#96 The Sting (1973)

I forgot that I have seen this movie before. I believe I watched it with my parents. Anyways, I figured that if I didn't remember the title, I should probably go ahead and rewatch the movie. It was very good! There is a great story. It is like Shawshank Redemption meets Ocean's 11. Plus, I was able to see Paul Newman and Robert Redford team up again. I never know which is which because Paul Newman doesn't look like the dressing bottle in my fridge. There also wasn't as much banter as #146 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, but the story in this movie was much better. Watch it!

"Luther said I could learn some things from you. I already know how to drink." -Johnny Hooker

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#218 Monsters, Inc. (2001)

I was in high school when this came out, and I remember thinking that I was too old for this, and this was just a kids movie. Later, many people told me this movie was wonderful. Since then I have seen most of Pixar's movies but never got around to this one. I was missing an excellent movie! There are tons of laughs, a good story, and great animation. Sure it is a good kid's movie, but it is great for adults as well.

"Hey, did you lose weight, or a limb?" -Sulley

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#102 Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

Sometimes when you watch so many good movies it is really hard to appreciate their goodness. Sometimes you need bad movies thrown in to remind you why these movies are so good. Well this movie definitely breaks the rules. This movie is easily going to shoot towards the top of my next ranking. This movie was so incredibly good! I usually say a movie it worth your time, but this is a movie you need to watch. I know I am biased because it is about law, but seriously, this is gold. This movie is done by Billy Wilder. This is someone whom I just came across while watching these movies. He has six movies on the top 250 (#88 Some Like It Hot, #32 Sunset Blvd., #57 Double Indemnity, #99 The Apartment, #207 Stalag 17, and of course #102 Witness for the Prosecution). I really liked Double Indemnity and this movie was an absolute treat, so I hope Stalag 17 and The Apartment are great too! Here is a copy of the full movie:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIiOkPNDNfU.
The lawyer in this movie had many great quotes but I guess I will only share one.

I am going to do something very unethical. I took your 

cigar but I am not going to take your case." -Sir Wilfrid

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#160 Notorious (1946)

I started watching this without knowing Alfred Hitchcock directed this film. I will go into all the films he did on this list on a later post because there are quite a few. I knew I liked Alfred Hitchcock as a young kid when I used to watch his TV show. They were so much different than anything else from that time, at least anything else that was on TV Land. Anyways, I really liked this movie. It's timeless. This is the second movie I've watched with Cary Grant (#42 North by Northwest) and he basically did the same character again. Whatever. I'll keep an eye out if he is actually all he is cracked up to be. The movie has an excellent story, and I really like how Hitchcock moved the story along and created the suspense. In particular the shot of the champagne bottles slowly disappearing really stuck out. I wasn't so thrilled with the love story in the movie. It was contrived and too similar, in my opinion, to North by Northwest but then again this movie came first. If you can look past the love story, this is a really good movie. Also, this movie is from
1946, which is obviously one year after WWII, and this movie is about finding some Germans, which I found interesting considering the time period.
One last thing, I am starting my internship at the United States Southern District on Monday, and I just got done with my first class to prepare for it, and imagine my surprise when the first scene includes a judge saying he is from the US Southern District. Exciting! This is also the second movie with anything to do with Miami (#88 Some Like It Hot). Look for Alfred Hitchcock's cameo in his movies. They are very easy to spot, at least so far.

"We are protected by the enormity of your stupidity, for a time." -Madame Sebastian

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#32 Sunset Blvd. (1950)

This movie reminds me of #30 Psycho. Also, this movie wasn't entirely shocking because Family Guy made a parody of it so I knew what basically would happen, but then again, I think it was no secret. Overall, this is a solid movie. It is just these older movies have such a slow pace. It doesn't work for my 1990s ADHD mind.  It is always weird when Hollywood makes a movie about itself. It's kind of narcissistic but yet voyeuristic at the same time. There is a good story and that is what carries this movie.

"Then I talked to some yes men; they said no to me." -Joes

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#34 Memento (2000)

So the more I watch anything from Christopher Nolan, the more I think he will be known as one of the top five filmmakers of all time. Even though he has made franchise type films like the Batman series (#105 Batman Begins, #7 Dark Knight, and #49 Dark Knight Rises), which seem to usually make money but doesn't make much in the critical praise department. I know that the new Batman series is one of the most incredible series ever, and it stands head and shoulders above any other comic book series. Then I watched #14 Inception, and thought that movie was original and very interesting. Then I found out he also did #68 The Prestige, which blew my mind when I watched it, and it is one of my favorite movies. What makes Nolan also interesting is that he and his brother write the screenplay. That's impressive. Maybe that means he has more invested in the film. This is the same approach as Stanley Kubrick, and he apparently had great success. Nolan has two new films in the works and one of them is Superman. I don't really like Superman, but maybe I will check it out just because it is Nolan. He has only done eight films and six of them are on the top 250. So imagine my surprise when his named popped up when I put this movie in. I knew this movie would be awesome, and also +Leslie Roskovich told me as much. This was confirmed when I watched it. I don't want to say much, but if this doesn't strike your curiosity, then you are dumb. The entire movie is backwards. I have never heard of another movie like this. This movie definitely scores points for originality. Please watch this movie. It is a mind-bending experience, and worth your time. You have never seen anything like it.

"I don't want to wake up in the morning, thinking she's still here. I lie here not knowing... how long I've been alone. So how... how can I heal? How am I supposed to heal if I can't... feel time?" -Leonard

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#146 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

So two straight westerns in a row! This is apparently based on a true story, but as I read about it later, it is pretty loosely based on a true story. I think this movie felt like a rambling person telling a story. Maybe they were trying to be honest with the storyline, and as a result there seemed to be no real plot excepting looking at these two robbers. Overall, I don't think this movie was that enjoyable, but the characters were fun. Also, this movie makes me understand Blazing Saddles a little more, and especially Gene Wilder's character, Waco Kid. I just think I am not into westerns that much.

Butch Cassidy: "Move in slowly, check out everything. The thing to remember..."

Sundance Kid: "Don't tell me how to rob a bank. I know how to rob a bank."

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#110 For a Few Dollars More (1965)

100th movie seen! 150 to go.
I think, besides Blazing Saddles, this is the first western movie I have ever completed. Of course I would start off with a Clint Eastwood film. I will say that I was very intrigued by this movie in the beginning. It was a riveting storyline, and the characters were introduced in a very intriguing way. I liked it. I also like the sort of dual protagonist approach. The movie began to lose me when it began to become unbelievable. Their shooting was over-the-top accurate. They wouldn't even look down the sights of a handgun and shoot unbelievable distances with incredible accuracy. I can't enjoy that. Plus the story started getting over-the-top as well. The music was wonderful, and Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef were pretty cool though. The movie made me want to shave my beard down to scruff again.

"I was worried about you - all alone, with so many problems to solve..." -Douglas

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#88 Some Like It Hot (1959)

I remember hearing or reading somewhere that this is the funniest movie ever made. I don't agree. This movie just gets its laughs from dressing a couple of guys to look like girls, and then throw the only character Marilyn Monroe seems to ever play and that's the movie. I did laugh a couple of times, which is better than most movies that came out in the 50s so I guess there's that. I am just not all that impressed because a comedy is supposed to make me laugh, and there just wasn't enough. Certainly the story couldn't carry this movie, and maybe this was original when it came out, but not when I am looking back from 2013.

"Real diamonds! They must be worth their weight in gold!" -Sugar

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#82 L.A. Confidential (1997)

I think this is my last Kevin Spacey movie on the top 250. I must say that I like him. Though my favorite with him is American Beauty. I don't have much to say about this film. If you are looking for a good story about cops with some action, bribery, and institutional racism then watch this movie. It's nothing mind blowing, but a good solid story.

"I admire you as a policeman - particularly your adherence to violence 

as a necessary adjunct to the job." -Dudley

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#123 Blade Runner (1982)

I never knew what this movie was about. Personally, I always thought of the video game Grid Runner. Both seem pretty dystopic so I guess there are some similarities. Anyways, I think I figured out how to best enjoy a sci-fi movie. You either have to watch it when it first comes out or as a kid and you haven't been exposed to the ideas the movie brings up. The reason why I say that is because sci-fi movies usually make you think about the future in some way that has never been thought about before. This can easily get dated because we have a different view of how the future actually develops (as with this movie it is supposedly 2019) or the crazy idea that the film explores is no longer original because that thought is now mainstream. Kids can still appreciate it because they haven't been exposed to many different thoughts about the future yet. This should explain why I found the Terminator series great even though it was an old series. The idea of time travel and robots fighting wars against humans was a new concept to me.
I say all of that to say this: I didn't really get into this movie. It is about these bioengineered slaves that are basically indistinguishable from humans except for their empathy. I saw all of this in Terminator (though the first Terminator movie was 1984) and I really didn't ponder much about the future after this movie. I am sure it was just amazing when it came out, but to me, this was just a better 2001: The Space Odyssey. Once again, I can't fault this movie, just the time period in which I finally watched it. I also feel the pace of the movie was a little weird. Chalk it up to the sci-fi genre, I suppose.

"It's too bad she won't live! But then again, who does?" -Gaff

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#222 IP Man (2008)

I never much cared for foreign films. I think it is because the feel of the movies is different, it is hard to appreciate the acting, and it just takes a lot of effort to read the subtitles. The only foreign film I truly loved was #112 Pan's Labyrinth, which you should watch. I decided to watch this movie because I wanted to copy Andrew. As I said earlier, I can't really tell if this movie was cheesy or well done when it comes to acting. The dialogue sure seemed rudimentary, but I will chalk it up to the translation. I get that people want to make a point with their movies, but the portrayal of the Japanese seemed to lack any sort of realism. They weren't even portrayed as realistic villains. This movie seemed like it was produced by jingoistic Chinese flamers. So much of the movie's build up, as far as I am concerned, fell on unappreciated ears. Maybe this is how we portray Nazis? The ending  (no spoilers unless you genuinely don't know who wins WWII) was priceless when the movie subtitles say that the Chinese were able to defeat the Japanese to an unconditional surrender. Somehow I don't think a Kung Fu chop destroyed Hiroshima. Then again maybe America isn't always so honest about Canadian accomplishments. Nevertheless, the movie has cool fight scenes, and if you are like Andrew and want to get that martial arts itch scratched, this would be a good movie. If you want a great storyline, I would look elsewhere.

"I'm just a Chinese man." -Master Ip

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#117 On the Waterfront (1954)

I randomly picked this movie by the title alone. I had no idea this movie was so famous (especially the quote below), and I have never heard of it. If you like union/gangster movies, this is a great one. The main problem I have with older movies is the ridiculous overacting, but I didn't really notice that as much in this movie. It felt authentic. I was talking to +Leslie Roskovich about watching older movies, and what I like about it is that it is like looking through a window to the past. I know it is a fictional story, but it still gives you a look back to the past with at least some authenticity. Check this movie out. It is definitely worth your time. It is available on Hulu+ if you subscribe.

"I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody,

 instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it." -Terry

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#194 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

What is with people splitting books into multiple movies? The first three Lord of the Rings books were done in three movies. Then all of a sudden Hollywood realized splitting one book into three movies is three times more profitable. I don't mind; it just means more chances to to watch Lord of the Rings. Full disclosure, I absolutely love the first three movies. I even own the extended versions. So it is no surprise that I completely loved this movie. There is no other fantasy series that compares. Peter Jackson is the best. The series completely pulls you in, and you feel like this universe exists. This movie, as of now, is my least favorite LOTR movie, but I think that it is hard to compare to the first three. Also, with this movie, the story is just getting started. Although there is some resolution, clearly all three movies are meant to be viewed together (the next one comes out in December, and the next one a year later) so it probably isn't fair to judge this movie till all three are done. Anyways, please watch this series! When all 6 are done, it should only take 18 hours.

"Home is now behind you. The world is ahead." -Gandalf 

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#81 Full Metal Jacket (1987)

I am still not quite sure why there is an obsession with Stanley Kubrick. I like his work, but does he deserve 8 (Full Metal Jacket, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Dr. Strangelove, The Killing, Paths of Glory, The Shining, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon) titles in the top 250 when he only directed 13 feature films? Whatever. I will give Kubrick credit that his movies are all very different but yet feel the same. It is hard to believe the same guy directed (and wrote the screenplay) for The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, and A Clockwork Orange. So different. This movie is good and it is gut wrenching. It tells a story the way you think a story would happen. It has the Kubrick feel to it. I am not sure how to explain it. This movie is about the Vietnam War and it follows one character through basic to... well I don't want to ruin it. The movie definitely explores how war has an affect on young men. This movie was made in the 80s, so you would think it would be cynical towards the war. I feel it was relatively honest.

"Me love you long time."-Hooker

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#66 The Great Dictator (1940)

This apparently is Charlie Chaplin's first full fledged talking picture. He resisted the idea of moving this direction because of his success in silent films. This movie is a ridiculously overt satirization of Hitler. The humor is just a bit too slapstick for me, and the parts that aren't slapstick weren't all that humorous. I will probably never be much of a Charlie Chaplin fan, but I will say one thing that is completely interesting. This movie was made prior to WWII, and released during the war. I was able to see an opinion of Hitler before Hitler was really known for all his terrible things. So from a historical perspective, this was very interesting. It is also so crazy to me that this movie was banned through much of Europe. This movie that I just watched was deemed worthy to be banned. Crazy. England was going to ban it, but they changed their mind when it came out because they were at war by this time. The ending speech was incredible when you know that this was being watched by millions during WWII. It really has more impact on you. If you want a funny movie, I don't know how much you will like this unless you like the slapstick silent movie style. If you want to look inside the mind of a filmmaker during one of the most important of history, this would be a good one.
Here is a link to the full movie on YouTube.

This is the abbreviated version. Watch this link for the full speech. It is worth your time. It's good.

"I should like to help everyone if possible; Jew, Gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another.... Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate.... We think too much and feel too little... The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people.... You don't hate! Only the unloved hate; the unloved and the unnatural.... Then in the name of democracy, let us use that power. Let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work, that will give youth a future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie! They do not fulfill that promise. They never will! Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people.... Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men's happiness. Soldiers, in the name of democracy, let us all unite!" -Chaplin

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The first 25 ranked by me

I decided to rank the 25 movies I have watched so far. There is no real criteria, but I do praise originality, storyline, and general eliciting of emotion. I also realize, as I have stated in my blog posts, that I probably cannot fully appreciate the older movies because they were meant for a certain era or all other movies built off of these movies and they no longer feel original when I watch them as opposed to when they were originally released. I try to take that into account when I am ranking movies, but it is inevitable that my biases leak through. Notice that the first three movies are from the 90s. Also, these ranks are not just based off of my initial thoughts but how I feel about them as I look back. A Clockwork Orange would probably be ranked much lower if it was the last movie I watched, but since I watched it, I just keep thinking about it. It is infectious. Some movies might also drop the longer I do this.

I would love to hear your criticisms of the list!

1	#22 Se7en (1995)	Deserves this spot
2	#23 Silence of the Lambs (1991)	Excellent story
3	#55 American Beauty (1999)	Unique and a great story
4	#65 A Clockwork Orange (1971)	The more I think about it, the more I like it
5	#57 Double Indemnity (1944)	How have I not heard of this movie before?
6	#70 To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)	Way better than I thought it was going to be
7	#63 The Green Mile (1999)	Loses a spot or two because of how sad it is
8	#114 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)	It’s a better movie than you think
9	#6 12 Angry Men (1957)	Excellent exploration of biases and the legal system
10	#131 The Big Lebowski (1998)	I think this one gets better with age
11	#26 The Usual Suspects (1995)	Not as good as Josh claims it is
12	#42 North by Northwest (1959)	Just a good movie
13	#48 The Pianist (2002)	An unknown gem
14	#115 Up (2009)	Watch it
15	#158 The Grapes of Wrath (1940)	I am sure the book is way better
16	#164 Life of Brian (1979)	Funny but no Holy Grail
17	#40 Alien (1979)	Solid movie
18	#47 The Shining (1980)	Suspense!
19	#191 A Beautiful Mind (2001)	Better than average but not great
20	#13 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)	Too slow and too little story for my taste
21	#39 City Lights (1931)	It’s hard for me to appreciate silent films
22	#38 Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to Stop Worrying About the Bomb (1964)	I’m a couple decades too young for this movie.
23	#221 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)	I really hate the ending
24	#94 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)	Too slow and too artsy for me
25	#58 Aliens (1986)	At least Space Odyssey was original

#39 City Lights (1931)

This is definitely a movie I would never watch without doing this list. I think this is the first Charlie Chaplin movie I have ever watched, and I am pretty sure it is also the first silent film. The movie was better than I thought it was going to be, and it was a nice story and I actually laughed a few times, but I just feel I am too far removed from this film's time period. It is just hard to get into a silent movie. I know Charlie laid the foundation for future works, but after watching all the future works, it is hard to appreciate it. This is like going back to one of those original bulky cell phones instead of a current smartphone. Sure it was great when it came out, and sure we wouldn't be where we were without it, but it still doesn't mean I want to use it. This is not to say it does not deserve #39 because I understand its historical significance, but it is just hard to get in to.

Chaplin: "Be careful how you're driving."

Drunk Millionaire: "Am I driving?"

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#57 Double Indemnity (1944)

This movie was an absolute treat to watch! There is no way I would ever watch this movie if it hadn't been for this list, and it is movies like this that make me happy that I am doing this list. Sure it has the overacting (maybe everyone talked like that in the 40s) that all old movies have, but that doesn't make it a bad movie. This movie has a great plot, pace, and suspense! There are twists, turns, and really short ties! Also, there are lots of great quotes but I will just share one.

"Well, I get darn sick of tryin' to pick up after a gang of fast-talking salesmen dumb enough to sell life insurance to a guy who sleeps in the same bed with four rattlesnakes." -Keyes

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#47 The Shining (1980)

This is the third and final Stephen King movie on the top 250. #63 The Green Mile and #1 The Shawshank Redemption were incredible movies. I guess when 35 movies are based off of your novels, a couple of them have to strike gold. Anyways, I always thought Stephen King only wrote suspense novels like The Shining until I started working on this list. Anyways, The Shining is a mind-bending suspenseful movie. I think this movie must have been completely original when it came out, but it doesn't completely feel that way today. This is probably because I played Silent Hill, which clearly built off of what this movie did. Or maybe this is because I saw the ending to this movie a long time ago so there is no way I could get too emotionally involved. The movie is still good, and if you are in the mood for suspense, pick this up. Jack Nicholson is great at being a crazy person!

"Here's Johnny." -Jack

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#158 The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

I will admit my ignorance of all things literature, but I can at least say, because of +Leslie Roskovich, that I have read one of John Steinbeck's novels: Of Mice and Men. That is not to be confused with the amazing Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men. He is known for telling the story of the poor and forgotten. The Grapes of Wrath follow around a poor family from Oklahoma during the Great Depression. This story is apparently a timeless classic, but I don't know if they story itself is timeless or what the story is attempting to get across. When I watched this, this movie felt dated. I know that seems obvious because it is so old, but it was something different. This movie seems to assume that you lived through the Great Depression (which seems to be an ok assumption for a movie in 1940). There were many things going on in the movie that I was confused about. One that stuck out was police searching the vehicles when they crossed state lines. Was that something that occurred often or just during the depression? Anyways, I think this movie is excellent for understanding the Great Depression. The story is uninteresting. It doesn't have much of a coherent story and there is no central point to the movie (unless you consider general wondering a central point which is a fair argument), but that doesn't mean it is a bad movie. Normally the police are the good buys, but to poor, the police were the conniving people and the federal government were the benevolent. It explores what people with no options had to do to survive. It explores company collusion, worker's rights, and even hints at communism; that is the beauty of this movie because the themes and ideas of this movie explores the classic struggle of the poor.

"Seems like the government's got more interest in a dead man than a live one." -Joad

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#22 Se7en (1995)

People always tell me this is a great movie. I know it best from being the movie the kids in Butterfly Effect go to and throw popcorn at people. This movie may be my favorite so far. I will just give you the basics. It is about a serial killer who is killing people that are guilty of the seven deadly sins. I thought I knew how everything was going to play out, and I even was getting bored because of it. This movie got me though, and I will never forget it. This is the third movie I watched with Kevin Spacey, and he really showed some versatility. If you haven't seen this movie, you really should watch it. It is twisted and dark, but such a good story. Sometimes you will have a great story, and then the filmmaker will ruin it. They got this one right.

"Ernest Hemingway once wrote, 'The world
 is a fine place and worth fighting for.' I agree with the second part." -Sommerset

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#115 Up (2009)

I saw about 85% of this movie at FHS after FCAT, but then we ran out of time and couldn't finish it. I remember this movie being nominated for best picture, and I thought that was odd because it was an animated film. This film deserves it! This is such a good movie! It is funny, clever, and original. This is up there with Toy Story, Finding Nemo and others. This one may be the best Pixar movie of them all!

"Squirrel!" -Dug

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#48 The Pianist (2002)

I had no idea what this movie was about. I assumed it would be boring, and one of the last movies I would watch. Then I happened across a blurb about it, and realized it was about Warsaw during WWII. One would think by now that Nazi genre movies would be a little over done, and maybe that is true, but there is something about that era that is so intriguing, So many stories to tell. Apparently this story is based off of a true story. It is a story of a Jew trying to survive the Holocaust. This movie is well done and has a great pace. Obviously it is a sad movie, but I don't think it was as more sad than Schindler's List if you want some sort of comparison.
And why is Adrien Brody someone who I always hear his name, but never see him? Is there an explanation for this?

"They all want to be better Nazis than Hitler." -Szpilman

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#58 Aliens (1986)

This movie is more like what I expected the first Alien movie to be like. I don't know why this is ranked so high on the list. This movie is just backed with action and a terribly unbelievable story. Like I can't believe it. This movie did everything the first movie did, but of course just eight years later, and contributed nothing original. They just threw in more aliens and more shooting, and that's it. This movie is not worth your time. If you watched Alien, you saw everything you need to see. What kind of name is Sigourney? "What should we name our new daughter?" "Sigourney." "Done."
Oh, and this is a James Cameron film, and that is not why I do not like it.

"With guns like these, who needs scripts?" -Daniel wanting his two hours back

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#40 Alien (1979)

I must say that I was surprised when I saw this movie was on the top 250. I always figured it was a mindless movie filled with action and some horror. I still don't claim the story is good, but I have a newfound respect for this movie. It was suspenseful, well done, and not the kind of horror I was expecting. It is hard to explain, but the pace of the movie feels very interesting. It is nothing like I thought it was going to be. The other thing about this movie is considering the time period. This is only two years after Star Wars so I think it is fair to compare the visual effects to it, and I must say that Alien is done very well. I bet this movie was groundbreaking when it came out. I would suggest this movie.

"It's got a great defense mechanism... you don't dare kill it..." -Parker

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#63 The Green Mile (1999)

I try to watch movies all at one time so I can appreciate them as the filmmaker intended, but with this film, +Leslie Roskovich woke up halfway through it, and when I told her what I was watching she said, "I wish you hadn't told me what you are watching because now I might have a nightmare." After hearing that, I was not going to play it any more while she was awake, and I also questioned what I was watching.
This really is an incredible movie. It explores areas with a realism that is sadly authentic. I knew nothing about it before I watched it except that it is sad, and it is. Definitely worth a watch, but be prepared to be sad. The movie is not what you think it is, and I will just leave it at that. I think this is now the saddest movie I have ever seen with Forrest Gump in second. That Tom Hanks guy gets me. Go see it and be sad.

"On the day of my judgment, when I stand before God, and He asks me why did I kill one of his true miracles, what am I gonna say? That it was my job? My job?" -Paul 

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#70 To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

This was an excellent movie! This goes to show that a movie with a great story can completely carry a movie. This movie was so good, they should make a book out of it, and make all high schoolers read it. Before I watched this movie, I never read the book or even heard the story so this was a movie with complete first impressions! Obviously there are valuable lessons to be learned from this movie, but just everything about it was so good. This movie definitely deserves to be higher on the list. Maybe I am partial because the hero in the movie is a lawyer. There are a lot of movies that I feel you have to have lived through that era to fully appreciate it, but this is not one of them. Classic. Sorry for the long quote, but so much of his closing argments were so good! Watch it!

"I have nothing but pity in my heart for [her]. She is the victim of cruel poverty and ignorance. But my pity does not extend so far as to her putting a man's life at stake, which she has done in an effort to get rid of her own guilt... in this country, our courts are the great levelers. In our courts, all men are created equal. I'm no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and of our jury system - that's no ideal to me. That is a living, working reality!" -Atticus

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#131 The Big Lebowski (1998)

I have seen parts of this movie a lot, but never the whole thing all the way through. It was very good. The story got better as the movie went on, and the characters were unique and likeable. I think the woman Lebowski was a little over the top, but besides that, very good. It is worth your time. I would define this movie as a plot driven with subtle comedy.

"Oh, the usual. I bowl. Drive around. The occasional acid flashback." -The Dude

Just discovered that I failed to cross out a movie that I have seen: Finding Nemo. The list is corrected.

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#164 Life of Brian (1979)

Maybe this isn't fair of me, but I can't help but to compare Life of Brian with The Holy Grail since they are both done by Monty Python. With that being said, The Holy Grail is one of my favorite movies of all time so it would be hard for Life of Brian to compete. I will say that it held its own, and maybe me laugh with some solid unexpected jokes. I was laughing like I laughed in The Holy Grail, but just not nearly as often. This is a story about Brian, the boy that was born in the next stable over from Jesus. It is worth a watch if you want some good laughs and you are in a silly mood.
I also think, like the Holy Grail, this is a movie that makes you laugh more each time you watch it.

Perhaps my favorite exchange is found in this video. It is about two minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n3LL338aGA

Brian: "You have to be different!"

The crowd says in unison: "Yes, we are all different!"

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#42 North by Northwest (1959)

I was really looking forward to watching this movie because of the limited Hitchcock movies that I have seen, I like them. I still like Psycho better, but I guess that is why North by Northwest is lower on the list. There was suspense. A pretty good story, and decent acting (all the acting in old movies seem overdone). Quick question for anyone alive in the 50s. Did people really wear coat and ties that much? Everywhere I looked in these old films people are wearing suits.
Overall, if you are just looking for a good movie to watch with an iconic Mt. Rushmore chase scene, check this movie out, and watch how fast the movie goes from climax to ending credits.
Favorite quote: "I've got a job, a secretary, a mother, two ex-wives and several bartenders that depend upon me, and I don't intend to disappoint them all by getting myself "slightly" killed."

"That's funny, that plane's dustin' crops where there ain't no crops."

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#94 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Let me preface my thoughts on this movie by once again saying that I don't think I can fully appreciate this film without living through the 60s. Some movies are timeless classics that can be appreciated in any era (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, 12 Angry Men, Psycho); some movies you need to understand what was going on in that era, and know how film was developing at the time.
The movie was boring. It was slow. It was incoherent.
I realize this came out a full decade before Star Wars, and a full year before we even landed on the moon. This movie was probably groundbreaking and unbelievable to watch with minds running wild to what the future held (it is less vector based than the movie would have you believe). The idea of having nearly no talking  must have also been huge. It makes you experience the film from a visual level. I found it stupid. With paintings, I appreciate trying something different to elicit emotion, but there is only so far you can go with art until it just gets stupid. When I was in New York, inside one of the museums was a grocery cart filled with trash bags and it was called art. That's stupid. 2001: A Space Odyssey is a grocery cart full of trash bags.
The beginning was 3 minutes of a black screen with music followed by people dressed in monkey suits hammering on for 20 minutes till a large slab of granite shows up. Then they would just show you shots of spaceships and space stations for the longest time. The only interesting part of the movie was Hal, the famous self-aware computer. Too bad they spent more time with monkeys. I have always been fascinated with us over teaching a computer to our own demise, which is why I loved the Terminator series. So far, all we have is Siri. I feel confident we are safe for now. I don't want to give away the ending, but I will say this. It is dumb. No, like really dumb. Like, the worst ending I have ever watched. Watch this movie just so you can understand how terrible of an ending it was. I get that the movie wants to leave us with more questions than answers, but the movie should leave me with more than just one question: "Huh?"
I think people are more obsessed with loving movies from famous directors like Kubrick, but then again, I really think it has a lot to do with not growing up in the 60s.
Side note about Kubrick, I had no idea who he was until this movie, and then I see two out of the last three movies I watched were by him as well. Weird.

"I am sorry, Dave. I am afraid I can't do that."

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#65 A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Let me start off by saying that I thought Silence of the Lambs would be the most shocking movie I would watch, but I was wrong. Although Silence of the Lambs is more twisted than this movie, this certainly is more shocking.
I can't help but look at these movies I am watching through a historical lense, and I would have to believe this must have been one of the most shocking movies to ever hit theaters. This movie was made in 1971, and it is the most shocking I have ever watched. A part of me is very unimpressed because to get a rise out of me just through shocking behavior rather than clever writing does not work for me. Then again, you have to look at this movie when it was released. This movie has probably had a profound influence on motion pictures, and broke through a barrier to allow other movies to do what they wanted. I can only imagine that this movie, which was widely received in America, would not have been too successful prior to the late 1960s.  The director even self-banned this movie in England (where he was from) because of all the noise this movie was creating. It was finally released after his death in 1999.
The movie's shocking features gave it an overall raw appearance, and sucked you into the movie to appreciate what the protagonist was going through. There is also a lot about trying to control the mind and how government is becoming too overbearing. That should be obvious for this time period as well. To me, I think the most interesting quote of the movie was,

Prison Chaplain: Choice! The boy has not a real choice, has he? Self-interest, the fear of physical pain drove him to that grotesque act of self-abasement. The insincerity was clear to be seen. He ceases to be a wrongdoer. He ceases also to be a creature capable of moral choice.
Minister: Padre, there are subtleties! We are not concerned with motives, with the higher ethics. We are concerned only with cutting down crime and with relieving the ghastly congestion in our prisons. He will be your true Christian, ready to turn the other cheek, ready to be crucified rather than crucify, sick to the heart at the thought of killing a fly. Reclamation! Joy before the angels of God! The point is that it works.

Although always doing the right thing may be nice, but without choice, can someone be moral? Someone can only truly be a good person, not by their actions, but by their choices. That is a solid message from this movie, and the government looking just to control people is no life at all. Life is the choices you make.

"My brothers."

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#26 The Usual Suspects (1995)

I will always remember this as the movie that +Josh Blackman told me to watch. I think he rented it from some library and watched it. Anyways, he told me it was a great movie and it was worth watching. I never got around to it till today. Every time I heard the title, I knew I had to watch it. Who knew it would just take me a decade to do it. It is clever movie that will keep you guessing, and when you think you figured it out, you probably didn't. I will admit that I guessed luckily and right. Even when they tried to throw me off, I stuck with my guess! Anyways, it is worth your time, and deserves to be in the top 50.
Now two out of the last three movies I've watched starred Kevin Spacey! I think I just have two more with him (Se7en, L.A. Confidential).
I have really enjoyed watching all of these movies in rapid succession, but unfortunately school is calling me again. I should be able to pick up a lot more of these is one week.

"I just can't believe we're going to walk into certain death." -Verbal

Until then...
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#38 Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Since the last movie I looked at had some overtones of the feeling of America in the movie, this was a great follow up. This is a 1960s movie and you can tell. It is all concerned with nuclear war and the end of the world. These sorts of ideas do not resonate with me very well because I did not grow up in that era. I feel that is why I really did not get into this movie very much. It felt dull and unoriginal, but then again that may be because this movie was such a trend setter. I do not know.
Apparently this movie was supposed to be satirical. I got that it was silly, but I guess I didn't see too much fun being poked at anyone. I wish I would've known this before watching it. I probably would've appreciated it more. This movie did have two great quotes.
"Make me a drink of grain alcohol and rainwater, and you help yourself to whatever you like." and...

"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here; this is a war room." -President Merkin Muffle

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#55 American Beauty (1999)

I remember when this film came out. It got such rave reviews. I just never got around to watching it. Immediately when I watched this film, I couldn't help but think of Fight Club (#10). The plot lines and the cinematography are completely different, but the main male character essentially comes from the same place. He has what many would say is the perfect life, but in reality he is completely frustrated and can't keep living a lie.  Both even quit their job and blackmail their bosses. After he casts off all societal norms, he begins to feel normal and alive. This movie came out the same year as Fight Club (1999). What was the so bad about the 90s that I don't remember? I think the most interesting thing is probably what these movies reflect about what America was thinking during this time. My best guess is there was a complete dissatisfaction with the American dream.  People were told the American dream is what everyone should strive for, and they would be happy. You know, the white picket fence, beautiful wife, house in the suburbs, and when people got all of that they realized they were still unhappy. There was something missing. I think American Beauty and Fight Club help explore this question. I will keep my eyes open for any other late 90s movies to see if there is a similar connection. Ultimately, I have two words for this movie: different; intriguing. It is a dark look into modern suburbia.

Carolyn Burnham: "Uh, whose car is that out front?"

Lester Burnham: "Mine. 1970 Pontiac Firebird. The car I've always wanted and now I have it. I rule!"

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