My Top 100 Movies – Part 1: #100 – #91

Introduction to the list

And so I’ve decided to tackle the great white whale and try to come up with the list of my 100 favourite movies.  This was not easy, but I decided to try anyway.

Please note that these are my favourite films, and as such some choices will be based on a personal sense of nostalgia (especially the top 5, once we eventually get there).  There are movies that I have connections to that may rank them higher than you might expect.  That being said, if there are films here you disagree with, don’t hesitate to argue them in the comments, and if there are choices you do agree with, feel free to show your support.  If you think something it too high or too low, let me know.  I’m not going to resort to the “well its my opinion” argument.

Anyways, here is the first of what will eventually be ten posts with my top 100.  now keep in mind that this list is not made in stone, and some films in the future may go up or down in my estimation, as is wont to happen.  Also, there may be films that I haven’t seen yet which may take a spot on the list later.  I guess what I’m saying is that this is my 100 at the present time, though its a pretty good indicator of my taste in films.

100. Who Framed Roger Rabbit

A brilliant combination of animation and live action.  I love that the story actually revolves around this combination, with so many inventive details to the cartoon world.  And its just damn funny.

 

99. The Lion King

I still remember seeing The Lion King in theaters on the way home from a camping trip with the family.  This was the Disney film that spoke the most to me.  The Wildebeest scene is still awesome, and the Hamletesque story works.  If it just weren’t for Disney’s need for songs, this would be a lot higher.

98. Charade

I remember seeing Charade on TV years ago.  I thought it was a great mystery film, but didn’t know the title, and it took me years to figure out what it was.  And when I watched it again, I realized there was more to it than just a cool mystery.  Audrey Hepburn and Cary grant added much more to this film thorugh their charisma and dialogue.

 

97. Toy Story

I’m not as in love with Toy Story as many others, perhaps because I don’t really associate it with my childhood, which in retrospect is weird.  I do associate Lion King with my childhood, and it only came out a year before.  Anyway, I do think its a great idea and I love all the little details put into this toy-centric world.

 

96. Revenge of the Sith

Okay, here we go, get your claws ready.  Trust me, I am finding it harder and harder to keep accepting the prequels as part of Star Wars canon.  There are a LOT of problems with them.  Yet I still like Episode 3 for what it is.  There’s a lot of spectacle there and even though a lot of the problems are still persistent, I loved the epic space battle opening, I liked seeing all the new world,s and I liked the ending.

 

95. Prometheus

Now while I’m iffy on including a Star Wars prequel, here is another prequel that people didn’t really like that I wholeheartedly support.  Prometheus is awesome.  Its a great modern sci-fi with an extraordinary sense of wonder and exploration, and it becomes a great thriller in the second half.

 

94. The Birds

Hitchcock’s most primeval film in a way.  Man vs. beast.  I love how there’s no explanation why the birds are attacking, they just are.  Very haunting.

 

93. Ben-Hur

There are better historical epics later in this list, but Ben-Hur is still awesome.  Its filmed with true grandeur, as the chariot race and sea battle can attest to.

 

92. Batman Begins

I was never really a fan of the older Batman movies, mostly because I felt Batman himself was a stiff, boring character.  So I was very happy to finally have Batman Begins which made him interesting.  The real strength of this movie is that Nolan gives time to really develop the training of origin of our caped crusader by spending half of the movie away from Gotham and in the mountains.  A master stroke, and a beam of light for Batman’s cinematic future.

 

91. Independence Day

You have no idea how excited I was to see this movie as a teenager back in 1996.  I was big into The X-Files, Star Wars, and all those other nerdy things, so a big budget movie about a full scale alien invasion looked like it could just about be the greatest thing.  I don’t want to tell you how many times my friends and I saw it in theaters that summer.  I recognize the cheesiness now, but I suppose this is my guilty pleasure film.