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

[The Panda]

76

Silence of the Lambs

There's only ever been one best picture winner in Oscar history to open their movie in February (as far as I know), and Silence of the Lambs is the movie that pulled such a feat.  That alone (combined with the fact it's a horror-esque movie that won Best Picture) serves as a testament of how truly great this movie actually is.

[The Panda]

75

Mean Streets

Scorsese's first feature film and the first that Robert De Niro (okay there was one called Hi, Mom, but I prefer not to count it), and it is a bold opening statement by the two of them by creating a movie that is still one of their best.  It is realistic, resounding, and a movie that spawned generations of fantastic Scorsese pieces.

[The Panda]

74

Pan's Labyrinth

Correctly coined, Alice in Wonderland for adults, and it really is Guillermo Del Torro's masterpiece (I did forget to mention the Devil's Backbone, but it's to late now, i'd probably replace Hellboy with it) and a great exploration of a little girls nightmarish mind from the effects of the Spanish Civil War.  Pan's Labyrinth is a powerful, and thrilling movie.

[The Panda]

73

Goldfinger

​Easily, Goldfinger is the height of the James Bond franchise (and it is nearly unanimously agreed upon) in every single aspect.  The opening song of Goldfinger is the best of the franchise, it is the most quotable, and the most entertaining of them all.  Sean Connery and Guy Hamilton deliver the masterpiece of the Bond franchise.

Edited March 22, 2014 by The Panda

[The Panda]

72

Annie Hall

Woody Allen may not be the best person in real life, but he is definitely a very consistent filmmaker, and Annie Hall stands at the top of his massive repertoire of films.  It manages to be one of his funnier movies, while also being able to capture some great drama within the comedy, and like all Allen movies, it has some great performances. 

Edited March 22, 2014 by The Panda

[The Panda]

71

Cabaret

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkRIbUT6u7Q

I've said this for a couple musicals, but one of the best musicals of all time, but for Cabaret it's a bit less for the music and much more for the entertainment and story. Cabaret was one of the first movie musicals to escape from the classic style and transition into a more serious and mature style, a truly groundbreaking movie.

Edited March 22, 2014 by The Panda

[The Panda]

70

The Social Network

I may not be a full fan of where Zuckerberg has gone with Facebook, but that doesn't make The Social Network and absolutely evisceratingly powerful (I know, I misused the word eviscerate here, but I felt like using it) and it is the best (by a long shot) of David Fincher's movies, and it made me go from a passive admirer to an all out fan.

Edited March 22, 2014 by The Panda

[The Panda]

69

City of God

Another one of the few foreign language films on my list, and unlike movies that have an illusion of social importance (12YAS), City of God is socially important because it deals with the situation of the present. The film opens your eyes to horrors in the world that go on now, and it is absolutely unforgettable.

[The Panda]

68

Forrest Gump

​It is one of the many undeserving best picture winners, but in this case this speaks highly of the movies it was competing against than the movie itself.  Forrest Gump is a funny, clever, yet also sad and personal epic of a lowly man's sprawling life through American history.  It is quotable, and in the end a very human movie.

Edited March 22, 2014 by The Panda

[The Panda]

67

Beauty and the Beast

By now you were probably wondering where the constant barrage of disney movies had gone on my list, well it's back, and Beauty and the Beast is one of the best Disney classics.  Beauty and the Beast plays a classic story, and engages the audience to be enjoyable for all ages with fantastic animation, strong vocal performances, and one of the best animated stories.

[The Panda]

66

(500) Days of Summer

One of the most realistic and modern takes at relationships that has been taken to screen.  I am probably one of the few people who would even put this movie in their top 250 (let alone this high), but I connect with it and making a connection to a movie is something greater than a performance (Which are all great and engaging), the script (which this is witty, off-beat, and fantastically written), or visual shots (which stylistically I loved).

Edited March 22, 2014 by The Panda

[Dark Jedi Master 007]

Some solid inclusions on this page.

[Films]

Beauty and the beast is a fantastic classic, love that film also

[The Panda]

65

There Will Be Blood

One of Paul Thomas Anderson's strongest movies, as well as weaving in some of the best subtleties of his films.  It is very stylistic (like all of PTA's movies) and it delves into its characters, while creating a story about the past, yet still making it relevant to the present.  Also, as always, Daniel Day Lewis is phenomenal in his role.

[The Panda]

64

Modern Times

A silent comedy that manages to stay charming and fairly undated when compared to the movies of today.  Modern Times manages to explore political depth in its themes about the American Dream while also being funny and entertainingly charming the entire way through.  

[The Panda]

63

M

The difference between a classic and a classic oldie is a classic can be looked at 40 years later and still be enthralling, while a classic oldie is a great film (for its time) but ages poorly.  M is a great example of a straight up classic, it keeps your eyes engaged the entire time with its fantastic imagery, and intriguing psychology.

 

[The Panda]

62

The Last Picture Show

One of first films that was able to fully and maturely deal with the themes of sex in a good and sophisticated manner.  It also plays great homage to classic Hollywood, and remains as a movie that fits no generation of films because it is timeless.  It is a powerful and emotionally involving picture.

[The Panda]

61

Rear Window (1954)

And so I am going to break my recent black and white streak with another Hitchcock classic.  Hitchcock is the father of suspense and thrillers and it continues to show with his revered, Rear Window.  Rear Window is one of the few movies that can boast the claim to be absent of nearly any flaw.

[The Panda]

60

Boogie Nights

Boogie Nights is my favorite of all of Paul Thomas Anderson's movies, and it features some amazingly shot sequences (most notably, The Death of Little Bill), as well as delving into the controversial subject of drugs and porn but also treating it with respect, the kind of non-judgemental respect Scorsese gives his characters.  This is the movie that made PTA a definite man to watch in cinema.

[The Panda]

59

Saving Private Ryan

I think by now I have lost count of how many Spielberg and Hanks movies I have put on this list, but here is another one that can't be ignored (and it won't be the last).  It exposes some of the more violent aspects of World War 2 that had commonly been numbed of the actual brutality of the conflicts.  It is well acted, and presents a story that can still resonate with modern audiences within the period it was set.