Snooch to the Nooch!
Earlier this year (on April’s Fool Day, to be exact), you may recall I posted a list-happy look at my favorites in films, film music, and DVDs (that would be Brian’s Movie 250- still in the archives). At the time, it was between posting that or what you see before you. It’s along the same lines, but with just as many entries on far fewer lists- my comprehensive (and updated) lists of my 100 favorite films of all-time, the 100 best films I’ve seen, and the 45 worst films I’ve ever seen. If you’re asking yourself the difference between Favorites and Best, don’t worry; I have past essays I’ll post in the future. For now, though, I hope you enjoy the below lists (comments/questions/concerns always welcome), and that they may inspire you to think about your own selections on such lists.
(And if you’re wondering about the timing, it seemed fitting to post these on my birthday- I’m 29 now- as they represent the best- and worst- of cinema I’ve experienced in all my years on Earth.)
Viva La Resistance!
Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com
100 Favorite Films
1. “The Crow” (1994)- Alex Proyas
2. “Braveheart” (1995)- Mel Gibson
3. “Pulp Fiction” (1994)- Quentin Tarantino
4a. “The Star Wars Saga” (1977-2005)- George Lucas, Executive Producer
4b. “Star Wars: Clone Wars” (2003-2005)- Genndy Tartakovsky
5. “A.I. Artificial Intelligence” (2001)- Steven Spielberg
6. “Face/Off” (1997)- John Woo
7. “Swingers” (1996)- Doug Liman
8. “The Whole Wide World” (1996)- Dan Ireland
9. “Adaptation.” (2002)- Spike Jonze
10. “Sherlock Jr.” (1924)- Buster Keaton
11. “The Lord of the Rings Trilogy” (2001-2003)- Peter Jackson
12. “Stalker” (1979)- Andrei Tarkovsky
13. “Big Fish” (2003)- Tim Burton
14. “Keeping the Faith” (2000)- Edward Norton
15. “Before Sunrise” (1995) & “Before Sunset” (2004)- Richard Linklater
16. “A Few Good Men” (1992)- Rob Reiner
17. “The Ref” (1994)- Ted Demme
18. “Apollo 13” (1995)- Ron Howard
19. “Office Space” (1999)- Mike Judge
20. “Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie” (1996)- Jim Mallon
21. “A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies” (1995)
22. “Il Mia Viaggio in Italia (My Voyage to Italy)” (1999)
23. “Dark City” (1998)
24. “Spaceballs” (1987)
25. “Dogma” (1999)
26. “Vertigo” (1958)
27. “Jackie Brown” (1997)
28. “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968)
29. “Predator” (1987)
30. “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” (1982)
31. “Ed Wood” (1994)
32. “High Fidelity” (2000)
33. “Broken Arrow” (1996)
34. “GoodFellas” (1990)
35. “Finding Nemo” (2003)
36. “The Good, the Bad & the Ugly” (1967)
37. “Young Frankenstein” (1974)
38. “The Fantasia Anthology” (1940 & 2000)
39. “Basic Instinct” (1992)
40. “Arsenic and Old Lace” (1944)
41. “The Usual Suspects” (1995)
42. “Miller’s Crossing” (1990)
43. “Wild Things” (1998)
44. “Eyes Wide Shut” (1999)
45. “Almost Famous Untitled” (2000)
46. “Get Shorty” (1995)
47. “Nurse Betty” (2000)
48. “Evil Dead II” (1987)
49. “Serenity” (2005)
50. “JFK” (1991)
51. “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” (2005)
52. “The Shining” (1980)
53. “Waking Life” (2001)
54. “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” (2001)
55. “Chance” (2002)
56. “Grosse Pointe Blank” (1997)
57. “A Bug’s Life” (1998)
58. “Mulholland Drive” (2001)
59. “The Lethal Weapon Series” (1987-1998)
60. “The Indiana Jones Trilogy” (1981-1989)
61. “A Christmas Story” (1983)
62. “Proof” (2005)
63. “Simply Irresistible” (1999)
64. “Andrei Rublev” (1966)
65. “Cat People” (1942)
66. “The Big Lebowski” (1998)
67. “Rent” (2005)
68. “To Catch a Thief” (1955)
69. “The American Pie Trilogy” (1999-2003)
70. “The Big Sleep” (1946)
71. “Lady Beware” (1987)
72. “A Walk to Remember” (2002)
73. “Independence Day” (1996)
74. “Spider-Man” (2002) & “Spider-Man 2” (2004)
75. “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975)
76. “Signs” (2002)
77. “Heat” (1995)
78. “Jurassic Park” (1993)
79. “The Rock” (1996)
80. “Kill Bill” (2003 & 2004)
81. “Ransom” (1996)
82. “The River Wild” (1994)
83. “Bubba ho-Tep” (2003)
84. “Minority Report” (2002)
85. “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000)
86. “Shakespeare in Love” (1998)
87. “A Mighty Wind” (2003)
88. “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” (2004)
89. “L.A. Confidential” (1997)
90. “The Princess Bride” (1987)
91. “South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut” (1999)
92. “Fahrenheit 9/11” (2004)
93. “Ikiru” (1952)
94. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004)
95. “Toy Story” (1995) & “Toy Story 2” (1999)
96. “The Goonies” (1985)
97. “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (1964)
98. “Our Hospitality” (1923)
99. “Bowfinger” (1999)
100. “The Harry Potter Series” (2001-2005)
100 Best Films
1. “Vertigo” (1958)- Alfred Hitchcock
2. “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968)- Stanley Kubrick
3. “Schindler’s List” (1993)- Steven Spielberg
4. “Gone With the Wind” (1939)- David O. Selznick, Producer
5. “Pulp Fiction” (1994)- Quentin Tarantino
6. “The Fantasia Anthology” (1940/2000)- Walt & Roy Disney, Executive Producers
7. “Sherlock Jr.” (1924)- Buster Keaton
8. “Andrei Rublev” (1966)- Andrei Tarkovsky
9. “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000)- Ang Lee
10. “Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope” (1977)- George Lucas
11. “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” (1982)- Steven Spielberg
12. “Arsenic and Old Lace” (1944)- Frank Capra
13. “Nosferatu” (1922)- F.W. Murnau
14. “Ran” (1985)- Akira Kurosawa
15. “Saving Private Ryan” (1998)- Steven Spielberg
16. “The Manchurian Candidate” (1962)- John Frankenheimer
17. “GoodFellas” (1990)- Martin Scorsese
18. “The Big Sleep” (1946)- Howard Hawks
19. “A Few Good Men” (1992)- Rob Reiner
20. “Face/Off” (1997)- John Woo
21. “Touch of Evil” (1958)- Orson Welles
22. “Rebecca” (1940)- Alfred Hitchcock
23. “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003)- Peter Jackson
24. “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (1964)- Stanley Kubrick
25. “8 ½” (1963)- Federico Fellini
26. “Dark City” (1998)- Alex Proyas
27. “Apocalypse Now” (1979)- Francis Ford Coppola
28. “Intolerance” (1916)- D.W. Griffith
29. “Metropolis” (1927)- Fritz Lang
30. “The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly” (1967)- Sergio Leone
31. “The Godfather” (1972)- Francis Ford Coppola
32. “The Wizard of Oz” (1939)- Victor Fleming
33. “Some Like It Hot” (1959)- Billy Wilder
34. “Singin’ in the Rain” (1952)- Gene Kelly, Stanley Donan
35. “Psycho” (1960)- Alfred Hitchcock
36. “Ikiru” (1952)- Akira Kurosawa
37. “Fargo” (1996)- Joel Coen
38. “In a Lonely Place” (1950)- Nicholas Ray
39. “The Last Temptation of Christ” (1988)- Martin Scorsese
40. “King Kong” (1933)- Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
41. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981)- Steven Spielberg
42. “Spirited Away” (2002)- Hayao Miyazaki
43. “12 Monkeys” (1995)- Terry Gilliam
44. “Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back” (1980)- Irvin Kershner
45. “Citizen Kane” (1941)- Orsen Welles
46. “Casablanca” (1942)- Michael Curtiz
47. “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946)- Frank Capra
48. “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (1948)- John Huston
49. “Toy Story 2” (1999)- John Lasseter
50. “Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages” (1921)- Benjamin Christensen
51. “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001)- Peter Jackson
52. “North By Northwest” (1959)- Alfred Hitchcock
53. “Jaws” (1975)- Steven Spielberg
54. “City Lights” (1931)- Charles Chaplin
55. “Sunset Boulevard” (1950)- Billy Wilder
56. “The Killer” (1989)- John Woo
57. “Stalker” (1979)- Andrei Tarkovsky
58. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004)- Michel Gondry
59. “The Maltese Falcon” (1941)- John Huston
60. “On the Waterfront” (1954)- Elia Kazan
61. “The Exorcist” (1973)- William Freidken
62. “L.A. Confidential” (1997)- Curtis Hanson
63. “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” (1919)- Robert Weine
64. “Ghost in the Shell” (1996)- Mamoru Oshii
65. “The Mirror” (1975)- Andrei Tarkovsky
66. “The Bride of Frankenstein” (1935)- James Whale
67. “JFK” (1991)- Oliver Stone
68. “Do the Right Thing” (1989)- Spike Lee
69. “The General” (1927)- Buster Keaton
70. “The Masque of the Red Death” (1964)- Roger Corman
71. “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937)- Walt Disney, Executive Producer
72. “One, Two, Three” (1961)- Billy Wilder
73. “Aguirre, the Wrath of God” (1972)- Werner Herzog
74. “The Great Dictator” (1940)- Charles Chaplin
75. “The Crowd” (1928)- King Vidor
76. “Mulholland Drive” (2001)- David Lynch
77. “The Battle of Algiers” (1968)- Gillo Pontecorvo
78. “Young Frankenstein” (1974)- Mel Brooks
79. “Pink Floyd: The Wall” (1982)- Alan Parker
80. “Bowling for Columbine” (2002)- Michael Moore
81. “Our Hospitality” (1923)- Buster Keaton, Jack Blystone
82. “A Shot in the Dark” (1964)- Blake Edwards
83. “A Very Long Engagement” (2004)- Jean-Pierre Jeunet
84. “Raise the Red Lantern” (1991)- Zhang Yimou
85. “Perfect Blue” (1997)- Satoshi Kon
86. “Hour of the Wolf” (1968)- Ingmar Bergman
87. “The Trial” (1962)- Orson Welles
88. “A.I. Artificial Intelligence” (2001)- Steven Spielberg
89. “Heavenly Creatures” (1994)- Peter Jackson
90. “The Night of the Hunter” (1955)- Charles Laughton
91. “White Heat” (1949)- Raoul Walsh
92. “The Usual Suspects” (1995)- Bryan Singer
93. “The Sweet Hereafter” (1997)- Atom Egoyan
94. “A Streetcar Named Desire” (1951)- Elia Kazan
95. “Broken Blossoms” (1919)- D.W. Griffith
96. “The Searchers” (1956)- John Ford
97. “The Seven Samurai” (1954)- Akira Kurosawa
98. “The Untouchables” (1987)- Brian De Palma
99. “Akira” (1988)- Katsuhiro Otomo
100. “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962)- David Lean
45 Worst Films (MST3K Films Italicized; Non-MST3K Films in Bold Print)
1. “Manos: The Hands of Fate” (1966)
2. “Monster A Go-Go” (1965)
3. “An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn” (1998)
4. “Red Zone Cuba” (1966)
5. “Time Chasers” (1994)
6. “Return of the King” (1980)
7. “Spawn” (1997)
8. “3000 Miles to Graceland” (2001)
9. “The Giant Spider Invasion” (1975)
10. “Turbulence” (1997)
11. “Showgirls” (1995)
12. “Glen or Glenda” (1953)
13. “Hush” (1998)
14. “The Starfighters” (1964)
15. “Idle Hands” (1999)
16. “The Final Sarcrifice” (1990)
17. “Werewolf” (1996)
18. “Crash” (1997)
19. “Four Rooms” (1995)
20. “Whipped” (2000)
21. “Laserblast” (1978)
22. “National Lampoon’s Van Wilder” (2002)
23. “Soul Survivors” (2001)
24. “Hobgoblins” (1987)
25. “Sphere” (1998)
26. “I Accused My Parents” (1945)
27. “Body of Evidence” (1993)
28. “Eegah” (1962)
29. “The Sea” (2003)
30. “Godsend” (2004)
31. “Virus” (1999)
32. “The Killer Shrews” (1959)
33. “Pumaman” (1980)
34. “There’s Something About Mary” (1998)
35. “Bulletproof” (1996)
36. “Mitchell” (1975)
37. “Cave Dwellers” (1984)
38. “Nine Months” (1995)
39. “Rollerball” (2002)
40. “Attack of the Eye Creatures” (1965)
41. “Starship Troopers” (1997)
42. “She’s So Lovely” (1997)
43. “Blindfold: Acts of Obsession” (1994)
44. “Hercules Against the Moon Men” (1963)
45. “Striptease” (1996)
