Eric the Ape

Oh c'mon guys. The only thing that makes Gladiator worth sitting through is Joaquin Phoenix as the villain. The rest is a slog to sit through.

#8 The Wizard of Oz Directed by Victor Fleming "There's no place like home." Box Office: $22.3M Domestic, $23.3M WW IMDB Summary: Dorothy Gale is swept away to a magical land in a tornado and embarks on a quest to see the Wizard who can help her return home. Why it's so Meaningful to Me: Some people have a gold standard of a film. A film that is so perfectly constructed in its writing, presentation, and acting, that all other films must take influence upon it. And while The Wizard of Oz isn't my first choice for that title (we'll get to that masterpiece soon), it's still a very worthy second. What really makes this movie so incredible is the simple fact that there's no feeling of datedness. When I watch a movie like Casablanca or The Graduate, while I admire and appreciate them, I do feel a sense of datedness. And by that I mean that some elements, such as pacing or acting, feels very much like a product of its time. But The Wizard of Oz? It still holds up perfectly. The film is still impressive and beautiful to look at, with its visual effects and costume design still wonderfully crafted. The acting is still strong, as the actors are able to give so much life and personality to their characters. The characters alone are all memorable, with each one being lovable and endearing. Its story hits us to our core of us, and is able to tug our emotional heartstrings in just the right spots. And its important message of staying true to who you are and where you are from is a fantastic moral that rings true to many of the people that watch it, whether they be eight or 80. Many people like to say, "they just don't make movies like they used to", and while that argument is suspect, I definitely feel that the magic, artistry, and creativity of The Wizard of Oz has yet to be captured by any other filmmaker, and I don't think any filmmaker, even 100 years from now, will be able to capture it. While other films will be forgotten about within a few months, The Wizard of Oz will still be there, enchanting new viewers, inspiring creative artists, and being placed on the DVD shelves or iTunes libraries for millions of people. It is like a painting of Van Gogh. Just taking one look at it, and you know that it is flawless. Nothing needed to be added, and nothing needed to be erased. It's film magic at its finest, and since film is a big part of my life, that's all I really need to put it this high on my list.

1. Passengers 2. Rogue One 3. Suicide Squad 4. Jason Bourne 5. La La Land 6. Moana 7. Spider-Man: Homecoming 8. Fantastic Beasts 9. Kubo 10. Beauty and the Beast

#9 Cinderella Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, and Wilfred Jackson "No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true." Box Office: $93.1M Domestic Lifetime IMDB Summary: When Cinderella's cruel stepmother prevents her from attending the Royal Ball, she gets some unexpected help from the lovable mice Gus and Jaq, and from her Fairy Godmother. Why it's so Meaningful to Me: Every day, there seems to be some sort of article complaining about the Disney Princesses, with Cinderella in particular. The arguments people have are that she does nothing but sit around and wait for a man, she believes that its okay to marry someone you just met, and she's a terrible influence for little girls everywhere. And to me, that's kinda sad, not only due to this being one of my favorite Disney movies, as well as possibly one of my favorite films of all time, but because people clearly have no idea what makes the story of Cinderella so wonderful and timeless, as well as one of the greatest fictional role models that ever existed. At the end of the day, the idea of Cinderella is something that is found all over our culture. It's the story of an underdog, who nobody pays any attention or gives any love to fighting the odds and gaining her dream. It's a story that's found all over the news, from sports stars to business tycoons, and is a story that could arguably found in all of us. We're all Cinderella at some point. We're stuck in the lowest of situations, and we're forced to do actions and tasks against our will. We have little support, there are doubters and obstacles fighting us and pushing us down, and at some point there's rock bottom, where everything we tried to work for seems like it was all for naught, and that we should just give up. This parallels with the story of Cinderella: she's all alone, is treated shabbily by her cruel family, and when opportunity comes when she is allowed to experience something new and magical, even if for just one night, all of the work and effort seems to be for naught, as her oppressors destroy her hopes for something grand. And yet, magic comes to our heroine, much like magic comes to us. We are rewarded by our own fairy godmother, whether it be a person or some event, rewarding us for our hard work and kindness, and giving us a chance to experience and enjoy what we love, even if for just a while. It's that glorious feeling when what you tried to achieve has managed to actually get some sort of recognition and has advanced you further in life. What makes it even better is the ability to finally vanquish the things that were holding you back, much like the glass slipper finally being put on Cinderella's foot, as her once brief moment of happiness is now an eternal flame that will burn for the rest of her life, enjoying a new life away her original and decrepit state. It's very much like when we say goodbye to the things that were holding us back or keeping us from what we truly wanted, whether it be a lack of money, a dead-end job, or people giving doubts about your dreams. So in short, Cinderella gives one of the most valuable lessons any child should know: that hard work, determination, wit, and kindness leads to great things, and that even in the worst of times, there's a silver lining that'll emerge that will take you to a place of bliss and happiness. It's a wonderful moral and a huge picker-upper for people young and old. It's the archetype for the rags to riches story, and I'm glad such an archetype is able to give such an important and valuable life lesson and belief to hold on to.

Still peeved that neither of my theaters have discount Tuesdays.

Sorry for the delay everyone. I was on vacation the day after I posted the Les Mis stuff. But don't worry. I'll be back tomorrow.

Trek: $60M Ice Age: $25M Lights Out: $25M

VIN DIESEL OR BUST!

@No Prisoners with that 100%

I just realized: When MCKillswitch does his next "legs" post, we'll get to see either Degeneres legs, Olsen legs, or Weaver legs.

#10 Les Miserables Directed by Tom Hooper "Now life has killed the dream I dreamed." Box Office: $148.8M Domestic, $441.8M WW IMDB Summary: In 19th-century France, Jean Valjean, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after breaking parole, agrees to care for a factory worker's daughter. The decision changes their lives forever. Why it's so Meaningful to Me: To talk about this movie, it's best to know about some background. For the most part, I didn't know much about Les Miserables. I knew what it was, and the basic premise of "a guy goes to prison for stealing bread". But the reason why I wanted to see this movie, and why I waited with bated breath, was this one teaser: This still gives me goosebumps! This had wonderful actors, a glorious production design, and a bone-chilling performance of Anne Hathaway singing one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. It was a perfectly edited trailer, and news about the film's groundbreaking achievement of having all of the actors actually sing their lines on set instead of a pre-recorded track made it seem like this movie was going to be a modern masterpiece. I can't say that it's a modern masterpiece nowadays, as there are moments in the direction and some of the acting that doesn't really hold up, but when I saw it at the ripe age of 15, it was still quite the life-changing experience. Right from the opening sequence, I was hooked. The camera zooming across the oceans and shipwrecks, and ending with the prisoners forced to pull the mighty freights, as the wicked Javert stares down upon them, with the opening song roaring triumphantly was an amazing attention-grabber, and a wonderful way to start the film. From then on, I saw true, raw emotion. The innocence of Jean Valjean was immediately endearing, and the coldness of Javert was immediately despicable, and the cat and mouse game they play was truly engrossing. It brought up the ideas of how far people will go for justice, and whether who is truly corrupt: the criminal who wished to help his family, or the police inspector who refuses to look at the big picture. So many wonderful scenes are in this movie that really punched me in the gut. The time when Javert and Cosette meet the first time is so sweet and joyful, that it's hard not to love it. The confrontation against Javert and Jean after Fantine's death, as the two fight against one another with swords and their words was extremely well-done and action-packed, minus a few awkward shots where the camera didn't let you see anything. The death of Gavroche, which ignited the true form of the revolution, and even made the heartless Javert honor him for his bravery, is so perfectly done and such a beautiful symbol for the loss of innocence and the fight amongst the Rebellion to create a better future for the youth. And "Can you Hear the People Sing?" Oh, "Can you Hear the People Sing?" Both the original and the reprise are just perfect. Each shot given is perfectly chosen, it's emotionally powerful, and it leaves you full of energy, ready to fight the corruption of your own government, and fight for truth and justice. The ending alone is just amazing, as we see all of the people who gave their lives for a better tomorrow for the country they love all together celebrating that what they have done has lead to a wonderful future. How can you not tear up at that? But speaking of tearing up, what stole the entire movie was "I Dreamed a Dream". There's no flash, no intercutting, and no magnificent singing. We just see Anne Hathaway as Fantine, sitting and reflecting on her decisions, as raw emotion comes out, her choking up and attempting to hold back the tears to no avail. It's done in one take, and it is a wonderful performance that pretty much earned Anne Hathaway the Oscar. It's one of the very, very few moments in movies that I genuinely cried in, and it's pretty hard for me to do that. After I left the theater, it made me realize the power of what film could do. It grabbed me, hooked me, touched me, and left me out as a different person, and on that day, I knew I wanted to be in the film industry. The only problem was that I didn't know where to go or what to do. It wasn't until next year that I knew what I really wanted to do. And...well, I'll talk about it later.

Well, I know what Close Encounters is. There's at least one.

Matthew Broderick's in this? HYPE!

I actually read the RTM thread for The Witch, and I was surprised by how many people didn't get into it. I mean, different strokes for different folks, but I thought it was easily some of the best writing and direction for a movie I've seen in a long while, and Anya Taylor-Joy was a clear star in the making. Meh, maybe I'm just missing something.

Okay, we're going to the top 10. The hints for #10-6: 10. It's a film 24 years in the making. 9. This movie practically saved its own company. 8. Literally every line from that movie has been quoted in some way, shape, or form. 7. This movie was originally supposed to star John Travolta 6. This movie easily has the best Matrix reference of all time.

http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/702191-transformers-the-last-knight-billboard#/slide/1 The movie's still shooting, and there's already promotional materials...I don't get it.

#11 The Dark Knight Directed by Christopher Nolan "See, I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve." Box Office: $534.9M Lifetime Domestic, $1B WW IMDB Summary: When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, the caped crusader must come to terms with one of the greatest psychological tests of his ability to fight injustice. Why it's so Meaningful to Me: I already shared this story on Baumer's "50 Most Important Films" list, but I need to reiterate it once again in order to explain my appreciation for this film. So in the summer of 2008, I was about 10 years old. My mom wanted to take me and my brother out to the movies. And for whatever reason, my Mom chose The Dark Knight. I'm not exactly sure why, since she doesn't care about comic book movies, but I guess it was just a case of nothing really appealing out, and good reviews swaying her towards it. Regardless, we went out to see it. I didn't know anything about this movie, outside of it being a Batman movie. Now I wasn't the biggest superhero movie fan as a kid, but there were some that I watched and enjoyed. I liked the Spider-Man movies, and I liked the Fantastic Four movies. So going in, I expected something along the lines of those movies. Films that had some moments of seriousness, but a good sense of fun and bounciness. That wasn't the case. Boy that wasn't the case. Keep in mind also that as a kid, I was a humongous scaredy-cat. I was easily frightened, but for movies that did scare me, like Harry Potter or Pirates of the Carribean, I at least knew that the happy or cool or funny scene would come shortly. But happy scenes in this movie didn't happen. There was always an intense action scene. There was always a huge explosion. There was always the Joker, frightening the bejeezus out of me. It completely blindsided what I thought comic book movies were like, and it was really something that hit my nerves for weeks. And yet, this is arguably a huge milestone for me. A couple of years after the movie, I actually began having interest in the lore of Batman. For some reason, I really wanted to know more about the Joker and Two-Face and Alfred and all of the other characters. This resulted in me playing and later loving the Arkham series of video games (which btw, if you haven't played yet, go do yourself a favor, and experience some true masterpieces!), and I absolutely adored Tim Burton's take on the Caped Crusader, loving its creativity, acting, and direction. Hell, by that time, I actually began gaining more interest in comic book movies. I loved the backstories and the personalities these characters had, and it plays into a part of why I'm obsessing over Suicide Squad and Doctor Strange. (Of course many of them connect to other genres and subjects I love, so that might have helped.) The Dark Knight is also what I consider to be my first "adult" movie. Of course it's PG-13, and kids younger than me when I first saw it were able to enjoy it (boy, do I envy their bravery!), but this is the first film to really tackle mature subjects in a way that talked more to adults than kids. It talked of anarchy, crime, corruption, escalation, human choice, and other themes and topics that didn't get much attention from the likes of Dreamworks or Disney. It was my first exposure to these ideals, even though a lot of it flew over my head, since I was 10. But nowadays, as a young adult, I appreciate movies like Dark Knight. I like films with intensity. I like films with grit. I like films that talk about major important functions and values of life. The Dark Knight may have scared me, but it also toughened me up, and told me that there's more to movies than just silly cartoon characters or dopey comedians, and I'm thankful for my mom for taking me to the movies to see it. I don't know whether I'd love movies as much as I do now without watching it. Although ironically, I still haven't seen The Dark Knight in its entirety since the first time I saw it in 2008, nor any of the other films in the Nolan Batman trilogy...maybe that'll change soon.

So that must mean this movie's really good, eh? That sounds good to me, but it sucks I have to wait longer for this movie.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2016/07/12/sneak-peek-exclusive-a-monster-calls-movie/86955404/ New trailer's out, and it looks so bloody delightful.

The colors! The actors!