Top 100 Movies of the Last 25 Years (1984-2009): Part 6

50. Fargo - The worst crime (in terms of actually completeing it that is) in the history of North Dakota was prefectly framed on screen in the true Coen Bros. masterpiece of this last quarter century. This darkly rich comedy/murder mystery was a perfect combination of the fumbling, bumbling baboon Jerry played by William H. Macy, to the wisecracking, smart ass Marge played by the always incredible Frances McDormand in an Oscar winning turn, to make one of the best cult classics of all time.

49. Who Framed Roger Rabbit - This strange fusion of a movie combining live action and animation was one of the most unusual and entertaining movies of the last 25 years. The story of a toon-hating detective, who ends up helping his 2-D friend, was nothing short of a miraculous feat. Who would have thought that an adult movie hidden under the veil of animation, combined with biting dialogue, great performances, both live action and voice, and a little Disney would create one of the most interesting and entertaining movies of all time.

48. Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 - While it never got the awards recognition it deserved, the Kill Bill saga (which apparently is not over, as Vol. 3 is coming soon) was one of the most thrilling, kick-ass series of films made in the last 25 years. The bad-ass, bloody violence, the incredible performances, especially the awesome Uma Thurman, and the epic story are all reasons to love these movies. But the real reason is that it is pure Quentin Tarantino, cheesy, violent, sometimes confusing, and pure movie magic, and that's the real reason to love them.

47. Memento - Before Christopher Nolan was a huge blockbuster success with The Dark Knight, he created one of the most interesting and confusing movies of all time. Starting from the middle, or the end or something, and working back and forth, keeping you in stitches the entire movie, not really understanding what's going on, but knowing that all that confusion was there for a reason. It was there to create on of the most clever pieces of art created in the last 25 years. Nolan's career was built on this cult-classic, and it gives me high hopes for this year's mystery thriller Inception.

46. Avatar - Laugh all you want, but whether you are an Avatar hater, or an Avatard, you cannot deny the pop culture impact that Avatar has forever had on movies. The technology that was used by Cameron and his team has revolutionized the filmmaking process. More importantly, Avatar was an enthralling piece of art that caputured the hearts of millions across the globe, soaking us in not only to the visual treats that Cameron gave us, but into the story, a common story retold in an unforgettable manner.

45. Wall Street - It has been 23 years, but this September, we all finally get to see the long-awaited sequel to Oliver Stone's finanical 1987 classic Wall Street. Michael Douglas was sensational and awesome as the great movie villain Gorden Gekko. But really this is Stone's movie, fast-paced, cruel, and realistic, showcasing the cruel world of wall street, and the finanicial world. And despite the almost three decades since its inception, Wall Street is a movie whose story still rings true, and is poignantly relevant.

44. Titanic - Yes, the stupid scene at the end where Jack goes plop! into the water is still one of the most gag-worthy moments in cinema history. But like almost all of James Cameron movies, if you can get past the cheesy dialogue, and just let yourself get swept up in the story, music, love, and visuals of his masterpieces, you are in for an amazing experience, and Titanic was no exception. For most of us, our hearts do go on, and you cannot deny the impact and significance of this timeless love story.

43. The Departed - Compared to Raging Bull or GoodFellas, The Departed was a minor entry into the Martin Scorsese collection. However it proved to be the winning ticket that gave the overdue director the honor he so deservingly earned. With an incredible, male-dominated cast, this gangster flick proved to be an entertaining and brutal movie that truly showcased the gift that Scorsese has. No other director could have the f-word repeated several hundred times in one movie, and still win Best Picture other than the great Marty Scorsese.

42. City of God - This shocking and sometimes disturbing piece of art, showed how brutal the streets of Rio can be, and just how good of a movie, Academy Awards nominee Fernando Meirelles can make. This film managed four Oscar nominations, but no wins, and missed out on the Best Picture race, which is truly a shame. While it was a hard movie to watch, it was simply brilliant and utterly compelling.

41. The Usual Suspects - Before Bryan Singer made the first two
(and only good) X-Men movies, and Superman Returns, and became a comic-book movie icon, he created one of the best crime thrillers of all time, the underappreciated Usual Suspects. The twisting and turning that happens for the five main characters, and their connections back to the mysterious Keyser Söze, makes for an entertaining, taut movie that featured some excellent performances, especially from Kevin Spacey, Benicio Del Toro, and Gabriel Bryne. This is one of the biggest cult classics of all time, and is a classic.