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Top 50: #21-30
Clerks (1994):
Not only is it hilariously funny with sharp dialogue, but it’s a great slacker
flick, and a great indie flick. The further into my twenties that I’ve got, the
more it’s spoken to me, and as illustrated in the excellent making-of
documentary “The Snowball Effect”, it’s one of those flicks that I enjoy even
more because of the story behind its production.
Day of the Dead (1985):
After that 1997 issue of SFX, this was my first introduction to the films of
George A. Romero. Bought on VHS from a local Woolworth’s (long before they went bust), my first viewing was one of awe. I’d
never seen such tremendous gore effects before, Captain Rhodes proved to be an
enduring screen villain, the score kicked arse, and it features the best
on-screen zombie of all time – Bub. It’s a terrific zombie movie (as I often say, AMC’s The Walking Dead is
the best thing in zombies since 1985) and it’s one that I saw at the most
explosive time in my formative film-viewing years.
Die Hard (1988):
My favourite Christmas movie of all-time, and one of the best action movies
ever made. It’s tough, sweary, violent, and it stills holds up to this day with
ease.
Heat (1995):
The first time I saw Michael Mann’s epic and stylish ‘cops and criminals’
thriller, it was all a bit ahead of me if I’m perfectly honest. Then years
later I rediscovered it on DVD and suddenly the appeal was there. Beautiful
camerawork, perfect performances, and one of the best movie bank robberies ever
shot, make this simply splendid.
High Fidelity (2000):
I always dug this flick, but it wasn’t until several years
later that I really came to value it. It’s got a cool script, excellent performances,
and it’s a tip-top ‘hang out’ movie. What’s more, the way the protagonist
organises his life and his memories around his music very much appeals to me, as
I do the very same thing, albeit with cinema.
Pulp Fiction (1994):
Achingly cool, this was one of those flicks that gave you immediate cred in the
school yard when you could say you’d seen it. Upon its initial release it
whipped up a bit of a storm here in the UK due to one particular sequence
of drug use – so it had an air of danger about it – and that just made it
all-the-more appealing. However, beyond all the elements that tempted all of us
kids in high school to see it, it’s just a really damned good flick.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the
World (2010):
When I saw it in the cinema I was aware of the graphic
novels, but that was it. As such it mostly flew over my head, but after I read
the books and got the flick on Blu-Ray, I got absolutely obsessed with it.
Edgar Wright’s inventive style blends seamlessly with O’Malley’s slacker-action
genre-meld, and while it’s disappointing to see it didn’t do stellar business
at the box office, it did become one of the best cult movies this side of the
millennium. Brash, stylish, and with brilliant sound design, it’s a genre-splicing
arse-kicker with heart and an unbreakable sense of appeal.
Shaun of the Dead (2004):
It may be a comedy, but this Wright/Pegg/Frost runaway success was the best
thing to happen to the zombie genre in a very long time indeed (well, until AMC’s The Walking Dead came
along). Chock-full of zombie movie references for the die hard fans of the
genre, it combines a dizzyingly good script with charming performances, gore,
and even genuine heart.
The Texas
Chainsaw Massacre (1974):
Picture the scene – it’s the middle of winter, I’m eating dinner, and for the
very first time I’m watching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre on a fudgy 3rd
generation dubbed copy on VHS. That’s how these movies should be viewed –
during those mid-teen years of cinematic discovery on a scruffy copy from a
friend – it has a sense of illicit, rebellious danger to it. This viewing
experience, for me, sums up why I’ll always be a child of the video era.
Tremors (1990):
I saw this early enough in my childhood that I sought to emulate it –
recreating scenes in Lego while dressing similar to Kevin Bacon’s character Val
– and over the years it’s become not only a fond memory of my youth, but also
an example of perfect screenwriting. Like Back to the Future, no scene is
wasted – everything drives the plot forward with new information – the pacing
is spot-on, it’s quotable, and it’s utterly and totally enjoyable. Plus – Burt!
Top 50: #31-40
American Psycho (2000):
The source novel was a brilliantly dark slice of satire; it cut the decade of
excess to ribbons with a disturbed glare and a vicious wit. Christian Bale’s
performance as Patrick Bateman – a Yuppie version of Norman Bates via
Leatherface – is as chillingly cool as the film itself.
Apocalypse Now
(1979):
A journey into madness both on and off-screen, Francis Ford
Coppola’s re-mixing of Heart of Darkness for the Vietnam era is an extraordinary
filmmaking achievement. Its journey to the silver screen was a long and arduous
one, but it unleashed a vast war movie for the ages.
The 'Burbs (1989):
A favourite from my childhood that has endured countless viewings over the
years, and as such it is imprinted on my mind like only a few others. To those
of a certain age it’s a fond trip down memory lane with memorable quotes
galore, but what’s more when I think about it, it was really my first
introduction to the horror genre. I was fascinated by a clip of a
chainsaw-wielding maniac, and an infamous gushing of pea soup – which in later
life I discovered were clips from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, and The
Exorcist respectively.
The Devil's Rejects (2005):
A sleazy, down-and-dirty, yet blackly comic punch-in-the-face horror movie. The
opening siege and shoot-out kicks the doors open with gusto in Rob Zombie’s
best filmmaking effort thus far, which goes on to boast graphic violence,
terrific characters, magnificent editing, and the best use of Lynard Skynard’s
“Free Bird” to date. After the onslaught of Scream-clones in the late 1990s and
very early 2000’s, Zombie’s gut-punch was a lurid, nasty and extremely good
antidote.
Escape From New York (1981):
John
Carpenter at the height of his game, Kurt Russell as one of his most iconic
characters (Snake Plissken), and featuring Dean Cundey’s neon-smeared
photography, this future dystopia action flick is a 1980s genre classic.
Grindhouse (2007):
It was never released in-full in the UK after a less-than-stellar box office
run in the USA, but eventually I got to see it in its ‘double bill version’ (before which I had watched Planet Terror and
Death Proof in their extended, separate forms) and I absolutely loved it.
As a big fan of Rodriguez and Tarantino’s work this was a delight for me –
especially as I’m a huge fan of this kind of cinema anyway. Planet Terror is a
bloody blast, the fake trailers are an adrenaline rush of tongue-in-cheek
nostalgic sleaze, and personally I absolutely loved Death Proof (which divided audiences).
Hobo With A Shotgun (2011):
Jason Eisener’s 1980s-grindhouse-cinema-inspired
crimson-choked arse-kicker is a bloody good time from start-to-finish,
especially for fans of this kind of flick. What’s more, the genuine indie
spirit and heart behind the making of the movie makes it all the more
entertaining and indeed meaningful – here we have a bunch of genre fans from Nova Scotia getting the
chance to make their own spiffing genre movie. Without a doubt it’s my
favourite movie of 2011.
L.A. Confidential
(1997):
Curtis Hanson’s deeply cool
1940s-set detective thriller didn’t initially appeal to me when I first saw it,
however like a few entries on this list, I came to greatly appreciate it upon a
second and third viewing several years later. Everything about this sumptuously
shot film is luxurious – the superb cast and their performances, the
labyrinthine script, and the sharp direction. It’s one of the very best high quality
prestige pictures to come out in the last twenty years.
The Matrix (1999):
After a couple
of bloated back-to-back sequels, the initial impact of the Wachowski Brother’s influential
milestone action sci-fi outing may be somewhat diminished. However, casting my
mind back to 1999 and watching it in my local independent theatre with my Dad,
it was a cinema-going experience not to forget. It was the film to see that
year and it blew the doors off seemingly everything at the time.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994):
In the original 2009 list, and
then in the 2012 update, I forgot to include this flick. It's one of those
movies that never fails to hook me in when it's on TV – I intend to just watch
a few minutes, and I'll end up watching the whole thing. Iconic, memorable,
quotable, and beautifully realised on the screen, Frank Darabont's adaptation
is simply incredible.
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