathers.

82. SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
Written by Ted Tally
Directed by Johnathan Demme
Bringing the slasher genre a touch of class, the chronological second film in the series of films detailing the misadventures of Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter remains, after those needless sequels, a riveting cat and mouse thriller about an FBI profiler on the hunt for psychopath Buffalo Bill. Jodie Foster is magnetic as Clarice Starling, while the always entertaining Sir Anthony Hopkins matches her beat by beat as the frighteningly captivating Lecter.

81. JACOB'S LADDER
Written by Bruce Joel Rubin
Directed by Adrian Lyne
Chilling and altogether gruesome, Adrian Lyne’s JACOB’S LADDER is a film about letting go, about your past and current state and where it points you. Superior to modern mind-benders like VANILLA SKY, JACOB’S LADDER is a film where nothing truly is what it seems, and if it appears to be, then only prayers can save you. The best performance of Tim Robbins’ career.

80. TRAFFIC
Written by Steven Gaghan
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Through the lens of Steven Soderbergh, the drug trade is not black and white but instead a smattering of colors. The diversity of the cast and settings behind this adaptation of the successful British miniseries is only part of a larger message: drugs permeate our culture in every manner possible, and while there are soldiers fighting to keep them away, this is a war that may not be able to be won. With a needed urgency and an exhilarating pace, Soderbergh brings this issue alive, placing it in our offices, at home, in our backyards, in our lives.

79. GLORY
Written by Kevin Jarre
Directed by Edward Zwick
Edward Zwick, a director of wide historical palettes, brings to life the story of the first all-black volunteer company during the Civil War and their struggles to avoid the prejudices of both sides. Painting an honest portrait of those who served us during the Civil War, Zwick manages to also benefit from a magnificent cast.

78. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Written by Linda Woolverton
Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise
Lush and enchanting, Disney’s musical retelling of the magical fairy tale has nary a cynical, sarcastic bone in its body, and represents the high point in an early nineties creative boom in Disney’s animated branch. Voiced perfectly, and with lovely songs from Alan Menken, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST represents Disney’s best animated work of the past twenty years.

77. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S ROMEO + JULIET
Written by Craig Pierce and Baz Luhrmann
Directed by Baz Luhrmann
Thrilling and enthralling as no other Shakespeare film adaptation before it, Luhrmann’s vision of the tale of two star-crossed lovers sets it in a snow globe of a time, shaken up by a gang war between two opposing families. As bizarre as it is colorful, ROMEO + JULIET, like its tow main stars Leonardo Dicaprio and Clare Danes, is impossibly watchable, impulsively driven and a magnificent surprise.

76. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
Written by Robert Rodat
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Beginning with a visceral jolt that no war film has ever echoed, Spielberg’s moving war picture is not about the conflict, but about the value of a man torn between two sides, and a boy stuck in the middle of a mess he doesn’t want any part of. Spielberg makes no apologizes during scenes of battle, and as a result SAVING PRIVATE RYAN features some of the most harrowing scenes of combat ever put on celluloid.

75. MEMENTO
Written and directed by Christopher Nolan
Upon first glance, MEMENTO is a classic noir: a man widowed by a vicious killer becomes enraged and sets out on a hunt for justice. However, what he’s forgetting is everything he knows. Leonard Shelby has anteriograde amnesia, and every other moment, the world is merely starting over for him, and as a result, he cannot trust everyone. Although it appears that Shelby is a reliable narrator, we learn that the film is being told sequentially out of order, and suddenly, the viewer knows just as much as Shelby, and in some cases even less. MEMENTO is a gimmick, but its one that simply proceeds to get more and more fascinating and tangled up until you realize that no one can be trusted.

74. NEMA-YE NAZDIK (CLOSE-UP)
Written and directed by Abbas Kiarostami
Funny, fascinating and often moving, Abbas Kiarostami’s films often reveal a layer of truth behind our most primitive desires. In NEMA-YE NAZDIK, he tells the story of Ali Sabzian, a regular movie lover who falls in love with the films of real life filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf. Unfortunately for him, that love has manifested itself in his desire to try to become him, and soon Sabzian is on trial. Playfully subversive, NEMA-YE NAZDIK is a meditation on why we love the movies.

73. GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS
Written by David Mamet
Directed by James Foley
Boasting a cast for the ages, David Mamet’s screen adaptation of his own play is as electrifying on film as it is on stage. Centered around a tense Chicago real estate office, the film introduces many desperate characters holding onto their jobs when they get wind of a robbery at their office in the middle of a high-stakes sales contest. Memorable performances all around, and a must see for anybody who wants to become an actor.

72. MATEWAN
Written and directed by John Sayles
Almost flawlessly written, this drama brings the viewer to West Virginia in 1920, where a labor organizer arrives to the small mining town of Mingo County. Desperate to form a mining union, the workers are bullied by the ruthless mining company in the midst of a strike. It isn’t long before tensions flare and violence becomes inescapable. Based on a true story.

71. TOY STORY
Directed by John Lasseter
Written by Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow
A milestone in animation filmmaking, TOY STORY is a feast for both the senses and the heart. When little Andy discards his old cowboy doll Woody for fancy new action figure Buzz Lightyear, it sets off a war between the newcomer and the old timer for supremacy and Andy’s affections. TOY STORY, with its tremendous visuals and cracklingly funny script manages to be both an important accomplishment in the field of animation and a surprisingly tender film as well.

70. OUT OF SIGHT
Written by Scott Frank
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Taking off from the Elmore Leonard novel which inspired it, OUT OF SIGHT is a blisteringly sexy crime picture. When Jack Foley runs into federal marshal Karen Sisco during a prison break, he immediately takes a shine to her, and a risky flirtation begins while Foley meets up with old friends while planning a massive heist. Intensely erotic and hip, OUT OF SIGHT is as hot as a midsummer tan and as cool as an ice cube.

69. SWEET AND LOWDOWN
Written and directed by Woody Allen
A departure for Allen, this biopic traces the humorous, anecdote filled life of Emmet Ray, the self-proclaimed “second greatest guitar player in the world.” We trace Ray’s existence through his drunken escapades and his failed marriages to his constantly irritated, uneven relationship with the mute Hattie (Samantha Morton). As funny as some of Allen’s best work, and filled with terrific music.

68. HEAT
Written and directed by Michael Mann
A personal film on an epic level, HEAT is the simplistic story of two professionals with mutual respect who let their work get in the way of their own lives with dangerous consequences. Long and packed with dialogue, HEAT somehow remains thrilling and exciting, and in its best moments, like a firecracker stuffed in the palm of a hand.

67. TOPSY-TURVY
Written and directed by Mike Leigh
If you’ve ever loved or participated in theater, TOPSY-TURVY is for you. Depicting the darkest days for composers and friends William Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, Mike Leigh’s affectionate valentine to the stage is wonderfully extravagant down to the smallest detail, and every line is delivered pitch perfectly by Allan Corduner and Jim Broadbent in the lead roles.

66. SPOORLOOS (THE VANISHING)
Written by Tim Krabbe and George Sluzier
Directed by George Sluzier
Unforgettably chilling, SPOORLOOS is a demented thriller with no catch, no great surprise, which is what makes it so frightening. Sluzier’s thriller demonstrates to us that the scariest concept imaginable is real life, where people don’t have a huge plan, where everything is essentially left up to fate, and where sometimes fate is far from kind.

65. JACKIE BROWN
Witty, hip and stylish, Tarantino’s adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s RUM PUNCH is both a slickly told story and an inspired homage to all things seventies. As the sassy, sexy title character, Pam Grier has never been better.

64. THE STRAIGHT STORY
Written by John Roach and Mary Sweeney
Directed by David Lynch
At the end of Alvin Straight’s life, he was able to complete a cross state journey on his lawnmower to see his ailing brother, long separated him for many years. As simple and sweet as this story sounds, it becomes a completely different idea in the hands of director David Lynch, in a noted departure from the auteur, who crafts Straight’s story with unexpected grace and subtle longing. It’s the final journey of a long life, perfectly represented on film by the late Richard Farnsworth, in his final performance ever.

63. ELECTION
Written by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor
Directed by Alexander Payne
Mr. McAllister is just like everyone else. As a schoolteacher, he understands the politics of high school and how some subvert it. And just like everyone else, he sees how some people, particularly Tracy Flick, set out to subvert the system simply to get ahead, running the lives of others through failure. But McAllister isn’t going to be like everyone else. Instead, he’s going to make a change and stop Flick from running everything. Cynical and nasty, ELECTION simply gets alternately painful and funny each moment, without ever letting up.

62. GODS AND MONSTERS
Written and directed by Bill Condon
Working from a novel from Christopher Bram, GODS AND MONSTERS depicts James Whale, director of FRANKENSTEIN, as a complex, tortured man. Brilliantly played by Sir Ian McKellan, Whale jumps off the screen as a multifaceted man, shunned because of his desires but celebrated for his talents.

61. FESTEN (THE CELEBRATION)
Written by Thomas Vinterberg and Mogens Rukov
Directed by Thomas Vinterberg
The first film made under the Dogme 95 manifesto, Thomas Vinterberg’s portrait of a family in turmoil benefits from the reality-as-it-happens aspect of the story. As we see the Klingenfeldt family prepare for the celebration of their father’s birthday, it is not long before they begin to crumble before each other under the weight of their own insufficiencies and past failures. Both funny and difficult to watch.

60. CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
Written and directed by Woody Allen
Reminiscent of Allen’s own HANNAH AND HER SISTERS, this multi-character drama features Martin Landau as ophthalmologist Judah Rosenthal, stuck between the potentially messy breakup with his mistress or the even more suspicious idea of having her “whacked” by his brother, a shady mob character. Filled with the balanced character work and snappy dialogue that makes Mr. Allen’s films so treasured, CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS is one of Allen’s best.

59. REQUIEM FOR A DREAM
Written by Hubert Selby Jr. and Darren Aronofsky
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
As frightening and nightmarish as any film on substance abuse, REQUIEM is an indelible viewing experience. Depicting four lost souls with forbidden desires in Coney Island, REQUIEM takes place in a hyper reality, enhanced by controlled substances and hallucination, heightened by performances that shiver up and down the spine.

58. THE GENERAL
Written and directed by John Boorman
Brendan Gleeson is fantastic as the legendary Irish gangster Martin Cahill in John Boorman’s witty, involving biopic. As a master thief, he had to stay one step ahead of policeman Ned Kenney while simultaneously convincing his family he was a legit working man and becoming a local celebrity.

57. NAKED LUNCH
Written and directed by David Cronenberg
As strange as movies, get, this interpretation of the classic William S. Burroughs novel is not so much an adaptation as it is an inspiration for David Cronenberg’s twisted, eerie nightmare depiction of William S. Burroughs’ travels into the INTERZONE. Peter Weller is perfectly eerie as the confused, dazed Burroughs. Guaranteed you’ll never see anything like NAKED LUNCH.

56. SEN TO CHIHIRO NO KAMIKAKUSHI (SPIRITED AWAY)
Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki’s wondrous imagination brings forward this enchanted tale of a young girl trapped in a mysterious world where only her wits can help her succeed. Parted from her parents, she must understand her value as a person and the importance of helping others. Exotic and gorgeous, SPIRITED AWAY’s flights of fancy should inspire awe in even the most jaded of moviegoers’ hearts.

and now, the top 50...

55. BLOOD SIMPLE

Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
The first feature from the brothers Coen, this twisty crime noir owes much to Hitchcock. In the heart of Texas, a restaurant owner becomes wary of the actions of his wife behind his back. Angry and confused, he hires a private investigator to tail her. However, in typical noir fashion, the private eye is not what he seems in any way, and soon, matters become complicated. Twisty, suspenseful and funny, BLOOD SIMPLE was and remains a watershed mark in independent cinema.

54. IN THE COMPANY OF MEN
Written and directed by Neil LaBute
Angry and ugly, Neil LaBute’s directorial debut is a nasty little tale about two men with dirty intentions. Bitter over all the times women have wronged them, officemates Chad and Howard plan to woo Christine, an attractive, naïve young woman with a hearing disability. Savvily jabbing at both sexes, IN THE COMPANY OF MEN is a savage critique at office politics and sexual superiority.

53. KIDS
Written by Harmony Korine
Directed by Larry Clark
At the time of its release, KIDS, from photographer Larry Clark and skateboarding star Harmony Korine, was viewed as a disgusting portrayal of our nation’s youth and their sexual promiscuity. Years later, however, the film retains its power to shock and beguile. Essentially an ensemble piece involving many semi-clothed children lost in an inner city metropolis with nothing to do but get intoxicated and be sexually productive, KIDS strikes a chord with anyone who’s ever understood how potential could be wasted. Never more than it pretends to be, KIDS is an unsettling snapshot of destroyed youth.

52. RAISING ARIZONA
Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
Bittersweet and outrageously funny, the Coens’ RAISING ARIZONA is a madcap romp through the dusty Midwest. Hi and Ed are desperate to start a family, and when they find out that Hi can’t conceive, they set out to kidnap one of the Arizona quintuplets. However, soon their morals, the law and a biker of the apocalypse catch up to them. Wonderfully reminiscent of fifties screwball comedies, and scored with a terrific soundtrack.

51. IRREVERSIBLE
Written and directed by Gaspar Noe
As audacious as it is graphic, Gaspar Noe’s IRREVERSIBLE takes you into the darkest corners of the mind and the most beautiful areas of the heart, all in one sitting. Starting with the murder of an accused rapist and ending with a picnic in the park, IRREVERSIBLE is an illustration of the most loving of relationships destroyed in the worst ways possible.

50. TA'M E GUILASS (A TASTE OF CHERRY)

Written and directed by Abbas Kiarostami
When a man vows to commit suicide, he finds the hardest part may be finding someone willing to help him. Mr. Badii digs a ditch and searches, but cannot find anyone willing to bury him alive, even for a large sum of money. It is not long however when he meets up with a free spirited taxidermist who explains to him the taste of cherry. Abbas Kiarostami’s meditation on life and death is a funny, lightweight and ultimately moving tale about our place in the universe.

49. SANTA SANGRE.
Written by Claudio Argento, Alejandro Jodorowsky and Roberto Leoni
Directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky
A quirky, campy and often genuinely frightening story from the demented mind of Alejandro Jodorowsky, this captivating film follows Fenix, an afflicted man still obsessed with his mother, who had her arms cut off by her grotesque circus manager father. When Fenix emerges from an asylum, grown and ready to rejoin society, he is soon recruited by his armless mother to do her bidding. Far more disturbing than one can ever imagine, and almost comically gory, SANTA SANGRE is not for the weak hearted.

48. ED WOOD
Written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karazewski
Directed by Tim Burton
Tim Burton’s heartfelt, emotional biopic is for anyone who’s ever dreamed of making movies. Brought to life by an enthusiastic performance from Johnny Depp, Wood is depicted as the ultimate optimist, the filmmaker with the desire to make art and the lack of talent that prevented him from doing so. A funny, fascinating and ultimately affecting tale of movie making, complete with a magnificent performance by Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi.

47. CHONG QING SEN LIN (CHUNGKING EXPRESS)

Written and directed by Wong Kar-Wai
Existing in this time but also in another, taking place in a Hong Kong that could be somewhere else, Wong Kar-Wai’s seductively hypnotic love story involving two cops looking for answers when they break up with their respective girlfriends. Scored with a jangly, anachronistic soundtrack, CHUNGKING EXPRESS is an explosion of emotion and visceral beauty.

46. LONE STAR
Written and directed by John Sayles
Sam Deeds is chasing a ghost of a mystery. Someone killed Sheriff Charlie Wade, and all fingers point to Buddy Deeds, Sam’s late father. However, there’s far more to it, and Deeds vows to get to the bottom of it. John Sayles’ LONE STAR is far more than a murder mystery, as it asks difficult questions about our past and our dedication to our roots. Searingly personal and deeply thoughtful, LONE STAR may be Sayles’ best work.

45. THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE

Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
Ed Crane is a shadow of a man. Pallid, uninspired, forgettable, the only difference he makes in the world is when he cuts the hair of his customers at the local barber shop. However, he soon sees the future in dry cleaning and comes up with a convoluted plot to blackmail his boss, who’s having an affair with his wife. Still, nothing ever did go right for Crane, why should they begin to now? THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE, written and directed with a very gentle hand by the Coen brothers, is a elegiac, graceful ghost story.

44. THE THIN RED LINE
Written and directed by Terrence Malick
Based on the novel by James Jones, THE THIN RED LINE is a meditative look at war. Set during World War II, we follow a group of soldiers fighting in the Guadacanal. As Army Rifle C-for-Charlie company is under siege, many soldiers reflect on their lives at home, what it means to take a life, to love, to exist. It is only when we are destroying another when we fully begin to understand ourselves.

43. DELICATESSEN
Written by Giles Adrien, Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet
A feast for the eyes and senses, DELICATESSEN, the first film from Pierre-Jeunet, is an oddball vision of a future world. In a dilapidated apartment complex existing in the literal middle of nowhere, a butcher flails and cooks the residents, serving them up to hungry customers. When an ex-clown comes to stay in the hotel, he immediately causes havoc, falling for the butcher’s daughter and unknowlingly assisting a massive anti-money resistance. DELICATESSEN is a bit of magic, an enchanted film about love and beauty in an otherwise dark world.

42. L'EMPLOI DU TEMPS (TIME OUT)

Written by Robin Campillo and Laurent Cantet
Directed by Laurent Cantet
Vincent is a good father and a loving husband, but he’s not telling his family, or anyone else, the truth. Leaving every morning in suit and tie, Vincent is not actually going to work. He doesn’t even have a job. Laid off months ago, he instead drives around the countryside, staring at the sky, reading the paper, occasionally strolling into office buildings, pretending he’s one of them. What’s most humorous about Vincent’s story is that by pretending he works, he may actually be more productive than he’d be had he kept his job. What’s most disturbing is that Vincent is afraid to go into the real world, frightened of what his family will think of him, and he’s suffocating under the weight of society’s expectations. Perhaps the movie that OFFICE SPACE would be had it not been obsessed with kooky characters and insincere lessons, TIME OUT manages to simultaneously disturb and fascinate.

41. UNFORGIVEN
Written by David Webb Peoples
Directed by Clint Eastwood
"I've killed women and children. I've killed everything that walks or crawls at one time or another. And I'm here to kill you, Little Bill, for what you done to Ned," says Bill Mumy in UNFORGIVEN. Spoken like a world weary killer, these might have been the dying words of the cinematic cowboy. As a genre, Westerns haven't had any success since Clint Eastwood's deconstruction of the cowboy, a thoughtful and downbeat depiction of a man who has killed and never wishes to any longer.

40. THE WAR ZONE
Written by Alexander Stuart
Directed by Tim Roth
Achingly personal and deeply affecting, Tim Roth’s directorial debut is as bleak as they come. Adapted by Alexander Stuart from his own book, the story follows young Freddie, a 15 year old living in a poor shanty with his family. Little does he understand about his mother’s pregnancy and his father’s angry temperament that can help him grow up. However, when he learns his father is having an affair with his young sister, he is forced to face emotions that he never figured he would have. THE WAR ZONE is an unforgettably harrowing examination of a family torn apart by secrets.

39. TODO SOBRE MI MADRE (ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER)

Written and directed by Pedro Almodovar
When Esteban, a young would be writer, dies in a horrible accident, his mother decides to fulfill what would have been his dying wishes, seeking out his real father, a transvestite who has moved to Barcelona. Along the way, she meets a colorful cast of characters, some male, some female, some a little bit of both, that help her understand the true meaning of being a mother and the essence of a woman. A heartfelt valentine to all mothers everywhere, Almodovar’s tender tragicomedy stirs the soul.

38. THE KILLING FIELDS
Written by Bruce Robinson
Directed by Roland Joffe
When US journalist Sydney Schanberg visits Cambodia to cover the Civil War, he befriends Dith Pran, a local reporter eager to present the world with the knowledge of the massacres occurring that tear Cambodia apart. However, when Schanberg leaves, Pran is left behind to suffer. A stirring, beautiful portrait of the terrible damage anger and negligence can create, THE KILLING FIELDS takes its issues seriously, and paints a horrifying picture of a world gone wrong.

37. THIS IS SPINAL TAP
Written by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner and Harry Shearer
Directed by Rob Reiner
Unlike any other comedy before it, THIS IS SPINAL TAP truly defined a new era in comedy. The story of “England’s loudest band,” this fake documentary culled from hours and hours of improvisational footage followed the band through a disastrous tour that unfolds as the band’s popularity begins to dwindle. Although its packed to the brim with unforgettable dialogue and wonderfully funny visual gags, the greatness of SPINAL TAP lies in the actors’ total convictions in the characters. Three comedic performances have never been in sync the way Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer’s are. An unmatched comedic classic.

36. HANA-BI (FIREWORKS)

Written and directed by Takeshi Kitano
Nishi is a detective whose lost it all. His wife has contracted a fatal disease, his partner was paralyzed and in need of money, and he is in debt to the yakuza. Fearing that his life will soon be over and cease to have meaning, Nishi decides to devote his time towards getting enough money for his partner and for himself while also comprehending what more there is to life when you’ve lost it all. Touching, meditative and Gorgeously haunting, HANA-BI is sure to stay with you the next time you come in contact with death.

35. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
Written by Frances Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Peter Jackson
Directed by Peter Jackson
The first installment of the adaptations of JRR Tolken’s sprawling epics, Jackson’s masterpiece effortlessly tells the story of the courage of Frodo Baggins and the undying loyalty from those around him as they attempt to take the powerful ring to the fires of Modor. Staged with massively impressive attention to detail and gliding along on an electrifying pace, THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING is a monumental achievement in every cinematic manner.

34. INSOMNIA

Written by Nikolaj Frobenius and Erik Skjoldbjaerg
Directed by Erik Skjoldbjaerg
Recently remade for Hollywood, Skjoldbjaerg’s unsettling thriller is a cat-and-cat chase, where both sides of the law have deep, dark secrets and shameful intentions. Stellan Skarsgaard’s ethereal, tortured performance drives the uncomfortable, teetering pace, up to a nastily fascinating ending that easily tops the American version in the creepfest factor.

33. FARGO
Written and directed by the Coen brothers
In the world of the Coen brothers, no con is ever safe. That’s especially true in FARGO, the Coens’ darkly hilarious yarn of a kidnapping plan that is far from reliable, and ends up far from successful. A painfully funny tale about the failure of humanity with the worst of intentions, FARGO is an often shocking and always entertaining fable of foils.

32. MALCOLM X
Written by Arnold Perl and Spike Lee
Directed by Spike Lee
Fiery and charismatic, electrifying and controversial, Spike Lee’s MALCOLM X is a suiting interpretation of the life of the great African American leader. Pigenholed by a media curious about the black movement, crucified for a white public and to this day, still discussed, Malcolm X was ideal material for Lee to attempt. What he revealed to the world was an explosive film that, with the performance by Denzel Washington, bursts onto the screen, with limitless energy and character, a statement onto itself.

31. MY LEFT FOOT

Written by Shane Connaughton and Jim Sheridan
Directed by Jim Sheridan
The heartbreaking story of Christy Brown is told in MY LEFT FOOT, Jim Sheridan’s deeply emotional portrayal of a handicapped artist. Born to a poor family, Brown was a quadriplegic prone to violent seizures and only his left foot under his control. Tortured by many who claimed he was but a vegetable, Brown eventually grows into a successful painter, poet and writer. As unbelievably inspirational as true stories can be, MY LEFT FOOT doesn’t touch a single insincere bone.

30. HAPPINESS

Written and directed by Todd Solondz
A father with bizarre sexual urges. A sex freak who can only masturbate during prank calls. A couple finding themselves growing older and becoiming sexually defunct with each other. Three sisters in the middle suffer to make sense of it all in Todd Solondz's HAPPINESS, a viciuous take on suburban sexuality and romantic dysfunction. Tinged with acid-nasty dialogue and wholesome characters with loathsome intentions, HAPPINESS is a dirty little film, and also one of the funniest of the nineties.

29. THE INSIDER
Written by Eric Roth and Michael Mann
Directed by Michael Mann
Based on the true story of a tobacco whistleblower who came out on national television with the truth, Michael Mann's 1999 drama is far more exciting than it has any right to be. Front-loaded with powerful performances by Al Pacino and Russell Crowe and an especially stunning turn from Christopher Plummer, THE INSIDER spreads tension like a virus, every scene blistering with dramatic power and explosive suspense.

28. QUIZ SHOW
Written by Paul Attanasio
Directed by Robert Redford
As millions of people watched, good looking Charles Van Doren ran away with TWENTY ONE, the game show craze sweeping the nation in the 1950's. However, what America didn't know that Van Doren was being given the answers, being pushed by higher ups with deep pockets. Robert Redford's dark expose into the heart of a naive country is a perceptively smart presentation of a scnadal that still resonates deeply in television culture.

27. YOU CAN COUNT ON ME

Written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan
When Shelly finds herself struggling to take care of her son after her parents pass away, she gets in contact with her brother, a has-been druggie looking to clean up. Not surprisingly, they learn from each other, although what they teach each other is not always too positive. If you've ever had a sibling that you truly loved, YOU CAN COUNT ON ME is a must-see.

26. BIG NIGHT
Written by Joseph Tropiano and Stanley Tucci
Directed by Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci
BIG NIGHT is cinematic tastiness at near perfection. A culnary classic, BIG NIGHT follows Primo and Secondo, two Italian brothers slaving over the family business, a restaurant known for its exquisite meals and minimal patronage. However, when a fellow restauranter offers Secondo a chance to host a musician, Primo must put together the tastiest feast of his career. BIG NIGHT is a film to be savored, tasted and enjoyed.

25. JFK
Written by Oliver Stone and Zachary Sklar
Directed by Oliver Stone
Conspiracy theories aside, Oliver Stone paints a revealing portrait of one of the most analyzed events in American history. When DA Jim Garrison detects a number of flaws in the FBI’s report on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, he makes enemies of many people who don’t like questions being asked. Informative and often surprising.

24. BREAKING THE WAVES
Written by Lars Von Trier and Peter Asmussen
Directed by Lars Von Trier
When Jan, a happy husband and oilman, is injured in a fatal accident, he urges his loving wife to do something special for him. Afraid of losing what is human about himself, Jan realizes he’ll never get an opportunity to make love again. He asks Bess to become sexually promiscuous with other men in order to come to him and share the passionate details. It is not long before Bess’ sexual appetite becomes massive, as she yearns to bring pleasure to Jan. An almost pornographically emotional movie, as Von Trier’s films tend to be, BREAKING THE WAVES has a raw emotional power that scars the soul.

23. SCHINDLER'S LIST
Written by Steve Zallian
Directed by Steven Spielberg
In telling the story of Oskar Schindler, a man who turns his ruthless desires into noble goals, Spielberg had to find a way to tone his childlike glee found in all his other works. In SCHINDLER’S LIST, he shaped the true story into a bleak and gut-wrenching epic, the story of a flawed man trying to make a difference amidst death and hatred. Undoubtedly his greatest accomplishment, SCHINDLER’S LIST is a piercing ode to the human spirit.

22. LEPA SELA LEPO GORE (PRETTY VILLAGE, PRETTY FLAME)

Written by Vanja Bulic, Srdjan Dragojevic, Biljana Maksic and Nikola Pejakovic
Directed by Srdjan Dragojevic
At times gut wrenchingly sad, painfully disturbing, outrageously hilarious and completely badass, LEPO SELA is the true story of a Muslim and a Serb, both best friends growing up, who find themselves on opposite sides of a civil war. Trapped in a tunnel with a handful of fellow soldiers, the Serbians discuss strategy, crack jokes and laugh at their own misfortune, for they are doomed once they leave, targets of a likely Muslim ambush. The film flashes back and forth between this and scenes from a hospital where all the soldiers are cared for, side by side, all in various horrid conditions. Cleverly satiric and shockingly violent, LEPO SELA manages to tackle many issues and present to us a cheekily subversive view of the violence in Bosnia.

21. FUNNY GAMES
Written and directed by Michael Haneke
There is not much story to Michael Haneke's daringly sadistic FUNNY GAMES. Early on, we get a glimpse of a loving family, a couple and their child. When arriving at their summer home, they are greeted by two young brothers claiming to be friends of the neighbors. However, once invited into the house, their rudeness begins to hint that their intentions might not be altogether friendly. When their rudeness is met with anger, the brothers quickly and violently take the family hostage, beating and torturing them through a number of fiendishly foolish and ugly contests, for the pleasure of an audience that they acknowledge from time to time. FUNNY GAMES is not a suspense thriller, but rather a graphic and startling portrayal of violence and its effect on the audience.

20. BOOGIE NIGHTS
Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Everybody wants something out of reach in BOOGIE NIGHTS. Despite a new high profile porn gig, Eddie Addams naively wants to be a star. Amber Waves wants to be with her son, but her career and cocaine addiction are in the way. Jack Horner is a porn auteur with artistic aspirations that he can never achieve in the porn genre. Together, they represent the heart of BOOGIE NIGHTS, a roaring, ambitious, expansive ensemble piece about porn peddlers in the 1970’s and 1980’s. By putting the camera on struggling artists in a then-flailing industry, Paul Thomas Anderson has gone and made the ultimate film about porn and art in America.

19. AMADEUS
Written by Peter Shaffer
Directed by Milos Foreman
Antonio Saleri is alight with fury and rage whenever he discusses the divinity of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his music. Surely, he believes that Mozart is channeling God when he plays. Instead of supporting him, Saleri is insanely jealous, believing that he could be an equal musician had God blessed him with equal talents. While AMADEUS spotlights the rivalry between the angered Saleri and the gleefully insane Amadeus, it also paints a picture of artistic aspirations gone awry.

18. BLUE VELVET
Written and directed by David Lynch
As we are introduced to Anytown America, glimpsing the green grass and blue sky, BLUE VELVET paints a loving portrait of suburban American. At this point, the film’s protagonist Jeffery Beaumont finds a severed ear in the grass, and we see that David Lynch clearly has more sinister intentions for BLUE VELVET. We are soon drawn into a mystery so dark and demented that it’s impossible to decipher anything. Beautifully oblique and bizarre, BLUE VELVET is a masterpiece of suburban America’s underbelly.

17. RUSHMORE

Written by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson
Directed by Wes Anderson
Max Fischer has been concentrating too much on extracurricular studies. His grades illustrate that he is being threatened with expulsion from the prestigious Rushmore Academy, and he wonders what his direction in life is. Max Blume is a tired old millionaire factory magnate who shares a mutual disinterest with his family and has grown exhausted at the thought of his job. He wants something new in life, something to pursue, something to chase. RUSHMORE is about our pursuit of something intangible, something that defines us as a person. It’s about gleefully unlikable characters not growing up but becoming frustrated and angered at their lack of success. RUSHMORE is about justifying one’s existence, and how far some of us are willing to go for it.

16. THE ICE STORM
Written by James Schamus
Directed by Ang Lee
Set in the Midwest during the 1970’s, at a time of sexual revolution, the youth of America could not look to their elders for guidance in sexual matters because they had issues of their own. As the Hoods, Ben and Elena, begin to fall apart, their children begin experimenting with sex as well, and soon the entire town is stuck in a sea of improper sexual trysts under a vicious ice storm. Ang Lee’s gift for storytelling is apparent in every frame, every scene, and THE ICE STORM becomes a tragedy of the American family and the sexual freedom that defined the era.

15. TROIS COULEURS
Written by Krzysztof Kieslowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz
Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski
Three stories. Three virtues. Three women. Three films. All released within months of each other in 1993 and 1994, the THREE COLORS films represent a monumental filmmaking achievement. While BLEU focuses on the tragic death of a woman’s family and her desperate attempts to get her life back in order despite discouraging revelations about her late husband, BIALY is a darkly comic tale of a man attempting to get back at the lover that jilted him, in gothically humorous fashion. ROUGE, however, is the darkest and most complex of the three, focusing on a woman who develops an uneasy relationship with a sleazy retired judge who spies on other’s phone conversations. Deeply affecting and penetratingly emotional, the TROIS COULEURS films represent the most fascinating areas of human emotions.

14. THE USUAL SUSPECTS

Written by Christopher McQuarrie
Directed by Bryan Singer
There was a reason for them to be there. There was a reason for five lowlife criminals to meet for a lineup to determine the guilty party of a crime none of them committed. In THE USUAL SUSPECTS, no one is innocent, as five colorful characters from a rogue’s gallery team up to commit a huge heist, only to fail miserably through a setup. But who is Keyser Soze? With dialogue that sizzles and an ending that’s beyond unpredictable, THE USUAL SUSPECTS is a superb mystery, where nothing is what it seems.

13. GOODFELLAS
Written by Nicholas Pileggi and Martin Scorsese
Directed by Martin Scorsese
The ultimate modern day gangster saga, GOODFELLAS’ timeless narrative exists in a world just beginning to rationalize the gangster lifestyle. No longer drunk on GODFATHER fantasies, mob figures reside in shiny houses in the middle of innocent suburban locales. It is here where we find Henry Hill, who has worked his way up in the mafia, hit by hit. Still, he has to contend with a curious wife and a conscious that threatens to render him too human for the trade. GOODFELLAS, with its energetic pace, exciting cast and rapid-fire dialogue, is the last great gangster movie.

12. THE PIANIST

Written by Ronald Hardwood
Directed by Roman Polanski
Sparse and desolate, the destroyed Warsaw ghetto is far from the ideal place for a literally starving artist. However, what THE PIANIST illustrates is how sometimes, in the most dire of times, it is art that helps us survive. Trapped in an abandoned, bombed out building, long separated from his family, Wladyslaw Szpilman doesn’t seem to have a reason to go on. However, once he heads downstairs and finds a piano, his eyes light up. His fingers come alive as the notes fly from the instrument, kissing the air. THE PIANIST is not about a hero or a villain. It is about one man, staying alive, persevering, simply continuing to be for the sake of his art.

11. MULHOLLAND DRIVE
Written and directed by David Lynch
An electrifying fever dream, MULHOLLAND DRIVE is Lynch’s most playfully oblique and fascinatingly dark opus. Beginning with an amnesia patient stumbling into Hollywood, and ending with a literal bang, although of what kind we can’t be sure, MULHOLLAND DRIVE takes a peak into a naïve Hollywood where ghosts are chased, bodies are swapped and dreams are distorted views of other dreams existing in opposite realities. It’s impossible to perfectly summarize MULHOLLAND DRIVE, a film that truly exists in the eye of the beholder, but unfolds backwards and forwards in the mind of the curious.

10. RAN
Written by Masato Ide, Akira Kurosawa and Hideo Oguni
Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Meticulously organized and epically staged, Kurosawa’s RAN is a magnificent, sweepingly hypnotic and revisionist retelling of Shakespeare’s KING LEAR. Setting the story in feudal Japan, Kurosawa shapes the story of a king looking to divide his land among his three songs as a parable on Eastern philosophy about redemption and forgiveness. Unabashedly gorgeous and with battle scenes that rival any in cinematic history, RAN is an epic filmmaking achievement.

9. BEING JOHN MALKOVICH

Written by Charlie Kaufman
Directed by Spike Jonze
Insanely Bunel-ian in its deconstruction of the myth of celebrity, BEING JOHN MALKOVICH is beyond creative, existing on a plane somewhere between nonsense and genius. Focusing on an unemployed puppeteer looking to get out of his dead end life by selling off trips through a portal into the mind of actor John Malkovich, Spike Jonze’s directorial debut is a bizarre but brilliantly effective analysis of the weight people place on celebrity and the lengths to which they can shape our personas.

8. ROBOT CARNIVAL
Directed by Atsuko Fukushima, Hiroyuki Kitakubo, Hiroyuki Kitazume, Mao Lamdao, Kouji Morimoto, Takashi Nakamura, Hidetoshi Omori, Yasuomi Umetsu and Katsuhiro Otomo
An anthology of stories all based on robots, ROBOT CARNIVAL is a film that perfectly communicates the power of the medium of anime. Occasionally heartbreaking, humorous, exciting and awe-inspiring, the stories ROBOT CARNIVAL has to tell represent the best this medium has to offer. A must-see for anyone with even a cursory interest in anime.

7. DUT YEUNG NIN WA (IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE)

Written and directed by Wong Kar-Wai
Nobody removes a single significant article of clothing in IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, and still, Wong Kar-Wai’s seventh film could possibly be the sexiest film ever made. When Su and Chow, two attractive neighbors, find out that their mates are both having affairs, they begin a hypnotic romance that intoxicates both of their souls. Visually arresting, IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE grabs you and serenades you with the look of love.

6. UNDERGROUND
Written by Dusan Kovacevic
Directed by Emir Kusturica
Odd, abstract and bursting with song, UNDERGROUND is a visceral kamikaze of ideas and feelings, music and love. Marko and Blacky are two friends in Yugoslavia who herd everyone underground during World War II, manufacturing weapons for radicals. However, the war never shows any signs of dying down, and Marko and Blacky’s relationship is tested. Spanning decades, UNDERGROUND is a collage of ideas and imagery that bursts out of the screen.

5. LA CONFIDENTIAL
Written by Brian Helgeland and Curtis Hanson
Directed by Curtis Hanson
Three cops are torn by ethics and a case involving corrupt police officers in LA CONFIDENTIAL. Curtis Hanson’s labyrinth drama has an almost fetishistic desire to replicate the details of 1950’s Los Angeles, where no cop is clean, and where no murder is simple. Filled with snappy dialogue and rapid-fire intense performances, LA CONFIDENTIAL harkens back to CHINATOWN in its brilliant pacing and classy direction.

4. PULP FICTION
Written by Roger Avary and Quentin Tarantino
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino is recycling millions of B-movie clichés in PULP FICTION, and still, it seems as fresh as any movie of the past thirty years. Interweaving several stories together, PULP FICTION is a pastiche of what is old, jazzed up with electric dialogue and brilliantly clever performances. Bursting onto the screen, PULP FICTION is a cinematic firecracker, a passionately inventive masterpiece.

3. DO THE RIGHT THING
Written and directed by Spike Lee
Brooklyn. A “melting pot” of race. While some consider that a mark of pride, Spikee Lee looks at it as a potential powderkeg of rage in DO THE RIGHT THING. The most honest film about race in the last thirty years, Lee depicts hate and intolerance as erupting simply out of those that fail to get along. A film about our anger and confrontations, DO THE RIGHT THING does not pretend to paint a pretty picture but instead exposes us for who we are.

2. HEAVENLY CREATURES

Written by Frances Walsh and Peter Jackson
Directed by Peter Jackson
The love is real in HEAVENLY CREATURES. Based on a disturbing true story, Peter Jackson's intimate masterpiece focuses on Pauline and Juliet, two young girls beginning to discover their sexuality when they become best friends for life. Unfortunately, with their love looked upon as not necessarily proper, their parents set out to seperate them. However, it only causes them to become closer and imagine a fantasy world where the two can escape together. Beginning on a sweetly personal note, expanding to become something far more epic, and eventually ending on a nastily disturbing notion, HEAVENLY CREATURES sizzles with disturbingly bittersweet panache.

Uh, okay... so?

1. CINEMA PARADISO

Written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore
For anyone who's ever loved cinema, grown up on film, or fallen head over heels for the images on screen, CINEMA PARADISO is cinematic bliss. Salvatore is an aging filmmaker who returns to Sicily after 30 years to honor the memory of Alfredo, the kindly old man who worked at the local movie theater, showing him at an early age the magic of the cinema. Bittersweet, gorgeous and sincere, CINEMA PARADISO is one of the greatest love stories ever told.

Additions later...

I just compounded the usual movie criticism touchstones but included significance and influence as far as some of the older films. In other words, I made the list a year ago, and if I made it now, things would be different.

Thanks for reading.

Why thank you.

Finally, a fellow ROBOT CARNIVAL fan!