The Panda

Number 8 The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003) 99 Points (29 Votes, Avg Score 34.45) "I can't carry it for you... but I can carry you!" Number 1 Placements: 1 Placement Top 5 Placements: 4 Placements Top 10 Placements: 7 Placements Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (4, -4), 2013 (15, +7), 2012 (9, +1) Tomatometer: 95% Box Office: 377.03m (528m Adjusted) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Won 11 Oscars, including Best Picture IMDb Synopsis: While Frodo & Sam continue to approach Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring, unaware of the path Gollum is leading them, the former Fellowship aid Rohan & Gondor in a great battle in the Pelennor Fields, Minas Tirith and the Black Gates as Sauron wages his last war against Middle-earth. Critic Opinion: "Jackson's spare use of dialogue also lends proceedings an aura of mystery - unlike The Matrix, where everything felt the need to be explained with the thoroughness of A-level cramming notes. And let's not forget that LOTR started out as a trilogy and didn't have the sequels bolted on afterwards at the whim of the studio accounts department. Just 13 months in Tolkien time but seven years in the making, LOTR has racked up a bum-aching nine hours and 20 minutes to tell its story. But what a story. The action adventure against which all others will be measured." - Tim Evans User Opinion: "The best of the LOTR trilogy in my opinion, such an amazing movie. Absolutely amazing battles and the climax in Mount Doom is perfect in my opinion. The extended ending is perfectly in line with the book and I thought it was very brave of Peter Jackson to keep it like that. Perfect for the story. There are a few minor quibbles that keep this from getting an A+, the Paths of the Dead, everything involving Faramir and Arwen's initial journey to the Grey Havens." - Ariadne Personal Comment: Peter Jackson and The Lord of the Rings trilogy make another appearance with the climatic ending to the saga, The Return of the King. The Return of the King is the 17th movie from the 2000s decade to make the countdown, putting the decade in second place for most movies on our countdown. This movie may be best known for it being a never-ending ending, but that doesn't change the fact that nearly everyone watching it doesn't want it to end anyways. The battles are of epic proportions, the film has the most emotional heft of all three films, and there is a grand satisfaction that is had when the purpose of the Fellowship is finally accomplished. This movie, and the saga in general, are the definition of an epic.

Number 9 The Dark Knight (2008) 97 Points (28 Votes, Avg Score 31.12) "Some men just want to watch the world burn." Top 5 Placements: 3 Placements Top 10 Placements: 5 Placements Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (2, -7), 2013 (3, -6), 2012 (7, -2) Tomatometer: 94% Box Office: 533.35m (637.23m Adjusted) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Won 2 Oscars IMDb Synopsis: Set within a year after the events of Batman Begins, Batman, Lieutenant James Gordon, and new district attorney Harvey Dent successfully begin to round up the criminals that plague Gotham City until a mysterious and sadistic criminal mastermind known only as the Joker appears in Gotham, creating a new wave of chaos. Batman's struggle against the Joker becomes deeply personal, forcing him to "confront everything he believes" and improve his technology to stop him. A love triangle develops between Bruce Wayne, Dent and Rachel Dawes. Critic Opinion: "The Dark Knight keeps your stomach in knots. When the film started, I was excitedly shaking like the fanboy I am. By the time it was over, I was pale, my palms were sweaty, and I could barely hold in the emotions caught in my chest. The film is challenging in ways like no superhero film before it. There are so many “what would I have done” situations, a tie-in book of hypotheticals could be released. It is wave after wave of distress and anxiety. Heroes suffer. Good people die. From the thrilling score to the demented make-up; the sweeping shots to the gritty script. The supporting cast of Michael Caine as Wayne’s loyal butler Alfred, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, head of Wayne Enterprises and Gary Oldman, as the good cop Lieutenant Gordon. It’s all perfect. It is full of absolute white-knuckle entertainment, including an amazing car chase, bone-breaking fight scenes and one explosion barely big enough to fit on the screen. While Bruce Wayne claims his Batman is about theatrics and intimidation, deep down he’s about humanity. He gives up a lot to save the soul of Gotham city from the clutches of the Joker. In the so-intense-you-can-barely-watch finale, the citizens of Gotham are forced to prove if there are any souls left worth saving. It’s one of the boldest moments in a brave film. If it doesn’t get a Best Picture nomination, then why even bother giving out awards at all." - Simon Miraudo User Opinion: "The single greatest comic book film ever made. An instant 5 star modern classic that harkens back to the rich storytelling days of the Godfather and Lawrence of Arabia. The performances are simply out of this world, with the late great Heath Ledger's Joker becoming THE bar to which all movie villains are measured, and Aaron Eckhart and Gary Oldman each contributing lifetime achievement level performances, with everyone else rounding off the cast nicely. Christian Bale (tied with Daniel Day-Lewis as our greatest modern actor) gives a subtle yet menacing performance reminiscent of Al Pacino in his role as Michael Corleone; Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman provide great character moments as well as subtle, sophisticated humor that is delivered with far greater execution than most films that try to cram as much unnecessary slapstick as possible (i.e. Transformers, Avengers) An iconic masterpiece of cinema and a phenomenal triumph of storytelling, The Dark Knight is a truly epic film that tops any other contribution to the genre by leaps and bounds, no matter how many jealous fanboys of rival companies bang their heads in frustration over their own failure to reach this level of relevance." - Squaremaster316 Personal Comment: Christopher Nolan swoops into the list with his third movie, so far. The Dark Knight is the 16th movie from the 2000s to make the list, tying it with the 2010s for second place. This is also the lowest the Dark Knight has ever appeared on a forum countdown, which continues to provide evidence to my statement that the Nolan worship must have died down some and thus the love of his movies (at least, unless another Nolan movie hasn't taken its place as the forum's favorite Nolan film). Also, at least 3 Nolan films missed the list, so that leaves room for the possibility of one more coming up... The Dark Knight is also the first comic book movie to ever win a major Oscar, with it winning for Heath Ledger's legendary performance as the Joker, it also received such a big uproar for not getting a BP nom (along with Wall-E) that the academy changed the number of films nominated to 10. The Dark Knight is an endlessly quotable movie that manages to put itself at the top of comic book films.

The Girl in Red is another scene that'd Id place right up there as one of my favorite scenes of all time. It's incredibly powerful.

Number 10 Schindler's List (1993) 87 Points (24 Votes, Avg Score 25.42) "It's Hebrew, it's from the Talmud. It says, "Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire."" Top 5 Placements: 2 Placements Top 10 Placements: 7 Placements Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (15, +5), 2013 (10, --), 2012 (21, +11) Tomatometer: 96% Box Office: 96.07m (197.3m Adjusted) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Won 7 Oscars, including Best Picture IMDb Synopsis: Oskar Schindler is a vainglorious and greedy German businessman who becomes an unlikely humanitarian amid the barbaric Nazi reign when he feels compelled to turn his factory into a refuge for Jews. Based on the true story of Oskar Schindler who managed to save about 1100 Jews from being gassed at the Auschwitz concentration camp, it is a testament to the good in all of us. Critic Opinion: "At the end of the film, there is a sequence of overwhelming emotional impact, involving the actual people who were saved by Schindler. We learn that "Schindler's Jews" and their descendants today number about 6,000 and that the Jewish population of Poland is 4,000. The obvious lesson would seem to be that Schindler did more than a whole nation to spare its Jews. That would be too simple. The film's message is that one man did something, while in the face of the Holocaust others were paralyzed. Perhaps it took a Schindler, enigmatic and reckless, without a plan, heedless of risk, a con man, to do what he did. No rational man with a sensible plan would have gotten as far. The French author Flaubert once wrote that he disliked Uncle Tom's Cabin because the author was constantly preaching against slavery. "Does one have to make observations about slavery?" he asked. "Depict it; that's enough." And then he added, "An author in his book must be like God in the universe, present everywhere and visible nowhere." That would describe Spielberg, the author of this film. He depicts the evil of the Holocaust, and he tells an incredible story of how it was robbed of some of its intended victims. He does so without the tricks of his trade, the directorial and dramatic contrivances that would inspire the usual melodramatic payoffs. Spielberg is not visible in this film. But his restraint and passion are present in every shot." - Roger Ebert User Opinion: "The filmmaking on display is so good it transcends the utter blackness of the subject matter. I saw it five times in theaters. The first time, it was still in limited release, and I drove 40 miles to San Francisco to see it by myself (I was 19 and none of my friends were interested). There was this old man seated next to me (honestly, I didn't even really notice him until the end), and when the credits were rolling and everyone in the theater was just sitting there, pole-axed, he turned to me and said, "I was there, in one of those camps."I was so flabbergasted and stunned all I could manage was, "oh wow..." (Surely one of the more idiotic things I could've said), and then he got up and left.The 40-mile drive back home was a thoughtful and powerful one." - Telemachos Personal Comment: Spielberg hits the list yet another time with Schindler's List. Schindler's List is the 24th movie from the 1990s to make out countdown, furthering its dominance, and Spielberg's dominance over every other director on this list. Schindler's List was the second and knockout punch in Spielberg's best year of his rich filmmaking career, and it is a powerful film. There are many World War 2 and Holocaust films out there, so many attempt (and succeed) at depicting the era, but I have still yet to see a film that even gets close to topping the subtle power of this one. Schindler's List is Spielberg at his most tame, and it is also Spielberg at his absolute best when it comes to directing prowess. Spielberg demonstrates his incredible range here as a filmmaker, being able to make a summer gangbuster like Jurassic Park and then turn around and deliver one of the most thoughtful, simple, and poignant movies ever made about an era that has had more movies made about than buildings smashed and explosions in every Snyder and Michael Bay movie combined. There's so much that could be said about this incredible film, but at the end of the day it's pure art as it's meant to be.

They were made before the year 2001, thus too old for me to watch them.

Number 11 The Godfather: Part II (1974) 86 Points (23 Votes, Avg Score 29.217) "My father taught me many things here - he taught me in this room. He taught me: keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." Top 5 Placements: 3 Placements Top 10 Placements: 5 Placements Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (34, +23), 2013 (8, -3), 2012 (8, -3) Tomatometer: 97% Box Office: 47.54m (218.14m Adjusted) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Won 6 Oscars, Including Best Picture IMDb Synopsis: The continuing saga of the Corleone crime family tells the story of a young Vito Corleone growing up in Sicily and in 1910s New York; and follows Michael Corleone in the 1950s as he attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba. Critic Opinion: "When superfans speak of the superiority of The Godfather Part II, this is not merely to be contrary. Coppola took Mario Puzo’s pulp and darkened it with Nixonian paranoia and the power of political back rooms. The sequel’s decadence—Michael sweeping down on Fredo, Kay, all of them—is counterweighted by nostalgia, as we see the young immigrant Vito (De Niro) striving to protect his own. Thus we have the birth of a quasi-noble idea: the neighborhood defender. But De Niro, gun barrel blazing, plays it squirrelly, unsure if bad wheels have been set in motion. Vito’s son will pay the ultimate price, a descent that is the richest the movies have to offer." - Joshua Rothkopf User Opinion: "I'll echo others and say that is the greatest or at least one of the greatest sequels of all time. I'm still undecided whether I like this or the original better, perhaps I'll settle on them being equally as good." - Scottb Personal Comment: There's a common idea that a sequel is never as good as the original, as untrue as I believe that statement is, it's carried around all the same. You would think that a sequel to a movie as legendary as The Godfather couldn't possibly live up to it, and then again The Godfather: Part II managed to shock the world and be a film that most view as on the same plane or even superior. The Godfather: Part II is the 9th movie on our countdown from the 90s. This movie also has some of the best reviews out of any movie to make our countdown (only losing out to a few movies such as Citizen Kane). While this movie may not be as iconic as the original, it still manages to place itself on the same pedestal from its pure ingenuity. The top 10 will begin a bit later tonight, and we'll hit the big cliffhanger for the day....

I counted, re-counted, and triple checked to make sure this one wasn't too high, and it was this high. (I actually triple counted all of the top 25 to make sure I didn't make any mistakes. Everything else I just double checked after the initial counting)

Number 12 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) 84 Points (24 Votes, Avg Score 30.875) "*Po-tay-toes!* Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew..." Top 5 Placements: 5 Placements Top 10 Placements: 5 Placements Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (19, +7), 2013 (29, +17), 2012 (11, -1) Tomatometer: 96% Box Office: 342.55m (495.28m Adjusted) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Won 2 Oscars IMDb Synopsis: While Frodo and Sam, now accompanied by a new guide, continue their hopeless journey towards the land of shadow to destroy the One Ring, each member of the broken fellowship plays their part in the battle against the evil wizard Saruman and his armies of Isengard. Critic Opinion: "Perhaps one of the best sequels ever made, “The Two Towers” stays true to the first film simply because it was filmed simultaneously (along with the third film). This way, the production design, characters and feel is completely seamless. The only film to come this close to the look and feel of the original is “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” With a more satisfying ending and a tremendous battle that makes “Braveheart” look like a group of kindergartners playing red rover, “The Two Towers” whets the appetite for the final film, “The Return of the King.” Thank god we only have to wait a year." - Kevin Carr User Opinion: "This movie is excellent on so many levels. It dealt with all of the different character stories, and meshed them all in the end for one great movie." - Warhorse Personal Comment: Peter Jackson comes onto the list with the second installment to the Lord of the Rings franchise. He, like the Wachowski's, is also somewhat of a one hit wonder only if you include all 3 Lord of the Rings movies as one and ignore the potential greatness of King Kong. The Lord of the Rings is also the 15th movie from the 2000s decade. I find it very hard to rank the Lord of the Rings films, because they all work together in my eyes. Nobody really says, "I feel like watching Two Towers today!" and then ignore watching the rest, these films go together. If one of these films had been sub-par or lacking, it would diminish the quality of the other two as they are all one overly long movie. However, the Two Towers does have a few things that makes it special, even if it's the middle "bridge" movie of the three, and the most notable is one of the best battles ever put to screen. Helm's Deep is in a way the defining moment for this film, and a defining moment for the series, as it created a visual experience like none had seen before it.

Number 13 Forrest Gump (1994) 80 Points (22 Votes, Avg Score 32.14) "Stupid is as stupid does." Number 1 Placements: 1 Placement Top 5 Placements: 4 Placements Top 10 Placements: 7 Placements Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (39, +26), 2013 (23, +10), 2012 (15, +2) Tomatometer: 72% (The only not certified fresh movie to make the list) Box Office: 329.69m (673.92m Adjusted) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Won 6 Oscars, including Best Picture IMDb Synopsis: Forrest Gump is a simple man with a low I.Q. but good intentions. He is running through childhood with his best and only friend Jenny. His 'mama' teaches him the ways of life and leaves him to choose his destiny. Forrest joins the army for service in Vietnam, finding new friends called Dan and Bubba, he wins medals, creates a famous shrimp fishing fleet, inspires people to jog, starts a ping-pong craze, creates the smiley, writes bumper stickers and songs, donates to people and meets the president several times. However, this is all irrelevant to Forrest who can only think of his childhood sweetheart Jenny Curran, who has messed up her life. Although in the end all he wants to prove is that anyone can love anyone. Critic Opinion: "But Vietnam is not the only truth of Zemeckis’ America. The movie is bracketed by scenes set in the idyllic, imaginary small town of Greenbow, Ala., site of the boardinghouse where Forrest grows up (he is played as a boy by Michael Humphreys, and his mother by Sally Field) and to which he returns for the film’s autumnal ending. These final passages find Zemeckis harvesting the themes and images he has carefully planted; the effect is quietly devastating, deftly underplayed. There’s a delicacy here that the big broad Zemeckis has never attempted before - a great film maker, he keeps getting better." - Dave Kehr User Opinion: "My new all time favorite movie. Damn, surely didn't expect such a great performance from Sinise (this is the first time I've seen him in ANY movie. I knew him as having a TV show, but not that he was Oscar Nominated). Great soundtrack, story (I cried like a little bitch many times throughout the movie), very likeable characters, and the end when he finds out that he has a son and wants to ask if he is like him, or smart, broke me to pieces. Damn sad movie. I also teared up every time Jenny left AGAIN." - ChD Personal Comment: Robert Zemeckis hits up our list one last time with his most famous and iconic work, Forrest Gump. Forrest Gump continues the 90s domination by being the 23rd movie from the decade to make out countdown. Forrest Gump is also the worst critically reviewed movie on our list, however that didn't stop it from being an absolute box office monster and best picture winner that has ingrained itself into pop-culture for eternity. Forrest Gump has so many iconic scenes, moments, sequences, and lines that it's almost impossible not to smile and get a little bit emotional throughout it. I remember something one of my friend's said quite some time ago, "Man, if you haven't seen Forrest Gump, you aren't American." Forrest Gump is truly an American classic.

Number 14 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) 79 Points (15 Votes, Avg Score 22.27) "Dave, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye." Number 1 Placements: 3 Placements Top 5 Placements: 5 Placements Top 10 Placements: 6 Placements Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (43, +29), 2013 (17, +3), 2012 (22, +8) Tomatometer: 94% Box Office: 56.72m (371.46m Adjusted) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Won 1 Oscar IMDb Synopsis: "2001" is a story of evolution. Sometime in the distant past, someone or something nudged evolution by placing a monolith on Earth (presumably elsewhere throughout the universe as well). Evolution then enabled humankind to reach the moon's surface, where yet another monolith is found, one that signals the monolith placers that humankind has evolved that far. Now a race begins between computers (HAL) and human (Bowman) to reach the monolith placers. The winner will achieve the next step in evolution, whatever that may be. Critic Opinion: "Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is now re-released in cinemas, and after Christopher Nolan’s flawed and heartfelt voyage in Interstellar, it is salutary to revisit the film which invented so many of its tropes and ideas. Maybe only rocket science and deep space could absorb Kubrick’s famous coldness and control and tendency to visionary gigantism. It has become customary to place 2001 in a challenging or dark or dystopian sci-fi tradition as opposed to the all-conqueringly sucrose Star Wars. Actually, 2001 doesn’t exactly fit that first camp either: something in its mandarin blankness and balletic vastness, and refusal to trade in the emollient dramatic forms of human interest and human sympathy. Kubrick leaves usual considerations behind with his readiness to imagine a post-human future. For all its sentimentality, Steven Spielberg’s film A.I. Artificial Intelligence (a project once nursed by Kubrick) is nearer in spirit to 2001 than Interstellar. And at one remove, Steven Soderbergh’s intelligent, respectful remake of Tarkovsky’s Solaris in 2002 has some trace elements. This chance to see 2001 on the big screen shouldn’t be missed." - Peter Bradshaw User Opinion: "So for some reason being a huge movie buff, I was surprised to think to myself. "Why haven't I seen 2001: A Space Odyssey". I love Kurbrick but for some reason or another I never got around to watching this. Oh Boy it deserves all the props that it gets. The visuals for 1968 (12 years before I was born) was amazing. It's crazy I watched it this weekend cause this is the 45 Anniversary this week. So many Sci-Fi movies were clearly inspired by this including "Prometheus" recently. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the ending and the themes presented. I clearly remember so people telling me it was "Slow" and "Boring". I don't see that, it was very intense and had my attention the entire time. This was movie was ahead of it's time and I could see why it was polarizing when it came out but now it's a Classic cause people have had time to digest what was presented. The music was great, the Effects were great for their era. I loved the acting and the computer Hal 9000 was a great villian. This was a really great movie and even though I knew it was considered a Classic, that doesn't cloud my judgement. Either I like a movie or I don't. This movie blew me away. Perfect" - filmscholar Personal Comment: Stanley Kubrick makes his way back on the list with one of the most monumental films of its time. 2001: A Space Odyssey is a legendary epic, mind twisting movie that has inspired many movies to follow it. In fact it was a big inspiration for a one of a certain director's big movies who comes later in the list (he is maybe coming up more than once... Who knows?). 2001 is the 6th movie from the 1960s decade to make our list, and its divisiveness upon release and even to this day is astounding. This is a movie you either absolutely love, or don't want anything to do with, and I just happen to fall into the absolutely love camp. There is so much to this movie that it makes you even wonder if the images it places in your head even have grand purpose, or if they're intentionally there to make you think there's a purpose when none really exists. The film resonates powerfully to this day and is a master-class film.

Today's set of movies will end on an epic cliffhanger when the list finally comes to a conclusion tomorrow

I think Civil War is having a solid performance right now.

We need Dory to save us all. It's the only sequel this summer (besides Civil War) that I don't see disappointing.

Possibly, makes me mad too because I had all three pegged just under 100m, and last minute put Alice on my summer list.

A Deadpool Zootopia B 10 Cloverfield Lane Captain America: Civil War Hail, Caesar The Jungle Book Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising C The Angry Birds Movie Miracles From Heaven Hardcore Henry Risen D The 5th Wave Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Dirty Grandpa The Divergent Series: Allegiant God's Not Dead 2 Jane Got a Gun London Has Fallen F The Choice The Darkness Norm of the North Ratchet and Klank Z 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Bengazi

I enjoyed the movie, it's by no means anything memorable, but it's a fun flick to go see with your friends or pop on when it hits Neftlix. There's a nice amount of laughs in the movie, and it does a decent job making a fun sequel out of something that should have felt like a lame rehash. Not as good as the first, but still a funny movie. B-

Number 15 Casablanca (1942) 78 Points (18 Votes, Avg Score 29.06) "Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Number 1 Placements: 2 Placements Top 5 Placements: 5 Placements Top 10 Placements: 6 Placements Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (22, +7), 2013 (14, -1), 2012 (33, +18) Tomatometer: 97% Box Office: N/A Most Notable Awards Recognition: Won 3 Oscars, including Best Pic IMDb Synopsis: In World War II Casablanca, Rick Blaine, exiled American and former freedom fighter, runs the most popular nightspot in town. The cynical lone wolf Blaine comes into the possession of two valuable letters of transit. When Nazi Major Strasser arrives in Casablanca, the sycophantic police Captain Renault does what he can to please him, including detaining a Czechoslovak underground leader Victor Laszlo. Much to Rick's surprise, Lazslo arrives with Ilsa, Rick's one time love. Rick is very bitter towards Ilsa, who ran out on him in Paris, but when he learns she had good reason to, they plan to run off together again using the letters of transit. Well, that was their original plan.... Critic Opinion: "Like Citizen Kane and Gone with the Wind, this 1942 classic has been dissected to within an inch of its life. The reason Casablanca endures is that it's a timeless love story wrapped inside a gripping wartime thriller, written with such wit and meaning that it's still quoted (and misquoted) decades later. Humphrey Bogart gives a career-best performance as Rick, the cynical, expat nightclub owner, whose seemingly apolitical stance is rocked by the appearance of Resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) and Ilsa Lund (the luminous Ingrid Bergman). Ilsa is Rick's old flame - cue misty-eyed flashbacks of their time together in Paris and requests for Dooley Wilson to play As Time Goes By. Memorable support comes from Peter Lorre, Conrad Veidt and Claude Rains, and Max Steiner's score is superb, but the final credit must go to director Michael Curtiz, who pieces it all together with verve, symbolism and torrid emotion. It may never carry the same impact as it did for post-Pearl Harbor Americans, but it still transfixes, from the first rounding up of the "usual suspects"." - Andrew Collins User Opinion: "People often say "no movie is perfect". I have to assume those people have never seen Casablanca." - yads Personal Comment: The first movie to make the top 15 of our list is none other than the classic, Casablanca. Casablanca is only the 3rd movie from the 1940s to make the countdown, which in a way signifies something special. It shows even a group of Box Office Junkies who evidently hate any movie that pre-dates the year they were born are able to recognize that there is so much brilliance to this movie. Casablanca is often regarded by film critics as the best film of all-time, right next to the Citizen Kane (which was on our list previously). The movie is about as perfect as a movie could be. The screenwriting isn't only quotable and memorable, but it is some of the best writing ever put to the screen. The film is impeccably shot and cut, and there are no complaints I could see one having about this movie.

Number 16 The Matrix (1999) 77 Points (21 Votes, Avg Score 41.42857) "To deny our own impulses is to deny the very thing that makes us human." Number 1 Placements: 1 Placement Top 5 Placements: 4 Placements Top 10 Placements: 8 Placements Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (17, +1), 2013 (9, -7), 2012 (10, -6) Tomatometer: 87% Box Office: 171.48m (289.63m Adjusted) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Won 4 Oscars IMDb Synopsis: Thomas A. Anderson is a man living two lives. By day he is an average computer programmer and by night a hacker known as Neo. Neo has always questioned his reality, but the truth is far beyond his imagination. Neo finds himself targeted by the police when he is contacted by Morpheus, a legendary computer hacker branded a terrorist by the government. Morpheus awakens Neo to the real world, a ravaged wasteland where most of humanity have been captured by a race of machines that live off of the humans' body heat and electrochemical energy and who imprison their minds within an artificial reality known as the Matrix. As a rebel against the machines, Neo must return to the Matrix and confront the agents: super-powerful computer programs devoted to snuffing out Neo and the entire human rebellion. Critic Opinion: "The image of a superficial existence, where ignorant people thrive by blocking out a troublesome reality, is potent for a Western society drowning in wealth while the rest of the world suffers. The performances, too, wow. Admittedly Reeves is gifted the perfect role - he has to look good while hitting things - but Moss is charismatic, clever and sexy, while Fishburne is monumental. Nestling next to "The Terminator" and "Metropolis", this is one the finest sci-fi flicks ever made. What is "The Matrix"? It's genius. And yes, we admit, you do have to see it for yourself." - Nev Pierce User Opinion: "I have said about Transformers that I hate every part of it, for me, the Matrix is the anti-Transformers, I loved everything about it. One of the best of all time," - Tower Personal Comment: The Wachowski's finally make it onto the list with the only good movie they've ever made (yes, you heard me, the only one). These one hit wonder siblings however did manage to hit a streak in pop culture with the Matrix, it's too bad they followed it up with two pretentious pieces of shit. Anyways, enough about the two directors I have no love for at all, and lets move onto the one good thing artistic wise that's ever come out of these two people, The Matrix. The Matrix is the 22nd movie from the 1990s to make the countdown. There are so many things that ended up going right with the Matrix. Whether it be the innovative plot, the gripping visual sequences, the jaw-dropping action sequences, there is next to nothing wrong you can in one of the mother of all nerd films. The Matrix has left its mark on the films that followed it, and few films can live up to its craziness.

Number 17 Jaws (1975) 76 Points (19 Votes, Avg Score 26.105) "You're gonna need a bigger boat." Number 1 Placements: 1 Placement Top 5 Placements: 5 Placements Top 10 Placements: 6 Placements Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (18, +1), 2013 (11, -6), 2012 (36, +19) Tomatometer: 97% Box Office: 260m (1.099b Adjusted) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Won 3 Oscars IMDb Synopsis: It's a hot summer on Amity Island, a small community whose main business is its beaches. When new Sheriff Martin Brody discovers the remains of a shark attack victim, his first inclination is to close the beaches to swimmers. This doesn't sit well with Mayor Larry Vaughn and several of the local businessmen. Brody backs down to his regret as that weekend a young boy is killed by the predator. The dead boy's mother puts out a bounty on the shark and Amity is soon swamped with amateur hunters and fisherman hoping to cash in on the reward. A local fisherman with much experience hunting sharks, Quint, offers to hunt down the creature for a hefty fee. Soon Quint, Brody and Matt Hooper from the Oceanographic Institute are at sea hunting the Great White shark. As Brody succinctly surmises after their first encounter with the creature, they're going to need a bigger boat. Critic Opinion: "As the salty, cynical Quint, Robert Shaw easily dominates all of his scenes — flippant and profane but all pro when it comes to the business of hunting sharks. Roy Scheider is no less effective in a less colorful role; and Richard Dreyfuss, now bearded and scholarly in rimless glasses, demonstrates again how far he has come since American Graffiti. Nor should John Williams' totally supportive score be overlooked. All in all, Jaws should make Universal nothing but money — and maybe pick up a few Oscars next year as well, particularly in the special-effects department. What it may do to the value of beach properties in the meantime, however, is another story." - Arthur Knight User Opinion: "This has always been thought of as the beginning of the summer blockbuster era and that's always made me wonder just what the hell has gone wrong in the last 40 years since this masterpiece was released.The one word that I associate with Jaws in character. It is in fact a showcase of character across the board. It does a masterful job of developing the story. Both the human characters and the shark are the ultimate reasons this film is so special, and once again it's all about character. The film is simply unrivaled in so many aspects and is a one of a kind in so many different ways.The shark itself is developed in such a brilliant way. The first half hour seems to build up the ruthlessness of the creature. It serves to make you fear not only the shark but the water itself. You never see the shark at this stage so your imagination takes control here. The subsequent hour serves as a damn good crescendo of building tension building and suspense before the inevitable showdown. This is done by actually developing the shark and its mystique. It in fact leads to the shark transcending from being a simple animal and becoming a villain with a personality. What a special film this is.Scheider, Shaw, and Dreyfuss serve as the cornerstones of the film here. I felt Shaw was the edge, Dreyfuss was the reason, and Scheider was the rock and heart of the film. What a beautiful combination the mix ultimately was. The character interaction here was just as interesting as the chase of the shark. My favorite scene in this film is when all three break out into song in the boat. Just three guys shooting the shit while chasing a 25-foot great white on the open sea. Fuck yes. Enough said." - mattmasv45 Personal Comment: Spielberg makes his way onto the lists for yet another time, this time with the mother of all blockbusters, Jaws. Jaws is the 8th movie from the 1970s to make our countdown. Jaws is a monumental movie in so many different ways. The first way, it was Spielberg's breakthrough as the king of blockbusters, and it made his career into the historic one it is today. In another way, we wouldn't have a summer movie season or tentpole movies if it weren't for Jaws, it is the most important film when it comes to Box Office, so no doubt it would be ranked so high on a Box Office Website. This movie is a perfect horror film that set the template for so many things that would come after it.

Number 18 The Shawshank Redemption (1994) 75 Points (22 Votes, Avg Score 32.77) "Get busy living, or get busy dying." Top 5 Placements: 3 Placements Top 10 Placements: 5 Placements Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (14, -4), 2013 (22, +4), 2012 (24, +6) Tomatometer: 91% Box Office: 28.34m (57.14m Adjusted) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Nominated for 7 Oscars, Ranked #1 Movie of All-Time on IMDb IMDb Synopsis: Chronicles the experiences of a formerly successful banker as a prisoner in the gloomy jailhouse of Shawshank after being found guilty of a crime he did not commit. The film portrays the man's unique way of dealing with his new, torturous life; along the way he befriends a number of fellow prisoners, most notably a wise long-term inmate named Red. Critic Opinion: "Based on a short story by Stephen King, The Shawshank Redemption has certainly earned its reputation as one of the most effective prison movies in cinematic history - as the film, written and directed by Frank Darabont, contains virtually all of the tropes and devices that the genre has come to be associated with. The ensuing inclusion of such familiar elements as the Evil Warden and the Sadistic Guard are undeniably put to brilliant use by Darabont, with the end result a piece of work that - aside from a midsection that's almost egregiously episodic - manages to hold the viewer transfixed virtually from start to finish. Tim Robbins stars as Andy Dufresne, a mild-mannered banker who eventually develops a deep bond with fellow inmate Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman) during a double-lifetime sentence within the walls of Shawshank Prison. While it's virtually impossible to overstate the effectiveness of the two lead performances, Darabont does a superb job of transforming even the most minor of supporting characters into vividly-drawn, thoroughly compelling figures - something that is, of course, due in no small part to the expectedly accomplished efforts of such familiar faces as Bob Gunton, Clancy Brown, and William Sadler. Yet as fully realized as Shawshank's landscape inevitably winds up becoming, there's little doubt that the film's most indelible element remains the touching friendship between Robbins and Freeman's respective characters. The chemistry between the two actors - coupled with career-best performances from the pair - ensures that The Shawshank Redemption ultimately packs an emotional wallop that one hardly would have expected from such an endeavor, and it's consequently not difficult to see why the movie's esteem has grown considerably in the years since its theatrical release." - Dave Nusair User Opinion: "Monumentally powerful and inspiring film that will likely never be topped in those areas.I still find it utterly shocking that Forrest Goddamn Gump won BP over this." - Ozymandias Personal Comment: Based on a short story by Stephen King, the Shawshank Redemption rolls on in at number 18. This is also the 21st movie to come out of the 1990s decade, further putting the decade ahead of the rest. The Shawshank Redemption was a special experience to me, as the first time I saw it, I had one of the biggest emotional reactions I have ever had before watching a movie. When the end credits started rolling, all I could so was sob, not really in sadness, but I was breaking down and crying in front of my TV with a feeling of joy and relief. The movie does such an excellent job of slowly building the tension and claustrophobic ness of the prison, yet also building the characters and humanity at the same time, that when the ending finally comes you feel the same relief you'd expect Andy to feel at the end of the movie. The Shawshank Redemption is one of the most inspiring stories ever put to screen.

Number 19 Back to the Future (1985) 72 Points (28 Votes, Avg Score 39.214) "If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour... you're gonna see some serious shit." Top 5 Placements: 1 Placement Top 10 Placements: 3 Placements Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (16, -3), 2013 (13, -6), 2012 (19, --) Tomatometer: 96% Box Office: 210.61m (506.65m Adjusted) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Won 1 Oscar IMDb Synopsis: Marty McFly, a typical American teenager of the Eighties, is accidentally sent back to 1955 in a plutonium-powered DeLorean "time machine" invented by a slightly mad scientist. During his often hysterical, always amazing trip back in time, Marty must make certain his teenage parents-to-be meet and fall in love - so he can get back to the future. Critic Opinion: "Still astounding is how Back To The Future is able to make almost effortless tonal shifts. Doc's gunning down in the opening scenes soon blends into rosy, Capra-esque sentiment and '50s nostalgia. The awkwardness of Lorraine's incestuous courtship of Marty is expertly played for laughs, so too is sad-sack George's transformation from the weedy nerd to the hero who flattens school bully Biff Tannen with a crunching left hook. The latter sequence kicks off Zemeckis's brilliant final act, cross-cutting and zipping between George winning Lorraine's heart and Marty shredding guitar Pete Townshend-style with Marvin Berry and The Starlighters. The final moments, from the lightning bolt on the clock tower to Doc's declaration that "we don't need roads", display all that's great about BTTF - its seamless blend of action, comedy and human drama. There were, of course, two sequels. Part II had futuristic gizmos, an ingenious structure that led to a revisitation of its predecessor and a jaw-dropping cliffhanger ending, while Part III paid homage to the Western and triumphantly capped the series with Doc getting the girl. Both were fantastically entertaining, but couldn't quite match the brilliance of the first. That doesn't really matter, though, because the legacy of Back To The Future hasn't been tarnished. It was, is and always will be a true Hollywood classic." - Simon Reynolds User Opinion: "Funny. Well-acted. Dramatic. Romantic. Re-watchable. Original. Crowd-pleasing. Fun. A Classic if there ever was one. Back to the Future - the best movie ever made." - Andy Stitzer Personal Comment: Back to the Future comes onto the list as one of Robert Zemeckis' biggest hits. Back to the Future is also the 12th movie from the 1980s to make the countdown, can the decade make up some more ground going forward? There are many things to love in Back to the Future. While the movie may now feel culturally aged, its become more of a time capsule of the culture of the time. While the pop culture references may not ring as hilariously as they did back in the 80s, Back to the Future is still a brilliantly entertaining film that has not in any way been forgotten.

Number 20 Goodfellas (1990) 72 Points (24 Votes, Avg Score 31.583) "For as long as I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster. To me that was better than being president of the United States. To be a gangster was to own the world." Number 1 Placements: 1 Placement Top 5 Placements: 1 Placement Top 10 Placements: 3 Placements Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (21, +1), 2013 (7, -13), 2012 (20, --) Tomatometer: 96% Box Office: 46.84m (95.09m Adjusted) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Won 1 Oscar IMDb Synopsis: Henry Hill might be a small time gangster, who may have taken part in a robbery with Jimmy Conway and Tommy De Vito, two other gangsters who might have set their sights a bit higher. His two partners could kill off everyone else involved in the robbery, and slowly start to think about climbing up through the hierarchy of the Mob. Henry, however, might be badly affected by his partners' success, but will he consider stooping low enough to bring about the downfall of Jimmy and Tommy? Critic Opinion: "In terms of directing, Scorsese is in top form, with an energetic camera that darts, strolls and struts around rooms. In editing, he clips dialogue tightly and packs the soundtrack with pop music that unifies the movie`s time span of nearly 30 years. Beyond that, what is so excellent about Scorsese is that his visual strategy underscores his moral sensibility. When Henry`s wife Karen agrees to hide his gun, Scorsese photographs it from above as if it were a sacrament (as he did with the guns in ``Taxi Driver``) and then cuts to a religious marriage ritual that emphasizes the importance of what Karen has done. All of the performances are first-rate; Pesci stands out, though, with his seemingly unscripted manner. ``GoodFellas`` is easily one of the year`s best films." - Gene Siskel User Opinion: "My favourite Scorsese film right after Taxidriver. A masterpiece plain and simple." - acab Personal Comment: Kicking off the top 20 is another Scorsese film and one of the most beloved gangster films in cinematic history, Goodfellas. Goodfellas adds yet another movie from the 1990s onto our countdown, as it is the 20th movie from that decade. Goodfellas has become a modern staple in film culture and the development of narration. I'll take the time to talk about how much I love Scorsese's narration techniques, and how I love when other directors follow suit. I am one who absolutely hates narrators in stories who are only there to give exposition because the director is to lazy to figure out how to show me that information, I find straight exposition to be very lazy and something that's often done poorly. So when I hear Scorsese talk about how whenever a character narrates it should be more about learning more about the character and less about gaining more exposition, it's quite a relief to hear from my part.

I originally left Alice off of my top 15 for the summer game but then everyone acted like it was crazy for it to drop so much so I put it at 14. I need to stop listening to the forum when I predict.

The list will continue tomorrow for certain. The last two days have been killer, but my weekend is mostly free. So I'll rest and finish up

Oh I did something like that, any lists under 50 movies had their points cut in half. I meant I put more weight on people's top 25, 10, 5, and 1 picks, while still making it easy to score quickly. The only thing I'd change is maybe have 75-50 be its own point bracket.