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 100 best films according to a movie-watching millennial

Top 100 Best Movies

If you've read my top 100 favorite movies list you know my definition of a favorite, or "list-worthy" film. The best films are different.

The best films, according to me, a movie-watching millennial, are those films post-1980 that a person born post 1975 could remember seeing in theaters. And they're not only the films they "could" remember (studies say humans remember major events around age 5), they are the films they "do" remember.

These are the films that left a lasting memory on me -- this is my cinefile of the best films of my time:

1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
2. Pulp Fiction (1994)
3. Schindler's List (1993)
4. Inception (2010)
5. The Dark Knight (2008)
6. Star Wars: Episode V - Empire Strikes Back (1980)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)
8. Fight Club (1999)
9. The Incredibles (2004)
10. Snatch (2000)
11. Goodfellas (1990)
12. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
13. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
14. Gravity (2013)
15. The Matrix (1999)
16. The Usual Suspects (1995)
17. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
18. Se7en (1995)
19. The Social Network (2010)
20. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
21. Braveheart (1995)
22. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (2002)
23. Memento (2000)
24. Forrest Gump (1994)
25. Back to the Future (1985)
26. Toy Story 3 (2010)
27. Arrival (2016)
28. Dunkirk (2017)
29. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
30. American History X (1998)
31. Good Will Hunting (1997)
32. American Beauty (1999)
33. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
34. Gladiator (2000)
35. WALL-E (2008)
36. The Shining (1980)
37. Avatar (2009)
38. Up (2009)
39. A Star is Born (2018)
40. The Pianist (2002)
41. The Departed (2006)
42. Aliens (1986)
43. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
44. Argo (2012)
45. The Sixth Sense (1999)
46. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
47. The Prestige (2006)
48. The Green Mile (1999)
49. Pacific Rim (2013)
50. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
51. Amadeus (1984)
52. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
53. There Will Be Blood (2007)
54. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
55. A Quiet Place (2018)
56. Black Swan (2010)
57. Iron Man (2008)
58. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
59. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
60. Icarus (2017)
61. Die Hard (1988)
62. Sin City (2005)
63. Batman Begins (2005)
64. L.A. Confidential (1997)
65. Heat (1995)
66. Blade Runner (1982)
67. No Country for Old Men (2007)
68. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
69. Free Solo (2018)
70. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
71. The Lion King (1994)
72. The Big Lebowski (1998)
73. Toy Story (1995)
74. Donnie Darko (2001)
75. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
76. Platoon (1986)
77. Into the Wild (2007)
78. Black Panther (2018)
79. Rain Man (1988)
80. X-Men: First Class (2011)
81. Scarface (1983)
82. Trainspotting (1996)
83. Groundhog Day (1993)
84. Finding Nemo (2003)
85. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
86. The Terminator (1984)
87. Casino (1995)
88. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
89. Get Out (2017)
90. Stand by Me (1986)
91. V for Vendetta (2006)
92. Ratatouille (2007)
93. Prisoners (2013)
94. Star Trek (2009)
95. Mystic River (2003)
96. Inside Out (2015)
97. Big Fish (2003)
98. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
99. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
100. The Cove (2009)

Honorable Mentions:

• Monsters, Inc. (2001)
• Shutter Island (2010)
• Fargo (1996)
• The Truman Show (1998)
• The Wrestler (2008)
• 12 Monkeys (1995)
• Wonder Woman (2017)
• RBG (2018)
• Let the Right One In (2008)
• Gran Torino (2008)
• Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing Missouri (2017)

Last updated: 2/24/2018

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 movies of 2013

Top 10 movies of 2013

Every other month in 2013, I found myself walking out of a movie theater saying, "best film of the year... hands down!" First it was Warm Bodies in February. Then Before Midnight in May. Then Pacific Rim in July and Prisoners in September. Then it was Gravity and Captain Philips in October. And finally, Wolf of Wall Street in December.

It was a record-breaking year at the box office, but also a fantastic year of award-worthy filmmaking (two scales that rarely correlate). There were brilliant screenplays, moving stories, and outstanding individual performances. In my opinion, Tom Hanks deserves an Oscar just for the final ten minutes of Captain Phillips and the rest of the major acting awards should go to the cast of American Hustle.

But there's more to a "best picture" list than a handful of Oscar-worthy performances, and now that I've had some time to reflect, I think I've finally finalized my lists. Here are my...

... top 10 best films of 2013:

1. Gravity
2. Captain Phillips
3. Wolf of Wall Street
4. Pacific Rim
5. Lone Survivor
6. Blackfish
7. American Hustle
8. Her
9. Frozen
10. Chasing Ice

...and top 10 favorite movies of 2013:

1. Pacific Rim
2. Wolf of Wall Street
3. Lone Survivor
4. Blackfish
5. Prisoners
6. Gravity
7. This is the End
8. Man of Steel
9. Warm Bodies
10. Croods

Disagree? I'm sure you do. Let me have it in the comments:

25 holi-days of better Christmas movies

Sick of the movies that ABC Family shows every year during its "25 Days of Christmas" holiday special? There are literally dozens of ways to watch movies these days, change the channel, visit your local Redbox, fire up Netflix, check the discount DVD bin, or search on-demand, and go watch these films instead!

These are the 25 best Christmas movies of all-time, in reverse order, saving the very best for Christmas Day:

• On December 1st, watch: Rise of the Guardians
• 2nd: A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas
• 3rd: It's a Wonderful Life
• 4th: Die Hard
• 5th: Black Christmas
• 6th: Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
• 7th: Four Christmases
• 8th: A Charlie Brown Christmas
• 9th: Jingle All the Way
• 10th: Love Actually
• 11th: Iron Man 3
• 12th: Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
• 13th: The Muppet Christmas Carol
• 14th: Arthur Christmas
• 15th: Scrooged
• 16th: Fred Claus
• 17th: Elf
• 18th: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Animated)
• 19th: Home Alone
• 20th: Die Hard 2
• 21st: Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Live Action)
• 22nd: The Santa Clause
• 23rd: The Santa Clause 2
• 24th: Home Alone 2
• 25th: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Did I miss any of your favorites? Add them 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.

Romcoms, mysteramas, dramcoms, and horredies

So you've heard of romcoms, right? Romantic comedies. A funny movie about love and relationships. Well a "romcom" is a portmanteau - or a blend of two or more words into one new word (i.e. smoke + fog = smog). And it's really the only movie genre portmanteau in existence. Until now...

Now, there are 3 more genre-crossing movie categories: mysteramas, dramcoms, and horredies. And here are some examples of each:

• Mysteramas: Ides of March, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
• Dramcoms: Sunshine Cleaning, Patch Adams, Raising Arizona
• Horredies: Zombieland, Tucker & Dale vs Evil, Shaun of the Dead

Can you think of any others?

Top 10 Vampire Films Other than "Twilight"

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List of Cullens from the "Twilight" Movie Saga

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List of Vinny Chase Movies

Which Vincent Chase Movie Do You Want to See? Vincent Chase, the star of HBOs Entourage, has made 6 movies in the first 5 seasons of of the show. Which one would you most like to see made in the real world? Lister:Ryan Category:TV

List of Films With a Perfect 100% Rating

Films Rated a Perfect 100% on RottenTomatoes.com Here is the list of movies with a perfect 100% fresh rating on RottenTomatoes.com: Lister:Ryan Pratt Category:Movies

List of Star Trek Films

List of Star Trek Films This is a list of films in the Star Trek science fiction franchise. There have been 11 films in the series, dating back to December 1979: Lister:Ryan Pratt Category:Movies

List of Best 3-D Movies

Top 10 3-D Movies Ever Made With the recent release of Dreamworks "Monsters vs. Aliens" we decided to take a look at other 3-D films from the past. Here are the ten best 3D films to ever hit the big screen: Lister:Ryan Pratt Category:Movies

List of Movies About a Single Day or a 24 Hour Span

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List of IMAX DVDs

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List of Best Movies in 2008

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Who Took the Boo Out of Halloween?

Hey Listers,

I can’t believe it’s been a year since my rant about how Halloween is supposed to be a night of fright, not this funny fools’ day it’s turned into. And I’m still peeved. Why are television stations airing National Lampoon’s Vacation over-and-over again when there are 100s of great scary movies they could show instead?

Instead of watching Michael Myers chop up all the trick-or-treaters in Haddonfield, we get Clark Griswold and family on their “merry” way to Wally World. Yeah there are some deaths (dragging Dinky to death behind the car and Aunt Edna passing in her sleep in the backseat), but they’re funny deaths. And sure Harold Ramis, one of the original Ghostbusters directed it (which by the way is painfully more funny than it is scary), but c’mon! I am looking for horror movies deaths. “Final Destination” meets Jason Voorhees meets “The Hills Have Eyes.” I want to be scared on Halloween! Give me “Halloween” and “Friday the 13^th,” or at least “Nightmare on Elm Street.” Where’s Freddy and Jason and Jigsaw and Chucky? Is AMC the only channel that gets it? Or have all the funny, cute little Halloween costumes distorted all our “fragile little minds.”

I have a favor to ask of you. Instead of giving treats to every trick-or-treater this year, reward the scary skeletons and ugly witches. Give the gobstoppers to goblins, ghosts and ghouls. And trick those funny, cute kids with an apple or toothbrush.

And any of you trick-or-treaters out there, let’s get back to the roots of Beggar’s Night. Remember the history behind the tradition, if someone forgets the treats, or leaves a “please take one” basket out, make sure you play an idle trick on the house or the homeowners. That is what the saying is all about. “Trick-or-Treat!”

Lists Hidden in This Newsletter

LAL Newsletter - Halloween, a Night-of-Fright?

Top 100 Scary Movies of All Time

Memorable Movie Dads

Deaths by Extremely Unusual Causes

Funniest Epitaphs on Tombstones

Top 10 Great Songs from Geeky Movie Soundtracks

Top 10 Gruesome Deaths in Movies

Aghhh! Best Scary Movies Ever

Top 25 Horror Movie Villains

Halloween Costumes Sure to Piss Everyone Off

Top 20 Eric Cartman Quotes (from South Park)

Top 10 Hot New Halloween Costume Ideas for 2008

The 10 Worst Things to Give Out for Trick-or-Treat .

Top 10 Best Halloween Trick-or-Treat Candies

Top 5 Best Pranks Caught on Video

Top 20 Shockingly Chilling and Tense Horror Movies

Playlist: Halloween Songs for a Scary Haunted House Party

Top 10 Gifts for a Star Wars Fan

ListAfterList Updates and Reminders

Have you tried the new search on LAL powered by Google? It is much more effective. Now you can think of LAL as a place of reference, instead of just a website where you can find randomly cool stuff and interesting trivial lists. Use LAL when you are looking for a list of good scary movies, a frightening Halloween playlist, or even the top 10 specific gifts for that specific special person in your life (i.e. Top 10 Gifts for a Star Wars Fan).

If there is anything you would like to see on ListAfterList, let us know. And, if you have any friends who might enjoy ListAfterList, let us know that too.

List of Movies about Other Movies

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List of Films about a Single Day (24 Hours)

Best Movies about 1 Day Some great films contain a plot that takes place within one 24-hour period. Here are some of the best. Know of any others? Lister:buccicone.2 Category:Movies

Actors/Actresses With the Most Oscars

32 actors/actresses have won 2 Academy Awards, and, surprisingly, half have been men and half women. Three actors have won 3, and one actor has won 4. They are as follows:

	4 - Katherine Hepburn
	3 - Ingrid Bergman
	3 - Walter Brennan
	3 - Jack Nicholson
	2 - Marlon Brando

see the rest of the list AND more Oscar lists here