Because Nobody Asked For It: The Panda's Top 250 Movies of All Time - COMPLETE

[franfar]

Holy shit you're doing a post for every movie

 

GG

 

 

Also about that comic book movie....

 

 

 

[The Panda]

5 minutes ago, AABATTERY said:

 

 

Are you implying there were better comic book movies than that one???

[aabattery]

Just now, The Panda said:

 

Are you implying there were better comic book movies than that one???

 

yes

[The Panda]

Btw, yes that also means Batman and the Avengers and friends all missed out on my list.  I didn't want to take sides in the Marvel vs. DC fanwar tbh.

[franfar]

2 minutes ago, The Panda said:

 

Are you implying there were better comic book movies than that one???

He's not implying, he's being very upfront

 

Take the L man, this just delegitimized everything 

[franfar]

Just now, The Panda said:

Btw, yes that also means Batman and the Avengers and friends all missed out on my list.  I didn't want to take sides in the Marvel vs. DC fanwar tbh.

Quote

Batman

Quote

missed out

 

[The Panda]

4 minutes ago, franfar said:

Holy shit you're doing a post for every movie

 

GG

 

 

Also about that comic book movie....

 

 

 

 

Just listing them all would be boring and uninspiring tbh.

[The Panda]

2 minutes ago, franfar said:

 

 

What's a list without a little bit of controversy to spice things up?

[franfar]

3 minutes ago, The Panda said:

 

Just listing them all would be boring and uninspiring tbh.

If you can't beat the circlejerk, you join it

 

 

Spoiler

I agree, we need some flavor in the list

 

[The Panda]

Going to do two more for today, I have another controversial one at number 141

 

Number 142

Rebecca (1940)

 

"I'm asking you to marry me, you little fool."

 

Most Valuable Player: Alfred Hitchcock for his direction

Box Office: N/A

Tomatometer: 100%

Notable Awards: Won 2 Oscars, including Best Picture

Synopsis: A self-conscious bride is tormented by the memory of her husband's dead first wife.

Critic Opinion: "Alfred Hitchcock, English director, pilots his first American production with capable assurance and exceptional understanding of the motivation and story mood. Despite the psychological and moody aspects of the tale throughout its major footage, he highlights the piece with several intriguing passages that display inspired direction and portrayal.  Olivier provides an impressionable portrayal as the master of Manderley, unable to throw off the memory of his tragic first marriage while trying to secure happiness in his second venture. Miss Fontaine is excellent as the second wife, carrying through the transition of a sweet and vivacious bride to that of a bewildered woman marked by the former tragedy she finds hard to understand." - Variety Staff (1940)

User Opinion: "the way a dead woman and her memories affects her past acquaintances in different ways. quite a strange film, and among his other films perhaps closest in tone to vertigo. a little overlong, especially during the investigation. wonderful visuals and the late romantic era music is luscious." - lisa

Reasoning: The movie that Hitchcock won Best Picture, and even if it may not have been the best out of his movies, it was certainly one of the more deserving Best Picture winners in Oscar history.  Waxman's score is soaring, every performance is top-notch, the writing is intelligent, the cinematography is masterful, and Hitchcock's direction is really something else.  Hitchcock was really beyond his time, crafting movies like this one which work in areas that few other filmmakers were willing to go to.  Rebecca is a chilling work of art that really shows off Hitchcock's incredible skill as an all-time great director.

Decade Count: 1930s: 6, 1940s: 8, 1950s: 4, 1960s: 9, 1970s: 11, 1980s: 22, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 15, 2010s: 15

 

 

 

[franfar]

Good movie. What does "Decade Count" mean?

[The Panda]

Number 141

Mean Girls (2004)

 

"Gretchen, stop trying to make fetch happen! It's not going to happen!"

 

Most Valuable Player: Tina Fey's Screenplay

Box Office: 86.1m (120m Adjusted)

Tomatometer: 84%

Notable Awards: WGA Nomination

Synopsis: Cady Heron is a hit with The Plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school, until she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha Plastic Regina George.

Critic Opinion: "A sweet-souled daughter of zoologists, 15-year-old Cady (Lohan) goes from a lifetime of home-tutoring in ‘the African bush’ to a high school in suburban Chicago. Once there, she immediately grasps that the pitiless laws of the jungle apply equally readily to the various sharp-toothed species of American teendom. A scowly artiste (Caplan) and a zinger-zapping gay guy (Franzese) adopt comely Cady as one of their own and, just for laughs, set her on an undercover mission to infiltrate the a consortium of high priestesses led by terrifying alpha girl Regina (McAdams). Tina Fey’s deft, precisely detailed script dramatises Rosalind Wiseman’s bestseller ‘Queen Bees and Wannabes’. Happily, Fey and Waters gently tweak the studios’ usual high-gloss caricature of adolescence and aim for acutely hilarious and surprisingly empathic sociology." - Winter, Time Out

User Opinion: "One of the funniest and definitely THE most quotable movie of all time.
"And on the third day, God created the Remington bolt-action rifle, so that Man could fight the dinosaurs. And the homosexuals. AMEN."" - Heretic

Reasoning: Okay, so I'll go ahead and acknowledge this isn't as technically well-made as most of the other movies on my list, but it really doesn't have to be.  I've re-watched this movie I don't even know how many times, and I somehow laugh harder every single time I see it, even by myself.  Mean Girls is a testament of what it means to be an excellent comedy, it's satirical, it's relatabe, it's relevant and every single line that Fey wrote hits.  A rare feat.  I could probably quote you the entire movie, the entire thing has simply become a modern coming-of-age classic, I'd argue more so than even any of John Hughes' movies.  Mean Girls manages to capture the high school experience from the 2000s and turn it into one of the funniest films ever made, for me personally at least.  I really wanted to get this movie higher, but I felt I was already kind of pushing it by placing it at number 141, any higher than this may have been unjustifiable.

Decade Count: 1930s: 6, 1940s: 8, 1950s: 4, 1960s: 9, 1970s: 11, 1980s: 22, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 16, 2010s: 15

 

 

 

 

[The Panda]

11 minutes ago, franfar said:

Good movie. What does "Decade Count" mean?

 

I'm counting how many movies from each decade have made my list so far for easy tracking.

[Tower]

2 hours ago, The Panda said:

 

Are you implying there were better comic book movies than that one???

I thought it was the third best comic book movie of 2016, and I have already seen a better one in 2017.

[chasmmi]

3 hours ago, AABATTERY said:

 

yes

 

Don't listen to him Panda, his idea of a perfect comic book film is probably Ironman and Batman wandering around New Zealand wilderness for 90 minutes singing camp songs and butchering boars.

[aabattery]

Just now, chasmmi said:

 

Don't listen to him Panda, his idea of a perfect comic book film is probably Ironman and Batman wandering around New Zealand wilderness for 90 minutes singing camp songs and butchering boars.

 

If that doesn't sound like the greatest movie ever to you, I don't know what to tell you.

[The Panda]

Number 140

Aleksandr Nevskiy (1938)

 

"Go tell all in foreign lands that Russia lives! Those who come to us in peace will be welcome as a guest. But those who come to us sword in hand will die by the sword! On that Russia stands and forever will we stand!"

 

Most Valuable Player: Prokofiev's Score

Box Office: N/A

Tomatometer: 94%

Notable Awards: None

Synopsis: The story of how a great Russian prince led a ragtag army to battle an invading force of Teutonic Knights.

Critic Opinion: "Sergei Eisenstein’s mannerist epic about the Russian hero who warded off the invading Teutonic knights is a near-perfect combination of image and sound. The final act is still the last word in battle scenes and the direct progenitor of such unlikely offspring as Braveheart and Spartacus." - Cardace, New York Magazine

User Opinion: None

Reasoning: Alexander Nevsky, or Aleksandr Nevskiy, is quite an old foreign epic, but its age sure doesn't take away from the grandeur and the intensity of the film throughout.  The battles in the movie are really quite a marvel to witness given the time period, and it's easy to see how they influenced directors of epics that followed them.  The film is also an interesting look at the culture of the Soviet Union before the Cold War, and how the film was seen as a banner movie against fascists and Nazis.  Above all, the film boasts one of (if not THE) greatest film scores of all time, with the great Prokofiev at the helm of it all.  This is a rare case where the score really makes the movie, even though the movie it's playing on top of is still quite a good one.

Decade Count: 1930s: 7, 1940s: 8, 1950s: 4, 1960s: 9, 1970s: 11, 1980s: 22, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 16, 2010s: 15

 

 

 

 

[The Panda]

Number 139

Arrival (2016)

 

"But now I'm not so sure I believe in beginnings and endings. There are days that define your story beyond your life. Like the day they arrived."

 

Most Valuable Player: The Direction of GOAT Villeneuve

Box Office: 100.4m

Tomatometer: 94%

Notable Awards: Won 1 Oscar, nominated for Best Picture

Synopsis: When twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world, linguistics professor Louise Banks is tasked with interpreting the language of the apparent alien visitors.

Critic Opinion: "Director Denis Villeneuve casts aside almost every “Independence Day,” “E.T.” and “Contact” cliche and makes a science fiction epic that breaks free of genre shoeboxing.  “Arrival” works as mainstream entertainment, but includes hallmarks of the “2001: A Space Odyssey”/“Silent Running” era of artist-driven science fiction. It has Hollywood stars, but makes great effort to strip them of any false glamour. The film is tightly calibrated, but leaves things open to interpretation, for discussion on the ride home from the theater and beyond."

User Opinion: "This was pretty astounding. The comparisons to Contact are spot-on. This is an alien invasion film that generates tension without taking the Independence Day/War of the Worlds approach. Dennis Villeneuve is quickly becoming one of the most exciting and unique directors of today: I loved Prisoners and Sicario, but this is his best yet and sets the stage wonderfully for Blade Runner 2049. The technical credits (including another memorable score from Johann Johannsson) are aces across the board. But Arrival wouldn't be what it is without the phenomenal lead performance from Amy Adams at its center. Adams is rightfully considered one of the best actresses currently in the business and her work here will only reinforce that notion. Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker also provide strong performances despite having much less to do than Adams. I feel like I will appreciate this even more upon repeat viewings." - filmlover

Reasoning: Somber, quiet and powerful.  Arrival is a movie that sticks with you since you first see it.  It may be a bit to early to truly determine where it'll end up on my list, so I figured around this level would work for now, but I could see it getting higher in years to come.  The film is effective because it takes you by surprise, it's contemplative, and it leaves you discussing the film in its thematic entirety with whoever's around you as begin to leave.  It has a rare theme of language and how we communicate with each other, and it really makes the entire thing quite enlightening.  It was an empowering watch, especially to see directly after the results of the election, and how it contrasted with the tone of society at the point in time.  Will easily end up as one of the all-time great sci-fi movies.

Decade Count: 1930s: 7, 1940s: 8, 1950s: 4, 1960s: 9, 1970s: 11, 1980s: 22, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 16, 2010s: 16

 

 

 

 

[The Panda]

Number 138

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

 

"Somebody like you can really make things all right for me."

 

Most Valuable Player: Aronofsky's Direction

Box Office: 3.6m (5.8m Adjusted)

Tomatometer: 78%

Notable Awards: Nominated for 1 Oscar

Synopsis: The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep.

Critic Opinion: "There’s understandably a lot of pressure when your first feature film hits it big at the Sundance film festival and with critics. Sometimes, the sophomore effort can make or break a filmmaker. Will you make a Boogie Nights and move on to a bright future? Or will you make a Southland Tales and have much of the good will of your previous film get sapped away at an instant? (And I liked Southland Tales). In the case of Darren Aronofsky, whose Pi was a bold debut feature, it wasn’t surprising when his second feature film turned out to be darker, grittier, and more intense than the last. So intense, in fact, that it makes the already hyper-kinetic Pi look like a tame student film by comparison." - Runyon, Movie Mezzanine

User Opinion: "This is a devastating movie. I've never felt more uncomfortable or captivated during any film. It's powerful, disturbing, and Aronofsky's masterful hand makes it all come together." - Gopher

Reasoning: An intense movie that never ceases to let down until it ends.  The imagery of the film is unsettling and it's really quite unique from most other movies out there.  Aronofsky has a clear vision with this one, and everything from the cinematography, to the writing, to the score cements a bizarre delirious experience into your mind that remains fairly unforgettable.  It's not a perfect movie by any sense, and it's not going to be a movie everyone can walk away from enjoying, but it is a movie that's really like no other, one that sets itself apart.  The film packs a powerful punch and you won't forget it after the credits roll.

Decade Count: 1930s: 7, 1940s: 8, 1950s: 4, 1960s: 9, 1970s: 11, 1980s: 22, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 17, 2010s: 16

 

 

 

 

[The Panda]

Number 137

The Graduate (1967)

 

"For god's sake, Mrs. Robinson. Here we are. You got me into your house. You give me a drink. You... put on music. Now you start opening up your personal life to me and tell me your husband won't be home for hours."

 

Most Valuable Player: Nichols Direction and Simon and Garfunkel's Score/Soundtrack

Box Office: 104.9m (739.7m Adjusted)

Tomatometer: 89%

Notable Awards: Won 1 Oscar, nominated for Best Picture

Synopsis: A disillusioned college graduate finds himself torn between his older lover and her daughter.

Critic Reasoning: "Now that Mad Men has hit 1966, cast your mind back and remember—or imagine, if you weren’t there— that mainstream culture is only just going to ratify the notion of a “generation gap.” Then go watch The Graduate on the big screen at the Film Forum. See the grotesque materialism through the eyes of Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddock. Be agog at Anne Bancroft’s Mrs. Robinson in some of the most hilariously icky seduction scenes ever filmed. See Mike Nichols (with help from Simon & Garfunkel) take control of the Zeitgeist. See the mood go dark—darker than you remember. Is Benjamin a clown, a martyr, or a stalker and potential assassin" - Edelstein, New York Magazine

User Opinion: "An all-time classic that most definitely earns its high reputation. Dustin Hoffman gives one of the best performances of his career, and the film's observations on the struggles of being a young twentysomething remain potent even after the passage of 47(!) years." - Webslinger

Reasoning: Probably the best "Older married woman seduces young man" movie ever made.  Everything is just delivered directly on point for this film, from the delivery of the seduction scenes, to Bancroft and Hoffman's performances, to Simon and Garfunkel's arousing score, to the pointed direction of Nichols.  It's shocking to think this was an Avatar level Box Office hit back in the 60s, but it's a movie worthy of that box office craze.  Beyond the seduction story, it serves well as a touching coming-of-age story in trying to figure out your life once school finally ends, maybe this will be me in 4-6 years when I (hopefully) finish a PhD program?  Maybe not.  The Graduate is a funny, engaging and moving Zeitgeist movie.

Decade Count: 1930s: 7, 1940s: 8, 1950s: 4, 1960s: 10, 1970s: 11, 1980s: 22, 1990s: 16, 2000s: 17, 2010s: 16