On the one hand, this is an homage to film noir (pardon my French), but on the other hand it is like nothing else before it. The only thing that could have possibly made this picture better is if Quentin Tarantino cast Daniel Day Lewis as Vincent Vega instead of John Travolta. Rumor has it Day Lewis wanted the part and was rejected. If this is true then so be it. Still a definitive film.
"I do believe Marsellus Wallace, my husband, your boss, told you to take ME out and do WHATEVER I WANTED. Now I wanna dance, I wanna win. I want that trophy, so dance good."
David Lynch took leave from Twin Peaks to make this movie. For this reason, I should have deep feelings of resentment here - the series went downhill due to his inauspicious absence - but it's a really good movie, and I can't stay mad at David Lynch.
Lula: One of these days the sun's gonna come up and burn a hole clean through the planet like a giant electrical x-ray.
Sailor: I wouldn't worry about that, Peanut. By then people'll prob'ly be drivin' Buicks to the moon.
48. Being John Malkovich
Possibly the most surreal film of my generation, this movie proves definitively that Charlie Kaufman + Spike Jonze = superior craft work. To Bradley Pooper's chagrin, no doubt, this is also by FAR my favorite Cameron Diaz movie.
"Do you know what a metaphysical can of worms this portal is?"
47. Django Unchained
Can you tell that I like Quentin Tarantino movies yet? His newest flick (at time of posting) is every bit as creative and daring as his previous works. His movies blend comedy, drama, and action seamlessly, so while they are often over the top, they are also in many ways more realistic than movies that are narrowly confined to a single genre. While I'm not fond of the violent and gruesome, I can appreciate why a film like this needs to be splattered in blood. The acting is very good throughout, but Christopher Waltz is once again phenomenal.
"So as I see it, when it comes to the subject of what to do next, you gentlemen have two choices. One: Once I'm gone, you could lift that beast off the remaining Speck, then carry him to the nearest town., which would be at least 37 miles back the way you came. Or two: You could unshackle yourselves, take that rifle, put a bullet in his head, bury the two of them deep, and then make your way to a more enlightened area of this country. The choice is yours. Oh, and on the off chance there are any astronomy aficionados amongst you, the North Star is that one. Tata."
46. Amelie
This film is bewitching and sweet. Audrey Tautou is perfectly cast as the whimsical, good-hearted, titular mischief maker. She and male lead Mathieu Kassovitz are also both stunningly good-looking. I could watch this movie 100 times and not get bored.
It also features the work of one of my favorite living artists, Michael Sowa.
How can you resist that coquettish little smile?
45. Down By Law
Prison sucks. Tom Waits, Roberto Benigni, and John Lurie rock. Jim Jarmusch is a great storyteller.
"I scream! You Scream! We all scream for ice cream!"
44. The Dark Knight
From start to end, this movie had my attention. It is bleak at times, and darkly comic, and it is everything a superhero movie should be.
"And...here...we...go!"
43. Rocky Horror Picture Show
This movie is fun. It is weird, and energetic, and funny, and campy, and FUN! The only thing that comes close to Rocky Horror is the musical episode from season 5 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Sadly, I've not seen this in the theater, but I fully intend to do so before the end of the decade.
42. The Matrix
When this first came out it blew my mind. It is the first film I ever went to see twice in the theaters, 'cause it is awesome. The action had my heart pounding like I'd just swam the English Channel, and the story was very original at the time, though so many movies have riffed off it since that now the whole "reality isn't real" thing seems done to death.
Also, the detail in this movie is borderline psychotic. Check out Cracked.com's article on the subject.
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