Baumer's 50 most important films of all time (JFK 3, Earthlings 2.....FREE YOUR MIND! THE MATRIX NUMBER 1)

[The Stingray]

I think Jaws would be a deserving #1. It invented the summer blockbuster and changed the face of modern cinema.
 

[baumer]

This will continue in about 2 hours

[baumer]

List so far:

 

50) Enter the Dragon

49) Sixth Sense

48) The Jazz Singer (1927)

47) Iron Man

46) Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)lkjhljhljh

45) Boyz N The Hood

44) A Streetcar Named Desire

43) Free Willy

42) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

41) 2001 A Space Odyssey

40) They Live

39) Silence of the Lambs

38) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

37) Gone With the Wind

36) Battleship Potemkin

 

 

[baumer]

Number 34

Terminator 2:  Judgment Day (1991)

Arnold, Linda Hamilton

Directed by James Cameron

 

 

 

Box Office:  204.8 mill and 519.8 WW

Quick Synopsis:  Ground breaking special effects that still look relevant today

Imdb Summary:  Almost 15 years have passed since the first cyborg called The Terminator tried to kill Sarah Connor and her unborn son, John Connor. John Connor, the future leader of the human resistance, is now a healthy young boy. However another Terminator is sent back through time called the T-1000, which is more advanced and more powerful than its predecessor. The Mission: to kill John Connor when he's still a child. However, Sarah and John do not have to face this threat of a Terminator alone. Another Terminator is also sent back through time. The mission: to protect John and Sarah Connor at all costs. The battle for tomorrow has begun...

Why it's important:  These legendary CGI scenes involve ingenious creative work by Industrial Light & Magic, the George Lucasspecial effects shop. The basic idea for T-1000 was first tried out by ILM in “Abyss” (1990), in which an undersea station was invaded by a creature with a body made entirely of water. The trick is to create a computer simulation of the movement desired and then use a computer paintbox program to give it surface color and texture - in this case, the appearance of liquid mercury. The computer images are then combined with the live action; T-1000 turns from shiny liquid into a human being through a dissolve from the effect to the actor.

All of that work would simply be an exercise if the character itself were not effective, but T1000, as played by Patrick, is a splendid villain, with compact good lucks and a bland expression. His most fearsome quality is his implacability; no matter what you do to him, he doesn't get disturbed and he doesn't get discouraged. He just pulls himself together and keeps on coming.

The key element in any action picture, I think, is a good villain.

“Terminator 2” has one, along with an intriguing hero and fierce heroine, and a young boy who is played by Furlong with guts and energy. The movie responds to criticisms of excessive movie violence by tempering the Terminator’s blood lust, but nobody, I think, will complain that it doesn't have enough action.  This is a film that did everything right.

Why it's important to me:  An absolute staple of my youth.  This came out when I was 19 and it kind of took me completely by surprise.  I was in awe seeing not only the action and the effects and the shape shifting and all the porn for your eyes, but Cameron did something special with the story as well.  This might have been my first "holy shit" movie I saw in theaters.  It made me want to make films and it gave me even more appreciation of what went into the making them.

 

[baumer]

Number 33

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Heather Donahue, Michael Williams, Joshua Leonard

Directed by Ed Sanchez and Daniel Myrick

"I just want to apologize to Mike's mom, Josh's mom, and my mom. And I'm sorry to everyone. I was very naive. I am so so sorry for everything that has happened."

 

 

Box Office:  140 million ($27,000 budget) and 258 mill WW

Quick Synopsis:  Love or hate found footage horror, this is the one that started it all****

Imdb Synopsis:   Heather Donahue, Michael Williams and Joshua Leonard, student filmmakers, set out to shoot a documentary about a local legend, the Blair Witch. In the forests near Burkittsville, Maryland, many children have vanished in the 1940s and people still avoid going too deep into the woods. So, the party sets out to look for facts that prove the legend, equipped only with two cameras and a little hiking gear. First, they find little piles of stone that must have been arranged artificially, later, they have to admit to be lost in the woods. Eerie sounds at night and more piles of stones in places where they have not been before cause the already desperate group to panic. And one night, days after they should have been back home, Josh disappears completely. Only what has been recorded and filmed with the cameras is found a year later and shows what happened in the woods.

Why it's important:  On an estimated budget of $27,000 The Blair Witch Project conquered Sundance and popularised the idea of the "found footage" movie. The movie also created hype through its innovative use of internet marketing, dedicating an entire website to creating a back story that played on the idea that the movie was real. The hype mounted until the film was released, where it exploded at the box office, grossing hundred of million of dollars, right of a minuscule budget.

The effective use of handheld cameras adds to he nervousness that arises when viewing the movie. The inexperienced camera operator led to an incredible amount of shakiness, which purists would scowl at, but in The Blair Witch Project it works to create an extraordinary horror. The effective marketing campaign led some people believing it was a documentary and fierce debate was initially given as to whether it was fact or fiction and numerous films have tried to copy its marketing techiques. Many people do not think the movie is up to much, but is is impossible to deny it is a milestone in cinema history.

Why it's important to me:  When horror is done right, and that is no easy task, but when it is done right, it's more than just a movie, more than even just a legend, Mr. Wayne, it's something else entirely.  It almost feels real.  Blair Witch had that affect on me.  Being an avid camper, this film got inside me so that when I did go every time after, it had me looking over my shoulder.  This is as primal as it gets imo.  This is a monumental horror film and one that had me believing that anything could be accomplished with the right amount of desire.  This scared me, had me on edge and you can count me as one of the patrons who thought it was all real.  Not many films made me feel the way this one did.  

***before you correct me again...yes I know there were other found footage films before Blair Witch but films like The Last Broadcast didn't get found footage into the mainstream and it certainly didn't popularize it.  

 

[baumer]

Number 32

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez

Written and Directed by John Hughes

"See this is what happens when you spill paint in the garage.  DO I STUTTER?"

 

 

Box Office: 45.8 million

Quick Synopsis:  Defined the 80's youth

Imdb synopsis:  They were five students with nothing in common, faced with spending a Saturday detention together in their high school library. At 7 a.m., they had nothing to say, but by 4 p.m., they had bared their souls to each other and become good friends. To the outside world they were simply a Brain, an Athlete, a Basket Case, a Princess, and a Criminal, but to each other, they would always be the Breakfast Club.

Why it's important:  Perhaps no film, regardless of the year it came out or the generation it represents, cut to the bone the way this one did.  It deconstructed the five youths so accurately that you felt like you knew them.  John Hughes had a way of doing that.  He was criminally ignored for years in Hollywood and he should have been showered with accolades.  The Breakfast is simply the finest and most relevant film about high school ever made, imo.  

Why it's important to me:  John Hughes was able to touch his audience by making substantial emotional connection with readily identifiable characters. He also set his stories against the background of familiar events common to most teenagers such as a sweet 16 party, or in the case of this film preschool detention. Okay, I have to confess that in high school I was very much a by the books kind of student never received detention, I understood the concept and its purpose. Intended by the faculty to punish and perhaps shame one sentence to the attention, to those most likely to receive it on a regular basis it was little more than a place to raise the now or to time. The core of this film is that it offers an opportunity for the filmmaker to bring together an exceptionally divergent group of students together in one place sharing the same experience. This was considered a major departure from the high school movies that proceeded, and large number of those that would follow. Teenagers in high school are inevitably depicted as being defined by the clique that they belong as they share a Saturday sentence confined to the library and the punishment known as’ The Breakfast Club’. The progression of the story is how the boundaries of the individual cliques began to dissolve and reform is something new.  The Breakfast Club helped me get through my youth, and it helped me get throught the tumultuous times and events that I went through.   I felt like Hughes understood me and this notes he hits in this film are like he read a generation's diary.  He just understood things that others didn't.  36 years later, this is the seminal teen movie. 

[baumer]

Number 31

Scream (1996)

Neve Campbell, David Arquette

Directed Wes Craven

"Who was the killer in Friday the 13th?"

 

 

Box Office:  103 million

Quick Synopsis:  Brought horror back from the dead

Imdb summary:  A peaceful town in California turns into a bloodbath when a masked killer haunts the town. Sidney Prescott, a young teenage girl, whose mother was killed a year before, becomes the target of the mask killer! Her boyfriend Billy Loomis becomes the main suspect along with Sidney's father. Local Tabloid News Reporter Gail Weathers and Woodsbroro's Deputy Dwight "Dewey" Riley investigate and try to figure out who the killer is and if it's the same person who killed Sid's mom the year before!

Why it's important:  Horror was on life support in 1996.  It's pretty similar the way it is today.  Except there weren't even one of two sizable hits, there were basically none.  Species was the highest grossing horror movie in 1995 but that was much more sci-fi than straight horror.  It made 60 million.  The next highest grossing horror film after that was Demon Knight with 21 million.  Horror needed a shot in the arm.  When Kevin Williamson got his script turned into a movie, it gave the horror genre the shake up it needed.  This kind of spoofed horror but in a serious way.  It was genius as it paid homage to so many iconic horror films and in many ways it was able to scare the audience as well.  You can look back to 1996 as the year that horror exploded and it hasn't stopped since.

Why it's important to me:  My original review from 1999:

 

" I want you to go down to the McKenzie's house and call the police. " Laurie Strode, from Halloween, Casey's mom, from Scream.

As I have said in my various reviews of horror flicks, I grew up loving horror movies. Everything from the great ones like Halloween, Nightmare 1 and the early Fridays, to even the stupid quirky flicks like The Prey or Sleepaway Camp. There is just something sinister yet fun about an unseen force that tries to kill you for no apparent reason except that you are on his turf. I think Kevin Williamson watched the same films as I did and similarly appreciated them. Because what he has done here is write a film that is an homage to all the great horror films of the last 25 years. He treats all of us fans to great memories of films of years past and he assumes that he has an intelligent audience. There are so many horror movie references here that even I don't quite get all of them, and believe me I have seen a lot of horror films. But not only is the script entertaining, funny and witty, the film is scary. Not as scary as some of the films that it tries to pay homage to, but that's okay. Because you will have so much fun trying to pick out references to your faves that the scare factor is just a bonus. One of the most brilliant parts in the movie is when Randy pauses Halloween and explains the rules of surviving a horror movie if you are a character in it. Not only is it funny, but it so honest and sharp that when you listen to what he says, you realize that he is so right. And that is one of the great pleasures of the film.

I admire a film like this. It is not afraid to take chances and it tries to give all of us former teens that made the genre so popular in the 80's, something to enjoy. I'm not saying that if you are under the age of 25 you cannot enjoy this, but believe me you can enjoy it a whole lot more if you are about 25-30. Because it is us who rented those films way back when. And to understand the references and the homages to films like Halloween ( 1978 ) the original Nightmare (84), the Friday's (80-84) you have to appreciate the films for what they are. And what they were and what they did was entertain and scare the hell out of us 15 and 16 year olds. And to remember that feeling by watching this film is reward enough to me. But then to have the film be so well done is an added bonus.

Wes Craven is the perfect director for this film. I wonder is Williamson ever pitched this to Cunningham or Miner or Carpenter before going to Craven? I guess I am glad that he didn't because I think Craven adds some nice touches to the film. The cast is also brilliant. We all know the major one's involved here but I want to call attention to Mathew Lilliard. His portrayal of Stu is so amazing. He honestly should of received a nomination for best supporting actor. He took his character and added his own twist to him. And because of his tiny idiosyncrasies, he adds so much to the film. A subtle use of the tongue, the facade of hurt just by one of his expressions, a triumphant thrust of the arms, his laugh. They are all forever imprinted in my head as a great character study.

This film started a whole genre on it's own, made a name for Lilliard and most everyone else involved, revitalized Craven's career, made Williamson a millionaire, made horror movies popular again and gave me hours of viewing enjoyment. Not just from this one and its sequel, but it made me go back and watch all the older films that I liked so much.

You should do the same. And try to rediscover what was so fun about horror movie from the 70's and 80's. I have figured it out on a personal level, but have you figured it out on your own level? That is what makes horror films so much fun. Because they mean something different to everyone. Actually that is what makes film in general so profound.  

[HeyItsMoses]

1 hour ago, Baumer said:

Number 34

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Heather Donahue, Michael Williams, Joshua Leonard

Directed by Ed Sanchez and Daniel Myrick

"I just want to apologize to Mike's mom, Josh's mom, and my mom. And I'm sorry to everyone. I was very naive. I am so so sorry for everything that has happened."

 

 

 

Box Office:  140 million ($27,000 budget) and 258 mill WW

Quick Synopsis:  Love or hate found footage horror, this is the one that started it all****

Imdb Synopsis:   Heather Donahue, Michael Williams and Joshua Leonard, student filmmakers, set out to shoot a documentary about a local legend, the Blair Witch. In the forests near Burkittsville, Maryland, many children have vanished in the 1940s and people still avoid going too deep into the woods. So, the party sets out to look for facts that prove the legend, equipped only with two cameras and a little hiking gear. First, they find little piles of stone that must have been arranged artificially, later, they have to admit to be lost in the woods. Eerie sounds at night and more piles of stones in places where they have not been before cause the already desperate group to panic. And one night, days after they should have been back home, Josh disappears completely. Only what has been recorded and filmed with the cameras is found a year later and shows what happened in the woods.

Why it's important:  On an estimated budget of $27,000 The Blair Witch Project conquered Sundance and popularised the idea of the "found footage" movie. The movie also created hype through its innovative use of internet marketing, dedicating an entire website to creating a back story that played on the idea that the movie was real. The hype mounted until the film was released, where it exploded at the box office, grossing hundred of million of dollars, right of a minuscule budget.

The effective use of handheld cameras adds to he nervousness that arises when viewing the movie. The inexperienced camera operator led to an incredible amount of shakiness, which purists would scowl at, but in The Blair Witch Project it works to create an extraordinary horror. The effective marketing campaign led some people believing it was a documentary and fierce debate was initially given as to whether it was fact or fiction and numerous films have tried to copy its marketing techiques. Many people do not think the movie is up to much, but is is impossible to deny it is a milestone in cinema history.

Why it's important to me:  When horror is done right, and that is no easy task, but when it is done right, it's more than just a movie, more than even just a legend, Mr. Wayne, it's something else entirely.  It almost feels real.  Blair Witch had that affect on me.  Being an avid camper, this film got inside me so that when I did go every time after, it had me looking over my shoulder.  This is as primal as it gets imo.  This is a monumental horror film and one that had me believing that anything could be accomplished with the right amount of desire.  This scared me, had me on edge and you can count me as one of the patrons who thought it was all real.  Not many films made me feel the way this one did.  

***before you correct me again...yes I know there were other found footage films before Blair Witch but films like The Last Broadcast didn't get found footage into the mainstream and it certainly didn't popularize it.  

 

I saw the blair witch project for the first time last week, the ending was whatever.

 

The movie pretty much made me realize one thing: getting directions from a woman never ends well.

[baumer]

3 minutes ago, HeyItsMoses said:

I saw the blair witch project for the first time last week, the ending was whatever.

 

The movie pretty much made me realize one thing: getting directions from a woman never ends well.

Interesting

[Ozymandias]

On 6/2/2016 at 9:22 PM, Baumer said:

Number 39

Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster, Scott Glenn

Directed by Jonathan Demme

"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti."

 

 

Box office:  130.7 million

Quick Summary: The first horror movie to have any kind of Oscar clout in perhaps two decades.

Imdb Summary:  Clarice Starling, a young intelligent FBI trainee, has been sent to the Baltimore state hospital for the criminally insane to interview an inmate, Dr. Hannibal "the cannibal" Lecter. A brilliant renowned psychiatrist turned infamous psychopathic serial killer. She must match wits with Lecter - who has the darkest of all minds - and trust him to give her clues in the search for "Buffalo Bill". A nickname for a loose, unknown, unstoppable psychopathic serial killer.

Why it's important:  Allow Roger Ebert to explain:  

The popularity of Jonathan Demme's movie is likely to last as long as there is a market for being scared. Like “Nosferatu,” “Psycho” and “Halloween,” it illustrates that the best thrillers don't age. Fear is a universal emotion and a timeless one. But “Silence of the Lambs” is not merely a thrill show. It is also about two of the most memorable characters in movie history, Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter, and their strange, strained relationship (“people will say we're in love,” Lecter cackles).

They share so much. Both are ostracized by the worlds they want to inhabit--Lecter, by the human race because he is a serial killer and a cannibal, and Clarice, by the law enforcement profession because she is a woman. Both feel powerless--Lecter because he is locked in a maximum security prison (and bound and gagged like King Kong when he is moved), and Clarice because she is surrounded by men who tower over her and fondle her with their eyes. Both use their powers of persuasion to escape from their traps--Lecter is able to rid himself of the pest in the next cell by talking him into choking on his own tongue, and Clarice is able to persuade Lecter to aid her in the search for the serial killer named Buffalo Bill. And both share similar childhood wounds. Lecter is touched when he learns that Clarice lost both her parents at an early age, was shipped off to relatives, was essentially an unloved orphan. And Lecter himself was a victim of child abuse (on the DVD commentary track, Demme says he regrets not underlining this more).

These parallel themes are mirrored by patterns in the visual strategy. Note that both Lecter in his prison cell and Buffalo Bill in his basement are arrived at by Starling after descending several flights of stairs and passing through several doors; they live in underworlds. Note the way the movie always seems to be looking at Clarice: The point-of-view camera takes the place of the scrutinizing men in her life, and when she enters dangerous spaces, it is there waiting for her instead of following her in. Note the consistent use of red, white and blue: not only in the FBI scenes, but also in the flag draped over the car in the storage shed, other flags in Bill's lair and even the graduation cake at the end (where the U.S. eagle in the frosting is a ghastly reminder of the way Lecter pinned a security guard spread-eagled to the walls of his cage).

Why it's important to me:  This is a bit of a strange film for me.  The reason it's so hugely important in my eyes is that ti's the first considered horror film to win best picture.  This, imo, validates so many other horror films that came before it that should of had much more recognition.  Having said that, this is not my favourite film of 1991 (that film will make an appearance on this list later) but because it opened up horror to the mainstream, it's a film I cannot ignore.  I think it has created a legacy not only for itself but for some of the brilliance that came before it in films like Night of the Living Dead, Psycho and Halloween.  Because of this, it deserves a place on this list.

 

this movie ruined fava beans forever

[RascarCapat]

I always found Scream to be a 1st degree clever respectful spoof of the Slasher Genra.

 

I love it

 

[baumer]

Number 30

Birth of a Nation

Lillian Gish, Miriam Cooper

Directed by D.W. Griffith

 

 

Box office:  Unknown

Quick Synopsis:  One of the most racist films of all time

Imdb summary:  D.W. Griffith's epic tale of the American civil war, told primarily from the perspective of the South. The story is nominally that of two families, one from the north, the other the south, and the challenges they face during the war. Heavily slanted in favor of the Confederates, who are noble and right, against the Yankees who are degenerate and without scruples. When black Union troops take over the town of Piedmont, South Carolina the Ku Klux Klan becomes the white population's saviors.

Why it's important:  Damned by history - and rightly so - for its gross racist content and political message, but the technical artistry on display in DW Griffith's three hour epic is staggering. The film paints the Ku Klux Klan as heroes and the film led to a huge surge in members for the organisation and President Woodrow Wilson even had it screened at the White House. It gives a key insight into history as much as anything - authentically portraying the brutal bigotry of the South and the shocking nature of reality.

That being said, The Birth Of A Nation was innovatively groundbreaking and furthered the medium of film greatly. Its cinematic selections of close-ups and innovative editing make it an intriguing watch, especially when taking in its historical context, but it's impossible to shake the sense of disgust you feel when watching the film. At three hours long and silent, it would be a gruelling challenge to modern audiences and would probably only interest film historians and those interested in American history but its cinematic importance cannot be denied.

Why it's important to me:  It's not.  I saw this in film class when I took film studies in university.  I didn't understand the historical relevance to it but every list I read, every bit of research I did for this piece, indicates that this film should be on a list of the 50 most important films ever made, so I couldn't ignore it.

[baumer]

Number 29

Rebel Without a Cause

James Dean, Natalie Wood

Directed Nicholas Ray

 

 

Box Office:  Unknown

Quick:  Encapsulates the restlessness and change of the 50's

Imdb Summary:  The initial sequence rolling behind the opening credits has the inebriated Jim Stark laying in the street fiddling with a toy monkey. Then, he is brought into juvenile hall, and simultaneously the story gives us a glimpse of not only the rowdy Jim, but discontented Judy, and the distant boy Plato. Each one has their own personal pain, and thus this film from the beginning really focuses on three rebels, who embody the adolescent generation. James Dean is Jim Stark, the new kid on the block, who is constantly moving with his parents. In the station when his parents retrieve him, there is obvious tension on all fronts, which include heated arguments, and outbursts on the part of Jim. The morning after being brought in he meets Judy only to get mixed up with her friends. Stark however also befriends the isolated loner Plato, who was in the station the night before. The trouble with the other teens starts with a switchblade contest during a school excursion to Griffith Observatory, but the stakes get bigger when they compete in a “Chickie Run” over a cliff. Stark lives but the other boy, Buzz, dies in the accident. Everyone flees the scene before the police arrive. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Dean and Wood’s characters gravitate towards each other. Their parents seemingly do not understand them, and so they find comfort in each other instead. Their new found friend Plato tags along as they hold up in an abandoned mansion for the night. They spend the evening lounging around, making light of their parents, and just talking. However, all does not bode well when some of the high school thugs come looking for Stark. Plato flees the scene with a gun, and soon he has policemen on his tail. Plato is in a paranoid and unstable state. Jim tries to console him and bring him out peacefully. But despite his best efforts, tragedy strikes one final blow.  All is not wasted however, because Jim’s father (Jim Bachus) vows to be a better and stronger parent than he was before. 

Following his breakthrough in East of Eden, Rebel would be the movie that defined Dean’s short but iconic career. His line “you’re tearing me apart!” would further define the angst felt by many teens at the time. There is a certain aura around this film for some reason, maybe because of Dean’s portrayal that is at times so moody, and at other times so subtle, but powerful nonetheless. I think part of the credit must go to director Nicholas Ray, who gave Dean free reign to improvise and develop his character in the way he saw fit. The film is tragic in another sense because all the primary stars died at an early age. Dean’s is the most remembered, but Mineo and Wood, both died very young as well. In Rebel Without a Cause they all gave memorable performances and there are other notable players in this film including the usually comedic Jim Bachus and a very young Dennis Hopper.

I think Rebel ultimately survives today because it tells a universal tale of a generational divide, and a divide between young people fighting peer pressure. In the heads of teenagers the world can become jumbled and between school, fitting in, and home life it can be a struggle. This film dramatically illustrates that fact. So maybe the kids look different, the cars are older and such, but the struggles of Jim Stark, Judy, and Plato, are still relatively the same.  I must say this film really makes me want to visit the Griffith Observatory too, because it became such an integral part of this film’s story, and it is still around to this day.

James Dean only had three major film performances and you could make a case for which was the best. I think it is safe to say that this role was his most iconic. It’s hard not to identity him with his red jacket, blue jeans, and ubiquitous cigarette. He was the Rebel Without a Cause.

Why it's important:  James Dean's Jim Stark became a hero to the disillusioned youth of America. Dean and the character both became icons of cinema as Stark's brooding loner resonated with the rebellion of the fifties and sixties. It's an accurate portrayal of teen angst without being patronising, helped mostly by Dean's magnetic performance and Nicholas Ray's dynamic direction.

There is always a hint of sadness when watching Rebel Without A Cause - knowing Dean would die so young and his great talent would never be fulfilled, though his legacy is as strong as it ever was. The cool Stark inspired a new type of character - the complex youngster - and a phenomena was born. The film still holds importance because of its socially aware themes and is the definitive movie for teenage rebellion.

Why it's important to me:  This is another film introduced to me in film school and it is one of the few films made before 1960 that I actually enjoyed implicitly.  The 50's were the era my parents grew up in and this film gave me a glimpse into their world.  My father used to tell me tales of playing chicken and drag racing, he was a bit of a bad boy.  Maybe not as much as Jim Stark, but still a bad boy.  I felt a bit of a connection to my father in this film, hence it's interest to me.

[baumer]

Number 28

The Exorcist

Linda Blair, Max von Sydow

Directed by William Friedkin

"The power of Christ compels you!"

 

 

 

Box office:  232 million domestic and 441 million WW

Quick:  Might be the scariest movie of all time

Imdb synopsis:  Something beyond evil is happening in a little girl's room. Regan has brutally changed both in the way she looks and the way she acts, with violent outbursts on everyone who comes in contact with her. Her worried mother gets in contact with a priest who comes to the conclusion that Regan is possessed. The top priest who can deal with an exorcism, Father Merrin, is called in to help save Regan from the demon inside her.

Why it's important:  Catholics lost their freaking minds.  This film caused mass hysteria and panic.  People were terrified of it.  No one had ever seen something like this before and for some, they would not watch it a second time.  My ex-wife, who is incredibly religious, is terrified of this film and thinks that Friedkin was playing with fire, tempting fate so to speak, when he made this.  In short, this film scared the shit out of people. Here is another blurb from an on line reviewer:        

 

Here is the biggest reason why The Exorcist is the scariest film of all time, even today. You see, with horror movies like It and Nightmare on Elm Street, there is always one thing that will keep me from ever being truly afraid of them: they can’t happen. Zombies aren’t going to rise out of their graves tomorrow to haunt us, and Freddy Kreuger is only a figment of somebody’s imagination. The Exorcist, however, is not like this. Not only is demon possession possible, it exists and still occurs around the world. Now there are religious debates as to how it works, but we all (or at least many of us) agree that it is real. This is why The Exorcist terrifies me. I can turn off Evil Dead and move on with my life with the security that it’s just a movie. But I can’t do that with The Exorcist. The events that took place are very possible, and while possession may not be exactly how the movie depicts it, it still exists. And that is fuel for nightmares, my friends.

 

Why it's important to me:  The great debate is whether or not this or Jaws was the first to make 100 million dollars in cash at the box office.  This alone makes the film important to me.  But historically, although I appreciate the film, it did nothing to scare me.  But that doesn't mean I don't understand the power of it.  Also, it gave me years of laughter as whenever my ex-wife would get mad at me, I'd picture her head doing a 360 and green vomit spewing everywhere, and that made me laugh.

[The Stingray]

33 minutes ago, Baumer said:

Number 29

The Exorcist

Linda Blair, Max von Sydow

Directed by William Friedkin

"The power of Christ compels you!"

 

 

 

Box office:  232 million domestic and 441 million WW

Quick:  Might be the scariest movie of all time

Imdb synopsis:  Something beyond evil is happening in a little girl's room. Regan has brutally changed both in the way she looks and the way she acts, with violent outbursts on everyone who comes in contact with her. Her worried mother gets in contact with a priest who comes to the conclusion that Regan is possessed. The top priest who can deal with an exorcism, Father Merrin, is called in to help save Regan from the demon inside her.

Why it's important:  Catholics lost their freaking minds.  This film caused mass hysteria and panic.  People were terrified of it.  No one had ever seen something like this before and for some, they would not watch it a second time.  My ex-wife, who is incredibly religious, is terrified of this film and thinks that Friedkin was playing with fire, tempting fate so to speak, when he made this.  In short, this film scared the shit out of people. Here is another blurb from an on line reviewer:        

 

Here is the biggest reason why The Exorcist is the scariest film of all time, even today. You see, with horror movies like It and Nightmare on Elm Street, there is always one thing that will keep me from ever being truly afraid of them: they can’t happen. Zombies aren’t going to rise out of their graves tomorrow to haunt us, and Freddy Kreuger is only a figment of somebody’s imagination. The Exorcist, however, is not like this. Not only is demon possession possible, it exists and still occurs around the world. Now there are religious debates as to how it works, but we all (or at least many of us) agree that it is real. This is why The Exorcist terrifies me. I can turn off Evil Dead and move on with my life with the security that it’s just a movie. But I can’t do that with The Exorcist. The events that took place are very possible, and while possession may not be exactly how the movie depicts it, it still exists. And that is fuel for nightmares, my friends.

 

Why it's important to me:  The great debate is whether or not this or Jaws was the first to make 100 million dollars in cash at the box office.  This alone makes the film important to me.  But historically, although I appreciate the film, it did nothing to scare me.  But that doesn't mean I don't understand the power of it.  Also, it gave me years of laughter as whenever my ex-wife would get mad at me, I'd picture her head doing a 360 and green vomit spewing everywhere, and that made me laugh.

 

This guy is a crackpot.

[baumer]

Maybe. But there's lots who feel like he does.

[Chaz]

Solid list so far, B.

[Lordmandeep]

I watched Birth of Nation, pretty wacky film

[baumer]

Birth of a Nation is weird no doubt.

[Lordmandeep]

I watch Triumph of the Will too...