Thursday 25 November 2010

The 500 Greatest Films of All Time: 200 to 151

200. American Psycho (2000)
Dir: Mary Harron
Cast: Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Reese Witherspoon, Chloe Sevingy, Jared Leto, Samantha Mathis, Josh Lucas.
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Disturbing look at the mind of a deranged monster.

199. First Blood (1982)
Dir: Ted Kotcheff
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Brian Dennehy, Bill McKinney, Jack Starrett.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama/Thriller
Intense and violent action film.

198. Lethal Weapon (1987)
Dir: Richard Donner
Cast: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Mitchell Ryan, Tom Atkins.
Genre: Action/Crime/Thriller
Humorous and adventure-filled buddy cop movie.

197. King Kong (1933)
Dir: Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack
Cast: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot.
Genre: Adventure/Fantasy/Thriller
Classic movie epic, realised wonderfully through a combination of claymation and live action.

196. 300 (2006)
Dir: Zack Snyder
Cast: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, Vincent Regan, Rodrigo Santoro.
Genre: Action/Fantasy/War
Ferocious and intense film featuring constant action sequences and some gorgeous visuals.

195. Bugsy Malone (1976)
Dir: Alan Parker
Cast: Scott Baio, Florrie Dugger, Jodie Foster, John Cassisi, Martin Lev.
Genre: Comedy/Crime/Family/Musical
Brilliant musical interpretation of classic gangster films, where the characters are played by children.

194. Planet of the Apes (1968)
Dir: Franklin J. Schaffner
Cast: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore.
Genre: Adventure/Mystery/Science Fiction
Fantastically engaging science fiction epic with a unique twist ending.

193. Midnight Run (1988)
Dir: Martin Brest
Cast: Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, Josh Ashton, Joe Pantoliano.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Comedy/Crime
Hilarious and action-packed ride through the world of bounty hunting.

192. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Dir: Gore Verbinski
Cast: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jack Davenport, Jonathan Pryce.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy
Fantastically fun adaptation of a Disney Land ride, with some wonderful performances, intense visuals and brilliant action scenes.

191. Hook (1991)
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, Julia Roberts, Maggie Smith, Bob Hoskins.
Genre: Adventure/Family/Fantasy
Wonderful continuation of the classic Peter Pan story, using some unique ideas and some fun set pieces to create a work of genius.

190. Before Sunrise (1995)
Dir: Richard Linklater
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy.
Genre: Drama/Romance
Beautifully poetic look at two soulmates meeting and passing each other by.

189. The Blues Brothers (1980)
Dir: John Landis
Cast: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Carrie Fisher, John Candy, Henry Gibson.
Genre: Action/Comedy/Music
Wonderful comedy looking at the music industry and two sinners trying to do right by their faith.

188. GoldenEye (1995)
Dir: Martin Campbell
Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen, Judi Dench.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Thriller
Modern update of James Bond with a harsh backstory and some intense action scenes, but all the charm and humour you expect.

187. Trainspotting (1996)
Dir: Danny Boyle
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller, Kelly Macdonald, Ewen Bremner.
Genre: Crime/Drama
Disturbing and controversial look at the world of drug addicts.

186. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Jonathan Ke Quan, Amrish Puri, Roshan Seth, Philip Stone.
Genre: Action/Adventure
Dark, brutal and action-packed instalment in the franchise.

185. The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Dir: John Sturges
Cast: Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, James Coburn, Horst Buchholz, Brad Dexter.
Genre: Adventure/Drama/Western
Brilliant Western interpretation of "Seven Samurai."

184. Get Carter (1971)
Dir: Mike Hodges
Cast: Michael Caine, Ian Hendry, John Osborne, Britt Ekland.
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
Gritty and intense crime film looking at the actions of a man bent on revenge.

183. Finding Nemo (2003)
Dir: Andrew Stanton
Cast: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Willem Dafoe, Alexander Gould, Geoffrey Rush.
Genre: Adventure/Animation/Comedy/Family
Wonderful animated film looking at the limits a father will go to in order to save his son.

182. Batman (1989)
Dir: Tim Burton
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Jack Palance, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams.
Genre: Crime/Thriller
Dark and gritty take on the Caped Crusader, featuring some wonderful set-pieces and a brilliant portrayal of the Joker.

181. The Exorcist (1973)
Dir: William Friedkin
Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller, Lee J. Cobb.
Genre: Horror/Thriller
One of the scariest and most controversial films ever made.

180. Oldboy (2003)
Dir: Park Chan-wook
Cast: Choi Min-sik, Yu Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jeong.
Genre: Drama/Mystery/Thriller
Fantastic, dark and gory foreign-language thriller.

179. 12 Monkeys (1995)
Dir: Terry Gilliam
Cast: Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, Madeleine Stowe, Christopher Plummer, David Morse.
Genre: Mystery/Science Fiction/Thriller
Weird and wonderful science fiction thriller from the mad mind of Terry Gilliam.

178. Ed Wood (1994)
Dir: Tum Burton
Cast: Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Patricia Arquette, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jeffrey Jones, Bill Murray.
Genre: Biography/Comedy/Drama
Insane examination of one of the most passionate, but ultimately awful, filmmakers of all time.

177. Finding Neverland (2004)
Dir: Marc Forster
Cast: Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Radha Mitchell, Julie Christie, Dustin Hoffman, Freddie Highmore.
Genre: Biography/Drama/Family
Great look at the creation of the Peter Pan play, and the repercussions it had for the creator and his friends.

176. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
Dir: Jay Roach
Cast: Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Michael York, Mimi Rogers, Robert Wagner, Seth Green.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Comedy/Crime
Hilarious spoof looking at the world of the spy film.

175. Rio Bravo (1959)
Dir: Howard Hawks
Cast: John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan.
Genre: Drama/Romance/Western
Engaging Western with a standard premise and a unique execution.

174. Before Sunset (2004)
Dir: Richard Linklater
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy.
Genre: Drama/Romance
Passionate sequel showing the wonders of rediscovery and the acceptance of true love.

173. Taken (2008)
Dir: Pierre Morel
Cast: Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace, Holly Valance, Katie Cassidy, Xander Berkeley.
Genre: Action/Crime/Drama/Thriller
Intense, violent and over-the-top thriller about a man's desperate struggle to locate his missing daughter.

172. Big (1988)
Dir: Penny Marshall
Cast: Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, John Heard, Jared Rushton.
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Family/Fantasy
Hilarious and touching look at a child's wish of becoming an adult, and the consequences that could occur as a result of that wish coming true.

171. The Sting (1973)
Dir: George Roy Hill
Cast: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw, Charles Durning, Harold Gould.
Genre: Comedy/Crime/Drama
Humorous and engaging look at the world of con men.

170. Mississippi Burning (1988)
Dir: Alan Parker
Cast: Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, Brad Dourif, Frances McDormand, R. Lee Ermey.
Genre: Crime/Drama/Mystery/Thriller
Intense look at racism in the Deep South, and the lengths officials will go to cover it up.

169. Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Dir: Stanley Kubrick
Cast: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn, Slim Pickens.
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Insanely fun comedy from Stanley Kubrick that combines humour with a descent into madness.

168. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Dir: Tobe Hooper
Cast: Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, Gunnar Hansen.
Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller
One of the most infamously gory films ever made.

167. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Dir: Lewis Gilbert
Cast: Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, Curd Jurgens, Richard Kiel, Geoffrey Keen, Walter Gotell, Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Thriller
Immensely enjoyable action romp that places Bond alongside his female equal, who also happens to want him dead.

166. Walk the Line (2005)
Dir: James Mangold
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick, Dallas Roberts, Dan John Miller.
Genre: Biography/Drama/Music/Romance
Heartbreaking look at the life and career of Johnny Cash, and his intense romance with fellow musician, June Carter.

165. The Wild Bunch (1969)
Dir: Sam Peckinpah
Cast: William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O’Brien, Warren Oates, Jaime Sanchez, Ben Johnson.
Genre: Action/Western
Arguably, the most violent Western ever filmed.

164. Gremlins (1984)
Dir: Joe Dante
Cast: Hoyt Axton, Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Frances Lee McCain, Corey Feldman.
Genre: Comedy/Fantasy/Horror
Fun, but at times, creepy film about little monsters causing big problems.

163. Snatch (2000)
Dir: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Jason Statham, Benicio del Toro, Dennis Farina, Brad Pitt, Rade Serbedzija, Vinnie Jones, Mike Reid.
Genre: Crime/Thriller
Hilarious and violent look at the world of bare-knuckle boxing and diamond theft.

162. Forrest Gump (1994)
Dir: Robert Zemeckis
Cast: Tom Hanks, Sally Field, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson.
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance
Brilliantly funny and amazingly touching account of the life of a dim-witted individual, his encounters with famous figures, and his undying love and devotion to one girl.

161. Mystic River (2003)
Dir: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney.
Genre: Crime/Drama/Mystery/Thriller
Unsettling look at the outcome of childhood trauma and the desire for revenge that can break down the barriers of friendship.

160. Magnolia (1999)
Dir: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Jeremy Blackman, Tom Cruise, Melinda Dillon, Ricky Jay, William H. Macy, Julianne Moore, Alfred Molina, Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Genre: Drama
Brilliant and engaging look at the lives of people within a community.

159. United 93 (2006)
Dir: Paul Greengrass
Cast: Christian Clemenson, David Alan Basche, Cheyenne Jackson, Trish Gates.
Genre: Crime/Drama/History
Horrific look at the people trapped aboard one of the hijacked planes on 9/11 and their struggle to retake control of the plane.

158. A Serious Man (2009)
Dir: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Cast: Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Sari Lennick, Fred Melamed, Aaron Wolff.
Genre: Drama
Subdued drama about the difference between right and wrong and the emotional implications of life and death.

157. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Dir: Andrew Dominik
Cast: Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Mary-Louise Parker, Zooey Deschanel, Sam Shepard, Sam Rockwell.
Genre: Biography/Crime/Drama/History
Powerful look at the relationship between two outlaws and the events that led to the demise of the greatest outlaw in American history.

156. WALL-E (2008)
Dir: Andrew Stanton
Cast: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, Sigourney Weaver.
Genre: Adventure/Animation/Family/Romance
Great silent animation, combined with a sugar-coated message about obesity and reliance upon machinery.

155. Brazil (1985)
Dir: Terry Gilliam
Cast: Jonathan Pryce, Kim Greist, Michael Palin, Robert De Niro, Bob Hoskins, Ian Holm, Katherine Helmond.
Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Science Fiction
Weird and wonderful futuristic look at truth and consequences.

154. The Great Escape (1963)
Dir: John Sturges
Cast: Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama/History
Enjoyable look at an escape attempt from a Prisoner Of War camp.

153. The King of Comedy (1982)
Dir: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, Sandra Bernhard, Diahnne Abbott, Shelley Hack.
Genre: Comedy/Crime/Drama
Dark and unsettling look at the nature of an obsessive fan and his desire to emulate his hero.

152. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Dir: David Hand, William Cottrell, Wilfred Jackson, Larry Morey, Perce Pearce and Ben Sharpsteen
Cast: Adriana Caselotti, Lucille La Verne, Pinto Colvig, Roy Atwell.
Genre: Animation/Family/Fantasy/Musical
The original Disney feature film; with songs, action and some amazingly funny moments.

151. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Dir: Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones
Cast: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin.
Genre: Adventure/Comedy
Rip-roaring comedy adventure through Arthurian legend.

Next Time: 150 to 101

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