Director: Elia KazanStarring: Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh, Karl Malden
I was surprised with how much this movie entertained me. As many of you may know, I'm not a huge fan of the older movies like this, Citizen Kane, Casablanca, etc. But Streetcar is one of the exceptions to the rule. And I was really surprised with how much of an asshole Brando was as the monstrous Stanley Kowalski, and how much of Scarlett O'Hara I could see in Vivien Leigh's performance as Blanche. But Streetcar was one of the best plays to screen movies I've ever seen, acting both as a solid interpretation of Tennessee William's play, while also allowing the actor's to give each character their own flair.
39. Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Alison Doody
I had a hard time debating between whether I liked Temple of Doom or Last Crusade better. For starters, Temple of Doom was darker and was more willing to take risks over the previous works of both Spielberg and George Lucas. But I chose the third and last good Indiana Jones installment because of a few reasons. First, unlike the pain in the ass Willie Scott, Elsa Schneider is one of the best, if not THE best Indiana Jones love interest, because she is able to trick Jones into thinking she's a good guy, when she really works for the Nazis. Second, was the surreal moment when the adventurous Jones comes face to face with the enemy of the world, Adolf Hitler. Third, because I found this to be the most engaging cast we'd seen since Raiders. Ford is of course brilliant, John Rhys Davies is great as Sallah, and even Connery is an amusing Henry Jones Sr. The one that SHOULD have ended it all, was a brilliant and well thought out adventure told with the best Spielberg had to throw at us.
38. The Big Lebowski (1998)
Direcotrs: The Coen Brothers
Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Sam Elliot
Similarly to Sacha Baron Cohen, when put in a good role (Kevin Flynn for instance), Jeff Bridges may very well be the best actor in Hollywood. As the slacker Jeff Lebowski, Bridges has one of his most glorified roles he's ever taken in, further widening his range as an actor. Of course, The Dude isn't the only reason to like this movie. Of course, you have Sam Elliot's perfectly quotable job as the narrator, John Goodman has my favorite performance of his, and the overall tone of the movie is as Coen as you could possibly get. The Big Lebowski is a national treasure that is fun to watch sober, and according to my friend Phil, even funner to watch trashed.
37. The Incredibles (2004)
Director: Brad Bird
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Holly Hunter
After a good long time debating whether I liked Wall-e or The Incredibles more, I decided The Incredibles was better, simply because of all the long waits I've had for movies, from Avatar to Revenge of the Sith, this film was the only one to completely match my expectations. Every member of the Parr family is likable, and in the Pixar line of brilliance, star actors are cast only when the situation deemed it necessary, such as with Jackson being Frozone. The animation of the humans is the best to date, the action is some of the best in any superhero movie, and the villain is as dastardly as he is unlikable. The plot is unique and comedic, and the movie isn't a sore stick in the mud like Finding Nemo. Stellar in every meaning of the word, The Incredibles is the best Pixar Film made in the pre-owned by Disney days.
36. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellan
Probably the most visually stunning of the three films, Return of the King is probably the most flawed of them all. For instance, why did the movie neglect to address the big elephant in the room in Saruman? (I know he's in the extended editon, but the theatrical cut is the one that matters) But it goes beyond that. You could say this one, more than Fellowship and Two Towers had the most over the top moments, such as Denethor running through the halls and out into the courtyard ablaze and not dying until falling to his death. And need I brign up the Eagles? But aside from that, King does give us the sickest and most thrilling battle ever composited on a computer and combined with human elements. We see the final battle for the One Ring of power, the true chaos of Gondor, and the final struggles Frodo and Sam have with bringing the Ring into Mordor while trying not to fall prey to Gollum's schemes. Many lows, but also many highs, Return of the King is still a solid film, even if the endings go on forever.
35. Pinocchio (1940)
Directors: Ben Sharpsteen, Hamilton Luske
Producer: Walt Disney
Starring: Cliff Edwards, Dickie Jones, Christian Rub
After the stunning success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio had a ton of ground to make up. Nevertheless, in the days when Walt Disney pursued nothing short of perfection in his films, Pinocchio is and incredible achievement not only in animation, but also in film making in general. A story without as much humor but twice the charm of Snow White, Pinocchio is a marvel to look at and experience. The songs are as good as it's predecessor, the animation is far more beautiful, and the story, while more episodic, still manages to give the world the animators created enough charm and story to pass for a lifetime. Disney would not match the caliber of art in Pinocchio until 51 years later, but more on that film when we get to it.
34. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
Directors: Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill, America Ferrara
It should come as a surprise to no one that when it comes to Dreamworks films, I'm less of an optimist and more of a pessimist. Most of the films that they've made over the last nearly 20 years have been mediocre at best. But every once in a while, they come out with a gem. How to Train Your Dragon is one of those gems. While the story isn't too original, the unique twists and turns given to each character make this film more than interesting to watch. But the stunning animation and the musical score are more than worth the price for admission, giving the world a sense of depth and epic tone that could only be matched by animated Disney films from the 90's. Hiccup is an engaging lead, Astrid gives us the overconfident crush, and even Gerard Butler gives us a good performance as Hiccup's dad who doesn't agree with his son's views. This was so far one of three Dreamworks films that deserved sequels, and a stunning masterpiece that should be enjoyed by all for a very long time.
33. Catch Me if You Can (2002)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Amy Adams, Christopher Walken
I first saw this film in AP US History class in 11th grade, and I've been hooked ever since. The stunning true story about a 19 year old con artist getting away with check forgeries and outwitting cops at practically every turn was so ingenious to me, that I thought it couldn't have happened. But it turns out, the story of Frank Abagnale Jr. and his pursuer Carl Hanratty was not only true, but almost word for word in the story. Leo gives us my favorite performance of his, while Tom Hanks is good as usual as Hanratty. Even Christopher Walken gives us a chillingly good performance as Abagnale Sr. A thriller for the ages, Catch Me if You Can will always have a special place in my heart.
32. Up (2009)
Director: Pete Docter
Starring: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer
I'm gonna try to save all of my opinions regarding the brilliance of this movie for my upcoming review of it. But, wow! I mean, wow! What a freaking movie this was! I honestly thought the movie could have ended with Ellie passing in the beginning. This was probably the only other animated film alongside Beauty and the Beast that deserved Oscar recognition. Everything in this movie works so well. I mean, literally everything. I won't give too much more of my opinion on this one away, but...WOW!
31. South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut (1999)
Director: Trey Parker
Starring: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Isaac Hayes
Who else thought that parental censorship would bring about a full scale war between the US and Canada and ultimately the rise of Satan? I'm not kidding. This is the plot of the South Park movie. This is quite possibly the funniest movie I've ever seen. The music is surprisingly catchy (and unlike Seth MacFarlane, they didn't just steal melodies), and the story is hilarious, if not as much far-fetched. While not technical milestone like other contemporary films, South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut is perhaps better than most of the films released around the same time. Why? Because it set the record for most swears in an animated film. End of discussion.
37. The Incredibles (2004)
Director: Brad Bird
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Holly Hunter
After a good long time debating whether I liked Wall-e or The Incredibles more, I decided The Incredibles was better, simply because of all the long waits I've had for movies, from Avatar to Revenge of the Sith, this film was the only one to completely match my expectations. Every member of the Parr family is likable, and in the Pixar line of brilliance, star actors are cast only when the situation deemed it necessary, such as with Jackson being Frozone. The animation of the humans is the best to date, the action is some of the best in any superhero movie, and the villain is as dastardly as he is unlikable. The plot is unique and comedic, and the movie isn't a sore stick in the mud like Finding Nemo. Stellar in every meaning of the word, The Incredibles is the best Pixar Film made in the pre-owned by Disney days. 36. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellan
Probably the most visually stunning of the three films, Return of the King is probably the most flawed of them all. For instance, why did the movie neglect to address the big elephant in the room in Saruman? (I know he's in the extended editon, but the theatrical cut is the one that matters) But it goes beyond that. You could say this one, more than Fellowship and Two Towers had the most over the top moments, such as Denethor running through the halls and out into the courtyard ablaze and not dying until falling to his death. And need I brign up the Eagles? But aside from that, King does give us the sickest and most thrilling battle ever composited on a computer and combined with human elements. We see the final battle for the One Ring of power, the true chaos of Gondor, and the final struggles Frodo and Sam have with bringing the Ring into Mordor while trying not to fall prey to Gollum's schemes. Many lows, but also many highs, Return of the King is still a solid film, even if the endings go on forever.35. Pinocchio (1940)
Directors: Ben Sharpsteen, Hamilton Luske
Producer: Walt Disney
Starring: Cliff Edwards, Dickie Jones, Christian Rub
After the stunning success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio had a ton of ground to make up. Nevertheless, in the days when Walt Disney pursued nothing short of perfection in his films, Pinocchio is and incredible achievement not only in animation, but also in film making in general. A story without as much humor but twice the charm of Snow White, Pinocchio is a marvel to look at and experience. The songs are as good as it's predecessor, the animation is far more beautiful, and the story, while more episodic, still manages to give the world the animators created enough charm and story to pass for a lifetime. Disney would not match the caliber of art in Pinocchio until 51 years later, but more on that film when we get to it.34. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
Directors: Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill, America Ferrara
It should come as a surprise to no one that when it comes to Dreamworks films, I'm less of an optimist and more of a pessimist. Most of the films that they've made over the last nearly 20 years have been mediocre at best. But every once in a while, they come out with a gem. How to Train Your Dragon is one of those gems. While the story isn't too original, the unique twists and turns given to each character make this film more than interesting to watch. But the stunning animation and the musical score are more than worth the price for admission, giving the world a sense of depth and epic tone that could only be matched by animated Disney films from the 90's. Hiccup is an engaging lead, Astrid gives us the overconfident crush, and even Gerard Butler gives us a good performance as Hiccup's dad who doesn't agree with his son's views. This was so far one of three Dreamworks films that deserved sequels, and a stunning masterpiece that should be enjoyed by all for a very long time.33. Catch Me if You Can (2002)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Amy Adams, Christopher Walken
I first saw this film in AP US History class in 11th grade, and I've been hooked ever since. The stunning true story about a 19 year old con artist getting away with check forgeries and outwitting cops at practically every turn was so ingenious to me, that I thought it couldn't have happened. But it turns out, the story of Frank Abagnale Jr. and his pursuer Carl Hanratty was not only true, but almost word for word in the story. Leo gives us my favorite performance of his, while Tom Hanks is good as usual as Hanratty. Even Christopher Walken gives us a chillingly good performance as Abagnale Sr. A thriller for the ages, Catch Me if You Can will always have a special place in my heart.32. Up (2009)
Director: Pete Docter
Starring: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer
I'm gonna try to save all of my opinions regarding the brilliance of this movie for my upcoming review of it. But, wow! I mean, wow! What a freaking movie this was! I honestly thought the movie could have ended with Ellie passing in the beginning. This was probably the only other animated film alongside Beauty and the Beast that deserved Oscar recognition. Everything in this movie works so well. I mean, literally everything. I won't give too much more of my opinion on this one away, but...WOW!31. South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut (1999)
Director: Trey Parker
Starring: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Isaac Hayes
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