The Panda

The countdown will resume when I get back home in a few hours

More will come tomorrow, I might see if I can get one or two in the morning before I leave home to make up for getting a bit less in today.

Number 70 It's a Wonderful Life (1946) 36 Points (13 Votes, Avg Score 48.7692) "Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" Top 5 Placements: 1 Placement Top 10 Placements: 3 Placements Changes in Ranking Over Time: 2014 (53, -17), 2013 (56, -14), 2012 (82, +12) Tomatometer: 94% Box Office: N/A Most Notable Awards Recognition: Nominated for 5 Oscars IMDb Synopsis: George Bailey has spent his entire life giving of himself to the people of Bedford Falls. He has always longed to travel but never had the opportunity in order to prevent rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town. All that prevents him from doing so is George's modest building and loan company, which was founded by his generous father. But on Christmas Eve, George's Uncle Billy loses the business's $8,000 while intending to deposit it in the bank. Potter finds the misplaced money and hides it from Billy. When the bank examiner discovers the shortage later that night, George realizes that he will be held responsible and sent to jail and the company will collapse, finally allowing Potter to take over the town. Thinking of his wife, their young children, and others he loves will be better off with him dead, he contemplates suicide. But the prayers of his loved ones result in a gentle angel named Clarence coming to earth to help George, with the promise of earning his wings. He shows George what things would have been like if he had never been born. In a nightmarish vision in which the Potter-controlled town is sunk in sex and sin, those George loves are either dead, ruined, or miserable. He realizes that he has touched many people in a positive way and that his life has truly been a wonderful one. Critic Opinion: "This masterpiece from Frank Capra still has a lot to say about community spirit and is a film with much more to it than feel-good sentimentality. As the suicidal man who is shown the value of his life by his guardian angel, George Bailey is Mr Deeds, John Doe and Mr Smith rolled into one and only James Stewart could have given him the self-doubt that gnaws away at his essential decency. As with all good morality tales, the villain has to be exceptional, too, and Lionel Barrymore is at the peak of his powers as the villainous Potter. The term Capra-esque is too often misapplied: forget the imitations and revel in the genuine article." - David Parkinson User Opinion: "It's a wonderful wonderful movie. The simplicity of the movie and the message which Capra tries to convey still stands the testament of time...especially the last half hour which is just out of the world. Among the greatest gems of all time..among one of the pillars of Hollywood of old times and one of my favorites." - The Dark Rock Personal Comment: It's a Wonderful Life marks the first film from the 1940s and brings some of the true golden day greats such as Capra and James Stewart onto our countdown. This is a Christmastime classic that is nearly impossible not to love, despite all of the schmaltz it may entail with it, and it's one watched by families everywhere each year during the Holiday season. There's not much to say about this movie other than the fact that it definitely earns its title as the definitive classic of the Holidays.

Number 71 Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) 35 Points (14 Votes, Avg Score 43.4614) "I am Groot." Top 10 Placements: 1 Placement Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (Not Ranked), 2013 (Not Ranked), 2012 (Not Ranked) Tomatometer: 91% Box Office: 333.18m (353.30m Adjusted) Most Notable Awards Recognition: 2 Oscar Nominations IMDb Synopsis: After stealing a mysterious orb in the far reaches of outer space, Peter Quill from Earth, is now the main target of a manhunt led by the villain known as Ronan the Accuser. To help fight Ronan and his team and save the galaxy from his power, Quill creates a team of space heroes known as the "Guardians of the Galaxy" to save the world. Critic Opinion: "A lot of the commendation needs to fall on James Gunn. This is his first big-budget effort, and he didn’t have to sacrifice his wit or sharpness to make a labor of love. He was able to present a film that pieced together elements of testosterone, geekiness, nostalgia, sweetness, drama, and loads of comedy almost flawlessly. This movie had success written all over it thanks to his determined vision and strong cast of characters. There’s a reason such an obscure comic was greenlit for a sequel before it was determined if it would be successful. And I, for one, cannot wait until the inevitable crossover with the Avengers. Guardians of the Galaxy is not your typical superhero film, and it doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. You’re gonna feel two things coming out of this movie: a childlike excitement for a sci-fi action movie, and discomfort in your pain-stricken face from uproarious laughter. More fun comic book films please!" - John Rodriguez User Opinion: "Absolutely fantastic and amazing film It was hilarious and I loved all the references The soundtrack was epic The acting was fantastic but you would expect none the less with a cast including Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Chris Pratt, John C Reilly, Glenn Close, Benico Del Toro, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel and so so many more The characters were really well introduced and it was easy to root for the guardians Groot was fantastic and I love Gamora The plot was really good The special effects looked amazing and great That screenplay was one of the best of the last few years as it was so funny, great and well-written This is the best ever Marvel film after The Avengers and everyone needs to go and see it immediately " - Films Personal Comment: Guardians of the Galaxy marks the 4th Marvel film to make the list out of five, and the 3rd MCU film to make the list. This is also the 4th "superhero" movie to make the countdown, leaving four more to go. Guardians of the Galaxy can also be seen as the film that saved the Summer of 2014 from being a complete Box Office disaster, it's also a movie that received immediate love for its throwback to 80s Sci-Fi Adventure blended with the pristine effects that come with being an MCU film. It is often viewed as one of the best, if not the best, film in the in the MCU and it's also the only one in it yet to not feature an Avenger (although it'll inevitably crossover with them).

Uh oh, it's another one of those old movies. Number 72 Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) 35 Points (13 Votes, Avg Score 36.3208) "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room." Top 10 Placements: 1 Placement Changes in Ranking Over Time: 2014 (37, -35), 2013 (42, -30), 2012 (75, +3) Tomatometer: 99% Box Office: 9.16m (84.55m Adjusted) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Nominated for 4 Oscars IMDb Synopsis: Paranoid Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper of Burpelson Air Force Base, believing that fluoridation of the American water supply is a Soviet plot to poison the U.S. populace, is able to deploy through a back door mechanism a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union without the knowledge of his superiors, including the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Buck Turgidson, and President Merkin Muffley. Only Ripper knows the code to recall the B-52 bombers and he has shut down communication in and out of Burpelson as a measure to protect this attack. Ripper's executive officer, RAF Group Captain Lionel Mandrake (on exchange from Britain), who is being held at Burpelson by Ripper, believes he knows the recall codes if he can only get a message to the outside world. Meanwhile at the Pentagon War Room, key persons including Muffley, Turgidson and nuclear scientist and adviser, a former Nazi named Dr. Strangelove, are discussing measures to stop the attack or mitigate its blow-up into an all out nuclear war with the Soviets. Against Turgidson's wishes, Muffley brings Soviet Ambassador Alexi de Sadesky into the War Room, and get his boss, Soviet Premier Dimitri Kisov, on the hot line to inform him of what's going on. The Americans in the War Room are dismayed to learn that the Soviets have an as yet unannounced Doomsday Device to detonate if any of their key targets are hit. As Ripper, Mandrake and those in the War Room try and work the situation to their end goal, Major T.J. "King" Kong, one of the B-52 bomber pilots, is working on his own agenda of deploying his bomb where ever he can on enemy soil if he can't make it to his intended target. Critic Opinion: "A movie making light of what was, at the time, a new and terrifying potential reality, might have felt pretty jarring. Fifty years later, ‘jarring’ is not a word we’d use to describe it. Neither is ‘shocking’. We’ve lived through enough doomsday scenarios to practically be deadened by them. We’re used to constant, impending doom. Maybe it would be wrong to say we’re fine with it. Still, we probably wouldn’t be surprised if nukes rained down on us tomorrow, with Slim Pickens‘ Major Kong astride one humongous H-bomb. Because of its uncanny insight and frighteningly prescient satirical edge, Dr. Strangelove is a document of its time and also timeless. It held onto its relevancy by being bitter, cynical, and thinking absolutely the worst of people. Sometimes the funniest, most uncomfortably truthful films do just that." - Simon Miraudo User Opinion: "My second favorite Kubrick film after 2001, and one of my favorite movies period. Excellent satire on nuclear war and bombs and the military, and absolutely hilarious, with clever dialogue. Sellers is brilliant in three different roles (easily his best performance) and George C. Scott is also great. The rest of the cast including Hayden, Wynn and Pickens also turn in stellar performances. Love the war room scene." - Daniel Dylan Davis Personal Comment: Stanley Kubrick makes another appearance on our countdown with his classic Cold War comedy, Dr. Stangelove. The movie marks the 3rd film from the 60s to make our list, and it is the second Kubrick film to grace the countdown. There are few comedies that are viewed as universally great as Dr. Strangelove, a satire that is often seen as one of the greatest comedies of all time. The film is biting, relevant, and hilarious, and it is a firm showcase of Kubrick's work as a great and divisive director.

More movies will come sometime later in the night!

Number 73 Boyhood (2014) 34 Points (13 Votes, Avg Score 42.5385) "I just thought there would be more." Top 10 Placements: 2 Placements Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (Not Ranked), 2013 (Not Ranked), 2012 (Not Ranked) Tomatometer: 98% Box Office: 25.35m (26.88m Adjusted) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Won 1 Oscar, also ranked as The Panda's #1 Movie of 2014 on his BOT Countdown (Big Honor) IMDb Synopsis: Filmed over 12 years with the same cast, Richard Linklater's BOYHOOD is a groundbreaking story of growing up as seen through the eyes of a child named Mason (a breakthrough performance by Ellar Coltrane), who literally grows up on screen before our eyes. Starring Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as Mason's parents and newcomer Lorelei Linklater as his sister Samantha, BOYHOOD charts the rocky terrain of childhood like no other film has before. Snapshots of adolescence from road trips and family dinners to birthdays and graduations and all the moments in between become transcendent, set to a soundtrack spanning the years from Coldplay's Yellow to Arcade Fire's Deep Blue. BOYHOOD is both a nostalgic time capsule of the recent past and an ode to growing up and parenting. Critic Opinion: "Linklater has already experimented with time in his Before trilogy with Hawke and Julie Delpy, who play the same characters in three movies over an 18-year period, each film set within a 12-hour time frame. The risk in Boyhood was obviously much greater, though the quasi-documentary approach allows the freedom of not having to tie up all the narrative loose ends. At one point, Olivia advises an immigrant gardener to go back to school, and he pops up a few years later in a new role, grateful for her advice. But those happy coincidences are as rare as they are in life. Other characters – including Mason and Lorelei’s unhappy stepsiblings – simply fall out of the picture, as people sometimes do. Though photography and cinema have long made special claims for representing reality, in the era of computer-generated imagery and Instagram home snaps we no longer assume that any film is an accurate record of life. Yet Linklater’s experiment in temporal sampling reminds us how much film can serve as a gateway to a larger reality. Throughout Boyhood, we recognize one moment after another, and those moments trigger our own sense of the patterns in our lives." - Liam Lacey User Opinion: "I wanted to expand upon why I think this is one of the best, and most important movies to come out in many years. This movie succeeds not only being just a great piece of film-making, but gives new definition of coming-of-age. There have been a lot of coming of age stories I've really enjoyed the last couple of years. Some of my favorites include Super 8, The Way Way Back, and now Boyhood. Even during my younger years growing up, I enjoyed movies like The Goonies and The Sandlot. This movie not only managed to be a great coming-of-age story, but it did it like none of the others have before. Seeing the main protagonist growing up before the viewers eyes was incredible. Not just seeing the young boy grow up(Ellar Coltrane), but seeing the others grow up as well. It was cool see what Ethan Hawke looked like back in 2002, as well as Patricia Arquette. We got to see Mason's sister Samantha grow up as well. It's damn entertaining to see how these characters grow and change overtime. Being filmed over 11 years, I never got the feeling Boyhood or Linklater overused this 'gimmick.' I got a real feeling of nostalgia watching this movie. From beginning to end. Not b/c of the filming technique which started back in 2002 and took place over 12, it had a lot to do with it, but b/c of the dialogue and situations we see throughout the movie. Seeing these characters interact with each other through the years at various points in time was entertaining. There were points in time where the characters talked about Harry Potter, or talked about movies which came out during the year, or events that happened like September 11th, and the presidential election between McCain and Obama. Linklater did a great job of showcasing growth of technology. From Razr Phones to IPhones. From Gamecubes and PS1 and 2, to X-Box 360 and PS4. The protagonist even played Oregon Trail 3 on a computer, I remember playing that game many a times growing up, Some of the other reviewers mentioned Dragon Ball Z as well. One of the reviewers mentioned nothing of intrigue happened during this movie. I disagree strongly with that remark. We got to see the main protagonist grow up before our eyes. He experienced many important events. Like his first girlfriend, or winning 2nd in the photography contest, seeing his mom go through two divorces, breaking up with his girlfriend, graduating and going off to college, getting his first job, and et al. I don't believe this movie is full of short-segments where nothing happens. Not in the least. Boyhood is one great coming of age story. It surpasses the other ones made b/c it felt so different, but original. The ending moved me in ways very few movies can. The mother explaining life was just a series of events, we go from one event to the next, is so true. Life is about living in the moment. It wasn't till the end, till I got the true message of what Linklater was trying to say. Boyhood is the best movie of the year for me, and one of the best of the decades. Hope this movie gets many nominations come oscar time. It's locked for Best Original Screenplay, but it should also get nominations for Best Picture, Director, and Supporting Actor(Ethan Hawke)." - FilmBuff Personal Opinion: While Linklater may have missed out on his amazing efforts of Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, he was able to get on the list with his most recent and most famous effort, Boyhood. Boyhood is the 7th film from the 2010s to make the list, which ties it back up with the 80s on the decade contest. The movie managed to strike a chord right upon release with its innovative form of storytelling and poignant message told through the structure of the movie. While the movie ultimately got snubbed out of the Oscar, it was the one that's managed to establish a quiet indie legacy based on its heart touching and emotional touch in a quiet way only Linklater seems to know how to pull off. https://youtu.be/8C64EO5YdmU

There were 47 lists and Memento received 15 individual votes which is probably near the average number of votes movies on the countdown got, maybe a little below that.

Number 74 Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) 34 Points (6 Votes, Avg Score 10.1667) "People scare better when they're dying." Top 5 Placements: 1 Placement Top 10 Placements: 4 Placements Changes in Ranking Over Time: 2014 (97, +23), 2013 (92, +28), 2012 (Not Ranked) Tomatometer: 98% Box Office: N/A Most Notable Awards Recognition: Ranked #28 on IMDb IMDb Synopsis: Story of a young woman, Mrs. McBain, who moves from New Orleans to frontier Utah, on the very edge of the American West. She arrives to find her new husband and family slaughtered, but by whom? The prime suspect, coffee-lover Cheyenne, befriends her and offers to go after the real killer, assassin gang leader Frank, in her honor. He is accompanied by Harmonica, a man already on a quest to get even. Critic Opinion: "Cardinale's Jill is the first significant female character in a Leone film since The Colossus of Rhodes, back when he was just a hack; even then, it's worth noting that the female lead there was revealed to be the villain. Here, she is an ex-whore who is the only one of the four leads that the film can't figure out: Harmonica is the taciturn amoral man who gets things done that need doing, Frank is the evil avatar of greed and rapine, Cheyenne is a well-meaning lapsed Romantic. Jill is first seen as the rugged, knows-what-she-wants sort, who turns into a lost and confused victim, before ending as... I don't even know what to make of the last few scenes, and the way they present her character. Domesticity is praised, that much is clear, but the degree to which Jill is expected to be a traditional woman at the end is wildly hard to make out. I get the impression that Leone set out to make her a strong Action Girl type, and lost his nerve, eventually shoving her offstage altogether - despite having top billing, Cardinal gets the least face time of the main actors. And it's worth noting the strong woman from the East, a stock character, has to be made a whore before she can join Leone's boys' club, and that the only moment in the last half of the film where she gets to express any real autonomy is a scene in which she fucks the villain to protect herself - a scene that could easily be cut without damaging the story much at all. I don't know if there's any lesson that can be drawn from this, other than that Leone was profoundly uncomfortable with female characters, and could only deal with them by framing them as masculine fantasies (the cold-blooded femme fatale in Colossus, a gorgeous tomboy hooker here). Once Upon a Time in the West gets enough so amazingly right in its depiction of the waning days of the frontier that I'm not inclined to make much of it, though it is a considerably sour note in what is otherwise one of the pinnacles of world cinema." - Tim Brayton User Opinion: "One of the three or four greatest films I've ever seen. First time I watched it, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect (out of eone's films I'd only seen A Fistful of Dollars prior to it) and had a somewhat mixed reaction - the cinematography, the music, _that_ flashback scene, Bronson's coolness, Fonda's evilness, Robards' likability and Cardinale's beauty all instantly knocked me off my seat, but the very deliberate pacing and storytelling had me scratching my head. Still, there was a certain magnetic quality to the film that left me convinced I was going to return to it before long, and sure enough, by the third viewing I admired every single thing in there and wished I could spend as much time as possible in the film's world. A magnificent epic on the passing of the mythic Old West and the archetypes that inhabited it, with some of the finest cinematography and original music of all time." Personal Comment: Once Upon a Time in the West manages to make the countdown as the 2nd film from the 60s and as the film with the least amount of votes on the list, mostly because the people who voted for it really loved it (including myself, as it's easily one of my top 10 favorites of all time). This also received quite a large increase on the list due to the emphasis I put in the voting on an individual's top 10. The movie is an underrated masterpiece that is often placed in the shadow of Leone's The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly when talking about classic Westerns, but in my opinion is superior to any other Western I've seen (nearly any other movie I've seen also, at that). The film also features one of my favorite screenplays and probably the legendary Morricone's best work with his spine-chilling score There's many fantastic gems out there that are often overlooked, but Leone's masterpiece soars above all of them, if there were any film on this list I'd recommend everyone to go see as soon as possible, it's this one.

Number 75 Memento (2000) 32 Points (15 Votes, Avg Score 45.2) "We all lie to ourselves to be happy." Top 10 Placements: 1 Placement Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (32, -43), 2013 (51, -24), 2012 (25, -50) Tomatometer: 92% Box Office: 25.54m (38.72m Adjusted) Most Notable Award Recognition: Nominated 2 Oscars IMDb Synopsis: Memento chronicles two separate stories of Leonard, an ex-insurance investigator who can no longer build new memories, as he attempts to find the murderer of his wife, which is the last thing he remembers. One story line moves forward in time while the other tells the story backwards revealing more each time. Critic Opinion: "But the real brilliance of "Memento" is the way in which Nolan tells the story. In a word: backward, with events unfolding for the audience in the same way they unfold for Pearce's character. "It's a tricky balance at the beginning, " Nolan says. "You're intriguing the audience and confusing the audience, and, at the same time, just giving them enough time to connect with the material." And connect it does, no matter if you're watching it the first time or the 10th time." - Mike Scott User Opinion: "Arguably the most innovative use of non linear storytelling ever utilized in film. (*SPOILERS*) I loved the part where the drunk was laughing after Leonard drank his beer, which was confusing at first, but then in the next scene (or is it previous?) we see that he spit in it. But it's where we see that Carrie-Anne Moss' character using him the whole time that was the ultimate twist." - Squaremaster Personal Comment: Memento marks the first Nolan film to make the list and it is also one of the biggest drop-offs from the the previous years' lists yet. Often revered as one of Nolan's best, Memento is the 4th film from the 2000s decade to be featured and is also another inclusion of a more indie level production. The film is often viewed as mind bending of a sorts and because of this often warrants many repeat viewings (which may explain how it manages to make its mark on the list of many fans).

But we do have Rogue One and Finding Dory (they're both for sure over 300m) Fanastic Beasts IDR Suicide Squad Moana Ghostbusters All have a chance too

Number 76 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) 32 Points (13 Votes, Avg Score 43.8462) "I've got a lot of fond memories of that dog." Top 10 Placements: 2 Top 10 Placements Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (77, +1), 2013 (86, +10), 2012 (78, +2) Tomatometer: 88% Box Office: 197.17m (423.99m Adjusted) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Won 1 Oscar IMDb Synopsis: Indiana Jones, famed adventurer and archaeologist acquires a diary that holds clues and a map with no names to find the mysterious Holy Grail- which was sent from his father, Dr. Henry Jones, in Italy. Upon hearing from a private collector, Walter Donavan, that the mission for the Holy Grail went astray with the disappearance of his father, Indiana Jones and museum curator Marcus Brody venture to Italy in search of Indy's father. However, upon retrieving Dr. Henry Jones in Nazi territory, the rescue mission turns into a race to find the Holy Grail before the Nazis do- who plan to use it for complete world domination for their super-race. With the diary as a vital key and the map with no names as a guide, Indiana Jones once again finds himself in another death defying adventure of pure excitement. Critic Opinion: "The Temple of Doom saw the Indiana Jones series lurch off the rails a little, but all was restored with this third movie. The masterstroke here was the introduction of Sean Connery as Indy's crotchety dad, and the snappy by-play between him and Harrison Ford adds a wonderful new twist to the adventure. The quest this time is for the Holy Grail, no less, and finds Jones reunited with old chums, such as Marcus Brody (played by Denholm Elliott), and old enemies, namely the Nazis. As usual, the action is on an epic scale and delivered with breathless enthusiasm and much panache by director Steven Spielberg. There's also a neat sequence at the beginning with River Phoenix as the young Indy that sheds light on such things as our hero's fear of snakes and that scar on his chin." - John Ferguson User Opinion: "The greatest third installment of a series everWritten December 28th, 1999Thanks to the Godfather and Rocky movies, sequels became a part of our vernacular in the 70's. If there was a sequel before these two franchises, I can't remember them. And since sequels have meant pretty much big bucks at the box office, many times they are pale imitations to the original. To name a few movie franchises that have now gone on to do at least three films, you have the Rocky's, Godfather, Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Aliens, Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Jaws, Star Wars, Batman, Rambo, Superman, Scream, Child's Play, Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre. These are just a few of the film franchises that have gone on to do at least three films. And I can guarantee you that no film series can boast that their third offering is almost as good as their first. It just doesn't happen. It is hard to duplicate the energy and originality of the first one that came out. But the Indy movies are different. First of all they are created by two of the best in the business and they star one of the greatest actors to ever live. And what you get when you have two creative genius behind the scenes is a series that tries so hard to please and a series that doesn't rehash the story that made the first one work. You get a story that furthers the trials and tribulations of the hero Indiana Jones, and you get a film that keeps giving you insights into his life. In the first, we meet Indiana Jones, the daring archeologist that risks life and limb to recover artifacts for his museum. You also meet Marion Ravenwood, a long lost love, Marcus Brody, his mentor and boss and Sola, one of best friends from Cairo and Belloq ( or according to Sola, Bellosh ). Temple of Doom takes us back in time and introduces us to Short Round. And finally we have Last Crusade. Here we meet Indiana Jones as a teenager. We are introduced to the folklore that is Indiana Jones. We see how his fear of snakes started, how he was introduced to his bullwhip and his fedora and even how he got that famous scar on his chin. And in the casting coup of the century, we meet his dad played by Sean Connery. We are also treated to some familiar faces as Brody and Sola return. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is the best second sequel ever made. This could have been the beginning to a series if we didn't already know about Raiders of the Lost Ark. It is that much fun and so filled with richness.The only complaint that I have about this film is what they did with Marcus Brody. In Raiders, he tells Indy that if he were five years younger he would have gone after the Ark himself. He was a warrior and one who probably went on many adventures in the style that Indy did. But in this one they forgot all about that adventurous side to him and instead they went for comic relief at his expense. Any true Indy fan will tell you that he should have been able to handle himself when he bumped into Sola. He should have been everything that Indy told Ilsa and Donovan that he was when they found out that Brody had the map. But aside from this small discrepency, the film is flawless and one of the most entertaining films ever made. And even though the talent involved here dictates that it should be perfect, keep in mind that making a sequel is never easy. You now have devoted fans that are going to judge you with every written word, every swing of the whip and every new character introduced. Last Crusade succeeds where most others fail and that is perhaps because the makers and star of this film ( Steven, George, Frank and Harrison ) care about Indiana Jones. They want him to be the same as he was in Raiders and Temple. I saw this film 12 times at the theatre when it came out. I was fortunate enough to know an usher at The London Mews back in 1989 and he let me stay for the second and third showing of the day ( and night ) free of charge. This was a time when movies were events, they were and still are larger than life to me. I get excited when I see a good one and I get anxious when a movie like this comes out. I sincerely hope they get around to making a fourth one because as excited as I was to see Star Wars Episode 1, that excitement will pale in comparison to when I am sitting in the theater one day and I am waiting to see the new Tom Hanks movie ( whatever that may be at the time ) and that John Williams music invades the speakers and tells me that there is a new Indy movie that is going to be released on Victoria Day Weekend ( here in Canada that is). I will count the days down until it comes out. The Indy movies are what movies are all about. They are a micorcosm of entertainment and as close to a religious experience, filmwise, as you can come. Raiders was a great beginning, Temple furthered the story wonderfully and Crusade summed it up beautifully. My life is richer because Indiana Jones is a part of it, and I know I am not the only one that feels that way." - baumer Personal Comment: There are few things in this world that make me giddier and more excited than Indiana Jones, and so it's no surprise that I am ecstatic to reveal number 76 as the second best and near pitch perfect Indiana Jones movie. Spielberg makes his return here with The Last Crusade and it's without a doubt not the last time we'll see Spielberg grace this list, or Harrison Ford for that matter. This movie also marks 7th 80s film to make the list, putting the 1980s back on top as the decade with the most movies to make our countdown. The Last Crusade is a prime example of a modern blockbuster, it has great action, wit, a charismatic lead, a charming tone, a great extension to the score of the original by the great Williams, and the mastermind of blockbusters behind the directors helm. It's also nice to see the film rise in the rankings from every previous list.

Number 77 Heat (1995) 32 Points (13 Votes, Avg Score 51.2308) "I say what I mean, and I do what I say." Top 5 Placements: 1 Placement Top 10 Placements: 1 Placement Changes in Ranking Over Time: 2014 (Not Ranked), 2013 (89, +12), 2012 (Not Ranked) Tomatometer: 86% Box Office: 67.44m (131.73m Adjusted) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Nominated for 2 Saturn Awards IMDb Synopsis: Hunters and their prey--Neil and his professional criminal crew hunt to score big money targets (banks, vaults, armored cars) and are, in turn, hunted by Lt. Vincent Hanna and his team of cops in the Robbery/Homicide police division. A botched job puts Hanna onto their trail while they regroup and try to put together one last big 'retirement' score. Neil and Vincent are similar in many ways, including their troubled personal lives. At a crucial moment in his life, Neil disobeys the dictum taught to him long ago by his criminal mentor--'Never have anything in your life that you can't walk out on in thirty seconds flat, if you spot the heat coming around the corner'--as he falls in love. Thus the stage is set for the suspenseful ending.... Critic Opinion: "“Heat” isn’t merely a great crime film about men and women whose deeds are all they have at the ends of their days, or lives, despite their words’ argument to the contrary. Ominous, operatic, often emulated but never equaled, this is go-for-broke, GOAT-level filmmaking — not only upending expectations but exceeding them with unanticipated success in its elegant, exciting examination of existential and emotional entropy." - Nick Rogers User Opinion: "Easily one of the best films ever made. None of the cast has been better since. And the robbery/shootout is in the pantheon of action scenes. And great score." - DAR Personal Comment: Heat marks the 5th film on our countdown from the 90s and it also marks another movie that I haven't actually seen or even know much about for whatever reason (which makes it hard to talk about, as I don't have much perspective on its significance to make a comment on). Given that this is a Michael Mann film starring both Pacino and De Niro, it is something that I feel I should be much more well-versed with than I am currently. I will say though, while this movie does seem to have gotten a fair bit of love after its release, it doesn't seem like it made its impact when it was actually first released, but then again that's an off-hand and not very confident statement by me.

Number 78 Psycho (1960) 31 Points (15 Votes, Avg Score 49.2308) "I think I must have one of those faces you can't help believing." Top 10 Placements: 2 Placements Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (Not Ranked), 2013 (54, -24), 2012 (52, -26) Tomatometer: 96% Box Office: 32m (366.08m Adjusted) Most Notable Awards Recognition: 4 Oscar Nominations IMDb Synopsis: Phoenix officeworker Marion Crane is fed up with the way life has treated her. She has to meet her lover Sam in lunch breaks and they cannot get married because Sam has to give most of his money away in alimony. One Friday Marion is trusted to bank $40,000 by her employer. Seeing the opportunity to take the money and start a new life, Marion leaves town and heads towards Sam's California store. Tired after the long drive and caught in a storm, she gets off the main highway and pulls into The Bates Motel. The motel is managed by a quiet young man called Norman who seems to be dominated by his mother. Critic Opinion: "Where would we be without ‘Psycho’? Fifty years on and Hitch’s delicious cod-Freudian nightmare about a platinum-blonde embezzler (Janet Leigh) who neglected to consult a guide before selecting her motel still has much to answer for. It blazed a bloody trail for the much-loved slasher cycle, but it also assured us that a B-movie could be A-grade in quality and innovation. It dared to suggest that your star didn’t need to surface from an ordeal smelling of roses (or, indeed, at all). It combined a knife, a scream, a melon, some chocolate sauce. Bernard Herrmann’s greatest score and more than 70 edits to push the envelope of screen violence. It lent ‘The Simpsons’ some of its best gags: (Seymour Skinner: ‘Oh there’s Mother now, watching me. What’s that, Mother? That sailor suit doesn’t fit any more!’). It offers perfect case studies of suspense, paranoia and montage for lazy film-studies tutors. And, of course, it was the first movie to show a toilet flushing, so we might also credit it with spawning the entire gross-out genre. ‘Psycho’: we salute you." - David Jenkins User Opinion: "One of my top 10 movies. I remember seeing this as a kid in a drive in. It was the 2nd part of the double feature, the first movie was Star Wars. Yeah it was a really good movie night Shows that blood and gore is not necessary for tension or scariness. (not that I don't mind a good bloodbath either ) Anthony Perkins is so perfect in the role." - 75live Personal Comment: Alfred Hitchcock makes another appearance on the list, this time with a movie that sat out last year only to make its glorious return. This is also the first film from the 1960s to make our countdown, so far. Psycho is another one of Hitchcock's more conventional and easier to digest films for a modern audience, but in many ways that's because Psycho introduced so many of the conventions we are used to today. It's easy to look back at Psycho and wonder why it was so groundbreaking if you have seen much of the modern material we have now, but taking into context what Hitchcock got away with with this film in 1960 is nothing other than revolutionary.

Number 79 Aliens (1986) 31 Points (13 Votes, Avg Score 39.3077) "Get away from her, you bitch!" Top 10 Placements: 1 Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (72, -7), 2013 (36, -43), 2012 (54, -25) Tomatometer: 98% Box Office: 85.16m (196.95m) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Won 2 Oscars and Sigourney Weaver Nominated for Best Actress IMDb Synopsis: Fifty seven years after Ellen Ripley survived her disastrous ordeal, her escape vessel is recovered after drifting across the galaxy as she slept in cryogenic stasis. Back on earth, nobody believed her story about the "Aliens" on the planet LV-426. After the "Company" orders the colony on LV-426 to investigate, however, all communication with the colony is lost. The Company enlists Ripley to aid a team of tough, rugged space marines on a rescue mission to the now partially terraformed planet to find out if there are aliens or survivors. As the mission unfolds, Ripley will be forced to come to grips with her worst nightmare, but even as she does, she finds that the worst is yet to come. Critic Opinion: "Surpassing its predecessor in terms of sheer spectacle, this sequel to Ridley Scott's outer-space nightmare from director James Cameron is an outstanding science-fiction thriller. Sigourney Weaver wakes up 57 years after the original events unfolded, only to be told that the planet where she first met the alien predator has been colonised. When all contact with the inhabitants is lost, she's sent in with a crack squad of marines and hurtles headlong into a hi-tech house of horrors that delivers plenty of shocks and nail-biting suspense. Masterfully controlling the tension and moving the involving plot at a lightning pace, Cameron exploits everyone's worst fears and carries them to the riveting extreme in this consummate Oscar-winning fright-fest." - Alan Jones User Opinion: "Probably one of the best action movies I've ever seen. Great acting, the music paces very well with some heart stopping moments. There's like no flaw at all, at least to me." - BoxOfficeZ Personal Comment: Aliens is the second Cameron film to appear, nearly right after The Terminator, and is interesting in that people tend to either love Aliens or they love Alien. Sure, some people love both of them, but most tend to have a strong preference on either the atmospheric tension of alien or the exhilarating action that comes with Cameron's Aliens. Does this forum prefer the tension or the action? We will have to find out as the countdown continues...

Number 80 Whiplash (2014) 31 Points (13 Votes, Avg Score 48.5385) "There are no two words in the English language more harmful than "good job"." Top 5 Placements: 1 Top 10 Placements: 1 Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (Not Ranked), 2013 (Not Ranked), 2012 (Not Ranked) Tomatometer: 94% Box Office: 13.09m (13.71m) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Won 3 Oscars Critic Opinion: "Together, Teller and Simmons are a force to be reckoned with and early Oscar buzz is richly deserved. Chazelle, too, proves himself to be an astute writer and director: his script is adept at dropping explosive one-liners but it is also fiercely intelligent in the way that it poses questions while also serving up characters who are worth hanging out with. His direction, meanwhile, is pretty much pace- perfect in the way that it hits all the right beats yet is savvy enough and confident enough to toss in some curve-balls. Hence, from its brilliantly realised opening scene to its sensational climax, Whiplash is a crowd-pleaser of the highest order that is well worth beating your own drum about afterwards." - Rob Carnevale User Opinion: "Chazelle’s direction is felt throughout the whole movie. Only this directing style can make the sudden car crash on the way to a competition feel natural. I also have commend Chazelle and Tom Cross for the editing in this movie. Much has been said about the climax, about how it makes you feel like you are Andrew throughout the whole thing, remaining incredibly tense for something that is merely instrumental. The final shots of the film are shockingly cathartic. That said, I want to talk about a different scene’s editing, namely, when Andrew leaves Schaffer, this is intercut with scenes of him meeting with an attorney who wants to get Fletcher out of Schaffer. The jumps from Andrew packing up his dorm to wondering if he should really sell out Fletcher are remarkably well-done, as we can follow Andrew’s thought-process with the attorney by cutting to the immense sadness of his expulsion from the college. The whole film is remarkably well-edited. Honestly, I think Whiplash is the type of movie that can have a book be written on it. There’s a lot of themes going on here, and a lot of film theory that can be dissected (and I’m only in my second semester of film school, so who knows what an actual film scholar could tackle with it). As it is on its own, it’s an immensely entertaining film, bolstered with great performances, intricate themes, fantastic direction, and some of the best editing I’ve ever seen. I will certainly be catching it in theaters again, and after a single watch, Whiplash is one of my favorites of 2014." - Blankments Personal Comment: Whiplash's entry on the countdown marks the 5th film from the 2010s putting it back on top for the decade with the most movies on the countdown. Whiplash also breaks a long string of blockbuster like movies to a much more indie and small-scale pick. What's interesting about the film's inclusion is that it was able to outrank a good number of other 2014 films that weren't placed ahead of it on BOT awards and countdown lists during that year. However, it didn't outrank them all, as a few 2014 films managed to work their way above this one on the countdown... I wonder what movie(s) from that year were so stellar, out of this world and hailed above all that they managed to place above this one? Anyways, as for this movie, it was an intense, small-scale film about music that made you hold your breath the entire way through.

Number 81 The Terminator (1984) 30 Points (17 Votes, Avg Score 59.4118) "I'll be back." Changes in Placement Over Time: 2014 (83, +2), 2013 (91, +10), 2012 (28, -53) Tomatometer: 100% Box Office: 38.37m (97.39m) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Ranked #215 on IMDb IMDb Synopsis: A cyborg is sent from the future on a deadly mission. He has to kill Sarah Connor, a young woman whose life will have a great significance in years to come. Sarah has only one protector - Kyle Reese - also sent from the future. The Terminator uses his exceptional intelligence and strength to find Sarah, but is there any way to stop the seemingly indestructible cyborg? Critic Opinion: "On which note, Reese’s confession that he’s returned from the future solely to make love to her is just a teensy bit creepy, but we forgive it because Biehn’s performance is so unusually sensitive, retreating into the shadows as the film unfolds to give Hamilton centre stage. And…well, that’s it. From the slam-bang direction to the relentless pace to the not-a-word-wasted dialogue and even the driving synth score, everything else about ‘The Terminator’ just works. Let’s hope the latest sequel is even half as good." - Tom Huddleston User Opinion: "T1 is one of my Top 10 favorite movies of all time. It's got that awesome '80s vibe, it's got heart, the script is tight as hell (no fat whatsoever), the direction and editing are faultless (perfectly paced and tension-filled throughout), memorable moments abound, one of the greatest villains of all time, and the greatest Arnold one-liner of all time. A perfect 10." - The Stingray Personal Comment: The Terminator is the first Cameron film to make the list, and it definitely will not be the last. It also marks the 5th 80s film to make the list, tying the decade back with the 2010s as the decade with the most films on the countdown. The Terminator is the iconic role of Arnold, sure he's had plenty of old action hits, but there's no film he's remembered more for than this one (and the sequels down the line). The film is full of quotable one-liners, thrilling action sequences, and an innovative time travel story for the time it was written. It's easy, with the whole endless Avatar sequel talk mess, to forget how great of a storyteller Cameron is and how well he can connect his films with the audiences. While, The Terminator wasn't Cameron's biggest hit by a longshot, it is another example of how he brilliantly he can execute something fairly simple.

Number 82 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) 30 Points (14 Votes, Avg Score 43.3571) "Get out of my way son, you're usin' my oxygen." Top 10 Placements: 1 Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (56, -26), 2013 (49, -33), 2012 (48, -34) Tomatometer: 95% Box Office: 108.98m (460.62m Adjusted) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Won 5 Oscars, including Best Picture IMDb Synopsis: McMurphy has a criminal past and has once again gotten himself into trouble and is sentenced by the court. To escape labor duties in prison, McMurphy pleads insanity and is sent to a ward for the mentally unstable. Once here, McMurphy both endures and stands witness to the abuse and degradation of the oppressive Nurse Ratched, who gains superiority and power through the flaws of the other inmates. McMurphy and the other inmates band together to make a rebellious stance against the atrocious Nurse. Critic Opinion: "Nicholson could always be relied on to supply a certain rakish charm. Here he actually becomes the brash, outspoken McMurphy, delighting us with his impudence and defiance. He also manages to expose yet another, less noticeable layer of McMurphy - his deep compassion for his fellow human beings, which acts as a balance for his otherwise violent nature. It is a performance of dazzling complexity and energy, the kind of perfect triumph that happens in those rare times when the right actor meets the challenge of the right role. That the remainder of the cast is equally brilliant is a tribute not only to their talent, but to Forman’s ability to draw such natural responses from everyone. One must mention Louise Fletcher as the icily determined, hopelessly misguided Nurse Ratched, William Redfield as the ward’s fussy intellectual, Will Sampson as the Indian chief - a gentle giant - and Brad Dourif as the painfully tongue-tied victim of Nurse Ratched’s heartlessness. “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is the best film therapy one can recommend." - Kathleen Carrol User Opinion: "Brilliant film, Forman's best. The cast and performances are superb, it's not only Nicholson. Louise Fletcher's only noteworthy appearance (imho) but what a haunting and elusive antagonist she makes as nurse Ratched! Brad Dourif, Danny deVito, Christopher Lloyd! And lots more! It's one of a few films that dispense with film music. There are a few notes, especially beginning/ending, but most of the time it's just the sounds and dialogue. When nurse Ratched puts on music, it's part of the plot. It makes for a really gritty atmosphere. My favourite scenes: When they "escape" and steal a boat for a day's deep-sea fishing. It underlines how much happines there could be and so makes the institution even more opressive by contrast. Visually it's by-the-numbers, but you don't need creative cinematography with such a terrific cast and story and dense atmoshere. The set-up is so simple this could be a good stage play." - IndustriousAngel Personal Comment: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is another film that suffered a relatively large drop off over the last three years, very similar to Saving Private Ryan. The movie marks another appearance by Nicholson on the list, and the second film from the 70s to make the list. The movie received fantastic reception upon release, and strangely adjusts to quite a large amount of money given its nature as a drama (But then again, the film landscape was much different in the 70s than right now). The film is another one nearly everyone has seen and liked to some extent, and has oddly made its own little place in cinematic history.

It was 7pm EST but to confirm 100% Dory 50% CI

100% Finding Dory

Number 83 Saving Private Ryan (1998) 29 Points (16 Votes, Avg Score 46.6875) "James, earn this... earn it." Changes in Rankings Over Time: 2014 (49, -34), 2013 (67, -16), 2012 (29, -54) Tomatometer: 92% Box Office: 216.54m (392.51m) Most Notable Awards Recognition: Won 5 Oscars while being snubbed for the BP win by a much lesser film... IMDb Synopsis: Opening with the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944, members of the 2nd Ranger Battalion under Cpt. Miller fight ashore to secure a beachhead. Amidst the fighting, two brothers are killed in action. Earlier in New Guinea, a third brother is KIA. Their mother, Mrs. Ryan, is to receive all three of the grave telegrams on the same day. The United States Army Chief of Staff, George C. Marshall, is given an opportunity to alleviate some of her grief when he learns of a fourth brother, Private James Ryan, and decides to send out 8 men (Cpt. Miller and select members from 2nd Rangers) to find him and bring him back home to his mother... Critic Opinion: "Critic and filmmaker Francois Truffaut once told me that he thought it was difficult to make an anti-war film because movies, he said, "glamorize everything and always argue for whatever behavior they show." I wish more directors believed that; we'd get better, more responsible movies. In a recent interview, Spielberg told me that Truffaut, who acted in Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," had told him the very same thing, and that that challenge was very much on his mind during production. Maybe that's why Spielberg took most of the color out of his photography, giving the film a gray-to-silver, wartime snapshot look. When someone is shot, we focus more on the horror of the death than on any blood. Spielberg also tells his heroic story in a different way through adult dialogue. The film's title, very loosely based on a true story, has a squad of arriving American troops, under the command of a captain (Tom Hanks), being asked to find and protect a certain private who parachuted behind enemy lines. It seems his three brothers recently have been killed in action, and Army policy is to try to save families from complete devastation. The casting of Hanks is a master stroke. He has such a sweet persona that to place him in combat is heart-breaking. And Hanks' character and other troops regularly challenge in dialogue the wisdom of the mission, as any reasonable person might. In a summer of films with lot of explosions and firepower, "Saving Private Ryan" is the only one with ideas." - Gene Siskel User Opinion: "I, like many young people had a grandfather that was in the war. I know he faced death many times but I don't know how many times or any of the details of his ordeal in WWII. He wouldn't ever talk about them, not even to my mother or her sister. Sometimes I could never understand that, but now I do. If this is really what it was like to be a soldier, no matter what war you are fighting, then it must be an incredibly difficult ordeal to drudge up memories that are this disturbing, this vivid and this real. I have never been to war and I hope that I never have to experience war, but after seeing this movie I believe I can tell you at least what it may have been like. This movie is that vivid and that honest.The first half an hour of this film is some of the most amazing direction I have seen in any film in my entire life. I have even read that Spielberg toned it down some. That is hard to believe knowing what is up there on screen.This film is brilliant in every capacity. The direction is so clear and crisp that you feel like you know these men when the film is over. You feel like you understand the war a little better than you did before. The acting is terrific. And not just Hanks and Damon, but everyone from Sizemore to Ribisi to the grunt that gets his guts blown out ( take your pick as to who that is.) I can't believe a film like Shakespeare in Love, a film that could have been an after school special, was chosen as best picture. Best picture? Over this? How is that possible? If you haven't seen this ( and there aren't many of you out there ) please do yourself a favour, see it tonight. It is such an amazing film and it is one that I will never forget.A final note: Even though my grandfather has been gone for about 20 years now, I salute him and every other guy that put it on the line and did so because they believed in what they were doing. I have a new understanding and appreciation for people like my grandfather. And that a film could make me feel that way is something special in itself. As a Canadian, I'd recommend watching this and Passchendaele, Paul Gross's incredible film about Canadians in WWI. While Ryan has the bigger budget, both films taught me a lot about war and the horrors of it." - baumer Personal Comment: Saving Private Ryan is one of the films that received many votes but fell victim to not receiving many top 10 and top 4 placements to catapult it as high as it has been in previous years, however its popularity still managed to grab it a spot on the list. Saving Private Ryan is the first Spielberg film to make the list and it is also our first Hanks piece. The film also marks the fourth film from the 90s to make the countdown. The movie itself was a combination of summer blockbuster and Oscar contender, and it's been one that has stayed in the hearts of many since its release. The film also has the legacy of one of the most WTF Oscar snubs in history, winning 5 Oscars (including director), only to be snubbed by a random period piece.

This is totally a Dark Knight Nolan Rip-Off, shame on you Bay! What's next? The Last Knight Rises, Lulz.

This is true, there are times I leave movies feeling like I just watched the best thing in the world. These are usually my A+ movies and if I ranked how I felt about it after I just saw it, Id naturally rank it much higher than I might in a few years time. I loved the Avengers after I first saw it, it would have made my top 25, now I'm skeptical if Id even rank it in my top 250. Now I didn't really want to set limits with the list because these lists are really just a glance in time, as any ranking is. It's why this is our fourth time doing a list, because they are a general reflection of the forum's taste at a given moment in time. Time changes things. So while I may not agree with Civil War being on the list, I think it's an interesting reflection of the forum's current state as of right now. It'll be interesting if the Captain America movies stick it out in the future.

Given the Song of Ice and Fire title, I really at least Jon and Dany will be on opposite sides of the field from each other. I expect one of them, or both to be villainous characters by the end game.