Read on Twitter
Saw this shared by a friend, and gonna do it here, too, at least until I get bored...
1. Kung Fu Hustle. Tells a delightful and optimistic story, with some really wonderful nods to classic films and unexpected twists! (And really cool characters!)
2. Field of Dreams. Soooo many movies about wonderful magical events also end up stressing, essentially, "all good things must come to an end." Field of Dreams destroys that notion, and gives us an ending that makes everything that has happened before make sense.
3. Hard Boiled. This Hong Kong action movie has some of the most beautiful gunfights you'll ever see on film, and it is ridiculously over the top. Near the end, the bad guy says, "the innocent must die." And neither he nor the movie are kidding!
4. Trollhunter. This Norwegian found footage movie is part horror, part comedy, and does both perfectly! And the trolls are beautifully rendered and absolutely terrifying.
5. Die Hard. Do I have to say anything more? The perfect action movie. Not sure that there has ever been a better one, or ever will be.
6. Groundhog Day. A comedy where the comedy aspect is intentionally understated. In the end, it becomes a beautiful story of personal growth. And Phil's attempts to end himself carry a huge emotional punch.
7. The Mummy. A story that has traditionally been played for horror, turned into an action movie. It shouldn't have worked, honestly, but the cast -- Fraser, Weisz, Vosloo, Hannah, Fehr, O'Connor -- make it a true joy.
8. The Last Jedi. Soooo controversial with people, but its theme of learning and growing from your mistakes resonated POWERFULLY with me! And it included some of the coolest action scenes I've seen in a Star Wars movie. It showed me how Star Wars could grow beyond its roots.
9. The Thin Man. If I remember correctly, this movie was filmed in only a few short weeks, and it is brilliant! A murder mystery elevated to perfection by the performances of William Powell and Myrna Loy as the bantering Nick and Nora Charles. Also a Christmas movie!
10. Metropolis. How can a movie so old feel so relevant and remain so emotionally powerful? I'm not sure, but I love Metropolis, and the first time I saw it was like a revelation.
11. Ace in the Hole. This film noir, with its story of journalistic sensationalism and the awful consequences of it, is still relevant today. And it has one of the most haunting endings of any movie I've ever seen.
12. LA Story. Probably my favorite romantic comedy. Not only does it present and absurd and hilarious Los Angeles, but it presents romantic partners that are delightfully weird and quirky in their own ways. And it introduced me to the music of Enya!
13. The Mothman Prophecies. What one of my friends called an "existential horror movie." What it is, on top of being a bizarre and subtle horror story, is a tale of loss and how to move on after you've suffered through tragedy. And the finale is FANTASTIC.
14. Bad Day at Black Rock. Another film noir, but one that veers almost into horror! When a war veteran arrives at a small western town looking for an old friend, he finds that the locals have a secret -- and may never let him leave.
15. It's a Wonderful Life. The ending ALWAYS makes me tear up. Always. "No man is a failure who has friends."
16. The Haunting. What I consider to be the best horror movie ever made. Like all good horror movies, it is as much about the characters as it is about the horror. A masterpiece in recognizing that what we don't see is more scary than what we do. PS Theo is fab
17. The Fifth Element. I always call this "the best worst movie ever." Its completely nonsensical plot should make it awful, but the sincerity and style make it one of the most watchable movies ever!
18. The Thing. One of the most pants-wetting terrifying movies ever, with characters who act and react realistically to the nightmare of paranoia around them. And, unlike what I said earlier, we see all sorts of monsters up close and it's even more terrifying.
19. Mississippi Burning. About 90% of this movie is nails-on-a-chalkboard painful to watch, due to the horrific depictions of racist terrorism. But it is an important history lesson. And when the FBI gets its shit together...
20. The Running Man. This movie seems practically prophetic in its depiction of reality TV being used to distract the masses from a tyrannical government. But it is also fantastic action and humor, and Schwarzenegger at the top of his game.
21. Flash Gordon. A movie that, on a first go, seems incredibly cheesy. After you've seen it a few times, however, you realize the cheese is intentional and that there's wit built into every line. I need a gif of Ming saying "Why not?" when Zarkov says "why do you attack us?"
22. Manhunter. Brian Cox will always be my Dr. Lecter! The first movie adaptation of Red Dragon by Michael Mann is stylish and unsettling. William Petersen as Will Graham really sells a character risking his sanity to save lives.
23. Quick Change. Lotta Bill Murray movies in my favorites! What starts as a comedic heist movie turns into a classic "everything goes wrong" movie. It pulls of the marvelous trick of having people who are basically opponents both win! (Also drags NYC hard!)
24. Kelly's Heroes. War movie, heist movie, and comedy all wrapped up into one! My favorite war movie in how it depicts the cynicism and hypocrisy of war. Lulls you in with humor and then shocks you!
25. Daimajin. A *very* Japanese monster film! The countryside is tormented by an evil usurping ruler for years, until the ancient spirit in the mountain gets sick of his crap and WRECKS him! Very "old school" sort of supernatural revenge!
26. Army of Darkness. I hadn't even *seen* Evil Dead II when I went to see this, and I laughed my ass off at this horror-comedy! Bruce Campbell makes it one of the most quotable movies ever. "It's a trick. Get an axe."
27. Mulholland Drive. This disturbing and inscrutable David Lynch movie contains one of the most terrifying scenes I've ever seen! It also introduced me to Rebekah Del Rio's magnificent "Llorando."
28. Dredd. Sooo underappreciated as a brilliant adaptation of the Judge Dredd comics! Karl Urban is perfect in the role, and the small, self-contained story works well to capture the essence of the dystopia.
29. Iron Monkey. This martial arts fantasy is filled with larger than life characters and absurd, and absurdly good, martial arts action! The story of a masked avenger playing robin hood against a corrupt ruler. Also: Donnie Yen!
30. The Shawshank Redemption. Well, duh. The most powerful movies that can give you hope don't flinch away from showing you how crappy the world can be but then show you that we can transcend its crappiness.
31. Ghostbusters. Another Bill Murray classic! One of the rare portrayals of scientists that is both sympathetic and accurate (not to mention hilarious).
32. Commando. One of Schwarzenegger's earliest roles, it is a goofy action movie that just gets increasingly more ridiculous as it goes.
33. The Warriors. This rather absurd fantasy of a NYC street gang battling its way back to its home turf transcends its absurdity with pure style and excellent action sequences! It was also the first movie I ever saw on a VHS tape.
34. Jesus Christ Superstar. Here's the thing: I'm not even a practicing Christian, but this story of Jesus' sacrifice, told in song, is the closest I get to really "getting" it. Ironic, since it was protested when it came out. And the songs are boppin'.
35. Assault on Precinct 13. One of John Carpenter's earliest, this story of a "supergang" laying siege to a decommissioned precinct is part action, part horror. Introduces one of the coolest antiheroes ever, Napoleon Wilson!
36. My Man Godfrey. Another William Powell classic, about a homeless man who manages to work his way into a wealthy home, is a charming comedy and romance!
