Eric the IF

Day 1 movie.

#15 Harry Potter Directed by Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell, and David Yates "There won't be a child in our world who doesn't know his name." Box Office: $2.39B Domestic, $7.723B Worldwide Why it's So Meaningful to Me: At a young age, everyone experiences their first attachment to a film franchise. The one where every subsequent film released fills them with great anticipation. For me, that would have to go to The Boy Who Lived. Admittedly, I didn't get super into the franchise until the movie version of Goblet of Fire rolled around, but from 2005 to 2011, Harry Potter was pretty much my life, similar to other kids my age growing up. I read the books cover to cover, I saw the first five movies on DVD multiple times, and the following three on TV multiple times, and each time I'm transported back to being a kid again, experiencing these well-written stories and interesting characters, watching as the films progress in their darkness and themes. Of course what makes this even more special was the appeal this series had towards my entire family. There are very few movies that everyone in my family gets equal enjoyment out of, but the Harry Potter series is definitely one of them. The films have been rewatched multiple times over the years in the household, and the excitement between all of us when the last two movies were coming was through the roof. We all pretty much caught Pottermania, and it still sticks with us, as pretty much any time one of the movies is passed by during a channel surf, at least one of us will sit down and watch it all the way through. But what's arguably the most important part of it all is that it kickstarted my love for fantasy and worldbuilding. The ideas of mythical creatures and unique sorcery were so fascinating and fun, which has helped me later fall in love with Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and How to Train Your Dragon, and it helps that the Wizarding World was so multi-layered and strongly developed. The ways of transportation, the structure of Hogwarts, the different blood purities, the political systems found in the Ministry of Magic, the creatures, the Quidditch matches, the towns; fucking everything! Rowling's unique universe is so well-developed, especially for a young adult series, as it takes the idea of fantasy, witchcraft, and wizardry to its full effect, all the while creating a fun, dramatic, and interesting story around it. So due to it being my first fanboy franchise, a wonderful thing for the family to bond over, and the reason why fantasy and worldbuilding kick so much ass for me, the Harry Potter franchise holds a special place in my movie-loving heart. And if you're wondering, yes, the whole family's beyond excited to see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

I can't wait to see all of those families in the theater when it comes out. Some Deadpool shit right there.

Just put in mine.

1. Passengers 2. Rogue One 3. Suicide Squad 4. Jason Bourne 5. Moana 6. BFG 7. Fantastic Beasts 8. Kubo 9. Billy Lynn 10. Beauty and the Beast

You make a good point...cept I wasn't comparing them with BFG. I was just answering Jack's question on what live-action children's films are considered all-time classics.

E.T., Wizard of Oz, Adventures of Robin Hood, Princess Bride, Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Willy Wonka, and Harry Potter ().

Aw man, that sucks! Are there any other theaters nearby?

I made the top 20? SWEET!

This is animated, right?

Hints for #15-11: 15. @Baumer will really hate me for this. 14. When Stephen King gives you praise, you know you've done something good. 13. Ferris Bueller's Day in Power 12. @Baumer will really, really hate me for this. 11. Psycho vs. Psycho: Dawn of Psycho

Eh, I think Gru's decently written. He has a predictable arc, but he at least seems to have some decent depth in his backstory and his love for his daughters that I think makes him more endearing and entertaining. Of course, he's still nowhere near as strong as the characters you listed.

#16 Psycho Directed by Alfred Hitchcock "I hope they are watching...they'll see. They'll see and they'll know, and they'll say, 'Why, she wouldn't even harm a fly...'" Box Office: $32M Domestic IMDB Summary: A Phoenix secretary steals $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother. Why it's So Meaningful to Me: I've already admitted my love for Trey Parker & Matt Stone, but do you want to know who also fought against censorship decades ago? Alfred Hitchcock! Hitchcock's work is praised for his voyeurism, strong camerawork, and meticulous planning, and for good reason. Better yet, many of Hitchcock's elements are at their strongest in Psycho. The production design is wonderful, the acting, with Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates in particular, is astounding, its ending is absolutely flawless, and the usage of visual elements to explain the story and the quiet buildup of each scene is astonishing and a near-textbook definition on how to do visual filmmaking and suspense. However, what really seals the deal for why I love this movie so much was Hitchcock's massive battle between censorship during production. For those who don't know, when Hollywood movies were in full effect and making big money, there was no MPAA. Instead, there was the Motion Picture Production Code, though many prefer to call it the Hays Code. It was a list of guidelines that told filmmakers and film studios to not have certain elements that would be risque, adult, or provocative, which included bad language, nudity, or offending religion or race. As you can imagine, it was very limiting for filmmakers with bold and unique ideas. When Hitchcock discovered the 1959 novel Psycho, he had yearned to make the movie adaptation of the story, but with two catches: he had an abnormally small budget and had to use the production crew of his television show, and he had to face the censorship board, who weren't very fond of dark or racy material. But Hitchcock insisted on poking holes at their flawed logic. He would show specific scenes again and again, and get different results each time; he was asked to reshoot the opening scene so that he can have the shower scene, but later on just kept the original take; he even had the nerve and audacity to take something never shown before, due to its controversial status: a flushing toilet! Oh the audacity of such a scene! (But seriously though, why was a flushing toilet never seen on a movie or show until Psycho came out? Am I missing something?) He even told theaters to not let anyone in after the movie starts. For whatever reason, that idea was unheard of, but Hitchcock's demands came, and greatly flourished. Alfred Hitchcock pretty much said "Fuck you" to standards and the norm and decided to keep his vision in tact, with no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Hell, I can't even imagine what it must have been like for audiences in 1960. Having to actually be in their seats on time, witnessing an opening scene of two people as lovers sharing a bed, seeing one of the greatest villains of all time become a legend before their very eyes, and watching a shower scene packed to the brim with symbolism, fear, suspense, and an ultimate payoff, with the scariest violin sounds ever put on film. None of these wonderful moments could have happened if Hitchcock stayed stubborn on his decisions and keeping his creativity and integrity in tact. He knew that thinking and working outside of the box was more important and more impressionable to audiences in both 1960 and 2016, and that's what really makes this horror classic just a little bit more special.

Time to cook up some popcorn.

Confession: I've never seen a Roland Emmerich film.

You do know that kids don't pay for the tickets, right? Mommy and Daddy will have to say yes on going to the theater, and for the most part, it depends on if they think it will be worth their time and worth their wallet. If not, the family isn't gonna go, and they'll wait for Redbox. I'm not going to completely deny your prediction, but just having strong kid appeal won't automatically equal an Inside Out-level opening.

People didn't go see The Nice Guys though.

There's also The Killer.

#17 The Lord of the Rings Directed by Peter Jackson "Fly, you fools!" Box Office: $1.035B Domestic, $2.917B WW Why it's Meaningful to Me: So I'm kinda cheating on this one. I was originally going to put Return of the King on here, because it's my personal favorite, but I feel that the trilogy alone is so strong and powerful for me that only having one would just be unfair. Now my introduction to Peter Jackson's interpretation of Middle-Earth was actually with the first Hobbit movie. My dad was a huge Lord of the Rings fan, but I never really got around to them. But when my dad was excited to go see it, I decided to tag along, since he was paying for it, I loved fantasy, and we were going to be heading to Red Robin later. When I saw it, I loved it, and later on, my dad and I would rewatch the original 2001-2003 trilogy on cable numerous times, and every time, I'm enchanted and enthralled by the story, characters, and universe. Outside of it being something my dad and I easily bond over, these films are a huge part of my love for unique worlds and mythologies. I was already a huge fan of the universes found in Avatar: The Last Airbender, and another fantasy series that will be brought up later, but I feel that very few universes are as layered, as developed, or as unique as Tolkien's, and Jackson is able to successfully capture this unique universe on the screen. It still amazes me how the writers were able to take a trilogy known for its excessive length and massive backstory, and managed to create a simplified, but just as enthralling story, with its characters still wonderfully layered and unique. In all honesty, this is the gold definition on how to make an adaptation right. In fact, not only is this trilogy a perfect adaptation, what made me put these movies together is that Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings, in my opinion, is the greatest trilogy of all time. No, I'm not kidding. While other trilogies, even the ones I love, have their movies just be consistently good or one being slightly lesser than the other ones, Jackson was smart enough to make every movie bigger and better than its predecessor. Fellowship established the story and the dangers that will come to its characters. The Two Towers picks up on the first movie, expands on characters like Gollum, intercuts three wonderful stories, and ends on a foreboding note with Gollum seemingly derailing the entire adventure. And the end of it all comes with Return of the King, with some of the best action sequences ever conceived on film, unbelievable visuals, unforgettable character moments, and a perfect end to Frodo and Samwise's wonderful adventure. As both the greatest trilogy ever made, and a soft spot between me and my father, The Lord of the Rings deserved to be here as a package on this list.

Eh, why not? I'll take it!

So while the list was in progress, I was seeing how many of these are available on Netflix, so I can later watch them. I only found four though, but that's fine. I'll state my opinions about these movies some other time.