Back in June I reported about Entertainment Weekly’s list of the 100 best films of the last 25 years. You can read the original here, but the point was that it was one of the worst and stupid lists we’ve ever seen in my life. So we here at Big Shiny Robot! decided to make our own.
Overseen by Swank-mo-tron and Dr. Cyborg, it’s taken over two months to assemble and pare down this list and it’s arranged chronologically by year. If we were to rank these from 100-1 it would surely take another three months. Additionally, we didn’t want to have any of the problems the Entertainment Weekly list had, which is preposterous juxtaposition. Moulin Rouge in the top 10, but Ghostbusters at 58? Crap like Shrek, The Matrix and Naploeon Dynamite made the list and things like Star Wars, Pan’s Labyrinth and Crimes and Misdemeanors didn’t.
It was pretty flawed. And we’re not saying our list is perfect, but is a much better representation of what the BEST films were, not just the popular ones. There was a lot of argument about this list, and there are movies on here that I wouldn’t exactly put on here myself and movies not on here I would. And the same thing goes for all the Big Shiny Robot!s who participated.
So, without further ado, we present Part 1. Expect to see a new addition to the list every week until we hit 2008 and the runners up.
1983:
1. Star Wars Saga – Return of the Jedi (1983), The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002), Revenge of the Sith (2005) – Those portions of the Star Wars films that came out during this 25 year period are benchmarks in filmmaking. Whether or not you like the films or the stories, the special effects and audio techniques created for these films have propelled the world of special effects light years forward. These are four movies that, like them or not, will be a part of the popular culture for the rest of recorded time. (Also, if we didn’t put all four of them on the list, Swank-mo-tron would probably blow a gasket.) (Original Theatrical Trailer for Jedi)
2. The Right Stuff (IMDb) – Based loosely on the real life events of the astronauts in the Mercury Space Program, The Right Stuff (adapted and directed by Phillip Kauffman) is a genuinely exhilarating and inspiring film that makes you feel like it must have felt when heroes in the popular culture were men like astronauts instead of celebrities. The cast is top-notch and, even though the film is a little long, it portrays an important part of history. (Trailer) Buy it on DVD here! |
3. Zelig (IMDb) – Woody Allen fashioned a faux-documentary film about a human chameleon, played by himself. Pieced together so much like a real documentary, if the concept weren’t so absurd, you’d have to believe it. Say he’s in a group with Native Americans? He physically transforms into a Native American. Obese People? He grows a gut. It’s hilarious and absurd and shows the mastery Woody Allen has over his art form. (Trailer) Buy it on DVD here! |
1984:
4. Indiana Jones Movies (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)) – The Indiana Jones films of this era, starting with 1984’s Temple of Doom defined the adventure genre for an entire generation. A lot of people will dismiss the Adventures of Indiana Jones after Raiders of the Lost Ark, and while that film is certainly the best in the series, the rest of the films hold up wonderfully as different takes on the 30’s adventure serial, leaving a breathless audience every time. (Original Theatrical Trailer for Doom) Buy it on DVD here!
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5. Ghostbusters (IMDb) – We came, we saw, we kicked its ass! The box office that is. With a budget of $30,000,000 (gigantic for a 1984 movie), it grossed $291,632,124 worldwide. The first of its kind, a big budget movie slamming the genres of horror and comedy together. I dare anyone to start a top “whatever” movies list and not have Ghostbusters in the top 10. Aside from being a great movie for adults, this turned into a culture for kids as well. The idea “I ain’t afraid of no ghost” resonated in their little brains, pushing them to stand up against what they feared. When you’ve got an unlicensed nuclear accelerator on your back, what have you got to be afraid of? (Trailer) Buy the DVD here! |
6. Amadeus (IMDb) – Told through the eyes of Salieri, Amadeus is the tale, obviously, of Mozart. Winning 8 Academy Awards, this film has left an indelible mark on both the worlds of music and mediocrity. Milos Foreman made an interesting choice to set a bio-pic of a historical figure through the eyes of his not-as-good rival and it certainly paid off. (Trailer) Buy it on DVD here!
7. The Natural (IMDb) – Quite possibly one of the most engaging pieces of Baseball cinema ever made. Who in their right programming didn’t almost stand up from their seats and cheer when Roy Hobbs blasted his homerun baseball into the stadium lights? Even though it’s a bit on the long side, this movie gets nerdy robots who aren’t particularly interested in sports cheering from their couches for Robert Redford in one of his best performances. (Trailer) Buy it on DVD here!
1985:
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8. Back to the Future (IMDb) – One of the greatest and most precise screenplays ever imagined, some of the most thorough film making that has ever been seen and funny to boot. This film is so iconic that most of us, think about it everyday. For example whenever you get to 88 mph on the freeway the weaker ones of us may throw out a “There are no roads where were going” or something equally as nerdy. This movie will never be forgotten. (Trailer) Buy the DVD here!
9. Brazil (IMDb) – Never has a comedy been so finely crafted in all forms the film medium can offer. Beset on all sides by studio meddling, Terry Gilliam’s fantastical and Python-esque version of a dystopian future (like 1984, for example) is one of the great cultural documents of our time. Jonathan Pryce heads a cast (rounded out with the likes of Robert DeNiro, Ian Holm and Michael Palin, among others) that sells this odd look at the future and in a way that blows audiences away, both today and at the time of its release. (Trailer) Buy the DVD here!
10. The Goonies (IMDb) – Directed by Richard Donner and produced by Steven Spielberg, The Goonies is the pinnacle of youth oriented action cinema. We can’t imagine anyone arguing with this films inclusion on the list, as it figured so prominently into the childhoods of most nerds and will continue to do so with one of the coolest DVD releases ever. Adding to that, who here can honestly say that they’ve never made their least favorite friend perform the “Truffle Shuffle” or bellow out in a Chunk-like, “Hey, you gu-uys!”? No one. That’s who. (Trailer) Buy the DVD here!
11. Ran (IMDb) – Akira Kurosawa’s feudal Japanese take on the tale Shakespeare’s “King Lear” is one of his most well-regarded films and one of his late-in-life masterpieces. In his previous film, (Kagemusha) Kurosawa sampled the use of color in his stories which, for the greatest parts of his career, were exclusively in black and white. In Ran, he perfected the use of colors to lend an emotional chaos to the story that might not have been possible before. An all around wonderful film, Ran should be required viewing for anyone interested in cinema. (Trailer) Buy it on DVD here!
12. Witness (IMDb) – The second film in one year to have a screenplay constructed as carefully as a fine Swiss watch, Witness tells the story of a young Amish boy who witnesses a grizzly murder in a public lavatory and the police officer (Harrison Ford in one of his greatest non-nerd-film roles) is assigned to protect the boy in Amish country until he can testify. Part fish-out-of-water story and part thriller, Witness is a film that is sure to thrill audiences for a long time yet, earning it’s place on this list for keeping so well. (Trailer)
1986:
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13. Hannah and Her Sisters (IMDb) – One of Woody Allen’s best films, Hannah and Her Sisters deconstructs the clumsy relationships among close-knit groups of people, this time centering around Mia Farrow and her sisters. Michael Caine and Dianne Wiest both won supporting Oscar for this film and Woody Allen took home an Oscar for the screenplay (one of only two in that category he’s ever won.) (Trailer) Buy it on DVD here!
14. Down by Law (IMDb) – Jim Jarmusch wrote and directed this low key (but hilarious) film about three men landing in prison and later escaping into the swamplands of the American south. Part of the fun and brilliance of this movie is his choice of the three men, John Lurie, Tom Waits and Roberto Benigni. Aside from its fun, it’s also a well constructed film and shot beautifully in black and white as is the case with most Jarmusch pictures. (Trailer) Buy it on DVD here!
15. Aliens (IMDb) – Tasked with following up Ridley Scott’s tense science-fiction thriller Alien, James Cameron opted to make a follow-up that’s just slightly closer to Michael Bay than Ridley Scott while at the same time remaining uniquely Cameron. Although the film at it’s heart is a shoot ’em up, it incorporates the science fiction psychology and thrills that make this one of the most frightening and entertaining films to ever grace the silver screen. Also, it just kicks a lot of ass. (This film marks the last time Paul Reieser was relevant, too.) (Trailer) Buy it on DVD here!
16. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (IMDb) – There’s something about high school movies that ward off most intelligent thinking robots. Try as we might, we can’t find any flaws in this classic. Whatever it is they did, they did it right. We will all be quoting this movie long after our servo’s take in there last influx of electricity. Due to this fact, we rarely ever call Ferris Bueller Matthew Broderick. (Trailer) Buy it on DVD here!
17. Stand By Me (IMDb) – The ultimate in coming-of-age stories, Stand By Me tells the tale of four adolescent boys (led by River Phoenix in one of his few, great roles) who leave home on an adventure to find a dead body. Based on the Stephen King short story and directed by Rob Reiner, this film captures the spirit of youth and tells a story that is both beautiful and haunting in its simplicity and impact. (Trailer)
Buy it on DVD here!
18. The Mission (IMDb) – Though it lost the Best Picture Oscar to Platoon, The Mission is the far superior film, telling the epic and heart-wrenching tale of Jesuit priests in South America devotedly protecting a tribe of Indians from falling under the control of the Portuguese who would almost certainly enslave them. Starring Robert DeNiro, Jeremy Irons and Liam Neeson, The Mission is packed with emotion, action and adventure and is based on a true story to boot. (Trailer) Buy it on DVD here!
19. Mosquito Coast (IMDb) – Peter Weir’s brilliant (and slightly better) follow-up to Witness once again stars Harrison Ford who turns in what many claim to be his greatest acting performance. Ford plays a brilliant inventor who wants to bring civilization (read: ice) to the natives of South America, but things go horribly wrong after he moves his entire family (including River Phoenix in another promising and brilliant turn) to the jungle. Equally suspenseful and philosophical, this film is certainly an underrated classic. (Trailer)
1987:
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20. Full Metal Jacket (IMDb) – Perhaps tied as one of the best two or three films about the Vietnam War ever, Full Metal Jacket is engaging and brilliant. Practically two disparate movies in one, director Stanley Kubrick went out of his way to show how drastically different the worlds of boot camp and war really were. This is a must see for any cinephile, Kubrick fan or anyone simply interested in the realities of war and training for it. (Trailer (Keep an eye and ear out for Lost’s Christian Shepherd in this Trailer, too)) Buy it on DVD here!
Buy it on Blu-ray here!
21. The Princess Bride (IMDb) – Easily one of the most entertaining, fun, romantic, adventurous films ever made (and Rob Reiner’s second contribution to this list), The Princess Bride had a hard time finding an audience in the year of it’s release. It has found a steady cult following and warmed the gears (or hearts) of…well…pretty much everyone. This film is truly lightning in a bottle and we’ll probably never see a mix of these kinds of genres ever again and if we do, it simply won’t be as good. (Trailer)
Buy it on DVD here!
Buy it on Blu-ray here!
1988:
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22. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (IMDb) – Robert Zemeckis does it again! This is a classic noir story of a detective whose brother was killed by a toon and is then forced to help a toon clear his name after being accused of murder. This movie was an instant classic and stands up brilliantly on all levels today. We wish there were more movies like this, that are just as entertaining to children as they are to adults. Some people like to remember Bob Hoskins for his role as Super Mario, but for us here at Big Shiny Robot, it’s Eddie Valiant all the way. (Trailer) Buy it on DVD here!
23. The Last Temptation of Christ (IMDb) – As robots, we obviously don’t believe in the Human version of God, but if we did, this film would make us feel more religious and in tune with Jesus than any ever made. It’s a well-known fact that Martin Scorsese almost forsake film school to become a Catholic priest, and you can see the questions and answers he found in his faith in this beautiful film starring Willem Dafoe as Christ. The film did see a high-level of protest from religious types at the time of its release because the film doesn’t just take on the Gospels as written in the Bible, it’s sort of a cosmic What If..? story, asking what would happen if God hadn’t forsaken Jesus and pulled him off the cross at the last moment and let him live out the rest of his days. Only it turns out God didn’t pull him off the cross, it was the devil and he failed his last test… It’s fantastic, trust us. (Trailer) Buy the DVD here!
24. A Fish Called Wanda (IMDb) – “Don’t call me stupid.” Kevin Kline won an Academy Award for saying lines like that over and over again in this hilarious caper comedy. For the longest time, this was the highest grossing British made film in America ever. The hard thing about comedies is that they rarely stand up to a modern audience, but A Fish Called Wanda is one of those dizzying exceptions to the rule that will make you leak oil from your groin plate, because the humour is so funny and relevant. (Trailer)
Buy it on DVD here!
1989:
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25. The Batman Movies (Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992) & Batman Begins (2005)) – Batman is unquestionably the most cinematic DC character in the film universe and you would have to be Joel Schumacher to screw him completely up. The argument of the best Batman director might never be settled, whether you like Nolan’s real world comic approach, or if you dig Burton’s Tim Burton-y version, the fact is they are all really good and preposterously enjoyable films. Nerds around the world Unite! (Original Batman Theatrical Trailer) Buy it on DVD here!
26. Crimes and Misdemeanors (IMDb) – This Woody Allen film takes a classic relationship dramady for the parts of the film he stars in and contrasts them with a dark and brooding story of murder in the segments Martin Landau stars in. Alan Alda steals the show in every scene he’s in, but it has a wonderfully poignant ending that ties both stories together beautifully. Definitely one of Allen’s best and certainly one of the best on this list. (Trailer) Buy it on DVD here!
27. Roger and Me (IMDb) – Regardless of your feelings about him (if you happen to have an emotion chip), Michael Moore has left an indelible impression on the world of film and documentary and there is no better example than his first outing as a film director. This film, where he’s clearly learning his craft, is funny, infuriating and at times heartbreaking. Moore sinks his teeth into corporate America and doesn’t let go. (Note: This film should win some type of award for best use of a Beach Boys song for Moore’s use of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”.) (Trailer) Buy it on DVD here!
So, we’ll see you next week with the list from 1990-1997.
Part 2 of the list is here.