Top 100 Films of the Last 50 Years (1960-2010): Part 1

Well today the countdown begins!! Stay tuned for the next couple of months to see the list unfold of my favorite 100 movies of the last 50 years. I hope you enjoy it.

100. The American President (1995) - This is defnitiely a personal pick, but I have always loved this political romantic comedy. It is sharply written (thanks to the incredible talents of Aaron Sorkin), and impeccably acted by the entire ensemble, including Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Michael J. Fox, and Martin Sheen. Plus, it does what Sorkin is great at: combining personal relationships with political turmoil, and doing so with emotion, humor, and a lot of fast-talking dialogue that zips along at such as quick pace, you forget you've been watching a two-hour movie. If you haven't checked this one out, it is definitely one to add to your Netflix list.

99. Dreamgirls (2006) - I know this one may surprise some people, but for some reason, Dreamgirls remains to me one of the most entertaining films of the last couple of years. Between the electrifying performances (especially the stunning Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy), the flashy costumes and sets, the emotion, and the toe-tapping Motown music, Dreamgirls is one hell of a ride. Even if it lacks the depth that some musicals have, it still reaches stunning heights of entertainment achievement.

98. Halloween (1978) - In 1978, John Carpenter and his team recreated the Hitchcockian horror former of stalker killer with the creation of one of the scariest and immortal villains of all time, Michael Myers. Still considered to be the most successful indie film of all time, Halloween spawned a load of sequels and remakes (none of which matched the original)and redefined fear (sorry Scream franchise, I had to borrow your phras. Today Halloween remains a horror masterpiece, and unlike many of the crappy horror movies made now-a-days , it does not fill its frames with blood and gore, but believes in the old adage that sometimes the scariest parts are the ones you can't see.

97. The Rocky Horror Picture Show - There is no easy way to describe The Rocky Horror Picture show: its engaging but weird as hell, original but creepy, but in the end the best description seems to be simply, a cult classic. Most people have a love/hate relationship with this film, and I can understand why. It is a hodgepodge movie filled with dancing transvetites, sexual deviants, and over-the-top songs. Yet despite all of the hecticness that encompasses its storyline, and all of the weirdness that oozes from its frames, The Rocky Horror Picture show is an entertaining adventure, and as previously mentioned, has solidified itself as one of the greatest cult classics of all time.

96. Beverly Hills Cop (1984) - Eddie Murphy's career has had its ups and downs, but his highest peak of comedic perfection came with this 1984 classic. Crime comedies can sometimes be over the top and just plain stupid, but Beverly Hills Cop managed to not only be funny, but also be smartly written and well put together. But the real revelation here is Murphy, he steals every scene and makes us laugh from the first frame to the last. More importantly, his comedic talented helped create one of the best comedies of the last half-century.

95. sex, lies, & videotape (1989) - Before he was an Academy Award-winning director, Steven Soderbergh was a Sundance gem with this underground 1989 classic. Starring a young Andie Macdowell, James Spader, and Peter Gallagher, sex, lies, & videotape is disturbing, graphic, yet also intensenly brilliant. Excellent performances, beautiful direction, a sharp script, and a story that could be ripped from today's political headlines, make this film, while hard to watch, one that is not to be missed.

94. Full Metal Jacket (1987) - Stanley Kubrick had many brilliant films in his career, and while this particular film may not have the rankings of some of his more popular classics (stayed tuned for those), it still manages to capture Kubrick's style, and more importantly, all of his brilliance. The detrimental effects of Vietnam have been captured on screen many times in the last thirty years, but none were more disturbing, more real, and more vivid that those seen in Full Metal Jacket. Taking a break from his sci-fi roots, Kubrick's exploration of mental illness and war is devastatingly exceptional.

93. The Last Picture Show (1971) - Films about high school are either hip musicals like Grease or Footloose, or pot-smoking, sex-driven comedies like American Pie. But in 1971, the cast and crew of the immortal The Last Picture Show, gave us an unforgettable, and extremely realistic look at high school life in a forgotten town. While some may say it is a little bleak, I praise it for finally giving high school, and life itself, a fair portrayal. The performances, particularly those by Jeff Bridges and Cybil Shepherd, and Timothy Bottoms are stunning, and the film will have you pondering the meaning of life and growing up long after its final scene.

92. Scarface (1983) - Absolutely ridiculous and excessive, Brian De Palma's 1983 classic Scarface is nonetheless a daring, disturbing, and sometimes funny look at the underground crime world that used to, and in many ways, still controls the city streets of America. Al Pacino's Tony Montana, remains the a legendary crime character, and while the violence, and drugs, and other incendiary actions that flash through this crime thriller are disturbing in so many ways, it is this over-the-top portrayal that is exactly why this film has become so legendary.

91. Boyz N the Hood (1991) - In 1991, John Singleton, and an outstanding cast including Cuba Gooding Jr., Laurence Fishburne, Ice Cube, Angela Bassett, and many others, brought to life the story of a group of friends who had grown up together in the Los Angeles ghetto. What Singleton did however, was far deeper than its premise. While fictional, this realistic and gritty tale of American urban life showcased the many problems that inner cities faced, and are still facing today including racism, crime, poverty, and drug abuse. The film is hard to watch at points, but if you allow yourself to become absorbed in the story, the risk is definitely worth the reward.