My Favorite Films Part 5: #11 - 40

Let's just go ahead and jump right back into it shall we? Here is the next set of titles of my 100 favorite films of all time.

#40) Leon – The Professional (1994)

#39) Pulp Fiction (1994)

#38) Out of Sight (1998)

#37) 12 Monkeys (1995)

#36) Cinema Paradiso (1988)

#35) O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

#34) Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

#33) Almost Famous (2000)

#32) The Princess Bride (1987)

#31) Schindler’s List (1993)

#30) Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

#29) Memento (2000)


#28) Shawshank Redemption (1994)

#27) Silence of the Lambs (1991)

#26) Network (1976)

#25) Narc (2002)

#24) Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

I include all the films here. Some say that’s cheating, but they were all filmed together as one long film cut into three. The book was originally written as one story but divided into three by the publishers who thought it was too long. It’s hard to choose between the three because it really is just one long story. So call it cheating if you like, but that doesn’t change the fact that this series is one of the best achievements in cinema history.

#23) Raiders of the Lost Arc (1981)

#22) Reservoir Dogs (1992)

#21) Dark City (1998)

#20) Goodfellas (1990)

#19) All the President’s Men (1976)

#18) Star Wars – the Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Ten years ago this would have been at the top of my list. If I have to rank the entire trilogy in order then the Empire Strikes Back would be followed by A New Hope and then Return of the Jedi. It’s hard to deny the influence this series has had on my generation. I love the art of film because of my love for Star Wars. The original film changed the course of film history with its innovative special effects, merchandising and marketing potential, and its enormous take in box office. The summer blockbuster was born with Star Wars. As I’ve grown older my tastes in film have changed some, but I can’t deny that this should be higher. The bad taste left from the prequel trilogy as well as the altering of great films by denying their existence and only observing the special editions as the only options has caused it to slip on this list. Despite that, Star Wars will always be special and important for me; I just can’t call it my favorite film of all time anymore.

#17) American Beauty (1999)

#16) Requiem for a Dream (2000)

#15) Clerks (1994)

#14) Swingers (1996)

#13) L.A. Confidential (1997)

#12) Heat (1995)

#11) Chinatown (1974)


I’ll end it there for now and be back with my top ten favorite films of all time. Feel free to criticize or critique my list, or take a guess at the top ten. I welcome all feedback. Until next time…

My Favorite Films Part 4: #41 - 70

First off, happy New Year everyone.

So I guess it’s been a while since I’ve updated my list of 100 favorite films. I’ve chronicled enough about my writing and playing catch up. Now with the end of the year and already beginning on those year end and decade end list, I figure I should try to finish this first. So let’s just get this out there. Here is an update of the films I’ve already covered so far to refresh your memory.

#100) His Girl Friday
#99) 2001: A Space Odyssey
#98) Adaptation
#97) Being John Malkovich
#96) Groundhog Day
#95) Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
#94) Boogie Nights
#93) Apocalypse Now
#92) Barton Fink
#91) The Big Lebowski
#90) Breathless
#89) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
#88) Glengarry Glen Ross
#87) Apollo 13
#86) Rashomon
#85) Pink Floyd’s the Wall
#84) Outlaw Josey Wales
#83) Rope
#82) Good Night and Good Luck
#81) Wild Bunch
#80) Do the Right Thing
#79) Dr. Strangelove
#78) Unbreakable
#77) Miller’s Crossing
#76) Matrix
#75) There Will Be Blood
#74) Fargo
#73) This Is Spinal Tap
#72) Toy Story
#71) The Sixth Sense

And now let’s just get back into it shall we? I’ll just present the titles and leave my comments for my top ten films.

#70) Dogma (1999)

#69) Die Hard (1988)

#68) Equilibrium (2002)

#67) Some Like it Hot (1959)

#66) Jurassic Park (1993)

#65) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2003)

#64) The Fountain (2006)

#63) Young Frankenstein (1974)

#62) Children of Men (2006)

#61) North by Northwest (1959)


#60) Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

#59) Braveheart (1996)

#58) Unforgiven (1992)

#57) Three Kings (1999)

#56) Rounders (1998)

#55) The Prestige (1996)

#54) South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (1999)

#53) Garden State (2004)

#52) Office Space (1999)

#51) Once (2007)

#50) A Few Good Men (1992)

#49) Saving Private Ryan (1998)

#48) Galaxy Quest (1999)

#47) Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

#46) Rushmore (1998)

#45) Blazing Saddles (1974)

#44) The Thin Red Line (1998)

#43) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban (2004)

The whole Harry Potter series really, but the third film directed by Alfonso Cuaron is by far my favorite. He added a new fresh visual element that brought real life to the franchise. He also introduced an element of darkness to the series that eventually needed to come, but he made it his own. I really wish the other directors would have continued with what he started. The third film stands out from all the others because of Cuaron’s influence. I know that fans of the books were unhappy with the third film, but it is because of the third film that finally got me interested in the series and lead me to read the books. Forget the books or the adaptation, strictly as a film The Prisoner of Azkhaban is the best in the series.

#42) To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

#41) The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Just forty more to go. I'll be back soon with the rest. Stay tuned guys and gals.