After a few weeks of watching basically the same movie twice, I’ve decided to switch it up a bit. Instead of comparing remakes to their originals, I’m going to create a list of my 75 movies everyone needs to see before they die. Now this isn’t going to follow any specific criteria, it’s just based off of how I feel about the movie. I guess what you could say are factors would be whether or not it was funny, does it have a good soundtrack, interesting plot line, and so on. With each title I’ll give a brief explanation for my choice/ranking. And with that here goes nothing!
75. The Master of Disguise (2002) – It’s funny. And who doesn’t love Dana Carvey. That is really all that is good about the movie. Also, the Turtle Club scene was probably one of the most quoted scenes by me when I was younger. There’s not a good plot, but the jokes given are funny. Even 11 years later.
74. Waterboy (1998) – Again, this one is all about the laughs for me. I’m a pretty simple person and stupid things like this movie get me.
73. Casablanca (1942) – This is a nice, but sad love story. I’m going to be honest and say I was short one movie and I asked my mom and she said this one. I always liked Sam the Piano player though. Also it’s pretty cool that it was tied into what was going on at the time.
72. The Producers (1968) – There is a great plot line to it and it’s not your typical plot. Instead of the main characters being the good guys, they are actually the bad guys! And this sounds bad, but Springtime for Hitler is a pretty catchy song.
71. Just Go With It (2011) – Another weird Adam Sandler movie, but it’s a good rom-com. And that is right up my alley. I personally hate sappy love stories like The Notebook. It was a rom-com that was well structured and had a happy ending.
70. Saving Private Ryan (1998) – It’s a pretty compelling story. I’m a history buff so stuff like this really interests me. And also who doesn’t love Tom Hanks and Matt Damon?
69. The Sound of Music (1965) – Another awesome story. There is kind of a happy ending, I mean as happy as it probably could be considering the situation. Also, the songs are catchy and get stuck in my head way too easy. And it just adds to the reasons that Julie Andrews is a great actress/singer.
68. Last of the Mohicans (1992) – Ok, I’m going to be honest with this one, the only reason this is on the list is because of the music. It completely matches the movie and is just amazingly composed. Yeah, there is a nice love story there, but really I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the last 10 minutes of the movie more times than I have the entire movie. Whoops. Just a forewarning if you haven’t seen it, it’s kind of sad at the end, so be prepared.
67. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) – Another music case. To be quite frank, ET scared me when I was younger and it always made me cry when he got left behind and when he left Elliot. So that right there means I maybe watch it once a year, but it is still worth watching. ET does some pretty funny stuff and it’s a cool concept to think about.
66. Grown Ups (2010) – Again, I apologize, but it’s another tacky Adam Sandler film. But for some reason I really like this movie. When I first saw it I had low expectations, but it turned out much better. It is one of those cases that I was genuinely laughing, alas at stupid jokes, but I was still laughing.
65. The Great Gatsby (1974) – This is my favorite book. Yeah, they didn’t do as well as I could have done (haha), but it was still nice to be able to visually see the story. I think in a book you can get connected with characters, and that connection is aided by seeing them on screen, if it’s good. And there is a remake coming out, which I’m more excited about than I should be. 😀
64. The Infidel (2010) – This is a movie that I’d imagine no one has heard of. It happened to be on HBO a couple of summers ago and I was captivated. It’s about a man who was raised Muslim, but finds out later in life that he was actually adopted and born Jewish. It is a funny take on how someone handles the situation. He actually goes to a man to teach him how to be Jewish. It is definitely worth your time.
63. Clue (1985) – I grew up playing the game when I was younger and when I found out there was a movie I was ecstatic. It chalk full of great comedy. It is also great because it has Tim Curry in it, who I think can be such a versatile actor. And because it brings the game to life it is a good watch. There is such a plot twist at the end I was not expecting it, but I approve of it very much.
62. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) – This is another rendition of a great book. Again, there are some discrepancies, but it is such a good story that that doesn’t really even matter. Gregory Peck portrayed Atticus exactly as I thought he would be and when an actor is able to do that my respect level for them is off the charts. If you haven’t read the book then shame on you, do it and then go watch the movie.
61. Sweeney Todd (2007) – HOLY COW SNAPE CAN SING! When this movie first came out I thought “Eh, that’s cool, a bit gory whatever”, but when I found out that Alan Rickman was in a movie with Johnny Depp I kind of died. It is such a good movie, all the blood and murder aside. I think it’s an excellent example of what lost love can drive a person to do. And Alan Rickman and Johnny Depp sing together, and do so well.
60. Little Miss Sunshine (2006) – LMS is another movie that people probably haven’t seen or even heard of. I appreciate because it shows that life is always what it seems, but you can definitely make the most of it. It is also cool because it is one of the first movies that Steve Carell is in and it reveals a completely different side of his skills. Whereas he is usually funny, in this movie he is downright straight forward and depressed. It’s surprisingly hilarious at points and sometimes it tugs at your heart, but it is definitely worth watching.
Well, sorry for rambling and repeating words, but I really do love all of these movies. Tune in next week for 59-45! 🙂