The Panda's Top 250 Movies of All Time Countdown (FINISHED)

[The Panda]

112

Persepolis

One of the few foreign language films I am going to put on this list, I guess that makes this list a bit uncultured, but who cares it's my list. Persepolis is an overlooked animation that is simple, and powerful coming of age movie admist the Islamist Revolution.

[The Panda]

111

The Wolf of Wall Street

Another recent movie that has made my list, it's one that gets better the more you think about.  The visual rhetoric of excess works like a charm and drives the movie to be offensive, hilarious, and essential all at the same time.  This is, in my opinion, the defining movie about Wall Street.

 

[The Panda]

110

The Matrix

Keanu Reeves may be a terrible actor, but that doesn't make The Matrix anywhere close to a terrible movie, in fact it's a fantastic one.  The action is groundbreaking, and created with a great, thrilling, thought provoking tune by the Wachowski Bros (or siblings now).  

[The Panda]

109

Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r9qbvrprTU

The best of the classic Star Trek movies, with an incredible tense atmosphere, and one of the best stories that came out of Star Trek.  It is emotionally engaging and resonates well to anybody who loves the classic Star Trek TV show, to bad the later films don't give that much of a pay off in their quality.

Edited March 17, 2014 by The Panda

[The Panda]

108

Kill Bill

Yes, I am cheating and combining Kill Bill Vol 1 and 2 and giving them one spot, but that is because they were shot back to back as an intended two part film, not a movie that spawned a sequel.  Quentin Tarantino knows how to provide his fun thrills and Kill Bill provides them as one of my favorites delivered by him in this extraordinary, epic revenge flick.

Edited March 17, 2014 by The Panda

[The Panda]

107

Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror

The mother of all horror movies, Nosferatu is the best vampire movie, what's even better is the poeticness of it.  The fact that it is a silent movie with just eerie music in the background makes it all the better, and more powerful.  Nosferatu should be a lesson all horror directors take, it isn't cheap scares, it is genuinely terrifying art.  

Edited March 17, 2014 by The Panda

[The Panda]

106

A Fistful of Dollars

The first in the classic dollars trilogy, and while it's not as strong as the second follow up The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, it is still an all-time classic superbly directed by Leone, as well as a great introduction to Clint Eastwood's strongest role.

 

[The Panda]

105

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

If it hasn't been evident already, I am a big fan of theatrical plays, and well done movie adaptions of them, A Streetcar Named Desire is another one of the great play adaptions.  The movie is a hotbox of intense and focused performances (like the play is written to be), it is a great classic from the early 50s.

 

 

 

[The Panda]

104

The King of Comedy

Yes, another Martin Scorsese film, just like Spielberg you really can't help it with him, he has so many classics and The King of Comedy is one of them.  This is one that is often overlooked but that doesn't mean it isn't a great character study, and a spine-chilling performance by Robert De Niro.

 

 

[The Panda]

103

Touch of Evil

Speaking of classic directors, here is a movie from another one, Orson Welles.  Touch of Evil is a gripping film that shows just how capable Welles was as a director and how great he was at creating tremendous shots and how good he was at getting good performances out of his cast. 

[The Panda]

102

Dr. No

The kick off movie of the classic James Bond series, it being the first one may be what makes me put this a bit higher than it deserves, but it is still a great stylistic, entertaining, popcorn flick.  Dr. No is one of the best of the James Bond movies with some of the best replay value in the series.

[The Panda]

101

Her

I found this movie so weirdly and oddly charming, it is by far my favorite movie from Spike Jonze so far.  It is funny, with an incredible sense of depth and commentary, using the story as a parable of modern times (some Jonze is brilliant at).  I always respected Jonze as a director, but after Her I literally can't wait to see what he does next.

[The Panda]

100

L.A. Confidential

Remember when Titanic swept the awards a little while back, well this is the award loser that Kanye West should have run up on stage and grabbed the mic for.  The movie is riveting, fun, and all the actors do a fantastic job in their roles.

[The Panda]

99

Terminator 2: Judgement Day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLWrmlIWb_w

I'll be honest, trying to understand the whole time travel concept of Terminator (and how the plotline is even possible for multiple reasons), it honestly doesn't even matter because they are just to much fun.  The one liners are fantastic, and it is the best sequel that Cameron has been able to make.

[The Panda]

98

Back to the Future

A classic time travel sci-fi film, and for a good reason.  It is one of the most quotable movies out there, and it is incredibly fun to watch, no matter how many times you have seen it.  Robert Zemeckis delivers one of his strongest movies which is the defining time travel film.

[The Panda]

97

Frankenstein

I'm one of those people that doesn't think the sequel (The Bride of Frankenstein) is better than the original.  It was a shocking and bold horror movie that still has some genuinely creepy moments and a great amount of humanity placed into the story.  My favorite of the classic 30s monster movies.

[The Panda]

96

The Avengers 

Fuck conventional top movie lists, I am putting the Avengers on here, and since its my list I can put it this high without giving a single legitimate reason why.  The Avengers was a buttload of fun, and every time I left the theater I left aching to see more.  The Avengers is a fun, quotable, instant classic and is the best comic book movie of all time, hands down.

Edited March 18, 2014 by The Panda

[mahnamahna]

I've seen

[*]The Avengers (2012) [*]Frankenstein (1931) [*]Back to the Future (1985) [*]Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)  [*]A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)  [*]A Fistful of Dollars (1964)  [*]The Matrix (1999)  [*]The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)  [*]Bride of Frankenstein (1935)  [*]South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (1999) [*]Ghostbusters (1984)  [*]To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)  [*]The LEGO Movie (2014)  [*]Spaceballs (1987) [*]Men in Black (1997)  [*]The Elephant Man (1980)  [*]The Hurt Locker (2009)  [*]Silver Linings Playbook (2012)  [*]Singin' in the Rain (1952)  [*]Beetlejuice (1988)  [*]The Iron Giant (1999)  [*]Great Expectations (1947)  [*]Fargo (1996)  [*]The Birds (1963)  [*]Mary Poppins (1964) [*]Wall Street (1987)  [*]Young Frankenstein (1974)  [*]The Exorcist (1973) [*]Apollo 13 (1995)  [*]A Hard Day's Night (1964)  [*]Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)  [*]Poltergeist (1982)  [*]Groundhog Day (1993)  [*]Pinocchio (1940)  [*]True Grit (2010) [*]The Goonies (1985)  [*]Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) [*]Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)  [*]Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) [*]Some Like it Hot (1959)   [*]Memento (2000)  [*]Monsters, Inc. (2001)  [*]Up (2009) [*]Bambi (1942)  [*]Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)  [*]Toy Story (1995)  [*]Steamboat Willie (1928)  [*]Zero Dark Thirty (2012)  [*]Tropic Thunder (2008)  [*]Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) [*]The Fly (1986)  [*]Shrek (2001)  [*]O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)  [*]Requiem for a Dream (2000)  [*]This is the End (2013)  [*]The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)  [*]Rain Man (1988)  [*]Argo (2012)  [*]The Incredibles (2004)  [*]Return of the Jedi (1983)  [*]Aliens (1986)  [*]Dumbo (1941) [*]Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 (2011) [*]Rocky (1976)  [*]Aladdin (1992)  [*]Dracula (1931)  [*]The Jungle Book (1967)  [*]Reservoir Dogs (1992)  [*]Braveheart (1995)  [*]Tarzan (1999)  [*]Batman Begins (2005)  [*]Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)  [*]The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)  [*]On the Waterfront (1954)  [*]The Prince of Egypt (1998)  [*]The Dark Knight (2008)  [*]District 9 (2009)  [*]All About Eve (1950)  [*]Ratatouille (2007) [*]Iron Man (2008)  [*]The Sound of Music (1965)  [*]Ben-Hur (1959) 

Haven't seen

[*]L.A. Confidential (1997) [*]Her (2013) [*]Dr. No (1962)  [*]Touch of Evil (1958)  [*]The King of Comedy (1983)  [*]Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922)  [*]Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) [*]Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)  [*]Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)  [*]The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)  [*]Perserpolis (2007) [*]The Hunt for Red October (1990)  [*]The Departed (2006) [*]Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)  [*]Anatomy of a Murder (1959)  [*]In the Heat of the Night (1967)  [*]An American in Paris (1951)  [*]For a Few Dollars More (1965)  [*]Gojira (1954)  [*]Stalag 17 (1953)  [*]Django Unchained (2012)  [*]Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)  [*]Amadeus (1984)  [*]Lifeboat (1944)  [*]Of Mice and Men (1939)  [*]Minority Report (2002)  [*]National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)  [*]Million Dollar Baby (2004)  [*]Good Will Hunting (1997)  [*]The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)  [*]This is Spinal Tap (1984)  [*]12 Years a Slave (2013)  [*]Zodiac (2007)  [*]Grave of the Fireflies (1988)  [*]The Ladykillers (1955)  [*]Seven Samurai (1954)  [*]The Killing Fields (1984) [*]A History of Violence (2005)  [*]The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)  [*]Adaptation (2002)  [*]Hot Fuzz (2007)  [*]All the King's Men (1949)  [*]Starship Troopers (1997)  [*]Doctor Zhivago (1965)  [*]Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)  [*]The Bourne Identity (2002)  [*]sex, lies, and videotapes (1989)  [*]Risky Business (1983)  [*]Gypsy (1993)  [*]Lost in Translation (2003)  [*]Shadow of a Doubt (1943)  [*]Casino Royale (2006)  [*]Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001)  [*]Cast Away (2000)  [*]The Last Waltz (1978)  [*]Stagecoach (1939)  [*]20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)  [*]Lethal Weapon (1987) [*]Three Kings (1999)  [*]From Here to Eternity (1953)  [*]The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)  [*]Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World (2003) [*]For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) [*]The Mark of Zorro (1940)  [*]Caddyshack (1980)  [*]Snakes on a Plane (2006)  [*]East of Eden (1955)  [*]Mrs. Miniver (1942)  [*]Ocean's Eleven (2001)  [*]Hellboy (2004)  [*]The French Connection (1971)  [*]Road to Morocco (1942)  [*]The Caine Mutiny (1954) 

[The Panda]

95

Mean Girls

Mean Girls is one of those movies that started out as a decent hit and over time became a really well thought of coming of age classic.  Mean Girls is really funny, and it does a great job of creating a caricature of the schools that existed during its time (and the stereotypes that have existed at schools).  Mean Girls is smart, clever, and oddly so likable to the point it gets better with every viewing. 

Edited March 19, 2014 by The Panda

[The Panda]

94

My Fair Lady

A very entertaining musical, I thoroughly enjoy it every time I watch it. Audrey Hepburn also does a tremendous job as the title role (Even if she doesn't sing the songs herself), and it has that classic style that I love about many of the old musicals that are again missing in many of the musicals of today.