I Watched 62 Films Last Year

So I'm a big fan of the web series of Welcome to the Basement. Cool series, great chemistry between guests and really good discussions about films, some that I feel get underrepresented in the internet film discussion scene. One of the hosts mentioned he made a list of films to watch. I have a bunch of DVD's that haven't watched and I haven't been watching a lot of films on Netflix, so I decided to compile a list of one hundred films to watch throughout 2018 and I managed to watch half of them. Heres all the ones I managed to watch and what my thoughts are. These are in no particular order. 1. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)

If you look at my first Films I Missed List I mentioned the one I was interested in was Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, directed by Luc Besson. Now finally after finally watching the film I can cross it off my list and say it's good, if flawed. The plot of the film is about two United Human Federation agents Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) end up on a quest for answers when their commander (Clive Owen) gets taken by an unidentified alien species. Their investigation leads them to look into the City of a Thousand Planets and make several shocking discoveries. The opening of the film is the stand out moment of entire film, it does boast beautiful looking special effects and great production design, the titled city looks great each having it's distinct look. But the acting of the main leads is not there. While I understand Cara Delevingne is model and not an actress, she has delivery issues, but does has her moments, especially when she's by herself and Dane DeHaan comes off less roughish and more douchey and the plot is a bit predictable. It also boasts some creative ideas, like an extra-dimensional market, but doesn't go far enough in that. Ethan Hawke has a great cameo and I felt Rihanna didn't add anything to the film. Good, but flawed lots of spectacle. 2. The Searchers (1956)

So Star Wars is known to be a hodgepodge of stuff George Lucas liked, Flash Gordon, WWII dogfights, Arthurian lore and of course westerns and The Searchers is one of the most obvious ones, with actually shots being replicated. Directed by John Ford this film is about Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) a returning Confederate Civil War veteran who searches for his niece (Natalie Wood) for five years with his younger adoptive nephew (Jeffrey Hunter). This film is a beautifully shot. John Ford captures the full scope of frontier America and there's a reason why this film has one of the best closing shots in cinema. The story is great in it's themes of relevancy, revenge and racial relations. Edwards is a complex character and is open to interpretation, does he really want to rescue his his niece or does he just want to relieve his glory days before killing a bunch of Native Americans to satisfy his place. The film doesn't tell us this and let's the viewer to decide. The acting is also great, John Wayne shines as a man who is riding on his stature but is also struggling internally about his place in a changing world and Jeffrey Hunter is also great as the person who calls out Edward's attitudes. It's lives up to its praise. 3. The Squid and Whale (2005)

Noah Baumbach is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated director/writers working today. His films, while following the same through line; people having problems and can't figure out how to deal with it, he still shines by showing different perspectives and points of view. The Squid and Whale is one of his personal films, but also one of his best. Based upon his own experience, the films tells the story about a well to do New York family who break apart when the patriarch (Jeff Daniels) and matriarch (Laura Linney) enter a divorce and the effects on there two sons Walt, the eldest son (Jesse Eisenberg) and Frank, the youngest son (Owen Kline). This is another film that I enjoyed. Baumbach does a really good job making it both parents look sympathetic but you can understand why they divorced, Jeff Daniel's dad, Bernard, is once acclaimed author who passed his glory days but is also self absorbed, while Laura Linney's Joan is too vain to think about the people in her life, but also struggles as well. It's very compelling and complex. I also like how its shot, with a lot of close ups to make it very personal. Originally Baumbach wanted Wes Anderson to direct it, but I like Baumbach's more stripped back approach. The performances are also a highlight of this film as well, Jeff Daniels is great as a has been author who is strung out, Laura Linney is compassionate as the mother whose trying her best and Jesse Eisenberg plays the highly smart, but can't do anything socially. This is a great film. 4. Kicking and Screaming (1995)

So while Noah Baumbach's schtick of making people who are highly skilled have real life problems can be very sympathetic on the other hand it can come off as more "I want attention, I want to be loved, pity me." That type of smugness. Kicking and Screaming is about a group of well to do university students who are graduating and refuses to get on with their lives. It stars Josh Hamilton, Eric Stoltz, Olivia d'Abo, Parker Posey and Elliot Gould. I did not get it, I found the majority of it aimless, it spins it wheels heading towards an ending which is sad and makes sense for this type of film. One thing I did like was Josh Hamilton. He was really good it, I also liked his and Olivia d'Abo's flashback scenes, but in the end it didn't work for me.

5. Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990)

Shakespeare is something we've all come across, from studying the plays in school, from watching the films, looking at different forms of media that are based on the Bard's work. When I was at school, I felt ambivalent towards it, I had to studying it, liked Kenneth Branagh version of Much Ado About Nothing, but now I have an newfound admiration for him. This film is not based on a play of his, well it is, but not. Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead was play by British writer Tom Stoppard about Rosencrantz and Guildenstern two supporting characters from Hamlet and what their doing during the play. I haven't seen the play, so I can't compare it to that version but as a film it's pretty great. The film stars Gary Oldman and Tim Roth as the Rosencrantz and Guildenstern respectively and they're great. They have great chemistry with each other and really detail they have a cluelessness about themselves. Another actor I would like to talk about is Richard Dreyfuss as the Player King, he's entertaining. I also like the writing of the film as it ranges from meta textual to exstitensial. I will say it does have scenes where nothing happens and it did loose my attention, but check out if you want to watch something artsy.

6. W. (2008)

So I was 1 when George W. Bush was elected President and 10 when he left office, so my memory was foggy about his time in office, also I lived in the UK so he wasn't a larger presence, but I have read up about him. This film was directed by Oliver Stone and written by Stanley Weiser, the man who wrote Wall Street. Part of his "presidential trilogy" (JFK, Nixon). The film stars Josh Brolin as the 43rd President of the United States George W. Bush, focusing on the build up to his 2002 State of the Union speech after 9/11 and the build up the Iraq War while flashbacks detail Bush's rise from drunking Yale student to Governor of Texas running for President. I liked this film, I'm a liberal person and I wasn't going into this film as a scathing account on George W. Bush, but more of a character study on someone trying to make a name for yourself and living in the shadow of your predecessors. We see this quite commonly with Bush Jr trying several ways to impress his father 41st President George H.W. Bush (played by James Cromwell). Those were the best parts of the film, I felt the flashback scenes were the stronger part of the film, but it does come off as the TLDR part of a Bush biography. I also like the supporting cast of this movie. It has Elizabeth Banks as Laura Bush, Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney, Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powell, Scott Glenn as Donald Rumsfeld, Thandie Newton as Condoleezza Rice, Toby Jones as Karl Rove and Stacey Keach as an amalgamation of a lot Christian pastor. This is a good film if you like your recent history and also a good character study.

7. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)

I remember watching the original Madagascar when it came out on DVD during Christmas. It's a good film, great character design and animation, good voice talent and very funny. I also liked the sequel, it was a good sequel, had great callbacks, added more than the last film. This film is unnecessary, I felt the second film was a good closing point. The plot involves the gang of escaped zoo animals, Alex, Marty, Melvin and Gloria decided to seek out the penguins in Monte Carlo, for fear of being stuck in Africa. This leads to confrontation with French animal control agent DuBois (Frances McDormand). To hide from her, the escapees travel with a bunch of circus animals (Bryan Cranston, Jessica Chastain and Martin Short) and help them get back on their feet. This film doesn't add anything for the main characters, the plot is really an excuse to show off the animation because this was back when 3-D was a thing. But there were few things I liked, I liked the scene where return to the Central Park Zoo, I liked Frances McDormand's character, the animators must've had a blast animating her and the circus scenes look pretty. 8. Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996)

Beavis and Butt-Head, to me, is one of those Nineties show that you get because it's been absorbed into the public consciousness, with it being referenced everywhere so you don't have to watch an episode to get it, but I put this film on my list because of the critical praise. Even Siskel and Ebert gave it a glowing review. I watched it and I agree with them. It's a funny film. The plot of this film is actually really smart. Teenage slackers Beavis and Butt-Head (voiced by director Mike Judge) ending up hired to Bruce Willis' criminal drifter Muddy Grimes to kill his wife, who is played by Demi Moore. This ends up to the duo on a road trip to Washington DC, because they were looking for their stolen TV. This film is really funny, not only from the way Beavis and Butt-head interact with the world but also the performances by Willis and Robert Stack as an ATF agent. We also had some cool cameos from people like Dave Letterman, Richard Linklater, Greg Kinnear and Cloris Leachman. The film's soundtrack is great because this was 90's MTV when they cartoons. I would recommend it. 9. Schindler's List (1993)

Steven Spielberg is a filmmaker who can show that he can do crowd pleasing blockbusters and historical dramas. This was one of his early historical dramas. Based upon the life Oskar Schindler, the film is about the lives of the Polish-Jewish workers saved from the Holocaust by employing him in his factories. This is in my opinion Spielberg's greatest film. He shows the horrors of Nazi Germany through the use of beautiful cinematography which really hammers home the serious tone and also makes it feel like this is actual footage from that time. The performances are great as well Liam Neeson channels Gregory Peck from To Kill a Mockingbird in his performance as Oskar Schindler and Ralph Fiennes plays a good psychopath. The film is hard to sit through in some scenes but it is still effective to convey the message Spielberg wants to put forward.

10. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

This thriller from John Carpenter is really great. After witnessing his daughter getting killed by a criminal street gang a concerned father (Martin West) kills a gang member but is chased into the aforementioned Precinct 13 which is manned by skeleton crew lead by CHP officer Ethan Bishop (Austin Stoker) which also has a bunch of prisoners being transferred. So it's a motley crew of mis matched people defending themselves against an enemy. This film was great, Carpenter really directs tension, you can see it from the performances where the police and criminals get up in each others faces and also from the fight scenes. John Carpenter also did the score for this film and it that's cool, the synth really works well with this film. This a great film. 11. The Thing (1982)

Another John Carpenter film, a remake of the 1951 film The Thing from Another World which was adapted from the John W. Campbell Jr. story Who Goes There? The film tells the story of a group people in at an Artic research base where they are sent upon a parasitic being who can take over their bodies. This is very great, again Carpenter does tension well, with good performances from the cast, two of Carpenter's usual guys Kurt Russell and Keith David appear in the cast with also Wilfred Brimley, all going up close to each other. You have a feeling these people could end up killing each other. I also like the set design, it delivers a sense of emptiness, but also claustrophobia. The music is also great, it was composed by Ennio Morricone and it's both sci-fi-esque and terrifying. The Thing is one of those films that lives up to the hype.

12. The Birdcage (1996)

I watched a lot of movies from 1996 last year. So the Birdcage is a funny film. Based on the French film La Cage aux Folles, this American remake is directed by Mike Nichols, the man who directed The Graduate and written by his performing partner Elaine May. The plot of the film that the son of famous Miami drag club owner (Dan Futterman) is dating the daughter of a US senator (Calista Flockhart), the only problem is that son's father (Robin Williams) is gay and lives with club's main act (Nathan Lane) while the daughter's father is a conservative US senator (Gene Hackman). So, the gay couple have to play it straight, literally. The film itself is funny, Williams and Lane has great chemistry, so does Hackman surprisingly, he's great in this, but it builds up towards the end where it gets theatrical. Mike Nichols can direct a great film, I enjoyed this a lot. 13. The Magnificent Seven (2016)

The Magnificent Seven is an classic of American cinema and, yes, the irony that a film that is a remake of an Japanese movie is getting a remake is not lost on me. The plot of this film has the same structure as the original Kurosawa version; a group of villagers is being antagonised by a larger villain, this case an industrialist played by Peter Sarsgaard, so the villagers get a bunch of seven warriors, this case being Denzel Washington as a US Marshall, Chris Pratt as a poker player con artist, Ethan Hawke as the western equivalent of a sniper who suffers PTSD, Vincent D'Onofrio as a tracker, Byung-hun Lee as a knife wielding assassin, Manuel Garcia-Ruflo as criminal on the run and Martin Sensmeier as a Native American, the younger member. I liked this film, the action scenes were great Antoine Fuqua has a good eye for action scenes and they were entertaining, he's also great with performances, the chemistry between the cast is great and we do get stand out performances from the eponymous seven like Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio and Denzel Washington and outside the seven Haley Bennett was a cool character, she had her own character arc. The film had beautiful cinematography done by Mauro Fiore and I liked the redone James Horner score. It's a cool little film. 14. The Equalizer (2014)

Another action film directed by Fuqua and starring Denzel Washington. Based on the 80's TV show of the same name, The Equalizer deals with former Marine and Defence Intelligence Agency Rober McCall (Denzel Washington) playing a game with the Russian mob after helping out a prostitute (Chloe Grace Moretz). I liked this film, goood action film, Washington is great as the older action star, I though Marton Csokas was entertaining as the villain, he seems to be having fun. Good Sunday afternoon film. 15. 2 Guns (2013)

Finishing off this string Denzel Washington movies is 2 Guns. Based on an Image Comic with the same name this bank heist film is about two criminals who aren't criminals. One is an DEA agent (Washington) and the other is US Navy Petty Officer (Mark Walhberg) and they have to fight corrupt cops, Navy officials and cartel members. This is a pretty disposable movie. Like the definition of one. Good to watch if you have nothing to do, but a bit bland. But I will say that Bill Paxton was entertaining as one of the villains. 16. Mars Attacks! (1996)

Now let's move onto the Tim Burton movies. I like Tim Burton, I like his gothic expressionistic style. I love his cadre of actors he uses. Even it is just Johnny Depp or Helena Botham-Carter in various pieces of make-up, but he's still an good director in my book and now I'm talking about his most underrated film Mars Attacks! Based on the Topps Trading Cards, yes, this is about an alien invasion Mars and how it affects different people around the world. I love how unadulterated silly this film is. Some parts feel like it's in a Looney Toons cartoon. Which I think it's going for, a more funny Independence Day. One criticism I have heard is that some characters are broad stereotypes from other movies which I do agree, but that's the point because it's more parody. We have Pierce Brosnan as charming professor, Annette Benning is a hippie, Jack Nicholson is a furloughed President and a skeevy Vegas casino owner, Natalie Portman is the president's daughter, Jim Brown as a down on his luck boxer and Annette Bening is a hippie. I would also like to note that his film has a large cast, again this is like a silly version of a 90's disaster movie, so there's a lot people in this who do get the spotlight, but some who don't so I'm going to run down some of my favourites: Jack Black as the rookie soldier who gets killed off, Danny DeVito as a sleazy lawyer, Martin Short as a pervert press secretary, Glenn Close as the First Lady, Tom Jones, he's not playing anyone, he's playing himself and Rod Steiger as a crazed general and half of these people get killed off. This is very cathartic movie, which is what you get from a Tim Burton movie. I also want to talk about the special effects, they have not aged well, but still have a very cartoonish look and they take full advantage of that when half the world gets destroyed. I also like to write about the voices of the Martians, that was great performance delivered by veteran and voice acting legend Frank Welker. Just wanted to point this out. If your in a cathartic mood, then you'll love this movie.

17. Big Fish (2003)

Now onto what I think is Tim Burton's best film, Big Fish. Based on the 1998 novel, this film is about Will Bloom (Billy Crudup) the estranged son to one Edward Bloom (Albert Finney). As the elder Bloom is on his deathbed, Will has to come to face with who is father was by being told stories about him as a younger man, played by Ewan McGregor. This is a really good movie about life, legacy and stories. Burton's gothic style lends well to the stories Bloom tells, it's more Southern gothic and the expressionism you'd expect from Burton. I often feel this film is a bit like Forrest Gump, man tells stories about his less than average life, but while Gump was more of a man who was involved with world history, Fish is more tall tales. The performances are great in this film, Billy Crudup is great as the cynical son who comes to term with who his dad is and Albert Finney is really great as a very energetic and spry old man. Ewan McGregor is great in the all American boy scout role, even if his Southern accent starts to turn Scottish in some parts. I also like the how Burton uses the Southern Gothic style during Edward's stories, but everything else in real life looks so mundane and drab. It's a cool little detail in a cool little emotional movie.

18. Shane (1953)

Deconstructions are very commonplace nowadays. From TV to film to even comics deconstructing there own tropes and world. Which is something I think Shane is. Yes I sought this film out because of Logan. Based on the novel by the same name (take a shot), this western is about a family in the American frontier where they meet a mysterious drifter named Shane (Alan Ladd) what follows is a conflict with a local cattle baron named Ryker (John Dierkes). The main focus of this film is not the title character Shane, but more on the family and their neighbours. We see how the violence between Shane and Ryker's men, including an early appearance from Jack Palance, and how it affects them. Some people even die because of this. We have a focus on the child (Brandon deWilde) and how he admires Shane, but the family (and the audience) don't know about Shane. It really is an film that makes you think. I also love it's shot, we get sense how large the setting is, but we as an audience often go back towards the same locations over and over and you get a sense of how secluded the settlers are. The performances are great as well, the family is great, we the mother and father have arguments and have personal moments between themselves. Alan Ladd is great as the archetypal cowboy, but can be a bit mysterious. Jack Palance is great as the villain. Shane is probably one of the best films to talk about violence and the effect is has on people.

19. The Killing (1956)

So I've considered myself a film guy, I like films, I know actors and directors. I call out shots, but one of my biggest "sins" is that I never watched a Stanley Kubrick movie. I rectified that last year when I watch one of his earliest efforts The Killing. Starring Sterling Hayden, this film is about a heist at a race track, told from different prespectives. If that sounds familiar, yes, Reservoir Dogs does take cues from this film. The film itself is a good crime story, great directing, good set up and pay off. One thing I did like was the performance from Elisha Cook Jr as put upon teller George and Marie Windsor as his conniving wife. It's probably one of the best films of the 50's I've seen.

20. Inherent Vice (2014)

Now onto a film, I had a little bit of trouble following, probably should've watched it again, but I understood some of it. Based on the novel by the reclusive writer Thomas Pynchon. Inherent Vice is a period piece neo-noir about P.I. Doc Sportello, (Joaquin Phoenix) hippie based out of late 60's/early 70's California who is one three seperate but somehow related invesitgations, one to help his ex-girlfriend Shasta Fay (Katherine Waterson) to find her current lover, real estate developer Mickey Wolfman (Eric Roberts), another to white an Aryan on behalf of another gangster played by Michael Kenneth Williams and the last to find a musician (Owen Wilson). At the same time he comes into conflict with a cop/aspiring actor named Bigfoot (Josh Brolin), Triads, Martin Short and many other famous actors who show up. As I mentioned this film is a bit hard to follow, characters come in and out, Doc follows lead, upon lead, upon lead. But I think that's the point, it's like drug trip, it keeps changing and changing (FYI I have never smoked one), but were more invested for what Doc does, which is what I liked because Joaquin Phoenix is great in this. He can play this introverted weirdo who just stumbles around everywhere. He's really good. Another performace was Josh Brolin as the archetypal cop who rubs up against the private eye, he gets some funny moments. Katherine Waterson was also great as a hippie femme fatale. I also like the cinematography of this film. Robert Elswit gives this film an old 70's film reel home movie to it. Everything looks dusty, I just love it.

21. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learnt to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

This is relevant again. Based on the novel Red Alert by Peter George, Stanley Kubrick turned this serious novel into a cold war era satire that still holds up fifty years later. The plot is that a military colonel played by Sterling Hayden has sent out a bunch of bombers carrying nuclear warheads out on a bombing run to Russia, this causes US and the Soviet Union to work together to stop this looming catastrophe. Comedy is very easy to date, especially a satire like this, but it still holds up. The comedy works well because it balances between cartoony humour and nightmare fuel. We have actors chewing the scenery, Peter Sellars does some of his best work, doing three roles, ranging from the straight man to hammy villain. The comedy drives from how some of the actors show range, George C. Scott works great doing comedy (which was just from some mickey takes), Sterling Hayden works well doing a proto-type Alex Jones. The film is also has an underlying tension well the comedy because it's funny that a bunch of people who can't decide what to do has to save and it's also scary that a bunch of people who can't to decide what to do has to save the world. It's reaaly clever. The script was written by Kubrick himself, the novel's original writer and Terry Southern, famed satirical writer who went on the influence the likes of Monty Python. This is a great, funny, but scary movie. 22. Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Last of the Kubrick films I watched during 2018. Based on the 1979 autobiography by Gustav Hasford on his experiences during the Vietnam War, the film about photographer Joker (played Matthew Modine) from his training under the ur-example of a nasty drill sergeant Hartman (played by R. Lee Ermy) then to his time as a correspondent during the Battle of the Hue, one of Vietnam's bloodiest wars. This is one of the weakest Kubrick films, the film is divided into two parts, boot camp and Hue and one outweighs the other. I thought the boot camp segment, it was more developed as it dealt with passive abuse which inflicted upon people. It had the more interesting character dynamic and performances with Vincent D'Onofrio slowing descending into madness and R. Lee Ermy playing himself, yeah, he was an actual drill sergeant in real life. The second part just isn't that interesting, while the performances are good and the directing is also great. It's just less interesting that the first half. Still a good war movie. 23. Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972)

This is awkward, very awkward. So before he became a pariah Woody Allen was one of the most lauded film makers of the 70's but has now turned into making films that get advertised on the back of that magazine supplement you get with the Sunday Times. Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex is based on a sex manual by Dr. David Reuben. Yes Woody Allen made a movie based on a sex book. This is really awkward.

The film itself is a sketch movie, like Monty Python, with several vignettes centred around a bunch of different actors, Gene Wilder, Geoffrey Holder, Burt Reynolds, John Carradine, Tony Randall, Anthony Quayle, Regis Philbin and many others and as a film, some of the sketches don't hold up as some others. Mostly because of the changing social norms and personal taste in humour. Some sketches I did like were the panel show sketch, I liked the technical side of it and how it made look like an actual show from the 50's, the giant tit one also gave me an occasional chuckle, mostly due to how it channels several B-movies and John Carradine just have a five course meal with the scenery and the last sketch where it turns into an R-rated version of Inside out with some really clever jokes. I found this film and it's subject matter hard to separate from its artist and it really doesn't hold up. 24. Annie Hall (1977)

It's getting really, really awkward now. Annie Hall is one of the most critically lauded films of the seventies. It one Best Picture in 1978, gave Diane Keaton an Oscar, it's where Christopher Walken, Jeff Goldblum and Sigourney Weaver all came from. It's one of the best romantic comedies, but does it still holds up.

The short answer yes. The film is about New York based comedian Woody, I mean, Alvy Singer and his relationship with the woman Annie Hall, the title character, how they met, what there relationship is like and how they ended their relationship. One of the things I liked about the movie is the direction. Say what you will about Woody Allen as a person, but he is very creative as a filmmaker. For example there's a scene where Alvy explains his childhood and there's a scene and he mentions someone says he exaggerates his childhood, while overplayed with his house under the Coney Island Cyclone. I like that exaggeration style. Another scene when they waiting to watch a play and they have two arguing artsy people and he brings in the writer they were arguing over. I like that out there style. I also like how they make the title character not just a bland piece of wood. Annie as herself is an interesting character. She has her anxieties as someone from a working class background living in a big city with people whose upper class. This is shown through her iconic hat and waist coat style, showing that she doesn't not what to wear in a place like New York, but the nice parts circa 1970's. Annie Hall is one of the best romantic comedies, one of the best films of the 1970's, but it does feel a bit self-indulgent sometimes.

25. The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

I thought this was the Pierce Brosnan version. The Thomas Crown Affair is a heist, caper film, but it deals more with the aftermath of the heist. The plot is that millionaire Thomas Crown (played by Steve McQueen) has pulled the perfect crime, by having four people rob a bank in Boston and have another guy as the getaway driver. This heist brings the attention of insurance agent Vicki (Faye Dunaway) and this leads into a cat and mouse game of seduction and double meaning.

What I like about this film is the chemistry between the leads Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway. You can see the sexual chemistry on screen and it does get a little bit racey, in some scenes. On their own, Steve McQueen plays the magnificent bastard brilliantly. He's very smug, but very smart, you can see he's plannig something. Faye Dunaway is good as the morally ambiguous insurance agent. Any scene she's in she has a good presence on screen and looks great. As a film on the technical side of things it looks great. Good shot composition, the sound design, is a little patchy, but this is the sixties. Pretty good film.

26. Blazing Saddles (1974)

Now onto the two Mel Brooks films I watched. Blazing Saddles has a reputation today. It's one of the best comedies and satires and parodies ever made and you can't make it today because everyone is too oversensitive and blah, blah, blah I can't make fun of fat people. Well, as someone who could be lumped into the oversensitive generation. It's pretty good film. A parody of western films, this film is about how a land baron Hedley Lamar (Harvey Korman) who wants to have this land which is were a town is sent, so he appoints a new sheriff to his town, Bart (Cleavon Little), who is black in a town full of racists, but after a few incidents him and the town gets together to defeat Hedley, with a few jokes on the way. This film it's funny, it's more parody than satire, it's more of a funny western which dives into full cartoon at any given moment. It's noted for the joke shotgun approach where you keep on getting hit with the jokes. I also like how it shows racism can be defeating by everyone working together. A bit like BlacKkKlansman. Performance side, they're all funny, we have Brooks alum Gene Wilder doing his thing, but the stand out and the one I enjoyed every time he was one screen was Harvey Korman. He's great, his delivery, his posture, it's a comedic performance which I don't see get talked about a lot. He's great in this.

27. Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Now the later Brooks film. Robin Hood: Men in Tights, while not as groundbreaking as Saddles, it's still an funny film. The film is a parody of the Robin Hood legend, mostly taking cues from the Kevin Costner version (the one with the Bryan Adams song) and some of the Errol Flynn version. The film is very funny, Cary Elwes is great as a Robin Hood, he's a good a straight man to all the crazy side characters. The additional characters are funny, Richard Lewis does a great spoiled king, the Sheriff of Nottingham is also great and pompous. The jokes are funny, the two musical numbers in this are great. I felt Tracey Ullman is wasted in this though and I liked the cameos from Dom DeLuis and Patrick Stewart.

28. Midnight Run (1988)

This was pretty fun. Midnight Run is a crime comedy film starring Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin and this film is something I would watch anyway. The plot is that Robert De Niro plays a bounty hunter who has to take an important bounty from New York to Los Angeles in five days. While doing this he has to compete with the FBI, lead agent played by Yaphet Kotto, the mob, lead gangster played by Frank Vincent and a rival bounty hunter, played by John Ashton. I enjoyed this film a lot. I like buddy films and what works with them is the chemistry between the leads and there is good chemistry from De Niro's tough guy and Grodin's sensitive man. They work well off each other. I also like the action sequences and the side characters get something to do which is fun.

29. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)

Now Dreamworks has a reputation these days of being trash. I always see it as an identity crisis. It's either a more darker edged animation house that adapt stories Disney wouldn't touch (Prince of Egypt and Joseph: King of Dreams) or something with a social satire (Antz or Bee Movie) or just Frat Pack comedies (anything starring a former SNL cast member). This film was made during darker edge period as its an adaptation of the Sinbad stories.

I liked this film. It's a fun adventure flick. The plot is that pirate Sinbad (played by Brad Pitt) is accused of stealing a MacGuffin, but it was the goddess Eris (played by Michelle Pfieffer). Sinbad goes on a voyage to get them back while his longtime friend Prince Proteus (played by Joseph Fiennes) takes the blame. Joining Sinbad on this voyage is Lady Marina played by Catherine Zeta-Jones. What I like about this film is the animation, this was when most animated films tried to ape the Disney style and it is a bit derivative, but they have nice look. The seven adventures they get were thrilling, the one thing that hindered my enjoyment was the ending. It's ver disappointing.

30. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)

This is an epic comedy. The general plot of a It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is very known and has be replicated in many films after it first premiered. The group of zany characters all race across a great distance to reach something with monetary value. In this case, a hidden stash of money left by a dying gangtser, played by comedy singer Jimmy Durante causes a group of people played by a who's who of comedy stars of the late 50's/early 60's; Milton Berle, Ethel Merman, Mickey Rooney, Jonathan Winters, Terry-Thomas, Sid Caesar, Edie Adams, Buddy Hackett, Phil Silvers, Dorothy Provine, Dick Shawn and (in a very subdued performance) Spencer Tracey all directed by Stanley Kramer. The man who directed Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? Yes, that film.

One thing that makes this film great is the ensemble cast, they all work together, their some of the most talented in their craft and their funny. Ethel Merman is a great angry in-law, Milton Berle is great as Merman's put upon son-in-law, Dorothy Province is great as the level headed wife, Sid Caesar is great as the hung up husband, Jonathan Winters is great as the unlucky man, Mickey Rooney

31. The Big Lebowski (1998)

I understand the references now. The Big Lebowski is an 1998 comedy film from the Coen Brothers. The film is about the Dude (Jeff Bridges) who gets involved with a kidnapping plot because he shares the name with a billionaire named Lebwoski (David Huddleston). Along the way he meets an interesting cast of characters, Lebowski's daughter (Julianne Moore), nihilistic Germans (the leader of played by the always entreating Peter Stormare) and a private eye (Jon Polito). Also bowling. Lots of bowling. I liked the film, it's funny, the characters are memorable and funny. The one who steals the scene is Coen Brothers mainstay John Goodman as a crazed Vietnam vet Walter Sobchak. He always go off into tangents and causes the dude nothing but more trouble. He's the best bit of the film. I also like how this film is a spoof movie, mostly of noir movies, like the earlier Coen film Miller's Crossing which Jon Polito's character mentions the plot of to the Dude. But funny. This is honestly a funny film.

32. The Full Monty (1997)

The Full Monty has kicked off a string of British films about a group of unemployed people coming together through a common activity. While it did start with the Ewan McGregor and Pete Postelthwaite vehicle Brass Off a year earlier, but the Full Monty is the more well known one. The plot of this film is about a two steel workers (Robert Carlyle and Mark Addy) who've been made redundant and have decided to become male strippers to raise money with a group of other people (Tom Wilkinson, Steve Huison, Paul Barber and Hugo Speer). This film is a builder film; a film that spends the entire length of the film heading towards a big event at the end. That is one of the problems I had with the film as it does spins it wheels and leads to some scenes going no where. It does use it's time in the meantime to talk about subjects, like depression, masculinity, confidence, father's rights and numerous other subjects that are relevent to men. I do like the acting, Robert Carlyle does play the divorcee working class dad whose trying be a better father to son really well and Mark Addy is a great straight man and has good chemistry with Carlyle.

33. From Dusk till Dawn (1996)

From Dusk till Dawn is a horror action film directed by Robert Rodriguez. The film is about the Gecko Brothers (George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino) two fugitives from the law who take a priest (Harvey Kietel) and his children (Juliette Lewis and Ernest Liu) hostage and take them to strip club in Mexico, which turns out to be a Vampire den. It's up to them and horror special effects wizard Tom Savini and former American football player Fred Williamson to last the night.

I liked this, its obvious Rodriguez is harkening to a more Grindhouse film in the last half of the film, while the first half feels like a thriller, which I did enjoy. I liked the vampire make up, they look really monstorous. The actions scenes are faced pace and thrilling. The characters are memorable, George Clooney plays the cool criminal well, Quentin Tarantino is creepy and Harvey Kietel kicks ass in his role as the father. I liked this film a lot.

34. Hot Fuzz (2007)

Hot Fuzz is a film that people will always say you have to watch it, it's great. "It parodies action films so well. It's an Edgar Wright movie, he's film Jesus." Well... The plot of the film is that by-the-books cop Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is sent from London to the West Country. Trying to fit in he discovers a conspiracy in the small village. What makes this a film that everyone talks about. Well, it's whose behind the camera. Edgar Wright is like the British version of Kevin Smith, a nerdy guy who makes films with his friends. He's also a great editor, Edgar Wright is a technician film maker, he treats his films like a motor engine and when it going, it's purrs. I remember watching a video review of this film and the Cornetto trilogy and describes them about growing up, this film is about settling down, mostly how Nicholas has a hard time to settle down. This is a Cornetto trilogy film so yes Nick Frost is in it, playing Pegg's partner who is really great in this film, has an innocence to him. Speaking of actors, this film is basically an whose who of British actors, this film has James Bond, Davy Jones, Mrs. Baylock, Alan Partridge, Professor Slughorn, Walder Frey, the Equalizer, the Hound, Bilbo Baggins, Timothy Spall's son, Olivia Coleman and many others whose characters names I don't know about. The film is also a great parody of action films, mostly cop films and how would the tropes of said films work in somewhere like England. One of the best parody films, comedies and British films. 35. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is another Edgar Wright film which is an adaptation of the Brian K. Vaughn comic series of the said name about the lead singer of a Canadian band who has to fight his girlfriend's seven evil exes. This is based on an indie comic book. Whenever I see people talk about this film, they mostly talk about the video game style visuals, but I'm surprised no one has talked about the major theme of this film. Growing up and letting go. Most of the ex-boyfriends are immature and how they couldn't let go. It's something no one talks about it. Let's talk about the cast now. Michael Cera is great as the nerdy main character who goes on a hero's journey, Mary Elizabeth Winstead is great as the snarky Ramona Flowers, Ellen Wong is a perfect casting for Knives, Brie Larson does a great diva, all the boyfriends are all entertaining douches. It's a great hyperactive film.

36. Romancing the Stone (1984)

I love Robert Zemeckis. He's one of my favourite film directors, he's made my favourite movies and he's always experimenting with film. He's great and this film is. Romancing the Stone is a 1984 adventure film that acts a throwback to pulp adventure novels. The plot of the film has down on her luck romance novelist Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) who is called to the Amazon to rescue her sister from antiques smugglers. Along the way she meets Jack Colton (Michael Douglas) and they are on a race against time to find a green diamond. This film feels like an movie version of the Uncharted video games. That's probably why I like it. I love popcorn adventure flicks, like the Mummy. It's basically a check list of things I like. Great back and fourth between the two leads? Douglas and Turner are great together, they get on each other's nerves but they grow to love each other, they deliver it well. Are the villains bland and one dimensional? Yup. Does it have at least one funny or entertaining side character? Danny DeVito. I love films like Romancing the Stone, it's enjoyable.

37. Mean Streets (1973)

Before he was known as the one of the most famous film director's he was just a film maker whose films were produced by Roger Corman. Mean Streets is one of his most well known earliest film, which really doesn't has a plot, but of a series of events which a bunch of characters experience. The characters of this film are played by Scorese's frequent's players Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro. Keitel plays Charlie Cappa a young hoodlum's whose friends with De Niro's Johnny Boy Civello whose a hot shot wild card. Cappa has to balance his life as a criminal, Johnny Boy's attitude, love life and religion. I liked films of the 70's and films set in New York, mostly the period when it was pretty rough. It's a perfect portrait of a city that has improved years later. Which is the message of the film, trying to improve through hardship. Charlie wants to be better, but his life comes in the way. It's honestly one of the best crime films with a pretty good performances and a killer soundtrack with obviously made Martin Scorese who he is today.

38. When Harry Met Sally... (1989)

I'm single. I have had made female friends but I've never been in a non-platonic relationship, so watching this film didn't impacted me that much. The plot is about two people, Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan), who have several chance encounters and they attempt to have relationship where there more than just friends, joining them in this film is the late great Carrie Fisher as Sally's best friend and the late great Bruno Kirby as Harry's best friend. While I didn't get it, I wasn't bored, the cast is great Billy Crystal plays a good snarky sad sack, Meg Ryan does conflicted really well and Carrie Fisher. It's Carrie Fisher's she's the entertaining. I also like the direction by Rob Reiner, especially the phone call scene, that was well crafted.

39. Looper (2012)

This film is original and one of the best of the decade. Set in the not too distant future, time travel hasn't been invented yet, but in the far future it has and criminals in the far future are sending the people who they don't want to deal are sent to the past to be executed. One looper (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), has problem, his future self is loose in the past now he has to chase him from doing something terrible, while being on the run from his employers.

This is an impressive film, in the first ten minutes, it introduces the world, the rules of the world and who the characters are, it's classic filmmaking. We have the a fantastic cast with Joseph Gordon-Levitt doing his tough guy look, Bruce Willis is actually emoting, Jeff Daniels is great as a villain and Noah Segan plays a three dimensional character with a complete arc. It has a great concept, one of the best science fiction films in years from Rian Johnson.

40. White Heat (1949

White Heat is one of the best crime films of it's era. It has one of the best concepts, great direction, bolstered by a lead performance by James Cagney who portrays a three dimensional character who is entertaining, just as it is to breakdown his motivations. One of the best of it's kind.

41. The Expendables 2 (2012)

Was it over the top? Yes. Is it just an excuse from a bunch of action stars shoot guns and fight nameless bad guys dress in black? Yes. Was it fun? Yes, definitely.

42. The Pink Panther (1963)

This is a disappointment. The Pink Panther is a comedy franchise starring Peter Sellers as bumbling French detective Jacques Clouseau who has to look for the Pink Panther diamond. I most knew of the Pink Panther through the cartoon series from the 70's. This first film in the franchise is a rocky start. While he was the main character in these films Clouseau is more of a supporting character to David Niven's Sir Charles Lyntton who tries to seduce the title MacGuffin from her. The film really is too long, spins its wheels, there are few set pieces that I did like, but it's just a middling film bolstered by a memorable performance by Sellers.

43. Rain Man (1988)

This is going to be a long one. I have Asperger's syndrome, I obsess over films and TV and stuff. I get too worried about the littlest changes and I get really excited. It's who I am and this film is going to be hard to review. The plot of this film is about hot shot yuppie Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) who has to take his Autistic savant brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) across America. Now, things I like about this film, I liked Tom Cruise and his chemistry with Dustin Hoffman. I love the cinematography, I love the very drum like soundtrack. I like Cruise's character arc. Those were what I liked about it.

Now onto the elephant room. Rain Man was a film that was critically lauded in its day, it made massive sweeps at several award shows and since then a sleu of films where a big name actor makes his bid for an Oscar playing some Autistic. Forrest Gump, I Am Sam, X+Y, that one Josh Hartnett movie, that film with Hugh Darcy and that one movie Ben Stiller's character did in Tropic Thunder. As an Autistic person, I don't really mind this, but I understand why people wouldn't like it and yes it can be really, really, really heavy handed. Hoffman's performance in this film, good. I've known people like this in real life and Hoffman does capture those mannerisms really well. But at the same time this film has made a somewhat "iffy" legacy.

44. Good Will Hunting (1997)

Now onto a smart movie. Good Will Hunting is a movie about Will Hunting (Matt Damon), a janitor who lives in a working class area of Boston. He is discovered by a university tutor to be smarter that how he act and is put under the tutoring of widower Dr. Sean Maguire (Robin Williams). This film is about adapting to a new environment, while still trying to stay true to your roots. The film shows this having Will's friend act very informal and also Will feeling out of place. The performances are great Matt Damon does play a very young man at a cross roads in his life, supporitng actors like Ben Affleck and Stellan Skarsgard fill in their roles as best friend and uppity man well, but let's talk about Robin Williams' role. Robin Williams' especially in his later career had a habit of starring in various Oscar bait films. Mostly heartfelt types of movies like Patch Adams or Jack. While in those films he came off as trying too hard, in this film he's more subdued. His character in the film is a widower and it's taking toll on him. He doesn't really go into inspirational and tearjerking, he feels real. I like the back and fourth between him and Matt Damon. At it's core Good Will Hunting is about background how if effects who you will become in the future.

45. Gone Baby Gone (2007)

Now another movie set Boston, which associated with Ben Affleck. This is a great movie. Directed by Ben Affleck it his directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone is a neo-noir film based on the book by Dennis Lehane. It tells the story of two private eyes (Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan) who investigate the abduction of a missing child in the Boston neighbourhood of Dorchester. This is a great mystery movie and I really don't want to spoil anything. Don't watch the trailer, it's doesn't spoil the movie outright, but it does give away plot detail. This is a great crime movie, with memorable performances from Casey Affleck, Monaghan, Ed Harris and Titus Welliver. Ben Affleck directs a good crime film, the streets look very grimey and dirty. It's really good. Highly recommend.

46. The Big Short (2015)

Adam McKay is one of my favourite comedy directors. His comedy films, while turning ridiculous, sit had an undercurrent of an theme. Anchorman was about sexism, Step Brothers was about growing up and The Other Guys is about white collar crime. It would sense Adam McKay would make a film about the Financial Crisis and make it one of the most entreating and interesting films I've seen. Based on the book of the same name, the film tells the stories of a bunch of people in the financial world figuring out of an upcoming market crash and their attempt to make money off it.

As mentioned before McKay is a comedy director, known for going the extra mile, this style applies itself to the something like a financial crash really well. The fourth wall breaks are great, Ryan Gosling's narration is entertaining, his underlying message works well. It's a perfect match. This film also has great pacing, like it just moves really fast. Unlike his last film Vice, which I thought, was alright, it was a bit self-indulgent and punched down towards its audience, but this film doesn't.

This film also felt like a disaster movie. It has a big ensemble cast, Steve Carrell, Christian Bale, Brad Pitt and Ryan Gosling, it doesn't feel jumbled, as the great pacing manages to manage it. I also like how didn't meet each other which I thought was cool.

47. Tower (2016)

In 1966 at the University of Texas at Austin, Charles Whitman opened fire on the people below the university's students and several other people. He killed 18 people. This documentary looks at the shooting from down below as the makers interview the survivors years later. This is a great a film that focuses on a topic that is still and always relevant in America. The animation is stunning as it is haunting and so is the sound design, every time you hear a gun shot it sounds like a crack of thunder. Go watch it. 48. Get Shorty (1995)

Now something a bit lighter. Get Shorty is a Barry Sonnefield film based on the book of the same name by famous pulp writer Elmore Leonard. The film is about loan shark Chilli Palmer (John Travolta) who decides to leave the career of shaking down people and working in Hollywood, especially with B-movie producer Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman). Now Palmer has to juggle rival criminals (Delroy Lindo and James Gandolfini), his old boss (Dennis Farina) and a big name star (Danny DeVito). This film is a lot like Jackie Brown, which was also based on a Elmore Leonard book, a more talky crime movie, which is one of the best bits of the film, the dialogue is snappy, everyone has a great back and fourth. It also has a twists which I didn't see coming. I liked it, but one problem would be John Travolta, he's casted well, but he hasn't got any chemistry with anybody. It just didn't fit.

49. Foxy Brown (1974)

Yay, a 70's movie. Foxy Brown is a Pam Grier led blaxploitation movie directed by Jack Hill. It's about Foxy taking revenge against the criminals who killed her lover, an undercover cop. I was entertained by this film, the action was great. Pam Grier is one of the original badass women of cinema and is awesome in this. She commands a presence. I thought the villains were a bit bland, but I did like the Motown soundtrack.

50. Thelma and Louise (1991)

Yay, a 90's movie. Thelma and Louise is a movie about Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Surandon), who go on the run after killing a man who raped Thelma. I like this film, it gives me a sense of freedom, on the open road, which is spectacularly shot. Every shot almost looks like a podcast. The cast are great, Geena Davis and Susan Surandon work well off each other, Harvey Keitel is great as the cop trying to chase them and Michael Madsen does a very impressive dramatic role as Louise's husband, which I think is underrated in this movie. This is one of the best road movies.

51. Withnail and I (1987)

Withnail and I is a British comedy film based upon the life of actor Bruce Robinson, where two struggling actors (Paul McGann and Richard E. Grant) have holiday in the British countryside and it's terrible. I didn't know how to feel about this movie, I liked the cinematography, everything is all dirty and grimy, I liked the performances, Richard E. Grant steals all the scens he's in, Paul McGann does put upon really well and Richard Griffiths is funny as one of the problematic parts of the film, but it's too long and goes nowhere. I really wasn't impressed by it. Now, the problematic part. Richard Griffiths. Richard Griffiths is a talented actor, I loved him Harry Potter and Hitchhiker's Guide, I have nothing against him. But his character. Griffiths' character is based on film director Franco Zeffierelli, who Robinson worked with and almost assaulted, when I first saw the film I thought it was an unflattering portrayal of a gay men, but learning about the events that inspired it, it's a bit hard to write about. If you want a more elaborated review, I'd suggest this review my critic Kate Robinson or That Movie Chick. Check it out she's cool.

52. Layer Cake (2004)

Matthew Vaughn is a film director who I feel is underrated, while he does seem to be set on making a movie on everything Mark Millar has written, but he a cool style and vision. This is his first film, and... It feels really hard to be something else. Layer Cake is a crime film starring a pre-Bond Daniel Craig as XXXX; yes, really, a London gangster trying to leave a life in crime, but has very hard time doing that. I think one problem with this film it's very hard to follow. The main focus is XXXX trying to leave, but he has to find some drugs that were stolen from some European criminals. He is also having an affair with Tammy (Siena Miller), the girlfriend to a friend of his (Ben Whishaw) and he's also dealing with a rival crime lord played by Michael Gambon. It was based on a book, which I think it lends itself well to that.

53. Ghostbusters II (1989)

Ghostbusters II is one of the most disappointing sequels I've seen. While the cast does make this entertaining, especially Peter MacNicol, it's a garbled mess, plot lines are jumbled and it just rehashes the previous movie.

54. Seven Psychopaths (2012)

Seven Psychopaths is an interesting film. The plot is about Colin Farrell's character Marty, a novelist who best friend Sam Rockwell is stealing dogs. He steals the dog of a unhinged gangster played by Woody Harrelson. This causes them to go on the run with their friend Christopher Walken. This is a pretty cool crime flick. The cast are great, it goes into weird directions, Tom Waits appears in this film for a short cameo with a rabbit, but I was entertained. Sam Rockwell steals the show, I can see why people like him. The direction by Martin McDonough is also good as well, an otherwise entertaining film.

55. Love Actually (2003)

Richard Curtis is one of the most biggest influences in British comedy. He's created shows like The Vicar of Dibley, Blackadder and Mr. Bean. He's also created the charity Comic Relief and has given Hugh Grant a career. Love, Actually is a film that pretty popular. Mostly gets to be re-aired during Christmas, because of it's setting. The plot of the film is that several people are experiencing various forms of love during Christmas time; the UK Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) has fallen for his secretary, an old rocker (Bill Nighy) is making a Christmas single and Andrew Lincoln is being a stalker to Keira Knightley. The gambit of a film with several short stories that they could be hit or miss, there were some I liked, the Liam Neeson one, the Laura Linney one and the Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson one and there were ones I didn't like, the Andrew Lincoln one, the Kris Marshall one and the Martin Freeman one. Another problem I have is how Richard Curtis handles women, some scenes are a bit male gazey which is a bit distracting.

56. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

This a pretty fun and influential comedy. The 40-Year-Old Virgin is a comedy is about Steve Carrell's Andy, a nerd whose friends are trying to get him laid. That's the premise. It's pretty entertaining. What makes it entertaining is the cast and how they work together, it is known that the film is mostly ad-libbed all the cast are pretty great. Steve Carrell is great, so is Catherine Keener as his love interest. It also stars other future famous people.

57. American Graffiti (1973)

I'm running out of things to say about these films. American Graffiti is one of George Lucas' films before Star Wars and it's about a group teenagers spending one long night in the summer of 1962. This film really doesn't have a plot but it's more of an essay of themes that would be later seen other George Lucas projects, like nostalgia, coming-of-age and where your going. All the characters have a future laid out ahead of them, Curt (Richard Dreyfuss) and Steve (Ron Howard) are going to be sent off to college and the film mostly focuses on Curt's last day of metaphorical freedom. The film also deconstructs a lot of 50's nostalgia films that were popular in the 70's. We have drag racing, which proves to be a death trap and we get that foreboding sense of dread that comes with hindsight, because we as viewers know that the sixties won't be all that happy, we have the Kennedy assassination, Vietnam and other tragedies coming up. The performances of the film were also great, Richard Dreyfuss emulates a young George Lucas, Ron Howard does great as a cocky young man, Pat Le Mat was entertaining having to deal with a teenage girl and play an surrogate older brother and hello young Harrison Ford enjoying himself. But the scene with the best performance is when we see Wolfman Jack.

This scene is really good. It tells so much, but let's audience figure out, it feels like Wolfman has met several people like Curt come up to him, but Wolfman sees himself in Curt, it's honestly a pretty cool scene to dissect.

58. Only Yesterday (1991)

Now this was a nice little movie. Only Yesterday was a Japanese animated film directed by Isao Takahata who is most known for Grave of the Fireflies. Only Yesterday is a Studio Ghibli film that is more stripped back, not focusing of the whimsy of fantasy, but the whimsy of normal life. The plot of the film is about Taeko, an unmarried 27-year-old woman who is visiting friends in Japan's countryside. During this time she flashes back to her younger years in Tokyo during the early 60's with her family.

The film really doesn't have a strong plot it's mostly about who you are and where you come from and how it defies you. The flashback scenes were some of the best ones in my opinion. I felt I related to it more because I felt like Taeko at her age then, I looked at the world at a certain way and I wasn't that smart. Now writing about the performances is a bit tricky. I speak English, the Queen's specifically, so I watched the dub version, which was made in years after it's initial release. Why? Because it talked about menstruation and Ghibli is owned by Disney, they wouldn't that, so on it's 25th Anniversary it got an English dub, starring Daisy Ridley as Taeko and Alison Fernandez as Taeko as a 5 year old and Dev Patel. It also had voice actors I was surprised to be in a dubbed anime like Grey Griffen and Tara Strong. Daisy Ridley is really great in this, her voice is really captivated, especially when does scenes when she talks about her life in vivid detail. It's some of the other best scenes.

59. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

This was a long movie. The Manchurian Candidate is a political thriller about a Korean war veteran (Frank Sinatra) who discovers a plot to takeover the presidency by controlling an other veteran (Laurence Harvey). This film, is very, very long and a slog to go through, but there were things I liked. Frank Sinatra is perfectly casted in the lead role and as a military man. He has that look to him and Laurence Harvey is very creepy and unsettling, he looks so out of place, which does give off this feeling that something is off about him.

60. A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

Almost there. The Dollars trilogy is one of those film, that's been talked about and interpreted in many different ways, but Sergio Leone's unofficial remake of Yojimbo is possibly is one of the best films ever made and that I've seen. The plot is that A Man with No Name (Clint Eastwood) wanders into a town where two gangs fight between each other. The Man has to help the people of the town to get rid of the gangs. One of things I like about how they don't do the morally grey, both sides have a reason. One gang are dangerous, the other aren't that bad. It's very simple as it is effective in it's storytelling. Also Clint Eastwood is great in his iconic role.

61. For a Few Dollars More (1965)

While Fistful was Clint Eastwood's movie, it's sequel is Lee Van Cleef's movie. For a Few Dollars More is the sequel to A Fistful of Dollars it goes bigger than the last one. Fistful had a more bigger budget which helps tells it's story more and develop the characters more. Especially the villain Indio who is very interesting to watch, he has presence on screen and Leone uses him well.

As I mentioned in the beginning of the last paragraph, this is Lee Van Cleef's movie. His character has the more urgency, reason to hunt the villain besides money and Lee Van Cleef is pretty badass in this movie as well. His back and fourth with Eastwood is great and really looks the part of a serious bounty hunter.

62. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

I'm done now. I'm done. Right, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Great move. one of the best westerns, one of the best of the 60's. Triumph of cinema. The plot is that it is a prequel to the other two films, giving a backstory to the Man with No Name, but still making him mysterious. Set during the height of the American Civil War, three people, the Good (Clint Eastwood), the Bad (Lee Van Cleef) and the Ugly (Eli Wallach) race each other looking for the treasure of deadman where treachery and twists lay ahead. The film itself is epic, from great set pieces to unforgettable characters. Clint Eastwood was cool, Lee Van Cleef does a massive turn as the villain and Eli Wallach steals the show in a film that he carries. The score in all the Dollars trilogy by Ennio Morricone is awesome.

That was all the films I watched last year. Just like last year it was a long slog but I managed to do it. I started this since March. I liked doing this little experiment/way-to-justify-purchases. They were a diverse range of films. Which just so happened to have Danny DeVito or released in 1996.