My top 100 favorite films

Top 100 Favorite Films

What makes a movie worthy of a spot on your top ten list?

If you've read my top 100 best movies list you know my definition of "best" differs from "favorite". But how do you define "favorite"?

I am sure your list is different than mine, and my list is different than his, and his list is different from hers. The fact of the matter is...

No one agrees on the best movies of all time. No one's favorite movies are the same. No one's genre preferences are the same. And no one's favorite actors are the same. So no one's list is the same.

"List-worthy" films are combination of best-films and favorite-films specific to each person, personality and personal experiences. The best movies of all time are difficult to separate from your favorite movies of all time. You favorite movies are the ones you can't turn the channel from when you catch it halfway through on TBS. While your best movies list is simply compiled of the most critically acclaimed films you've actually seen.

But honestly, most people don't agree with critics. Most people haven't even seen this year's Academy Award nominees. Most people just go see what their cineholic friend suggested, or what their co-workers were talking about around the water cooler. Most people fall for the hype. But often times, box office numbers even lie.

A movie isn't "list-worthy" just because there's a trailer on TV every hour, it's starring 5 Oscar winners, plus Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, itís directed by Martin Scorsese and was produced by Steven Spielberg. And just because a critic gives it "two thumbs up" and calls it "the best movie this decade" doesn't guarantee it a spot on your list either.

"List-worthy" movies are a mix of everything. You can't make your own list without including opinions and rebuttals to someone else's list. I don't know if you consider me a legit critic, but Richard Roeper is, and I'm sure your list is different than his, his list is different from hers, and her list is different from mine:

1. Star Wars: Episode V - Empire Strikes Back 
2. Inception 
3. The Godfather 
4. Fight Club 
5. The Dark Knight 
6. Dumb and Dumber 
7. Pulp Fiction 
8. South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut 
9. Braveheart 
10. Silence of the Lambs 
11. The Notebook 
12. The Incredibles
13. Great Expectations 
14. Saving Private Ryan 
15. Last of the Mohicans 
16. Monty Python and the Holy Grail 
17. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope 
18. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
19. A Quiet Place
20. Arrival
21. The Wolf of Wall Street
22. Finding Nemo 
23. Fool's Gold 
24. Inglorious Basterds 
25. Shawshank Redemption 
26. Heat 
27. The Social Network 
28. The Lego Movie
29. Usual Suspects 
30. Gladiator 
31. Predator 
32. Garden State 
33. Pacific Rim
34. Toy Story 3 
35. Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade 
36. Memento 
37. Interstellar
38. Guardians of the Galaxy
39. The Avengers 
40. Shrek 
41. Goodfellas 
42. Apocalypse Now Redux 
43. Se7en 
44. Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi 
45. The Ring 
46. Good Will Hunting 
47. Serendipity 
48. Lord of the Rings 3 - The Return of the King 
49. The Matrix 
50. Drive
51. Schindler's List 
52. The Beach 
53. American History X 
54. The Bourne Ultimatum 
55. Watchmen 
56. Monsters Inc. 
57. A Perfect Getaway 
58. Batman Begins 
59. Pretty Woman 
60. Forrest Gump 
61. Paranormal Activity 
62. Back to the Future 1 
63. The Exorcist 
64. Kill Bill: Volume 1 
65. Black Swan 
66. Into the Blue 
67. Groundhog Day 
68. Get Out
69. Creed
70. Snatch 
71. Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark 
72. The Big Lebowski 
73. Scarface 
74. The Sixth Sense 
75. Big Fish 
76. Reservoir Dogs 
77. Mothman Prophecies 
78. Pirates of the Caribbean 1: The Curse of the Black Pearl 
79. 300 
80. X-Men: First Class 
81. Rocky 
82. Avatar 
83. Die Hard 
84. American Beauty 
85. Star Trek (2009) 
86. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith 
87. Aliens 
88. Lord of the Rings 1 - The Fellowship of the Ring 
89. Jaws 
90. Up 
91. Kill Bill: Volume 2 
92. Troy 
93. The Hangover 
94. Stand By Me 
95. Titanic 
96. The Departed 
97. Bourne Identity 
98. I Am Legend 
99. Back to the Future 2 
100. Requiem for a Dream 

Honorable mentions:

• The Cabin in the Woods
• Full Metal Jacket
• L.A. Confidential
• Sin City
• Slumdog Millionaire
• Amadeus
• Donnie Darko 
• Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers 
• Into the Wild 
• Ratatouille 
• Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 
• Forgetting Sarah Marshall 
• Wall-E 
• The Lion King 
• Fargo
• Wizard of Oz 
• Casino 
• Indiana Jones: Temple of Doom 
• Twelve Monkeys 
• The Shining 
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day 
• Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest 
• Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels 
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 
• Mystic River 
• E.T. 
• Toy Story 
• There Will Be Blood 
• Bladerunner 
• V for Vendetta 

Last updated: 2/24/2019

Top 10 movies of 2014 (so far)

Top 10 films of the year (so far)

Well Fall is officially here and the Summer blockbuster films have raked in millions at the box office. Now it's time for the Oscar-nomination hopefuls to hit theaters (i.e. Gone Girl, Fury, Interstellar, and Unbroken) followed by the Holiday blockbuster lineup (i.e. Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1, Big Hero 6, and Nightcrawler) but the first three quarters of the year didn't disappoint. And though the small-budget film market was lacking, the most-anticipated indie movie of the year -- actually the most anticipated indie movie of the last dozen years  -- did not disappoint.

The movies on this list are a mix of the best and my favorite films of the year. These are the top ten films from the first nine months of 2014:

1. Lego Movie
2. Boyhood
3. Guardians of the Galaxy
4. X-Men: Days of Future Past
5. Captain America: Winter Soldier
6. 22 Jump Street
7. Edge of Tomorrow
8. Grand Budapest Hotel
9. How to Train Your Dragon 2
10. Bears

What haven't I seen that should be on the list? Is something on the list that shouldn't be? Leave your thoughts in the comments below:

Top 10 films of 2012

I must preface this list by restating that for years now I've contended that the Academy is out of touch with the general movie-going public. And I've also admitted time-and-time again that there is a distinct difference between the best movies and your favorite movies.

I must also admit I have not yet seen Amour, Beasts of the Southern Wild, or Salmon Fishing in the Yemen -- but honestly, who has?

With that said, and despite no longer being employed and reimbursed to see movies in theaters or at home, I have seen quite a few and more than most people, and I believe IMHO that these are the top 10 best movies of the year:

1. Argo
2. Lincoln
3. Django Unchained
4. Zero Dark Thirty
5. Skyfall
6. Looper
7. 21 Jump Street
8. Flight
9. Wreck-It-Ralph
10. The Grey

Not to be confused with my favorite movies. As I said earlier, the best films of the year are not always my favorite films of the year. Heck Fools Gold is one of my all-time favorite films. It's rated 11% on RottenTomatoes.com. So with that said, these are my top 10 favorite movies of the year:

1. The Avengers
2. Argo
3. Django Unchained
4. Ted
5. Skyfall
6. Looper
7. The Dark Knight Rises
8. The Cabin in the Woods
9. Dredd 3D
10. Chronicle

I'm sure there are some snubs. So go ahead and let me have it in the comments.