(continued; see 91-100, 81-90, 71-80, 61-70, 51-60, 41-50, 31-40)
30 . TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974)
I cannot imagine how terrifying this must have been in 1974. It’s amazing how little on-screen gore it actually contains, which is a testament to the quality of filmmaking, considering it’s reputation.
29. THE THIRD MAN
Such a remarkable looking film. Considering the technical demands of sewer scene alone, I find it hard to believe Welles didn’t have some input in its direction (but this is the only Carol Reed movie I’ve seen, so what do I know?).
28. SWINGERS
When this came out my junior year of high school there was nothing I wanted more than to hang out with these guys. With age they’ve become a little less cool (except for Trent, of course), but SWINGERS is still one of the funniest movies I’ve seen.
27. MASTER AND COMMANDER
A true adventure movie. The relationships between the characters are so well developed, and the battle scenes are so intense, that you can’t help but feel you are on the boat with these guys. I am a huge fan of Russell Crowe, and this (relatively) understated role as Captain Jack Aubrey may be my favorite of his.
26. DOUBLE INDEMNITY
Putting aside the more obvious awesome noir aspects, the dialogue is so damned clever and witty it’ll make your brain hurt.
25. ROBOCOP
Such a weird combination of sci-fi, terror, action, and comedy seems like it would be damn near impossible to pull off. Of course this receipe has become Paul Verhoeven’s speciality, but ROBOCOP remains his best.
24. DOWNFALL
Bruno Ganz, Bruno Ganz, Bruno Ganz. That is really all that needs to be said. Everything other acting performance in the history of the world belongs in SHE’S ALL THAT compared to Bruno Ganz in DOWNFALL.
23. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
I have nothing new to add here, so I’ll just say this: As a young teenager I would routinely confuse Ridley Scott and Stanley Kubrick. So, when I first saw A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, I was pretty sure it was directed by the same guy who made ALIEN. As you can imagine, this totally confounded me, but when I finally determined CLOCKWORK was actually made by the director of THE SHINING, I was able to move on with my life.
22. THE THING
A plot that is perfect in its simplicity is executed by John Carpenter at the top of the game. What else do you need?
21. THE WIZARD OF OZ
When the world as we know it is no longer, this will be the last movie standing.
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Happy day! Can’t wait to read this!
If I can slap a piece of duct tape over Vince Vaughn’s mouth during most of SWINGERS he would have been the hottest piece of ass that year.
That being said, I will pretty much watch him eat crackers in his underwear for two hours if that was a movie plot.
It’s interesting to see what movies you’ve seen that I haven’t that are in your list. THE THIRD MAN being one of them. So I guess I will have to check it out at some point.
Jenni, comments like this about Vince Vaughn have no place here.
You’ll love THE THIRD MAN. Promise.
I <3 Orson Welles, so that is fabulous to know. BTW I think CITIZEN KANE deserves a place on anyone's 100 list. The shots are amazing… like watching a dream.
Sorry, didn't know that Vince Vaughn was a sore subject. His character was horrible in SWINGERS even though I loved the movie. I feel the same about his role in MADE. His other roles like OLD SCHOOL are where he shines. Guess you don't know me well enough to infer that is what I meant by the above comment. Again, sorry if I offend.
I was totally kidding about being offended by your Vince Vaughn comment. Go crazy with it.
I happen to be in the camp that finds him absolutely hilarious in SWINGERS and MADE (especially MADE).
haahaa okay…
Fallen Idol is a really good Carol Reed film to expose you to his capabilities outside of the possibility of Welles interference. I haven’t seen Oliver! though.
Also, I really do have to recommend the films produced by Val Lewton, especially The Body Snatcher and I Walked With A Zombie disc as a personal favorite. More so The Body Snatcher as the crew that worked on it (directed by Robert Wise) contained quite a few of the RKO employees that worked on Citizen Kane, and I think on a technical level and acting showcase for Boris Karloff it’s the most impressive film of the bunch, though they all have something to offer. The ending to The 7th Victim is one of my favorite endings ever (also more of a noir film than horror).
I wish I’d seen more noir to recommend as you’ve got two of the more famous ones in your top 30. As a good black-and-white photography comparison to The Third Man you may also want to watch In Cold Blood. Gorgeous film, and still resonates.
I made noahphex watch IN COLD BLOOD when I first moved to Texas. I suggest that film highly as well.
So where’s the rest? I’m losing a good deal of sleep over the impending finale.
I’m not cut out to be a blogger, but I’ll try to finish it this week.
Thanks for your interest.
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