Jdanddiet's Top 100 Movies: The Full List

Deep breaths...

100.The Keep
99.Star Wars
98.One False Move
97.12 Monkeys
96.Dreamgirls
95.Diamonds are Forever
94.Fargo
93.10 Rillington Place
92.Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
91.Lord of War
90.The Host
89.Die Hard With a Vengeance
88.Invasion of the Bodysnatchers (1951)
87.Shrek
86.Where Eagles Dare
85.Deep Rising
84.Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
83.Duel
82.The Relic
81.The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3 (1974)
80.Starship Troopers
79.Fight Club
78.Southern Comfort
77.Saw
76.Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
75.Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
74.Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
73.Scream
72.Glengarry Glen Ross
71.The Prestige
70.Cross of Iron
69.Swimming with Sharks
68.Scream 2
67.Star Trek (2009)
66.Ravenous
65.Dawn of the Dead (2004)
64.True Romance
63.Spoorloos (The Vanishing)
62.The Man Who Would be King
61.48 Hours
60.Black Hawk Down
59.Trespass
58.The Shining
57.The Way of the Gun
56.Alien
55.Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
54.Saving Private Ryan
53.Tremors
52.Chinatown
51.Silence of the Lambs
50.Men in Black
49.Memento
48.A Few Good Men
47.Jurassic Park
46.The Wicker Man (1973)
45.Marathon Man
44.Dog Soldiers
43.Minority Report
42.Young Guns
41.28 Days Later
40.Ace Ventura Pet Detective
39.Under Siege
38.The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
37.The Exorcist
36.Shaun of the Dead
35.Ray
34.All the President's Men
33.Zero Effect
32.The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
31.Black Book
30.Out of Sight
29.The Frighteners
28.The Apartment
27.Robocop
26.Goldeneye
25.The Usual Suspects
24.Forbidden Planet
23.An American Werewolf in London
22.Monty Python and the Holy Grail
21.LA Confidential
20.Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai
19.Beverly Hills Cop
18.Event Horizon
17.Pulp Fiction
16.The Grifters
15.Ghostbusters
14.The Cannonball Run
13.Downfall
12.The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
11.Die Hard
10.Goodfellas
9.Planet of the Apes (1968)
8.Goldfinger
7.The Thing (1981)
6.Airplane
5.From Dusk Till Dawn
4.Blade Runner
3.Casablanca
2.Grosse Pointe Blank
1.Raiders of the Lost Ark

Jdanddiet's Top 100 Movies: THE TOP TEN!

So here we go, after all the pontificating, arguments, stress and ridiculous placing of Dreamgirls above Star Wars, we have my ten favourite movies of all time!

These are the ten I've seen countless times yet would still watch again if they happened to be on TV.  As I stated at the beginning, I'm no cine-phile (or cine-bore if you like), so there are no kitchen sink dramas or obscure japanese horror movies; I generally tend to prefer modern movies as well, although a splattering of classic Sci-fi has peppered this list (and continues into the top ten).

So without further ado, here we go!

Funny? Funny how?

10.Goodfellas (1990)

Tagline: "Three Decades of Life in the Mafia"

Top quote: Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci): "No, no, I don't know, you said it. How do I know? You said I'm funny. How the fuck am I funny, what the fuck is so funny about me? Tell me, tell me what's funny!"

I was 18 when I saw Goodfellas and it blew me away right from the start.  The violence, the swearing, the drama, it was (and still is) an amazing film that brings together so many talented people (actors, scriptwriter, director) who are so apt for the movie, that it still amazes me today that it didn't win best picture Oscar, losing out to Dancing-with-bloody-Wolves.

9.Planet of the Apes (1968)

Tagline: "GO APE" (for real!)
Top Quote: Dr.Zaius (Maurice Evans): "I see you've brought the female of your species. I didn't realize that man could be monogamous."

One of my latter favourites in classic sci-fi movies, Planet of the Apes combines an eerie sense of desolation in its early stages with a grim alternate universe.  I like the downbeat nature of it and of course it has one of the best final scenes in cinema history. 

8.Goldfinger (1964)

Tagline: "Everything he touches turns to excitement!"
Top Quote: James Bond (Sean Connery): "Auric Goldfinger. Sounds like a French nail varnish."

After what I consider the rather workmanlike Dr. No and From Russia with Love, came the classic Bond movie.  Connery was by now at home in the role and all the Bond themes we love were all present (gadgets, girls, action, humour, henchman, lots of locations etc).


7.The Thing (1981)

Tagline: "Man is the warmest place to hide"
Top Quote: Garry (Donald Moffatt): "I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time I'd rather not spend the rest of this winter TIED TO THIS FUCKING COUCH!"

I think I must like depressing movies with downbeat endings, because The Thing is perhaps one of the best examples of this!  A study of man's distrust of himself as well as the fast-approaching AIDS epidemic, this is without doubt John Carpenter's finest hour, and a criminally over-looked film at the box-office thanks to that stupid rubbery ET.

And don't call me Shirley!

6.Airplane (1980)

Tagline: "What's slower than a speeding bullet and able to hit tall buildings in a single bound?" (A play on Superman that strangely got dropped for the subsequent home video releases...)
Top Quote: Elain Dickinson (Julie Hagerty): "There's no reason to become alarmed, and we hope you'll enjoy the rest of your flight. By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?"

A bit of levity at last.  Not many comedies still entertain after multiple viewings and to this day I still get 90 minutes of laughter every time I watch Airplane.  Have a look at the blogpost I did a few months ago where I counter all the jokes! http://jdanddiet.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/airplane.html

5.From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Tagline: "How far can too far go?" (Huh?)
Top Quote: Seth Gecko (George Clooney) "Now, this...is my kind of place."

After Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, everyone was expecting another crime thriller from Quentin Tarantino (he scripted this movie), and they got half of that.  The other half polarised some audiences but I freakin loved it!  From Dusk has plenty of over the top action, some great one liners ("no thanks, I already have a wife" quips George after a vampire has revealed how she's going to torture him) and a plot (so to speak) that moves on swiftly and without conscience.  Top movie, but forget about the rubbish DTV sequels.

Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford)

4.Blade Runner (1982)

Tagline: "Man has made his match - now it's his problem"
Top quote: Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer): "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I've watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die."

Blade Runner is about mortality.  It's about life and death.  It's about revenge.  It's about forgiveness.  It's about man's ability to create his own destruction.  It's about what it means to be human.  A movie just about killer robots?  I don't think so!

3.Casablanca (1942)

Tagline: none
Top Quote: Rick Deckard (Humphrey Bogart): "You played it for her, you can play it for me!" (instead of the renowned misquote, "Play it again Sam")

It may seem strange that a movie 60 years old this year could still be so gripping, yet Casablanca is, and so sits at number 3 in my list.  A timeless classic, it has an outstanding, world-weary perfomance from Bogart at its core and a sweet romantic drama as a fascinating counter-point, with some Nazis thrown in for good measure.  Fabulous.

2.Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
Tagline: "Even a hit man deserves a second shot!" (I bet they were chuffed when they came up with that one)
Top Quote: Martin Blank (John Cusack): "They all have husbands and wives and children and houses and dogs, and, you know, they've all made themselves a part of something and they can talk about what they do. What am I gonna say? "I killed the president of Paraguay with a fork. How've you been?""

The story of the hitman with a conscience who decides to attend his high school 10 year reunion is a comedy classic, and John Cusack has never been better before or since.  Sharp, observed, full of black humour and contrasting violence, it's a bitter sweet love story that I can watch time and time again, if not just for the two brilliant FBI hit men.

Indiana Jones about to "acquire" a valuable artifact

1.Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Tagline: "The Return of the Great Adventure"
Top Quote: Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford): "It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage."

I first saw Raiders in a cinema at Leicester Square 30 years ago and have seen it countless times since.  It has not aged at all, mainly thanks to its period setting and still thrills me as much as it did all those years ago.  From the brilliant set-pieces (the plane scene, the cave, the bar etc), the wise-cracking hero and a mystic, magical plot, laden with Nazis, submarines, bullwhips, suspense and excitement...it's the ultimate in entertainment...

Jdanddiet's Top 100 Movies: 20-11

20.Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai

Before he became Robocop, Peter Weller starred in this manic, confused mess of a movie subtitled  "Across the Eighth Dimension".  It's crazier than a bucket full of chickens, but this has just cemented its place as a bonafide cult classic.  Watch out for Jeff Goldblum and Christopher Lloyd in smaller roles as well as the brilliant John Lithgow as the mad scientist Dr Emilio Lizardo.

19.Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

A typical Bruckheimer-Simpson machine of a movie, BHC ticked all the boxes back in '84 and made back its estimated budget on its opening US weekend.  Boasting a rising star of almost vertical ascent in Eddie Murphy, a solid supporting cast, a frenzied pop soundtrack (including the Axel-F theme) and a disturbing lack of police procedure, it was a huge hit and one of m favourite 80's movies.

18.Event Horizon (1997)

"The Shining in space" was how Event Horizon got rather unfairly labelled.  I'm a sucker for space-horror type movies and Event Horizon ticked all the boxes for me.  The open-ended nature of its conclusion, which leaves a lot up to the interpretation of the viewer, doesn't bother me at all - in fact  I like this in a movie.  Plus it has a great cast.

17.Pulp Fiction (1994)

People may look back on Pulp Fiction now and wonder what all the fuss was about.  But back in 1994, Tarantino was God and there was nothing like this out there.  A superb film.

16.The Grifters (1990)

John Cusack excelled in this thriller-drama that saw him finally escape the teen movies and into the big time.  An outstanding performance is made even better considering he's up against the likes of Angelica Huston (brilliant as his slightl-unhinged mother) and Annette Bening.

15.Ghostbusters (1984)

The hit film of the mid-eighties and it's hard to imagine anyone who was around 11-15 years old at the time not having it as one of their favourites.

14.The Cannonball Run (1981)

The thing that I loved about Cannonball Run was the cast:  it had James Bond in it (Roger Moore), Smokey (Burt Reynolds), Jackie Chan, two ratpackers (Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jnr, hilariously continuing their drunk routines) and a lot of very nice fast cars.  And Farrah Fawcett.

13.Downfall (2004)

Probably the best war movie ever.  Probably.

12.The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Despite the terrible remake with "huh?!" in the lead role, my memory of this sci-fi classic has not been tarnished.

11.Die Hard (1987)

Another 80's classic and one that brings together so many fantastic elements (wise-cracking cop, superb villain, action packed plot etc), that it mesmerised me on first viewing and I still get a kick out of it now.  Yippee kie ay!

Jdanddiet's Top 100 Movies: 30-21

30.Out of Sight (1998)

I've always been a bit of a Soderberg fan and this quality crime thriller based on Elmore Leonard's excellent book is one of his finest achievements and George Clooney has rarely been better.

29.The Frighteners (1996)

Michael J Fox excels in this spooky action-horror movie directed by a pre-Lord of the Rings Peter Jackson.

28.The Apartment (1960)

Another movie that bubbles with chemistry like Out of Sight, Jack Lemmon is the bumbling employee letting out his apartment to his bosses as a love nest.  Shut up and deal.

27.Robocop (1987)

Anyone that says they weren't blown away by Verhoeven's grim sci-fi satire is lying.  Ultra-violent and compelling.

26.Goldeneye (1995)

After a hiatus of 6 years thanks to the relative failure of License to Kill (and a few other issues that I shan't go into here), Pierce Brosnan finally got the Bond role and made a pretty decent fist of it.  Highlights include a spectacular jump off a dam and some thigh-crushing action.

25.The Usual Suspects (1995)

1995 was a pretty good year for me at the movies.  This labyrinthine story of arch-criminal Keyzer Soze has a great twist bolstered by some terrific performances from Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Spacey and, er, Stephen Baldwin.

24.Forbidden Planet (1956)

I've always had a penchant for classic sci-fi movies and this re-working of The Tempest is one of the finest.  Look out for Leslie Nielsen as the ship's captain.

23.An American Werewolf in London (1981)

John Landis made his name with this brilliant horror-comedy and watching it today, the transformation scenes still look bloody amazing.  And painful.

22.Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Whilst most prefer Life of Brian, I like the gritty, dirty and downright strange humour of Holy Grail.

21. LA Confidential (1997)

A classy and evocative tale of deceit and betrayal, LA Confidential has a lot going for it: a great script from Brian Helgeland (from James Ellroy's book), great cast (especially Guy Pearce) and some sumptuous locations.  Russell Crowe also manages to look like he's going to explode at any second.

Jdanddiet's Top 100 Movies: 40-31

40.Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

I admire virtually nothing that Carrey has done since, yet still crack up every time I watch this manic and rubbery-faced film.

39.Under Siege (1992)

"I'm just the cook."  Yes, of course you are!  Seagal is suitably dense, but it's the villains who steal the show, Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey.

38.The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Not the dreadful recent remake, but the original Hackman classic.  Brilliant Sunday Afternoon viewing.

37.The Exorcist (1973)

Mark Kermode would turn in his grave (if he were dead) as infamous horror movie The Exorcist clocks in at number 37.

36.Shaun of the Dead (2004)

A movie of such exceptional fun, that's it impossible not to like.

35.Ray (2004)

I do like a good musical biopic, and this one, based on the life of Ray Charles, is outstanding.

34.All The President’s Men (1976)

Ah, the Seventies.  Very brown, weren't they?  It was certainly brown-trousers time for Mr. Nixon as Woodward and Bernstein (played exceptionally well by Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffmann) discovered all sorts of tricky goings on.

33.Zero Effect (1998)

An under-seen private eye mystery movie starring Ben Stiller.

32.The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

As remakes go, one of the best, and stars the ever-fantastic Liev Schrieber with Meryl Streep in the nut-job mother role made so famous by Angela Langsbury in the original.

31.Black Book (200)

Fantastic War time thriller from Paul Verhoeven.

Jdanddiet's top 100 Movies: 50-41

50.Men in Black
Not a serious sci-fi film by any means, but one of such considerable fun and escapism that it's impossible not to like.

49.Memento

Rather than his overrated Batman films, I went back to the original backwards classic starring Guy Pearce.  Still fascinates me to this day.
 

48.A Few Good Men

You can't handle the truth!  Ok, Jack Nicholson does rather steal the show, but Tom Cruise and in particular my perennial lurking-in-the-background favourite, Kevin Pollak combine with a sharp script to produce a very excellent military thriller.

47.Jurassic Park

The original dino-stomping disaster movie, and one that has yet to be bettered despite the advances in film technology.

46.The Wicker Man

With my memory conveniently blotting out any trace of the Nic "I must fire my agent" Cage's dreadful remake, I will never forget the first time I saw the stunning conclusion to the terrifying original.  All that folk music, ugh.

45.Marathon Man

The 70's brought a whole slew of understated, yet tension-packed thrillers and this is my slightly unoriginal pick of them.  I still don't know if it's safe...
 

44.Dog Soldiers

A great werewolf movie with one of the best taglines of all time:  "Six men. Full Moon.  No chance."
 

43.Minority Report

Despite once more a Hollywood sci-fi film bearing little relation to its illustrious source material, Minority Report is a classy sci-fi thriller that I still enjoy every rewatch.
 

42.Young Guns

This may be the point where many finally give up the ghost on my top 100, but I make no apologies for adoring this brat-pack update of the Billy the Kid legend.
 

41.28 Days Later
I love a zombie thriller, and 28 Days Later updated the genre superbly with - zombies that run!

Jdanddiet's Top 100 Movies: 60-51

60.Black Hawk Down (2001)

From its simple yet effective tag line (Leave No Man Behind) to some muscular action and a subtle yet powerful score from Hans Zimmer, Black Hawk Down is bit of a boys flick, for sure, but nevertheless one of my favourite war movies.

59.Trespass (1992)

Walther Hill's update of the Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a compelling and tight tale.  Bill Paxton and William Sadler are the fireman caught between some treasure and a violent gang led by Ice-T.  Compelling stuff.

58.The Shining (1981)

Lovers of the book don't tend to like it, but I always thought Kubrick did an excellent job of displaying the cursed and isolated nature of the Overlook Hotel.

57.The Way of the Gun (2000)

A superbly crafted thriller starring an excellent Ryan Phillipe and Benicio Del Toro.  Not often you can say that!

56.Alien (1979)

For me not much can still beat the horror and tension of the original film.

 

55.Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (1982)

By coupling archive footage from famous black and white films with new footage of Steve Martin and Rachel Ward, Bob Reiner not only created a great cast, but also a damn funny movie.

 

54.Saving Private Ryan (1998)

The opening 20 minutes is undoubtably one of the finest depictions of war ever.

 

53.Tremors (1990)

Combining an outdated fear of nuclear power with pure monster movie fun, Tremors is an entertaining, if brainless film.

  

52.Chinatown (1974)

Considerably more cerebral is the Roman Polanski directed Chinatown, a film noir set in Los Angeles during the drought of 1930's.  Nicholson has rarely been better and the plot twists and turns more than a twisty turning thing.

 

51.Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Ignore Hopkins's Oscar (for about 9 minutes of screen time) and you've actually got a taut thriller about the notorious serial killer Buffalo Bill.

Jdanddiet's Top 100 Movies: 70-61

70.Cross of Iron (1977)

Sam Peckinpah turned his hand to World War 2 and produced this stunning adaptation of Willi Heinrich's excellent book.  Slo-mo long before Mr. Woo.

 

69.Swimming with Sharks (1994)

Before he broke out with 1995's The Usual Suspects, Kevin Spacey dominated the screen (literally) as a horrible studio exec torturing poor underling Frank Whaley.  A great commentary on the process of films and film making.

 

68.Scream 2 (1997)

Amusing, thrilling and fast-paced, it's a a sequel I've always had time for, especially as it contains more Liev Schrieber as the maligned Cotton Weary, who delivers a fantastic final line.

 

67.Star Trek (2009)

I hate the terms "re-boot" and "re-imagining" but they're quite apt in Star Trek's case, a prequel that cleverly manipulates events to allow for an entirely fresh franchise.  Expect more.

 

66.Ravenous (1999)

Reviled as much as it is revered, I've always been a fan of this film for several reasons: Jeffrey Jones' brilliant turn as a world-weary Colonel, the amazing score by Damon Albarn and Michael Nyman and a bizarre plot that contrasts nicely with the 19th Century setting.

 

65.Dawn of the Dead (2004)

I have seen the original and whilst it's good, feel it has dated somewhat.  Zac Snyder's update is as frantic as it is terrifying.

 

64.True Romance (1993)
Is it Christian Slater's best film?  Likely, but the competition ain't great...

 

63.Spoorloos (The Vanishing) (1988)

I caught this for the first time on Channel 4 late one night.  Brought up on action movies where the good guys always win and get the girl, the ending was something of a surprise.  Shame about the dreadful Hollywood remake.

 

62.The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

Directed by John Huston from a Rudyard Kipling short story, and starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine, there's no doubting the talent on show in this sharp colonial metaphor.

 

61.48 Hours (1982)
You can't beat a bit of early 80's Eddie Murphy, and this is him at his wise-cracking best.

Jdanddiet's Top 100 Movies: 80-71

80.Starship Troopers (1997)
Laughably different from the novel source material, Starship Troopers was (and indeed still is) such gory, sadistic, violent fun, that it's impossible not to like. Well, unless you don't like that sort of thing of course...

79.Fight Club
...

78.Southern Comfort
Is it a metaphor for Vietnam? Most probably, but the gloomy, oppressive atmosphere and tight script concerning a National Guard maneouvre in the deep south that goes violently wrong makes Southern Comfort compulsive viewing.

77.Saw
Looooong before the franchise formed and became the ridiculous behemoth it is today, the original Saw was released on an unsuspecting audience and is actually a taut and well-written thriller. I've successfully ignored most of the sequels for fear of tarnishing its memory.

76.Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Robert Downey Jr is one of my favourite actors and he lights the screen here as Harry Lockhart, a man framed for an attempted assassination of the President. A great little thriller directed by famous 80's scribe Shane Black.

75.Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
It may have been hugely unpopular with Gene Roddenberry (who greatly objected to the militaristic tone of the movie), but Wrath of Khan was a massive hit and remains my favourite Star Trek movie to this day, so don't bother waiting for the one with the whales in this list.

74.Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Kids movies, eh? Forced to endure 90 minutes of mindless sludge, with a colour pallet to make your eyes bleed and enough screaming characters and action to have you reaching for the paracetamol. Not this film. Cloudy is one of the best kids films out there, an intelligent mix of humour, fun, pathos and adventure.

73.Scream
Wes Craven may not have created a whole new genre, but you'd have thought he had, the way everyone banged on about Scream back in 1996. If you were going to pigeon-hole it, I'd say it's more thriller than horror movie, but from that famous opening scene onwards, it had me hooked...

72.Glengarry Glen Ross
Adopted from a stage play, Glengarry Glen Ross certainly has that stagey feel to it, yet the sharp script and sheer weight of talent in front of the camera clearly makes up for this, if it's a drawback at all.

71.The Prestige (2006)
Some films are just soaked in quality and 2006's The Prestige starring Christian Bale and Huge Action and directed by Christopher Nolan is certainly one such example. It's set in the late 19th Century as too rival magicians seek to out-do and compromise each other, and despite a twist towards the end that threatens to compromise the movie (some claim it ruined the plot), I would still watch it over and over again.

Jdanddiet's Top 100 Movies: 90-81

90.The Host (2006)

As will become apparent as this list unfolds, I love a good monster movie, and Korean flick The Host is one helluva monster movie. Set in Seoul, it follows a disfunctional family as they seek to rescue a young girl from the clutches of the eponymous creature. Hugely enjoyable.

89.Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995)

I remember going to the cinema to see this one. I wasn't expecting much (I'd been mildly disappointed by Die Hard 2), but came out exhausted from the latest action-packed adventure in the life of New York cop John McClane. Samuel L Jackson (re-invigorated after Pulp Fiction) is a huge bonus and the movie boasts some brilliant lines to go with the unrelenting pace. Only an insipid and slightly odd ending lets the movie down.

88.Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1951)
In addition to monster movies, I'm also a huge fan of classic science fiction. Ever since I watched every movie of some BBC2 season as a 10 year old, many of these 50's and 60's films hold a special place in my heart. Body Snatchers is one of my favourites, and touts one of those famous old staples, on this occasion, the fear of communism.

87.Shrek
With its cunning take on fairy tale stories to go with a daft line in humour, the original Shrek remains the best film of this enduring franchise by some distance.

86.Where Eagles Dare

I read a lot of Alastair McClean when I was a kid. They were boys own adventure stories, but with a dash of grittiness that - at least to a 14 year old - made them seem so very real. This was my favourite, and the film had Clint Eastwood in it. What more could you want?

85.Deep Rising
Another monster movie, and such an ashamed b-movie that you've gotta award it points just for its bare-faced cheek. Starring Treat "bloody tax bill" Williams and ex-Bond girl Famke Jannsen,

Deep Rising is set on a luxury cruise liner invaded by a many-tentacled creature that sucks out its victim's bodily fluids (oo-er). Boasting ludicrous dialogue, terrible acting and dubious special effects, Deep Rising is a guilty pleasure from start to finish. And you may never sit on a toilet again.

84.Assault on Precinct 13
No, don't panic, not the terrible remake but the 1976 original. Tight, taut and lean, John Carpenter's light Rio Bravo remake is a lesson in less is more. Great soundtrack, too.

83.Duel (1971)
Steven Spielberg's first full movie, and another example of how a simple concept can make a fantastic movie if well implemented. I loved the ending as a kid; they'd never risk that sort of ending these days.

82.The Relic (1997)
Did I say I liked monster movies? Well here's another - this time set in a museum and starring a typically gruff and grumpy Tom Sizemore as the cop investigating some gruesome murders. Once more the special fx leave a lot to be desired, but for sheer creepiness and fun, The Relic is a winner.

81.The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3 (1974)

Again, not the awful remake, but the original starring Robert Shaw and Walther Matthau. A fantastic heist movie with a brilliant turn from the haggard Matthau.

For those of you not smarting in disgust that I put Star Wars at a lowly 99, more next week!

Jdanddiet's Top 100 Movies: 100-91

So here it is, my favourite 100 movies which will span 10 blog posts over the next few weeks. My tastes are fairly modern and mainstream: don't expect many Lithuanian kitchen sink dramas from the 60's or too many romcoms...

100.The Keep (1981)
There's no doubting The Keep is a deeply flawed movie; for starters, many of the characters are vapid and the conclusion is a bit of a mess. However, Michael Mann's directorial flourishes and an unusual visual style, coupled with the marmite soundtrack and evocative location make it a movie I still return to whenever I don't want cheering up.

JDTRIVIA: I once sold the bootleg soundtrack of The Keep on Ebay for over £80!
THE KEEP ON IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085780/
THE KEEP THEATRICAL TRAILER

99.Star Wars (1977)
Controversy already as George Lucas' legendary classic comes in at merely 99! Yes, as much as I love the first Star Wars, it is a simplistic film at heart which is nevertheless redeemed by a pace of storytelling that seemed quite breathless back then.

JDTRIVIA: I first saw Star Wars when it debuted on ITV back in the early 80's when movies on terrestial TV was a BIG THING.
STAR WARS ON IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076759/
STAR WARS THEATRICAL TRAILER

98.One False Move (1991)
Poor old Bill Paxton , give him a starring role and it's in a criminally overlooked film such as this. A noir-ish small town thriller, Paxton plays a local Sheriff called into action when a violent gang of criminals travel to his town. There's a few twists before the movie's violent denouement.

JDTRIVIA: in the wake of backlash against violence in movies in the UK, the poster for this film (which depicted a policeman being shot) was altered despite the film being passed uncut by the BBFC.
ONE FALSE MOVE ON IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102592/

97.Twelve Monkeys (1995)
Twelve Monkeys is that type of movie that improves every time you see it. With hidden layers and depths, Terry Gilliam's time-travelling, bio-terrorism sci-fi flick has it all, including a neat (if somewhat dark) ending.

JDTRIVIA: Only after a second viewing did I finally realise the significance of the final scene.
TWELVE MONKEYS ON IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114746/
TWELVE MONKEYS THEATRICAL TRAILER

96.Dreamgirls (2006)
I'm not a huge musical fan but this recent movie starring Jamie Foxx, Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson (who is brilliant) really appealed to me, despite the prescence of Eddie Murphy - who is also actually quite good!

DREAMGIRLS ON IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443489/
DREAMGIRLS THEATRICAL TRAILER

95.Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Not one of Bond's better-received outings, I grant you, with Sean Connery persuaded back into the role after George Lazenby dropped the ball in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. It's the outlandish characters that make it for me, from Jimmy Dean's reclusive millionaire ("Baha? I haven't got anything in Baha!") to the voluptuous Jill St. John, and of course those lovely two hitmen, Mr Kidd and Mr Wint.

JDTRIVIA: I had this taped off ITV for years and always thought the ending was a bit abrupt. When I bought it on DVD years later I finally realised ITV had cut a large portion of the final scene involving the flaming skewers.
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER ON IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066995/
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER THEATRICAL TRAILER

94.Fargo (1996)
It may not be a true story as the Coen Brothers claimed, but Fargo is still a first rate thriller with an exceptionally weedy and pathetic performance from William H Macy.

JDTRIVIA: The only Coen Brothers film I like. Or actually understand.
FARGO ON IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116282/
FARGO THEATRICAL TRAILER

93.10 Rillington Place (1971)
A genuinely chilling film about Santa Claus' early life as a serial killer. Only joking kids!

JDTRIVIA: I blogged about this film when I first saw it http://jdanddiet.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/one-of-most-chilling-movies-ever-made.html
10 RILLINGTON PLACE ON IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066730/
10 RILLINGTON PLACE CLIP:

92.Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
It's easy to be scornful of Guy Ritchie these days, but back in 1998, Lock Stock was a breath of fresh air with its cheeky cockernee charm and violence against traffic wardens.

JDTRIVIA: this is the only Guy Ritchie movie I have seen.
LOCK STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS ON IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120735/
LOCK STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS THEATRICAL TRAILER

91.Lord of War (2005)
Nicholas Cage's output has been awful of late; this is just about the last decent movie he did. Playing a rich arms dealer, Cage chucks in a decent performance, struggling with the moral dichotomy he suffers from his occupation.

LORD OF WAR ON IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399295/