The Panda

Number 126 The Third Man (1949) "Oh, I still do believe in God, old man. I believe in God and Mercy and all that. But the dead are happier dead. They don't miss much here, poor devils." Most Valuable Player: Hafenrichter for Editing Box Office: N/A Tomatometer: 100% Synopsis: Pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime. Critic Opinion: "In the London Review of Books, Michael Wood recently wrote of “the lens of the meantime” — that happy phenomenon whereby we superimpose on a movie we’re watching other movies that its actors have been in. “The Third Man” offers a wondrous case in point. Seeing Welles and Cotten together summons the shades of Charles Foster Kane and Jed Leland. Trevor Howard’s unflappable Major Calloway looks back to his doctor in “Brief Encounter” and ahead to Captain Bligh, in the first remake of “Mutiny on the Bounty.” Then there’s Bernard Lee as the sergeant at Howard’s side. A dozen years later, he would debut as M, a part Lee played in 11 James Bond pictures. Which brings us back to aural movie madeleines. Monty Norman’s Bond theme may be the most potent of them all. Ah, but what would it sound like on a zither?" - Feeney, Boston Globe User Opinion: None Reasoning: One of the most technically brilliant films ever made, The Third Man is a thriller that marks a transition of the "serious thriller" to an entertaining affair, while also remaining of the utmost quality in nearly aspect. From the performances of Cotten and Welles, to the gorgeously lit cinematography, to Reed's direction, to how the film is perfectly edited, there really just isn't any flaw or imperfection to be found with this film. The movie manages to be quite atmospheric, with a fairly unique and memorable guitar score to go along with it. Beyond the technical quality, The Third Man is thoughtful and exciting, a wonderful classic. Decade Count: 1930s: 8, 1940s: 11, 1950s: 5, 1960s: 10, 1970s: 13, 1980s: 24, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 18, 2010s: 17

The Lion King v. Forrest Gump Raiders of the Lost Ark v. Jurassic Park Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back v. Fantasia The Godfather v. The Dark Knight American Graffiti v. Titanic Star Wars: A New Hope v. Cinderella (1950) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King v. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Jaws v. Doctor Zhivago

I've seen it and 300 is definitely worse.

300 is one of the worst big-budget/blockbuster movies that's ever been made, easily Snyder's worst.

Number 127 The Revenant (2015) "I ain't afraid to die anymore. I'd done it already." Most Valuable Player: Leonardo DiCaprio's Leading Performance Box Office: 183.6m (185m Adjusted) Tomatometer: 81% Notable Awards: Won 3 Oscars, was nominated for Best Picture Synopsis: A frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820s fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team. Critic Opinion: "From this simple tale, Iñárritu has constructed an epic fable of uncommon grace and resonance, a film that, like its hero, achieves a kind of transcendence. The director is immeasurably aided in this achievement by his cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki. Shooting exclusively with natural light, Iñárritu and Lubezki craft a winter landscape at once pitiless and ravishing, a universe of muted grays: gray skies, gray snow, gray rock. (If these vistas recall Terrence Malick, it’s no coincidence: Lubezki shot the director’s last four films.)" - Orr, The Atlantic User Opinion: "Loved it, sure it may not be the deepest story ever. but the way it captured the rawness and savagery of the pioneer days was brilliant and something rarely seen, especially with this kind of budget. The Cinematology was just gorgeous, literally every scene was a work of art in that aspect, and the natural lighting only added layers to it making it more vibrant. Leo and Tom were both fantastic imo. I kind of feel like the real moral or theme here was loss. you can fight it or seek revenge for what you have lost, but there is nothing you can do to change it or get it back. I actually really liked the way it ended too. funny how people are saying they were bored, I wasn't bored for an instant I would give it an A+" Reasoning: For some reason, this masterpiece and its director Inarritu get a really bad rap on these forums, it's like there's a portion of people who just love to hate him. Whatever, I really dig this movie, a lot actually, and it'll likely climb even higher up on my list as the year go on. If I recall correctly, my immediate reaction after seeing it was saying it deserved to be viewed in a temple and that it made me want to pull a liver out of a buffalo and eat in raw boasting in the naturalism, or something like that. The Revenant is a masterpiece, from the Chivo's brilliant cinematography, to the best performance of Leonardo DiCaprio's career, and to Inarritu's pointed direction. The Revenant left me shivering at parts, as if the theater had gotten colder, a packed house and dead silence (with the exception of the chilling score by Sakamoto). It's immersive, an experience and pretentiously profound. One of the greatest movies of the decade. Decade Count: 1930s: 8, 1940s: 10, 1950s: 5, 1960s: 10, 1970s: 13, 1980s: 24, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 18, 2010s: 17

Now... Which Leonardo DiCaprio historical epic is the best Leonardo DiCaprio epic? Titanic? Iron Mask? Aviator? Inarritu's Masterpiece? @Telemachos will Shirley be pleased...

Number 128 Airplane! (1980) "Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue." Most Valuable Player: Jim Abrams and David Zucker for writing and directing Box Office: 83.5m (268.4m Adjusted) Tomatometer: 97% Notable Awards: Nominated for 1 Golden Globe Synopsis: A man afraid to fly must ensure that a plane lands safely after the pilots become sick. Critic Opinion: "Airplane! is what they used to call a laff-riot. Made by team which turned out Kentucky Fried Movie, this spoof of disaster features beats any other film for sheer number of comic gags. Writer-directors leave no cliche unturned as they lay waste to the Airport-style disaster cycle, among other targets. From the clever Jaws take-off opening to the final, irreverent title card, laughs come thick and fast." - Variety Staff User Opinion: "Wow. One of the most consistently funny movies ever. It's just joke after joke after joke, and they all hit. So what if the plot is thin and it's just a series of sketches, it's a spoof, and a great one." - darkelf Reasoning: Maybe not the most intelligent comedy ever made, but it's one of the most consistently hysterical films ever made. The film never stops with the jokes, and pretty much every single one of them either lands. The spoof comedy genre has a pretty bad wrap nowadays, for a good reason, but Airplane! is an exception to that, it's one of the flat out funniest films ever made. Everything in the movie is working to elevate the humor, from Bernstein's satirical homage filled score, to the non-stop barrage of one-liners and gags, to the fantastically ham-filled performances. Airplane! is what a comedy should be. Decade Count: 1930s: 8, 1940s: 10, 1950s: 5, 1960s: 10, 1970s: 13, 1980s: 24, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 18, 2010s: 16

Number 129 Strangers on a Train (1951) "Don't worry, I'm not going to shoot you, Mr. Haines. It might disturb Mother." Most Valuable Player: Alfred Hitchcock's Direction Box Office: N/A Tomatometer: 98% Notable Awards: Nominated for 1 Oscar Synopsis: A psychotic socialite confronts a pro tennis star with a theory on how two complete strangers can get away with murder - a theory that he plans to implement. Critic Opinion: "Hitchcock was a classical technician in controlling his visuals, and his use of screen space underlined the tension in ways the audience is not always aware of. He always used the convention that the left side of the screen is for evil and/or weaker characters, while the right is for characters who are either good, or temporarily dominant. Consider the scene where Guy is letting himself into his Georgetown house when Bruno whispers from across the street to summon him. Bruno is standing behind an iron gate, the bars casting symbolic shadows on his face, and Guy stands to his right, outside the gate. Then a police car pulls up in front of Guy's house, and he quickly moves behind the gate with Bruno; they're now both behind bars as he says, "You've got me acting like I'm a criminal."" - Roger Ebert User Opinion: "One of the tensest and thrilling films of the master. The premise is great, the romantic pair is not a damsel in distress and the villain is deliciously insane. The last 30 minutes, including the amazing climax, is at least top 5 most tense sequences directed by Hitchcock. I loved the happy yet tragic ending, conveying a sense of catastrophe that very few directors are able to duplicate." - Goffe Reasoning: Hitchcock time and time again proved that he was one of the greatest directors to ever work in cinema, and Strangers on a Train is another case where he proves that. The film is smart, suspenseful and it leaves you guessing the entire way through. In terms of actors, Walker is exceptionally good as Bruno Anthony, he plays the part believably yet still in a way where you're left unsettled. Hitchcock also creates a great tone and mood throughout the film, working creatively with every shot. It'd be quite difficult to make an argument against Hitchcock's quality as a director, and it'd be even more difficult to argue against the quality of this film. Decade Count: 1930s: 8, 1940s: 10, 1950s: 5, 1960s: 10, 1970s: 13, 1980s: 23, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 18, 2010s: 16

Zhivago and Poppins

Number 130 E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) "E.T. phone home." Most Valuable Player: Spielberg's Direction Box Office: 359.2m (1.075b Adjusted) Tomatometer: 98% Notable Awards: Won 4 Oscars, was nominated for Best Picture Synopsis: A troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape Earth and return to his home world. Critic Opinion: ""E.T., the Extra Terrestrial" may be the best Disney film Disney never made. Captivating, endearingly optimistic and magical at times, Steven Spielberg's fantasy about a stranded alien from outer space protected by three kids until it can arrange for passage home is certain to capture the imagination of the world's youth in the manner of most of his earlier pics, as well as those of George Lucas. Result will be a summer time bonanza for distrib Universal. In short, "E.T." equals b.o." - Todd McCarthy, Variety User Opinion: I think I liked E.T. when I was ten but when I viewed it as an adult, I developed a deep level of respect for it. E.T. is simply one of the finest films ever made and if you have not seen the film in the theatre then you have no idea what you are missing. Everything about this film is perfect, and there really aren't many films around I can say that about. Even some of my personal favourites have moments of weakness but not E.T. There has never really been another movie that has offered the experience that E.T. does. For some reason as a kid, I did not cry watching this but that changed as an adult. You can analyze the film, psychologically deconstruct it and tell me that the reason the film works so well is because of the feeling of loneliness and the friendship that is developed between two lost souls and I would agree with you. But ET is much more than that. There's so much goodness and warmth and intangibles that make this film what it is. Spielberg's best film imo is JAWS but ET might be his most complete film. As a child growing up in the 80's who experienced his parents almost getting a divorce on numerous occasions, this film spoke to in ways that other film just couldn't. ET is simply one of the best. (baumer)...sorry Panda....I couldn't let this section go empty. Reasoning: A box office smash for its time, E.T. is one of Spielberg's big definitive blockbusters. The film is absolutely magical, and that's something that stays no matter how old you are when you watch it. It features one of the defining John Williams scores, it boasts an adventurous and eerie atmosphere that really resonates, and E.T. is the cutest ugly Alien you'll ever see on screen. Many movies try to mimic this one, but pretty much all of them fall short of the wonder and awe this film manages to invoke when you watch it. This won't be the last Spielberg film to make the list, so I can't say it's one of his absolute bests, but even then it's nothing short than a family film masterwork by a master director. Decade Count: 1930s: 8, 1940s: 10, 1950s: 4, 1960s: 10, 1970s: 13, 1980s: 23, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 18, 2010s: 16

Number 131 The French Connection (1971) "All right, Popeye's here! Get your hands on your heads, get off the bar, and get on the wall!" Most Valuable Player: Gene Hackman's Lead Performance Box Office: 51.7m (271m Adjusted) Tomatometer: 98% Notable Awards: Won 5 Oscars, including Best Picture Synopsis: A pair of NYC cops in the Narcotics Bureau stumble onto a drug smuggling job with a French connection. Critic Opinion: "Good films about modern American crimes have been few and far between in the last half-dozen years, and "The French Connection" beautifully fills the void. There is only one problem with the excitement generated by this film. After it is over, you will walk out of the theater and, as I did, curse the tedium of your own life. I kept looking for someone who I could throw up against a wall." - Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune User Opinion: "Great movie. Really enjoyed the cinematography choices. That shot of the little bar in the foreground of the Brooklyn Bridge was really nice. The acting was great, the direction was great, the train/car chase was awesome, and the story was top notch. Definitely the best Hackman role I've seen. Only thing I did not care for was the music." - redfirebird Reasoning: The French Connection is an older classic that plays out as if it were quite modern. The pacing of the movie is quite fast compared to other action/thriller type films at that time, and the car chase scene is truly an all-timer with how thrilling it manages to be. Friedkin is incredibly innovative with his stylistic choices throughout the film, and Hackman delivers the best performance of his career. Ellis' score is also quite good and dabbles in a dissonant musical style that isn't used in films all to often, which makes it quite memorable from other scores in the era. The French Connection is violent, exciting and flat out fun, a fantastic 70s classic. Decade Count: 1930s: 8, 1940s: 10, 1950s: 4, 1960s: 10, 1970s: 13, 1980s: 22, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 18, 2010s: 16

Well... I surprisingly agree with Ethan on this one.

Number 132 The Thief of Bagdad (1940) "I am Abu the thief, son of Abu the thief, grandson of Abu the thief." Most Valuable Player: Pernial, Whitney and Butler for The Visual Effects and Cinematography Box Office: N/A Tomatometer: 100% Notable Awards: Won 3 Oscars Synopsis: After being tricked and cast out of Bagdad by the evil Jaffar, King Ahmad joins forces with a thief named Abu to reclaim his throne, the city, and the Princess he loves. Critic Opinion: "This 1940 movie is one of the great entertainments. It lifts up the heart. An early Technicolor movie, it employs colors gladly and with boldness, using costumes to introduce a rainbow. It has adventure, romance, song, a Miklos Rozsa score that one critic said is "a symphony accompanied by a movie." It had several directors; as producer, Alexander Korda leaped from one horse to another in midstream. But it maintains a consistent spirit, and that spirit is one of headlong joy in storytelling." - Roger Ebert User Opinion: None Reasoning: Maybe you haven't heard of this one, maybe you have, but think of it as an even more entertaining, adventurous (and live action) version of Aladdin. The movie is visually arousing, even in modern times, and it keeps your eyes glued to the screen and irrelevant to the fact that this movie is over 70 years old. The score by Rozsa is absolutely brilliant and one of the best he has made, it nearly outshines the film itself. There's so much world building and atmosphere that really brings everything in this epic little children' adventure to life. One of the all-time great fantasy films. Decade Count: 1930s: 8, 1940s: 10, 1950s: 4, 1960s: 10, 1970s: 12, 1980s: 22, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 18, 2010s: 16

Number 133 The Maltese Falcon (1941) "When you're slapped, you'll take it and like it." Most Valuable Player: John Huston for Directing and Writing Box Office: N/A Tomatometer: 100% Notable Awards: Nominated for 3 Oscars, including Best Picture Synopsis: A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette. Critic Opinion: "The Maltese Falcon is the first crime melodrama with finish, speed and bang to come along in what seems ages, and since its pattern is one of the best things Hollywood does, we have been missing it. It is the old Dashiell Hammett book, written back in the days when you could turn out a story and leave it at that, without any characters joining the army, fleeing as refugees or reforming bad boys, men or women. It is hokum, all right—about a historic image so costly with gold and jewels that people follow it all over the world, plotting to get it away from other people similarly employed, the various forces finally converging in the territory of Sam Spade, a detective. But John Huston has written the screen play and directed the picture so that a fast pace and direct, vigorous approach give a surface meaning to each situation as it follows another." - Otis Ferguson, The New Republic (1941) User Opinion: "Fantastic and entertaining -- not to mention sardonic and cynical -- movie. Lots of famous moments and lines." Reasoning: The Maltese Falcon is a melodramatic noir masterpiece that helped to define a genre. John Huston's writing and direction manages to craft a film that is suspenseful, memorable and quite entertaining. There's great craft in the making of the film, and there really isn't a doubt in the movie had a profound influence on films to follow it. Everything in the movie works, from the performances, to the cinematography, to the crafty screenplay that still has resonating lines today. The film feels quite modern compared to other movies in its era, making it an easy watch for people who don't watch a lot of older cinema. The Maltese Falcon is a definitive detective and crime film. Decade Count: 1930s: 8, 1940s: 9, 1950s: 4, 1960s: 10, 1970s: 12, 1980s: 22, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 18, 2010s: 16

Number 134 All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) "You still think it's beautiful to die for your country. The first bombardment taught us better. When it comes to dying for country, it's better not to die at all." Most Valuable Player: Lewis Milestone's Direction and Imagery Box Office: N/A Tomatometer: 100% Notable Awards: Won 2 Oscars, including Best Picture Synopsis: A young soldier faces profound disillusionment in the soul-destroying horror of World War I. Critic Opinion: "“You still think it’s beautiful and sweet to die for your country, don’t you?” Into the meat grinder, boys: Warmongering elders in small-town Germany hype up service in the Great War as the ultimate honor, and their unsuspecting broods march eagerly into the first mechanized conflict of the new century. Their reward? Constant artillery bombardment, a nonstop jackhammering of machine-gun fire and feverish huddling in the muddy squalor of frontline trenches. The neighborhood postman’s new army rank unleashes his inner sadist; friends lose limbs while doctors shrug; landscapes are nothing but wastelands. One of the earliest antiwar films and an urtext for all those that have followed, Lewis Milestone’s beautifully brutal adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s harrowing novel is a spry, feisty 82-year-old bruiser of a movie. This is protogenre, an undiluted dose of outrage and alarm that uses war not as a set of tropes but as the raw material to create a portrait of extreme trauma and dumbfounding existentialism. Milestone’s directorial style (honed by the silent era) is strikingly modern, too, exploiting sound and image to liberate the story from its literary roots and convey an experience of anguish that words cannot express. The despair—and the artistry—is breathtaking." User Opinion: "yep. A" - lisa Reasoning: Following up the last Best Picture winning war movie, is another Best Picture war movie, this one being over 40 years older than the last one. It may be 30s style camera and sound quality, but the age doesn't take away from just how effective this movie managed to be. Frankly, I'm shocked this even managed to get made in 1930, given how anti-patriotic its themes are, but then again I guess this was pre-WW2 and early depression era where people were likely less patriotic. The movie is tragic and haunting, it lets its imagery and sound effects take the main stage to deliver the themes, and it leaves you moved. A powerful movie about the horrors of war, and one that set a template on how these films should be made. Decade Count: 1930s: 8, 1940s: 8, 1950s: 4, 1960s: 10, 1970s: 12, 1980s: 22, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 18, 2010s: 16

Number 135 The Deer Hunter (1978) "A deer has to be taken with one shot. I try to tell people that but they don't listen." Most Valuable Player: The Acting Ensemble Box Office: 50m (181.1m Adjusted) Tomatometer: 94% Notable Awards: Won 5 Oscars, including Best Picture Synopsis: An in-depth examination of the ways in which the U.S. Vietnam War impacts and disrupts the lives of people in a small industrial town in Pennsylvania. Critic Opinion: "Everyone knows by now that Vietnam was a cruel, unnecessary war but, in “The Deer Hunter,” director Michael Cimino sees it as only more alarming evidence that society has grown increasingly callous and even disrespectful of life. In trying to measure the devastating impact of Vietnam on the lives of three American soldiers, Cimino brings home the true horror of that senseless conflict in a way that the 6 O’Clock News never could. In ferociously intense, chillingly brutal scenes, this bravely innovative, kingsized movie (one should be warned that it runs over three hours) enables one to fully understand why this particular war not only destroyed the hopes and dreams of America’s young men, but why it left so many of them permanently shattered and alienated from society." - Carroll, New York Daily News User Opinion: "The first 100 minutes or so and the ending are basically flawless. Most of the third hour I'm not so sure about - it certainly became less sharp and coherent, and could have used another 10 or 15 minutes to help put things into focus. But at its best I thought this was an epic on both a grand and a human scale, a film as tremendously passionate as it was technically grand; it had me glued to my seat for the entirety of its runtime. The three-way juxtaposition of the happiness of marriage, the devastation of war, and the ruined life afterwards may not be subtle, but it hits hard. (On a human scale, I honestly think that cut from the characters quietly sitting in the bar, one of them playing a beautiful melody, to the explosions and killings in Vietnam rivals the bone-to-spaceship cut in 2001 in its power, except the effect is directly opposite). The final scene got tears out of me. Will see it again for sure." - Jake Gittes Reasoning: While some may call it dated, The Deer Hunter is a mixture of grandeur and intimacy that delivers one of the most effective movies of the horrors of War and its mental effect on soldiers that has ever been made. Part of what makes the movie work is brilliant ensemble work from Walken, Streep and De Niro, as well the rest of the cast, plus some delicate direction by Cimino. The film treads a balance of brutality and the evolution of the human relationships and psyche. The film feels both poetic and tragic in its structure. The Deer Hunter is one of the great all-time war epics. Decade Count: 1930s: 7, 1940s: 8, 1950s: 4, 1960s: 10, 1970s: 12, 1980s: 22, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 18, 2010s: 16

Going to get back on this later today!

Bigger hits actually tend help films down the line because it exposes them to wider audiences with the trailers before the movies. People aren't going to skip out on a movie in May because they saw one in March. Competition effects more recent movies, as that's when the consumer is faced with a direct choice between movie A or B.

Your YouTube reviews tend to be the same demographic with similar interest and tastes. They all tend to agree with each, most of the time, more or less.

My breakdown of 2016 Comic Book Movies, from reverse release order Doctor Strange - Fun visually but bland in every other way. Suicide Squad - Fun to hate on. X-Men - Lol nearly forgot this one existed CW - Bland in nearly every way. Batman v Superman - POS Deadpool - Masterpiece.

I don't like any of the Transformers movies, but I find this statement hard to disagree with

It may be a few days (or maybe not at all, depending on how connection is where I am going and if I have time) before I post anymore, so here are some hints of movies to come 140: An old fantasy film 130: Stranger Things? 129: Trains! 128: Aeroplanes! 127: A grand historical epic masterpiece that won many Oscars, made more money than anyone expected, and starred Leonardo DiCaprio in a career defining role. Directed by a man who certain people on these forums have very vocal opinions about 122: SADDEST MOVIE EVA 117:

Number 136 Up (2009) "That might sound boring, but I think the boring stuff is the stuff I remember the most." Most Valuable Player: Pete Docter and Bob Peterson for Directing and Writing Box Office: 293m (340m Adjusted) Tomatometer: 98% Notable Awards: Won 2 Oscars, nominated for Best Picture Synopsis: Seventy-eight year old Carl Fredricksen travels to Paradise Falls in his home equipped with balloons, inadvertently taking a young stowaway. Critic Opinion: "PIXAR extends the longest winning streak in Hollywood history with “Up,” an exquisite work of cinematic art that also happens to be the funniest, most touching, most exciting and most entertaining movie released so far this year. The animation studio’s latest instant classic — and its first offered in 3-D in many theaters — is also the best directed and written film I’ve seen thus far in 2009, and quite possibly this century." - Lumenick, New York Post User Opinion: "Exceptionally good. Made me cry like a bitch during the first 15 minutes, and that never happens." Reasoning; Obviously, this movie is most known for the first 15 minutes that make even the toughest and thick-skinned among us cry like a baby. However, I'll wager to say that this movie is incredible the entire way through, not just for the all-time classic opening. The characters are endearing, and the entire film takes a heavy theme of loss and moving forward from it in life and translates it into something digestible to all audiences, without losing the brevity of the topic. The jazz-inspired score is among Pixar's best, and Pete Docter shows that he is likely the best director to ever work in animation, and somebody who knows how to tap into human emotions. Up is deservingly one of the very few animated films to ever be nominated for Best Picture. Decade Count: 1930s: 7, 1940s: 8, 1950s: 4, 1960s: 10, 1970s: 11, 1980s: 22, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 18, 2010s: 16

Number 137 The Graduate (1967) "For god's sake, Mrs. Robinson. Here we are. You got me into your house. You give me a drink. You... put on music. Now you start opening up your personal life to me and tell me your husband won't be home for hours." Most Valuable Player: Nichols Direction and Simon and Garfunkel's Score/Soundtrack Box Office: 104.9m (739.7m Adjusted) Tomatometer: 89% Notable Awards: Won 1 Oscar, nominated for Best Picture Synopsis: A disillusioned college graduate finds himself torn between his older lover and her daughter. Critic Reasoning: "Now that Mad Men has hit 1966, cast your mind back and remember—or imagine, if you weren’t there— that mainstream culture is only just going to ratify the notion of a “generation gap.” Then go watch The Graduate on the big screen at the Film Forum. See the grotesque materialism through the eyes of Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddock. Be agog at Anne Bancroft’s Mrs. Robinson in some of the most hilariously icky seduction scenes ever filmed. See Mike Nichols (with help from Simon & Garfunkel) take control of the Zeitgeist. See the mood go dark—darker than you remember. Is Benjamin a clown, a martyr, or a stalker and potential assassin" - Edelstein, New York Magazine User Opinion: "An all-time classic that most definitely earns its high reputation. Dustin Hoffman gives one of the best performances of his career, and the film's observations on the struggles of being a young twentysomething remain potent even after the passage of 47(!) years." - Webslinger Reasoning: Probably the best "Older married woman seduces young man" movie ever made. Everything is just delivered directly on point for this film, from the delivery of the seduction scenes, to Bancroft and Hoffman's performances, to Simon and Garfunkel's arousing score, to the pointed direction of Nichols. It's shocking to think this was an Avatar level Box Office hit back in the 60s, but it's a movie worthy of that box office craze. Beyond the seduction story, it serves well as a touching coming-of-age story in trying to figure out your life once school finally ends, maybe this will be me in 4-6 years when I (hopefully) finish a PhD program? Maybe not. The Graduate is a funny, engaging and moving Zeitgeist movie. Decade Count: 1930s: 7, 1940s: 8, 1950s: 4, 1960s: 10, 1970s: 11, 1980s: 22, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 17, 2010s: 16

Number 138 Requiem for a Dream (2000) "Somebody like you can really make things all right for me." Most Valuable Player: Aronofsky's Direction Box Office: 3.6m (5.8m Adjusted) Tomatometer: 78% Notable Awards: Nominated for 1 Oscar Synopsis: The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep. Critic Opinion: "There’s understandably a lot of pressure when your first feature film hits it big at the Sundance film festival and with critics. Sometimes, the sophomore effort can make or break a filmmaker. Will you make a Boogie Nights and move on to a bright future? Or will you make a Southland Tales and have much of the good will of your previous film get sapped away at an instant? (And I liked Southland Tales). In the case of Darren Aronofsky, whose Pi was a bold debut feature, it wasn’t surprising when his second feature film turned out to be darker, grittier, and more intense than the last. So intense, in fact, that it makes the already hyper-kinetic Pi look like a tame student film by comparison." - Runyon, Movie Mezzanine User Opinion: "This is a devastating movie. I've never felt more uncomfortable or captivated during any film. It's powerful, disturbing, and Aronofsky's masterful hand makes it all come together." - Gopher Reasoning: An intense movie that never ceases to let down until it ends. The imagery of the film is unsettling and it's really quite unique from most other movies out there. Aronofsky has a clear vision with this one, and everything from the cinematography, to the writing, to the score cements a bizarre delirious experience into your mind that remains fairly unforgettable. It's not a perfect movie by any sense, and it's not going to be a movie everyone can walk away from enjoying, but it is a movie that's really like no other, one that sets itself apart. The film packs a powerful punch and you won't forget it after the credits roll. Decade Count: 1930s: 7, 1940s: 8, 1950s: 4, 1960s: 9, 1970s: 11, 1980s: 22, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 17, 2010s: 16