Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams
Directed by: Irvin Kershner
IMDB Rating: 8.8
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
This was the first "Star Wars" experience I had in the theatres. I was eight years old, already a huge fan of everything Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, and now I got to see them larger than life! So happy it turned out to be the best movie of the series. Dark, brooding, full of action and comedy, back-stabbing and cut open Tauntauns. A movie that ends with the audience knowing there would be another follow up soon enough. Darth is Luke's dad?!? No freaking way! Remember, no Internet back then to leak any plot points...this was a surprise to all of us! This was a movie experience I'll never forget, and the movie has just gotten better and better with multiple views, now that I'm older and can understand better what was happening. Here's hoping the next three turn out to be even half as good as "Empire".
- Director Irvin Kershner was George Lucas' teacher at USC.
- Only five people knew that Vader was Luke's father before the film was released. The line was scripted as "Obi-Wan killed your father". When James Earl Jones dubbed over the line "I am your father", he thought Vader was lying to Luke. The five people were George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Lawrence Kasden (co-writer), Mark Hamill (told just before the shooting of the scene) and Jones.
Starring: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Carrie Fisher, Cab Calloway, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles
Directed by: John Landis
IMDB Rating: 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Remember, this list is not a collection of the greatest movies of all time. It is a collection of my favourites. I realize a lot of people would not rank "The Blues Brothers" as one of their faves, but this is MY list, dammit! The cool, the comedy, the music, the greatest car pileup ever filmed, it's all here. I know it's hard to watch this movie with me because I'm always saying the next line. I can't help myself. I've seen the movie at least 50 times and still laugh my ass off. I sit on the couch and sing along with James Brown, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Cab Calloway each and every time. Just seeing some of the best Blues musicians jam (Steve Cropper and Donald Dunn fer chrissakes!) is worthy of being on this list. I'll love it forever!
- The first prisoner to jump on a table and start dancing during "Jailhouse Rock" is Joe Walsh, famed Eagles band member.
- The "Bluemobile" is a 1974 Dodge Monaco. A dozen were used in the movie, all purchased from the California Highway Patrol. They all had "cop tires, cop suspension and a cop motor".
Starring: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Directed by: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker
IMDB Rating: 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Slapstick and parody comedy had been around forever before "Airplane" came out. It took this genius comedy to raise it to an art form! I have said, and still say, "Airplane" is pound for pound the funniest movie ever made. Robert Hays is straight-faced brilliant. Julie Hagerty, even with her horrible voice, matches him gag for gag. But then enters Leslie Nielsen. Nobody is better at this type of comedy than Mr. Nielsen. "I am serious, and don't call me Shirley.". I had to watch this movie four or five times before I could even hear all the jokes from laughing so much. Fabulous cameos from Barbara Billingsley, Abdul-Jabbar, Peter Graves and my all time favourite, Ethel Merman. By no means a perfect movie, but it'll make any bad mood turn itself around within minutes.
- The arguing "red zone/white zone" couple at the beginning of the movie were actual announcers from Los Angeles International Airport. They were a married couple in real life.
- At heart, this is mostly a parody of the 1957 film "Zero Hour!" which was not meant to be funny but contained lines such as "We have to find someone who can not only fly this plane, but who didn't have fish for dinner!".
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
IMDB Rating: 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
It's 33 years later and I'm still upset that "Ordinary People" beat "Raging Bull" for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. This, for me, is Martin Scorsese's best film, artistically. Filmed in gorgeous black and white, it is absolutely brutal in it's depiction of Jake LaMotta. The opening credits, with DeNiro jumping up and down in the boxing ring in slow motion set to haunting music is worth the price of admission. The actual boxing scenes have never been filmed so realistically, in both their violent intensity and the sounds that accompany them. There is no other actor alive that could have portrayed LaMotta, DeNiro taking Method acting to a new level. Much like other perfectly cast roles (George C. Scott in "Patton", Robert Duvall in "Apocalypse Now", Gene Hackman in "The Conversation") DeNiro became LaMotta. It's a hard movie to watch, and may not be "entertaining" in the traditional sense, but there is no denying that this is a perfectly made film featuring two artists at their very best!
- The boxing scenes took six weeks to film because of their incredibly detailed choreography. The scenes amount to about ten minutes of screen time.
- The early years of LaMotta were shot first, then production shut down for a few months so DeNiro could gain the 60 pounds required to play LaMotta later in life.
- When "Raging Bull" was first screened for Jake and Vicki LaMotta, he turned to her and asked "Was I really like that?". She said "You were worse!".
Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davies, Paul Freeman, Denholm Elliott, Alfred Molina
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
IMDB Rating: 8.6
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Working in video stores for nearly 20 years, I was often asked "What's your favourite movie?". I never had an answer, but I always said, if I were to only watch one movie over and over for the rest of my life, it would be "Raiders". Love is not strong enough a word for how I feel about this film. I saw it opening day when I was nine years old, and it scared the crap out of me! I have subsequently seen it more times in a theatre than any other movie. (Five more times in 1981 and whenever I could manage up to this day!). It's thrilling, non-stop action has possibly the best pacing ever. Ford is Jones, although, I think I could've been OK with Tom Selleck being Jones as well. The bad guys get theirs and the good guys go, ultimately, unrewarded. It's perfect! Again, watching this movie with me can become excruciating...I know every line! I just don't care, though. Saying the lines with the characters is half the fun for me. The other half is knowing exactly what will happen next and being rewarded every single time! I LOVE this movie!!
- Indy's jacket and hat are on display at the Smithsonian. His whip was sold at auction in 1999 for $43,000.
- Melissa Mathison, Harrison Ford's girlfriend at the time of filming, visited the set often and started to work on a script idea with Steven Spielberg during breaks in filming. That script turned out to be...
Starring: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
IMDB Rating: 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
I will admit that this movie does not hold up well. For some reason in today's world it doesn't hold the same wonder and magic as it did 30 years ago. If you weren't there in 1982, you have no idea how wonderful this film was! I was 10 years old, saw it at least five times in the theatre, and cried like a pregnant woman each and every time! Was it because I wanted a pet of my own so badly? Maybe. More likely though was the way Spielberg made us feel about kids, aliens and the people who loved them. Yes, it's a manipulative film. It takes you on a ride from elation to unbearable sadness and back again, but isn't that why we go to the movies?? We want to escape from the drabby life we live day to day. There are few movies that achieve that pure escapism as well as "E.T." did, and does, for me. I get totally lost in it. I almost never like kid actors, but this movie is a great example of an exception to the rule. Henry Thomas was a marvel to watch, and Drew Barrymore proved at a very early age that she could easily hold the viewer's attention. Just a truly beautiful film that every kid should see before they get all old and grumpy.
- Was test-screened at the Cannes Film Festival as an unofficial entry. It received a standing ovation.
- The original intent was to have M&M's featured as E.T.'s candy of choice, but the Mars company turned down the request. Reese's Pieces were chosen as a replacement and, as a result, sales skyrocketed. Product placement became a huge business after "E.T.".
Starring: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner
Directed by: Rob Reiner
IMDB Rating: 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
The king of all parody is "Airplane". The crown prince is "Spinal Tap". This near perfect fake documentary is so funny it needs to be watched multiple times to hear all the jokes and see all the little nuances. The wonderful thing about this film is how it was spawned from improvisation. No script needed, just a general outline that led the actors in a certain direction. It was the first of it's kind, and it led to such great films as "Best In Show" and "A Mighty Wind". It's enjoyable, to me, to read about a real rock band's viewing of this movie and having them tell how accurate some of the situations were and are. When someone says "These go to eleven" or "Hello, Cleveland!" and you know exactly what they're referring to, that's the mark of a great, long-lasting movie.
- Rob Reiner has said his character's name, Marty DiBergi, is taken from Martin Scorsese (Marty), Brian DePalm (Di), Steven Spielberg (Berg) and Federico Fellini (i).
- The only title on imdb.com to be rated out of 11.
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Paul Winfield
Directed by: James Cameron
IMDB Rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
A machine from the future comes back in time to kill a woman whose son will one day be the leader of a rebellion that will rise up against the machines that control the future. Kill the woman, take care of the kid, take care of the rebellion. Brilliant! The machine looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Brilliant! The ever-present drone of music throughout this film gives such a sense of dread, you can't look away. Fantastic action sequences for it's time. Arnie was a big name before this came out; he became a well-deserved super star action hero afterwards. And James Cameron, in creating a whole new breed of action hero and anti-hero, all done on an incredibly low budget, became a huge player in Hollywood, soon to direct some of the most expensive movies in history.
- Arnie was cast as the terminator, but was committed to film "Conan The Destroyer" first. During the wait, James Cameron spent his time working on another script. That script was "Aliens".
- O.J. Simpson was considered for the title role, but producers felt his image was too "nice" to be seen as a cold-blooded killer. Ha!
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Crispin Glover, Lea Thompson
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
IMDB Rating: 8.5
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
Here's another one of those films from my youth that I had so much fun watching that it has become part of my life. Funny, touching, action-packed, it had it all. I felt like I could relate to Michael J. Fox's portrayal of Marty McFly because he wasn't much older than me at the time. He wore jeans and sneakers, got around town on a skateboard (I used a bike instead), argued with his parents and liked loud music. Relatable! The story, even if you want to find holes in it, played out beautifully...not at all too convoluted for the young audience it was aimed at. Christopher Lloyd was a great choice for the wacky Dr. Brown and even Crispin Glover, pre-nuttiness, played his role nicely. Always a joy to watch again on a rainy weekend afternoon!
- Even though Michael J. Fox was always the actor meant to play Marty, he couldn't get around scheduling conflicts from filming "Family Ties". Eric Stoltz was hired for the role, filming for four weeks before both producers and Stoltz realized he was wrong for the part. By that time, Fox was able to re-work his schedule to do the part.
- The original idea for the movie came to co-writer Bob Gale when he was flipping through his dad's old school yearbook and wondered if him and his father would be friends if he was able to go back in time.
Starring: Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Mandy Patinkin, Andre The Giant, Wallace Shawn, Fred Savage, Peter Falk
Directed by: Rob Reiner
IMDB Rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
How can anybody not love "The Princess Bride"?!? It's so easy going, so joyously adventurous, so funny and romantic and...just...so darn good. There is nothing objectionable throughout the fantasy. Some great cameos from Wallace Shawn, Andre The Giant, Billy Crystal and Carol Kane. A wonderful connection between Fred Savage and Peter Falk. Great baddies played by Chris Sarandon and Christopher Guest. But the star of the show is the constant adventure, reminiscent, in some part, to "The Adventures Of Robin Hood". This is one of those films you watch as a kid, mouth open in wonder and awe, and feel that same way each time you watch it subsequently. It's a feeling that you want to have over and over, and it's always nice to pop it in the ol' DVD player, sit back and enjoy once again.
- Although Mandy Patinkin was quite active throughout the filming of his scenes, the only injury he sustained was a bruised rib from trying to stifle his laughter filming his scenes with Billy Crystal.
- Rob Reiner has said Cary Elwes was cast for his Douglas Fairbanks or Errol Flynn quality, both of whom portrayed Robin Hood on the big screen.
Starring: Bruno Ganz, Otto Sander, Peter Falk, Solveig Dommartin
Directed by: Wim Wenders
IMDB Rating: 8.0
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
I remember the first time I saw this film, not knowing what to expect because I hadn't heard too much about it. My takeaway? One of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. Gorgeously filmed in black and white, we follow the "adventures" of two angels looking over the good people of Berlin. Their job is to watch over people, people in misery, angry people, people who may make wrong decisions if their angels weren't watching. Through their wanderings, one of the angels falls in love with a trapeze artist. His only wish is to fall from Heaven and become human again, to live out the rest of his life with his perfect being. Wim Wenders let's us into the lives of these rather meaningless people. The reactions from the angels is, at times, simply heartbreaking. They want to let people know everything will be OK, but they can only do so much. It's a fabulous fairy tale, paced beautifully and acted superbly. Bruno Ganz can say more with a simple glance than most actors can say in an entire monologue. Such a wonderful film!!
- A fake Berlin Wall had to be created as filming at the actual Berlin Wall was prohibited. The wall was cheaply made from wood and warped in the rain. A new wall had to be built as a result.
Starring: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin
Directed by: Charles Crichton
IMDB Rating: 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Probably the funniest heist film ever! This is another one of those movies I can watch a hundred times and laugh out loud each and every time. John Cleese plays a perfect straight man who is, at first, duped by an American con artist who he then falls madly in love with. Jamie Lee Curtis is charming as the American, and does very well keeping up with the comic talent that surrounds her. But the reason this movie is on my list, or reasons, has to be the performances from Kevin Kline and Michael Palin. I like to call what they do "intellectual slapstick", it's hilariously funny, but it's smart funny, if you know what I mean. They are fantastic, especially when they have scenes together. I've talked to a few people that don't like this movie at all. I say, try it again...you must be missing something!
- John Cleese's character is named Archie Leach, which is the real name of Cary Grant.
- Although Kevin Kline was rumoured to really eat the fish from the tank, and said that he would, the fish were actually made from Jell-O.
Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, William Atherton
Directed by: John McTiernan
IMDB Rating: 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Not since "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" 7 years prior was there a movie that seemingly had non-stop action and thrills. "Die Hard" simply took my breath away the first time I saw it, instantly becoming one of my favourite films! Bruce Willis became synonymous with the phrase "action hero" based on his performance as John McClane, up to this point, the most realistic action hero we'd ever seen. He got hurt, he bled (a lot), he got frustrated and acted out without thinking...us ordinary schmoes could relate. And Alan Rickman...perfectly portraying the cool villain who is always one step ahead, until he falls a little behind. So much fun, so much blood, so funny, an action classic that needs to be seen every Christmas!
- Actors who were offered the role of John McClane but turned it down included Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, Burt Reynolds, Richard Gere and Mel Gibson.
- Although he had acted for many years on stage and on TV, this was Alan Rickman's first feature film.
Starring: Philippe Noiret, Enzo Cannavale, Antonella Attili
Directed by: Giuseppe Tornatore
IMDB Rating: 8.4
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
Here's another movie I watched for the first time in open-mouthed awe. For someone that loves movies as much as I do, to watch someone discover that love is remarkable. The bond that is created between the child and the projectionist is real and lovely. Some have called this movie overly sentimental. I can see that criticism, but I don't care. This is a movie that lets the viewer get lost for 90 minutes, and its a wonderful journey. Touching, funny, sweet and romantic...and very, very good!
- Said to be an autobiographical account of director Giuseppe Tornatore.
Starring: Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Amy Madigan, Ray Liotta, Timothy Busfield, Burt Lancaster, Frank Whaley
Directed by: Phil Alden Robinson
IMDB Rating: 7.5
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
I know a lot of people that just don't like this film. I don't get it. Of course, I'm a huge fan of baseball, so that earns points from me. My parents were divorced when I was very young and I didn't get to see my dad very often, so my story paralleled the story in the movie a bit. Mixing fantasy and reality has always interested me as well. So there are three reasons why I'm so enthralled with this movie. Kevin Costner, in all his plastic delivery of lines, nonetheless commands your attention. The supporting players, from Ray Liotta as a baseball playing ghost, to Timothy Busfield as the non-believer are great. Then there's a phenomenal cameo from Burt Lancaster in his final movie role that makes you want to believe in everything that's going on. Baseball, fantasy, father/son strained relationship, for me this movie can do no wrong. "Hey, Dad, wanna have a catch?", kills me every time!!
- The then unknown duo of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were extras during the Fenway Park scenes.
- The movie is based on W.P. Kinsella's book "Shoeless Joe" and the movie was supposed to be titled as such, but test audiences didn't like the title. The studio changed the name to "Field Of Dreams". When Kinsella was told about the change, he said he didn't care because his publishers came up with the title "Shoeless Joe". The title he wanted was "Dream Field"!
Starring: Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, John Turturro, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Samuel L. Jackson
Directed by: Spike Lee
IMDB Rating: 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
It's the hottest day of the year. A one block area in Brooklyn, N.Y. is active with people working, walking, talking and yelling. Different races converge, tempers start to boil. We all know what will happen, but we can't look away. Following Spike Lee's character Mookie around the neighbourhood, we get to see how he tolerates some things and reacts negatively to others. There is no way we can understand what he's thinking at any one time, making it easier for us, the viewer, to make up our own minds. This is where the brilliance of this movie comes out. I will have one opinion and emotion totally different from someone else's during the climax of the film. How can this be? Why would this occur? These are the questions that Lee poses. How can the same action be viewed in so many different ways, and who's right and who's wrong? Every time I watch this movie I see new things and form different opinions, which is exactly why this is on my list!
- Spike Lee approached Robert DeNiro to play the role of Sal, but DeNiro turned it down saying he's played similar roles too many times.
- The F-word is used approximately 240 times throughout the film, about twice per minute.
Starring: Woody Allen, Martin Landau, Alan Alda, Mia Farrow, Anjelica Huston, Claire Bloom, Sam Waterston, Jerry Orbach
Directed by: Woody Allen
IMDB Rating: 8.0
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Woody Allen made some hilarious comedies. He also made some great dramas. With "Crimes And Misdemeanors" he combined the two, two separate stories that converge on each other for one of the best single scenes he has ever filmed. (A still of the scene is featured in the poster to the left). Story one has the magnificent Martin Landau contemplating murder in order to break off an affair that won't go away. Story two has Allen himself trying to placate a ego-maniacal director, played hilariously by Alan Alda, as he starts to fall for Alda's assistant, Mia Farrow. Writing for the movies has rarely been so sharp and so enjoyable. All the players are spot on brilliant. Easily one of my favourite Woody Allen films that must be viewed by anyone calling themselves a fan of his work!
- Allen had filmed more scenes in which he's making a documentary about old vaudevillians. While editing he decided to cut all those scenes, one's that included Sean Young and more of Daryl Hannah.
- The role played by Alda was based on a comedy writer named Larry Gelbart who was known for saying things like "Comedy is tragedy plus time" and "If it bends it's funny; if it breaks, it's not funny".
Those were the 1980's. Here are some other films I still need to see from that decade:
Das Boot (1981)
Gandhi (1982)
Sophie's Choice (1982)
Out Of Africa (1985)
A Room With A View (1985)
The Last Emperor (1987)
The Big Blue (1988)
The Year Of Living Dangerously (1982)
Fanny And Alexander (1982)
Withnail & I (1987)
The Killing Fields (1984)
Henry V (1989)
Gallipoli (1981)
The Vanishing (1988)
Ran (1985)
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