30. Mulholland Drive
– One of two lynch films in the 2000’s and I think maybe his best, though I’m between this and Blue Velvet. It’s just that this movie was so beautifully well made. Add to that one of the hottest G2G scenes in existence and you are forced to admit that David Lynch has as much talent filming memorable films as he does casting beautiful women.
29. A Beautiful Mind
– There is such a thing as being too smart for your own good. A Beautiful Mind IS a movie for which Russell Crowe deserved the Oscar and the supporting cast was beyond solid. Just goes to show, a Beautiful Mind is a terrible thing to waste… so watch and repeat.
28. Quills
– The Marquis de Sade is by far one of the more wonderfully twisted REAL people I’ve ever read about and this film gave us yet another extraordinary showing of why Geoffrey Rush is one of the best actors alive today. Dark, twisted and deliciously Sadistic.
27. District 9
– Quite possibly the most important Sci-Fi film since the Original Matrix, District 9 brings a very distinct flavor to the genre and pushes in directions you can’t help but gaze at. One part fictional docu film, this movie shows what happens when brains and budget meet. If they don’t use Blomkamp to film the Halo Series, they better find someone who can do as good a job.
26. Moon
– If you think I’m including this movie because it’s fresh on my mind, let me be the first to swat that thought from your brain. I’m not going to say Moon is the end all movie of all movies, but along with a couple other movies, it has reenergized Sci fi and inspired me to write a short story. If only for the last reason alone, I’m inclined to include it. That Sam Rockwell finally got a chance to show he’s an actor to be taken even more seriously is another reason.
25. Road to Perdition
– Forget that this movie is well acted, well written and well scored. Now focus on how this movie is shot and you’ll see a movie that blew my mind from a directorial standpoint because it is just so damn beautiful to watch. Maybe it’s a stretch, but I felt hints of Akira Kurosawa in some shots and everything in this movie just delivered, including a very gut wrenching ending. Tom Hanks did a hell of a job convincing me he was a badass by the way, and I don’t think I would have ever thought saying that was possible.
24. Kill Bill Vol 1
– Beatrix has a two part saga that definitely shows why Tarantino is widely considered one of the best of all time. Each installment has its distinctive style. Each one has memorable fights. Each one has great dialogue (big wonder from a Tarantino flick). This is girl power at its finest expression and you can’t help but enjoy each and every death of the Deadly Viper squad. Black Mamba is a fitting term for Thurman’s deadly on screen bliss.
23. Sin City
– A classic Graphic Novel gets the Robert Rodriguez treatment to bring one of the most faithful and beautiful on screen adaptations of any kind. To put it simply, style, grace, great casting, top notch acting and the twisted mind of Frank Miller brought me one of the darkestly delicious experiences in my movie watching life.
22. Requiem for a Dream
– By far one of the strongest films I’ve ever seen, and one of three I’d show all high school kids when they come of age so they don’t mess up (The others being Kids and American History X), Requiem is another example of how good Darren Aronofsky can be and that if he’s aiming to make you feel terrible after a film, there’s just no way he can do any wrong. Real, beautiful, intense, and the type of movie that makes you appreciate what you have in life. If you want your kid to say no to drugs, show them this flick.
21. Curious Case of Benjamin Button
– I know you may not like the movie, but I did and I also thought the acting, the makeup, the set designs, the special effects, the story and pretty much everything was top notch. A love story with some bite in it and definitely one of the more memorable characters ever based on the Mork and Mindy theory of aging.
40. The Fountain
– Weird? Very, but this beautiful film had a very lasting effect on me and when I have to sit down and reflect upon life, then I’m pretty sure the movie has quite a lot of worth to it. Aronofsky hasn’t let me down with one film he’s done yet. Every single time he puts out a movie I have to watch and pay attention. The Fountain was no exception. If you didn’t get it, then cool, but if you did, then the wonderful imagery coupled with one of the best scores I’ve ever heard allowed you to truly experience the life and death of Xibalba.
39. Million Dollar Baby
– A movie dealing with boxing that need not appeal to boxing aficionados. This movie is a little on the odd side because Hillary Swank was so good in it while having appeared months before in The Core. How the same actor/actress can do such a good movie while providing such crap fodder in another is beyond me, but it just goes to show that a great director will help a good actor become stellar. Thanks Clint, for nurturing this baby to help it make millions.
38. Up
– if anyone knows how to make a gut wrenching intro to a movie to engage viewers and later reward them with a great movie, it’s Disney. Up starts off with the story of Carl, a man who has lived a full life and is one of those lucky few who find the love of their lives AND spends his life with that person. After a very warm and beautiful intro, his wife is shown to pass away, leaving him alone, embittered and at a loss for what to do next… so when a large company wants to evict him, he does the only sensible thing, he buys thousands of balloons, fills them off and flies off to fulfill one of the pending wishes of his wife. Just writing about it gets me to choke up a bit because the intro is quite simply spectacular and the movie definitely has some priceless moments and a supremely satisfying ending. Add to the mix a dog with a collar that lets him speak (I shall forever use the phrase “Squirrel!!!!” thinking of this film), and a weird crazy bird that reminds me of one of the crazier avian characters from the Three Caballeros, and a sweet chubby boy scout you can’t help but want to pinch his cheeks. The movie is honestly a great ride, you won’t be disappointed but a couple of debatable plot points hold this film from being higher on the list. Regardless, it is magnificent and even though it is inspired by a Down in the life of Mr. Carl, you end up with a very pleasant lighthearted Up feeling.
37. Wedding Crashers
– Vince Vaughn comes from a school of actors which you either love or hate. Like his brothers in Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Will Farrell and Adam Sandler, some people don’t like the guy or his acting. That’s all fine and dandy but when you get down to it, this movie is hilarious. Typical ending? So what. Will Farrell makes one of his epic cameos and that’s enough of a reason to be on this list.
36. Brokeback Mountain
– Two cowboys turn lovers… after you deal with your homophobia, you can see that this movie is exceptionally well acted and edited to a score that truly does rip your heart to pieces. Powerful, different, and responsible for introducing the word Brokeback into everyday vernacular.
35. Cars
– A great CGI movie featuring talking vehicles including Cheech Marin and George Carlin. That it’s a Disney Pixar movie shouldn’t surprise anyone that it’s exceptionally well made, but it did. Light effects and reflections were on full display and when you see an animated film with texture, you probably won’t be able to take your eyes off the screen, and I didn’t.
34. Kill Bill Vol 2
– An excellent film in and of itself, but not as good as the first one. Regardless of this difference, we get to see the faceoff between Miss Kiddo against Bill, and Elle. You also get to see the master of the entire Deadly Viper Squad and what became of him. Kung fu is a dish best served bloody.
33. Kung Fu Hustle
– Funny? Check. Well shot? Check. Great effects? Check. Best wire work ever done? Quite possibly. Some of the best fight scenes ever made? Check. Good story? Check. Memorable characters? Check. Simply put, Stephen Chow has my attention for as long as he lives.
32. Ocean’s Eleven
– Not since Sneakers had I seen a heist movie that was so feel good. A delightful affair from start to finish and with a huge cast of memorable characters and you got yourself a classic. So what if the other two movies came up short? We have the first ocean eleven, a truly revamped remake that feels fresh, original and fun. Stage design, editing, music, acting, script, flow and dialogue all contribute to this movie being in the top 20 movies of the last ten years.
31. The Hangover
– Party movies normally don’t have the best premise in the world. They just have great writers writing funny stuff. The entire formula for The Hangover is just classic and the ending picturesque ending truly takes the movie up even further after having pulled out all the stops. Plus, there’s a chicken, a mysterious baby, a tiger, a naked Chinese guy in the trunk and Mike Tyson.
49. About Schmidt
– This highly underrated movie really got to me because it’s such a real performance from Nicholson, that I can’t help but be a little peeved that the movie didn’t get as much attention as others. Say what you want about the story but Nicholson made me believe I was watching something real, a very important factor for qualifying movies on this list, and he did a spectacular job.
48. SAW
– Bash its limitations all you want. Hell, feel free to laugh at the cast, but make no mistake, this is the best horror/suspense movie to come along in a long time. With one of the most original villains and one of the best premises ever as the basis for an anti hero, the original SAW shows just how good a movie can be based on its ending, which is one of the top twenty endings I’ve ever seen in my life. Too bad the other 6 installments don’t count for much.
47. V for Vendetta
– Is the book better? Duh. But that doesn’t mean this movie doesn’t kick some serious ass. So what if the Wachowskys Americanized it to no end? Hugo Weaving was simply sensational and that’s saying something as his character always had a mask on. Speaking of the character, V is simply one of the most enjoyable characters ever to grace the screen or a comic book, period.
45 & 46. Grindhouse (Planet Terror/Deathproof)
– I don’t think I’ve ever had THAT much fun in a movie theater without trying something freaky on my date. The double movie goodness that was Grindhouse proved that Tarantino and Robert Rodríguez were made to develop spectacular B-movies in between great flicks. That I laughed, screamed and whooped so hard should be a good indicator at the quality of these flicks. But if that’s not enough, one movie has Kurt Russel playing Stunt Man Mike and the other has a female heroine with a machine gun leg.
44. 1408
– When was the last time a PG-13 movie scared the crap out of you? Been a while huh. Well look no further, this John Cuzack driven suspense horror film pits him up against a hotel room. I’m sure it sounds dull and that we all have at least one Motel 6 story of scary things regarding hygiene that could also scare our wits out… but this isn’t about hygiene. This isn’t about evil spirits or a ghost. To quote Samuel L. Jackson, it’s about an evil fucking room… and it is AWESOME.
43. 40 Year Old Virgin
– 
Cringe worthy moments courtesy of the world’s most believable elder virgin, this movie just made me laugh till it hurt. Great script, awesome premise, endless fun at the expense of poor Steve. Between this and Michael Scott, I don’t know where he’s better… I’m lying, there’s no beating Michael Scott.
42. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
– The Best Pirates movie by far and probably one of the best character introductions ever. Seeing Jack Sparrow on the mast of his sinking ship was almost worth the price of admission. Lucky for me, the rest of the movie was also a great experience.
41. Talladega Nights
– “Dear eight pound baby Jesus”… That phrase alone is enough to get this movie on my list. Classic Farrell in one of his best movies showing that nothing can beat Wonder Bread.
60. The Departed
– How can a movie that won film of the year be so low on the list? Easy. It’s a remake. Granted, it’s a hell of a remake, but still, it’s a remake. All actors delivered, the script delivered, the director obviously delivered, but not being an original piece hurt it badly for me because it made me feel bummed that one of Scorsese’s most recognized films was not his best. For his best, look towards Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Cape Fear, Goodfellas, etc. Is it still good though? Well hell, it’s on the list.
59. Serendipity
– WTF? A chick flick? Why yes, a chick flick cracked my top 60 and it was rated higher than the departed. Why? Well let’s put it this way, when a chick flick is unanimously liked by men and mentioned as the only chick flick they don’t’ mind watching, you better pay attention. Good story, great script with predictable yet satisfying development, classic cheesy Hollywood ending. Say what you will, but this movie has staying power with me. Besides, Kate Beckinsale is in it, so hush your criticism.
58. Gladiator
– I actually had to reconsider including this film because there are a couple of things I resent from it, namely the Actor win for Russell Crowe (which he deserved for other movies instead of this one) and the loss for Joaquin Phoenix. This movie is amazing true, but I think of it as the midpoint between 300 and Braveheart, coming short visually on one front, and on acting and script in another. It’s an amazing flick to watch, but the real standout of this movie is none other than the villain. Joaquin Phoenix got screwed this year but his performance here AND in Quills proves that if he gets his head screwed on right, the kid has talent and then some.
57. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
– Higher than the Order of the Phoenix due to its style more than its substance or loyalty to source material. As far as Potter adaptations go, Azkaban is decent, but when you consider them in the category of films, well Alfonso Cuaron is just through and through an excellent director. Decent script and amazing attention to detail means I even sat through the credits to see how they would roll.
56. Team America
– Officially the only film to almost make me choke from laughter. Whoever thought puppets could be so nasty and who would have thought it could all work so well? Classic on all fronts for me.
55. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
– Any time you have an actor just meshing in perfection with their character, you know you’re in for the ride. Ron Burgundy is simply put, one of the funniest characters I’ve ever seen and probably one of the funnest to write for because he’s just so out there. Perfect hair, classic stache and a voice like an anchor angel. A movie on this list simply because I can watch it over and over and not mind. Viva la Ron.
54. Star Trek Revamp
– J.J. Abrams can do no wrong in my eyes. True, this feels like Star Trek expressed in an almost Star Wars-y kind of formula, but I can’t deny that this movie got my attention and made me be interested in Star Trek again. That alone is enough for me to include it on the best of list. Add to this great acting, a top notch cast, strong writing, hella special effects and you got yourself a winner.
53. 300
– Style versus substance. The story in 300 isn’t that deep but the dialogue is memorable and the visuals are simply stunning. So what if Gerard Butler capitalized on this role to appear in 45% of all 2009 movies, that doesn’t mean his performance as Leonidas wasn’t awesome. To put it simply, there has never been a no win situation on the silver screen that has looked better.
52. March of the Penguins
– So exactly how much did I cry during March of the Penguins? More than I care to publicly admit. But like The Bear (80’s flick about guess which animal), the turmoil of an animal resonates with something in me and in their natural behavior I can see beauty that is lacking in most humans. If that doesn’t mean this is a great movie, I don’t know what it means?
51 Tie. Hero / Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
– Kung-Fu Beauty. I often hear people debating which is better, Crouching Tiger or Hero. To me, the debate is simple, if you want to know what the better movie is, pick crouching tiger. If you want the better ending, Hero decapitates Crouching Tiger. But I put these two movies side by side because they are an important part of cinematographic history. They are pure bred kung fu movies that have such wonderful acting and such incredible cinematography that you can’t help but pay attention. Which one has the better fights? Overall, Crouching Tiger, but the first fight from Hero is the best fight scene I’ve seen in a very long time. Mesmerizing, enthralling, captivating and most certainly kick ass. Neither movie pulls its punches and we benefit in the end. Tied at #51.
70. Batman Begins
– The impossible is possible. The Batman franchise was able to resurrect after Batman and Robin thanks to Christopher Nolan and company. A great beginnings story that shows a very real take on where our esteemed Mr. Wayne comes from.
69. Iron Man
– Unlike it’s watered down sequel, the original Iron Man had Robert Downey Jr. nailing Tony Stark without going overboard and showing an origins story that truly deserves to be watched. By the way, I think it was the best super hero film of the decade.
68. Fantastic Mr. Fox
– Quirky and loco. Wes Anderson delivers another great movie, this time based on Roal Dhal’s classic. Is this word for word the same as the book? Hardly. This is a funny, upbeat, contemporary and very Andersonian version of the classic. Add to this some pretty interesting animation and just a knife wielding rat, and well, you’ve struck gold of the whistling kind.
67. Drag me to Hell
– Raw, disgusting, scary, really messed up. All these words and more can be used to describe Drag me to Hell but suffice to say that I think Sam Raimi put all of his Spider Man born frustration into the making of this awesome horror flick. If you want scenes that can make you scream and gag with the best of them, few people can do it better than Sam.
66. The Ring
– Atmosphere. It’s what makes or breaks a horror suspense film and The Ring is one of those movies with great atmosphere. Is the movie flawless? No. But it does scare the way it has to. And what’s the best part? They say the original Japanese version is even scarier.
65. Juno
– A fun movie that brought back the hamburger phone and brought me such great words as guesstimation. Why so high on this list? Soundtrack, acting, script, and dialogue. Nuff Said.
64. Lost in Translation
– Bill Murray makes this film and he feels so real and sad that I can’t but feel for the character. Maybe a bit high on the list now that I think of it, but since the feeling was so real for me, I don’t mind it that much.
63. No Country for Old Men
– Hell of a movie that makes you wonder if Javier Bardem should even consider taking on a role that is considered anything on the lines of normal. Pacing is odd, the premise is odd but the delivery of everyone in this film is classic.
62. Superbad
– Never before have I enjoyed seeing so many interpretations of a penis before in my life. Further explanation means you didn’t see the film.
61. Stardust
– There’s nothing better than a lovely surprise and that’s what Stardust was for me. A movie towards which I had no expectations and ended up extremely satisfied with, thus further proving that I’m a Neil Gaiman fan, because I went to see the movie without knowing he’d written it.
80. What Women Want
– There is simply no way in hell anyone can convince me that they wouldn’t want to know what a woman was thinking at any given moment. True, maybe you wouldn’t want that to be permanent, but some sort of hint at what’s going on in there? Of course any guy would. Add to this that Helen Hunt and Mel Gibson actually have pretty great chemistry in this film and that the movie gives a glimpse of how an ad agency works, and you have a winner.
79. Oldschool
– “You ma boy blueeeeeeee!!!” and “Let’s go Streaking!!!!” Those two catch phrases alone are enough to make me absolutely love this movie. And just in case, I actually consider Oldschool to be the spiritual successor to Animal House and that ain’t no laughing matter, or is it?
78. Garden State
– How many times have you felt disconnected from reality? When was the last time you truly felt something in the cockles of your heart? This is at the center of Garden State. The story of someone who’s trying to wake up the drowsy inner self of their prescription dulled pain, frustration and anxiety. Great flick, great characters, great script and just great.
77. Ponyo
– I honestly can’t remember the last movie I enjoyed that had as little violence as Ponyo. A wonderfully creative trip down Hayao Miyazaki’s mind, it gets me thinking why I haven’t seen all Miyazaki films or why this is the only one I’ve seen in its entirety thus disqualifying his other films from the last decade.
76. Tropic Thunder
– A film where we got to see Robert Downey Jr. earn a nomination for best supporting actor for playing an Australian that method acts to the great beyond and is lost in his character while Tom Cruise channels his worst aspects as a person, and turns them into solid gold on the silver screen. The movie is so well made and so ridiculous that I can’t help but have been surprised at what I got when I sat down in the theater.
75. Borat
– Unlike Brüno, Borat is super wrong for all the right reasons. To boot, it gave me the opportunity to have one of my best Halloween outfits ever. Very nice!
74. Little Miss Sunshine
– This film is here mainly because of its script. A fun movie with a lot of character, LMS made me want to have a smack smoking grandparent and a suicidal gay uncle. How’s that for good?
73. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
– One of only two Harry Potter Films on this list, Order of the Phoenix was a hell of a film with probably the best effects of all the HP films. It’s also one of the darker books and the story is solid. Great acting this time around with a good script that was well paced. Pretty much everything a Potter-head looks for in an adaptation.
72. Traffic
– Ensemble goodness is often times quite tricky to pull off, just don’t tell anyone involved with this project. I won’t say it’s seamless but I will say that it’s a movie to get you thinking about the state of drug prevalence in the world in general.
71. Crash
– In the line of Magnolia, Crash takes a series of events, puts them into the mix and by the end you realize that six degrees of separation is actually too large a number for what we truly live. Yes, humanity numbers in the billions, but that doesn’t mean we don’t affect each other. A powerful movie with enough OH SNAP moments to keep you on the edge of your seat.
