I just saw “This is Anvil”
A very good movie, documentary, about pursuing ones dream against insurmountable odds.
Alice in Wonderland (Disney)
Fantasia
Bladerunner
Nightmare before Christmas
Ice Ages
Deliverance
The Deer Hunter
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Poltergeist…if only because I watched it for a second time with a flatmate who had not seen it before, nor had she seen the thin fishing line I rigged from near my chair, around the back of the TV, and back towards the table. It allowed me to slide a heavy book slowly and directly away from us, falling heavily to the floor at a critical point in one of the creepier scenes. It then progressed very slowly across the carpet. It is astonishing how high a person can jump from a sitting start.
Forgiveness only took four days.
Nao
Not 2012.
My top 50+ it just kinda kept growing
Well I’m coming late to this thread but I’m going to give my fairly complete list from serious to stupid and everything in between. My tastes are pretty mainstream but I like the occasional odd-ball film.
I’m going to Bold a few that are a little less known and the ones I consider my must see’s even though most have already been mentioned
Warning I’m a sucker for romantic comedies. YMMV
Unforgiven - Gets better every time I watch it.
Apocalypse Now (old version) - If I had to pick my #1 this would probably be it.
Leon (The Professional) - one of the few movies I rewound and watched again - One of my top five. If you haven’t seen it, rent it. Probably my most must see film.
Forest Gump - Probably seen this movie more times than any else except maybe Blade Runner
To Kill a Mockingbird
Braveheart - Uncut gory version please
Matrix - had to watch it twice to really get it, but since then loved it. About the only Keanu Reeves movie I can stand to watch.
Amadeus
Blazing Saddles (funniest movie until Raising Arizona)
Blade Runner - in my top five - Whatever happened to Rutger Hauer anyway?
Kill Bill (both of them) - not a huge Tarantino fan but damn can he make a movie.
Princess Bride - In my top five, another movie that I rewound and watched again.
Pirates of the Caribbean - Love it!
Fifth Element - Probably my favorite ‘blockbuster’ film.
My life as a Dog (sub-titled version do not watch dubbed version, it ruins the film) - 1985 Swedish film. This and the Big Blue are the most ‘esoteric’ in my list.
Paint Your Wagon - Lee Marvin and a very young Clint Eastwood in a Musical about a woman with two husbands in a gold mining town. How can you go wrong?
Seven Samurai (walked out at 3:00AM not very impressed, 3 days later I was still thinking about it)
LA Story - Quirky romantic comedy with some creative twists
Green Card - Another good romantic comedy with Gerard Depardieu
[B]Raising Arizona - Current funniest film for me
Fargo - Coen Brothers, don’t have to say anything else.
O’ Brother Where Art Thou[/B]
Dude Where’s My Car - My favorite really stupid movie
[B]Pleasantville - Thought provoking
The Truman Show - Good movie from a good director Peter Weir
Witness[/B] - Another great one from Peter Weir
A Lot Like Love - I’ll watch anything with Amanda Peet in it.
Sweet Home Alabama - Took a couple of watching’s to grow on me. Probably ‘weakest’ romantic comedy on my list.
Serendipity - Yet another romantic comedy. One of my favorites.
Doc Hollywood - Surprisingly entertaining and original romantic comedy with Michael J Fox.
Princess Bride - one of the few movies I rewound and watched a 2nd time - One of my top five
Soldier (with Kurt Russell) - Not for everybody but I loved it for how little dialog is used by Kurt Russell’s character. Hard to believe this is same actor as “Captain Ron”.
Godfather - have to include this. Young Al Pacino at his best.
Enemy of the State - Entertaining action
Hunt for Red October - More entertaining action
My Cousin Vinny - Could Marisa Tomei be any funnier in this movie? I don’t think so. Oscar winning performance by her.
Water Boy - Along with Big Daddy my favorite Adam Sandler movies.
Big Daddy
Men in Black II - Better than 1st one
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the Original) - I actually saw this at the premier with most of the main characters in the audience. Must see Gene Wilder performance as Willy Wonka. (did not like the remake at ALL)
Shawshank Redemption - Can Morgan Freeman make a bad movie?
Fish Called Wanda
Being There - Somebody else mentioned this one but it’s worth mentioning again. More intelligent comedy.
The Jerk- funniest movie until Blazing Saddles
Cold Mountain - Love it.
Me, Myself and Irene
Rumble Fish - Early Mickey Rourke
Round Midnight - Mentioned earlier in this thread and I thank the poster for reminding me of this great film about Jazz music
From Dusk Till Dawn - Not really my kind of movie but for some reason I really enjoyed this.
Papillion - Dustin Hoffman and Steve McQueen both in great roles in sorta true story.
Far and Away - One of the few Ron Howard movies I like
Dances With Wolves - Hard not to like
The Postman - I like the ‘story’ better than the movie. To me movie was better than the book but the book does explain somethings better.
Le Grand Bleu (the Big Blue) - Early Luc Besson movie about a friendship between two freedivers. Highly reccomended for people who like movies that are just good stories. No aliens, no violence and minimal special effects. Which reminds me:
Tender Mercies - Outstanding performance by Robert Duval
Secondhand Lions - offbeat entertainment. Another good performance by Rober Duval. Look at his IMDB entry and see how many good movies this guy has been in.
A Few Good Men
French Kiss - Probably my favorite Romantic Comedy. Outstanding performance by Kevin Kline
Shakespeare in Love I’ll sit and watch this just to see the last scene with the Queen.
Beetlejuice - Didn’t see that anyone mentioned this. Only Tim Burton movie I really liked.
Notting Hill - yes ANOTHER romantic comedy that I liked.
A Beautiful Mind
Any Given Sunday - Sit through the credits or you miss the best part of the movie. Not the best story, but Al Pacino again at his best.
Bull Durham - I don’t think I saw this one listed yet.
Fugitive - Don’t think I saw this one mentioned yet either.
Few random thoughts on movies:
Most disturbing film: Natural Born Killers - but the scene where he breaks her out of prison is the most emotionally pulled I have ever been in a movie. I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, scream, etc.
Favorite scene in just about any movie: Kill Bill - where she goes to Okinawa to get her Hattori Honzo blade. The slow reveal of why she is there and who he is, is movie-making at its best.
Favorite line in just about any movie - Unforgiven: “Hell of a thing killing a man”
Movie with the most best quotes: Pirates of the Caribbean - “But why is the Rum gone?”
Best use of music in movies: Quentin Tarantino - I’m actually not that big of fan of his movies but damn he knows how to make them.
Best visual scenes: Peter Weir
Coupla odd ball facts about me:
Never seen a Humphrey Bogart movie
Never seen a Wood Allen movie
Never seen any Harry Potter or LOTR
Never seen Saving Private Ryan or Schindler’s List
Longest on my to see list someday: Fight Club and The Patriot
Favorite Movie Makers
Peter Weir - Witness, Truman Show, Green Card
Luc Besson - Leon, The Big Blue, Fifth Element
Coen Brothers - Raising Arizona, Fargo, O’ Brother Where Art Thou
Ridley Scott - Blade Runner, Gladiator
Quentin Tarantino (a little over the top for me at times but after the Kill Bill’s I have to include him)
And lastly the movie I most hate to admit that I liked: ‘Ever After’ with Drew Barrymore in retelling of Cinderella. Trivia: One of her co-stars in this movie went on to be ‘Rose’ on Two and Half Men.
I watched Ip Man (Yip Man) just a few days ago. I thought it was amazing. Really good if youre into martial arts like films.
Go rent it. =p
I’ve seen “Good Will Hunting” twice in the last 3 days. It’s now one of my favourites. It’s a must see.
for aspiring musicians
http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?nfso=67088711&movieid=70084229&trkid=1767
That’s awesome. I’ll have to try something like that. Four days is a small price to pay when you’re my age.
You liked it so much you put it twice?:p;)
You have to see these movies. No joke.
Nice list.
Almost Famous.
I’m pretty sure Blazing Saddles came first. 
Yes you definitely need to see some of the films at the bottom of your list. And I need to watch some of the ones you listed.
Blazing Saddles - 1974
The Jerk - 1979
JF you are right. I have a terrible memory for dates and I was too lazy to look them up at the time. I was too busy thinking of one more good movie to add to the list.
Good call by the poster who put up Good Will Hunting.
I’ve tried to watch some of the LOTR and Harry Potter’s when i’ve come across it on cable but it just doesn’t hold my interest. Not quite the same genre but I could barely sit through the Chronicles of Narnia.
I’m just funny about War Movies I guess. Along with Schindler’s list and Saving Private Ryan, I never saw Born on the Fourth of July and did not like either Black Hawk Down or Full Metal Jacket and if I saw Platoon I don’t recall it. Did not care much for Das Boot either. Didn’t see Patton or Deer Hunter. Found Tora Tora Tora only worth watching once. Didn’t see The Thin Red Line or Midway. But I did did enjoy Good Morning Vietnam for what it was.
That recent version of Pearl Harbor was trash even if it did have Kate Beckinsale in a Nurse’s uniform.
I liked Three Kings but not enough to watch more than once. Going back I liked Dirty Dozen and The Great Escape.
Yet Apocalypse Now is Just about my favorite movie… go figure.
AHHHH just thought of another little known movie and my favorite Black and White Classic movie.
The original 1937 version of Captains Courageous with Spencer Tracy and a very young Micky Rooney and child star Freddy Bartholomew. Trivia: John Carradine, father to Keith and the late David Carradine is also in this movie. Not without it’s flaws but worth seeing for the action sailing scenes and the humor and tenderness among these tough Cod fisherman off the Grand Banks.
I’ll also add to my growing list of Romantic Comedies:
The Cutting Edge: Very funny romantic comedy about a hockey skater and a figure skater.
I’ll also add:
Medicine Man with Sean Connery. This one is hard to put in a Genre. IMDB calls it Adventure Romance. Not everyone loved this but I really enjoyed it and have watched it many times.
Maybe I would see more movies if I didn’t keep watching my favorites over and over.
And from a long time ago for Adventure:
The Emerald Forrest. 1985 movie about a boy who is stolen and raised by an aboriginal Tribe in South America.
Both true stories
An animated war move and true story is Waltz with Bashir: An incredible Israeli-produced animated film, Ari Folman employs vivid black-and-white animation in this Golden Globe-winning film, exploring the memory gaps in his life during his service for the Israeli army in the Lebanese war of the early 1980s. Recounting stories based on recorded interviews with colleagues and friends, Folman relives the horrors of war and dissects the curious coping mechanisms humans use to survive under brutal circumstances.
I also recommend Pierrepoint: The Last Hangmen (2005) Following in his father’s footsteps, Albert Pierrepoint (Timothy Spall) becomes one of Britain’s most prolific executioners, hiding his identity by working as a grocery deliveryman. But when his ambition to be the best inadvertently exposes his gruesome secret, he becomes a minor celebrity and faces a public outcry against the practice of hanging. Juliet Stevensonplays Pierrepoint’s oblivious wife in this fascinating biopic based on real events.
Braveheart is the single greatest movie ever filmed. Gladiator is also very very good. I’m sure after thirty pages these have been mentioned already, but I think they are worth mentioning again and again.
I’ve contributed an exhaustive list once before in a similar thread, but here’s a great little classic from 1950 that I highly recommend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fMDJ6pwSfo
It’s simply a how-cool-can-Mel-Gibson-make-himself-seem-fest. Blechh. I haven’t liked any of his movies since the Road Warrior.
I agree that there is an undeserved mystique. But I also happen to think Braveheart is a pretty good movie.
Steveyo and Raphael,
Have you seen Waltz with Bashir?
Or Pierrepoint: The Last Hangmen (2005)
I haven’t but they’re on my list now, BTM.
Those do sound very good, thanks.
Between Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List and The Patriot, I lean towards Schindler’s List because of the Story line, but so many people have recommended The Patriot to me who know my tastes in movies.
Hmmmm, Schindler’s List has the highest rating at IMDB and at Rotten Tomatoes.
I’m going to go rent Schindler’s List tonight. Sounds like a can’t miss.
I’m going to grab Fight Club as well. I just read the synopsis and it really sounds like a movie I would like.