*****
#80
Forrest Gump
Dir. Robert Zemeckis (1994)
Forrest Gump is a movie that everyone can easily enjoy over and over again, and in my opinion it rightfully won the Best Picture Oscar in 1994 over other great movies in Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption. This is a movie without any weak points and filled with charm. It offers an alternate perspective not only of history, but also of life itself. Even if for nothing else, Gump's many memorable scenes and quotes secures its place as an immortal piece of cinematic history.
*****
#79
The Bicycle Thief
Dir. Vittorio De Sica (1948)
The most emotional movies are those where we can immerse ourselves into the characters' situations, and the Italian neo-realist movement is all about this idea. The Bicycle Thief is a snippet of reality, where "plots" are more likely to be simple rather than resembling many of the convoluted, unbelievable plots of today. In this case, a poor man spends all his money on a bicycle so that he can work, only to have it stolen. The film is shot on the streets, the characters are played by real people - not actors, and the experience feels real.
*****
#78
Boyz n the Hood
Dir. John Singleton (1991)
Yes, I too thought this was a comedy when I read the title and looked at the cast (Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, and "Larry" Fishburne), and boy was I surprised when I finally popped in the DVD without knowing anything about the plot, because this was one of the most tragic movies I have ever seen. Boyz n the Hood shows all the ugly sides of slum life and gang life. Other movies on the same topic tend to focus on the violence, while this one is not afraid to show the effects of violence on the fragile human emotion.
*****
#77
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Dir. David Lean (1957)
The Bridge on the River Kwai ranks up there with The Great Escape, The Deer Hunter, and Grand Illusion as one of the all-time great prisoner of war films. These movies thrive on individual interactions instead of the action of battle or the politics of war, and these interactions are especially emphasized in this film, where Alec Guinness plays a British colonel in a Japanese prison camp in Thailand led by the stern but human Colonel Saito. Meanwhile, a few Americans escape the camp and plot to destroy the bridge that the POWs are being forced to build, leading to one of the best movie endings of all time.
*****
#76
Rocky
Dir. John Avildsen (1976)
Just as was the case with Forrest Gump, Rocky was that feel-good movie for all audiences that won the Best Picture Oscar, only to have people years later criticizing the Academy's choice. In this case, the film beat out Taxi Driver and Network. In retrospect, I'd give the award to Taxi Driver, but I also do feel that Rocky is often overlooked as merely a feel-good sports movie. It's really so much more than that though, and especially in the first film, the boxing, Rocky's personal development, and his relationship with Adrian are all interconnected. If the only thing you care about while watching is whether Rocky wins or loses his boxing matches, then you're missing the point.
*****
#75
Arsenic and Old Lace
Dir. Frank Capra (1944)
Suffice it to say that Arsenic and Old Lace was a very bold movie for its time. A newlywed played by Cary Grant visits his aunts' home to discover that they have a hobby of inviting old men over and poisoning them. And when the other characters include a guy who thinks he is Theodore Roosevelt and a psycho killer on the run who looks like Frankenstein's monster, you can get an idea of how crazy the movie will turn out. Cary Grant plays his role to perfection, repeatedly using a certain facial expression (see the picture) to draw out laughs at those moments when the other characters aren't already doing so.
*****
#74
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Dir. George Roy Hill (1969)
A different kind of western film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid centers on the adventures (or misadventures) of two bank robbers: Paul Newman as Butch Cassidy and Robert Redford as the Sundance Kid (the namesake of Redford's Sundance Film Festival). The movie is filled with dialogue that is stylish and charming, and combines the traditional western plot with a love triangle and a good amount of action. Overall, this film is really stylish and likable, and just tons of fun from the beginning up to the immortal final freeze frame.
*****
#73
Ace in the Hole
Dir. Billy Wilder (1951)
Billy Wilder's Ace in the Hole was initially released to a negative reception in 1951 due to its negativity and criticism of the media and human nature. Over the years, people have come to realize the film's genius, as its harsh views on journalism are still accurate today. The film revolves around the rescue efforts during a mining accident that turns into a big media circus. Kirk Douglas plays a journalist who deliberately delays the rescue efforts in order to get more publicity, eventually resulting in the death of the trapped miner. Even to this day, the film is not as famous as some of Wilder's other works, but it is definitely just as good.
*****
#72
Alien
Dir. Ridley Scott (1979)
The Alien series has by now devolved into such a brainless sci-fi action franchise that it's easy to forget that its roots lie strictly in horror. I'll lay the blame on James Cameron, who made the respectable sequel Aliens but also unfortunately gave the execs bad ideas. Oh well, I guess the same thing happens to just about every other great horror movie. Anyway, just like Jaws, the horror in Alien comes from a fear of the unknown - in both cases, it's not until near the end where we see the monsters in full form - along with an eerie pacing. These two elements sadly have disappeared from both franchises - the first by nature and the second by the studios' desire for more killing and less meaning to each kill.
*****
#71
Being John Malkovich
Dir. Spike Jonze (1999)
Want to see a movie that messes with your mind but is loads of fun? Look no further than Being John Malkovich, the child of two of Hollywood's strangest minds in director Spike Jonze and writer Charlie Kaufman. The movie is just about as strange as its title and stars a semi-unrecognizable John Cusack as an unsuccessful puppeteer who discovers a portal into the mind of John Malkovich (played by himself). All the chaos that ensues needs no further explanation.
*****
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