OK, yet another meme- but there’s a reason.
Here’s Entertainment Weekly’s list of the top movies of the last 25 years. Go through their list and BOLD the ones you have seen, ITALICIZE those you love/would watch over and over again, STRIKE OUT those you dislike strongly or really would rather never see again.
1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03)
3. Titanic (1997)
4. Blue Velvet (1986)
5. Toy Story (1995)
6. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
7. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
8. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
9. Die Hard (1988)
10. Moulin Rouge (2001)
11. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
12. The Matrix (1999)
13. GoodFellas (1990)
14. Crumb (1995)
15. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
16. Boogie Nights (1997)
17. Jerry Maguire (1996)
18. Do the Right Thing (1989)
19. Casino Royale (2006)
20. The Lion King (1994)
21. Schindler’s List (1993)
22. Rushmore (1998)
23. Memento (2001)
24. A Room With a View (1986)
25. Shrek (2001)
26. Hoop Dreams (1994)
27. Aliens (1986)
28. Wings of Desire (1988)
29. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
30. When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
31. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
32. Fight Club (1999)
33. The Breakfast Club (1985)
34. Fargo (1996)
35. The Incredibles (2004)
36. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
37. Pretty Woman (1990)
38. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
39. The Sixth Sense (1999)
40. Speed (1994) (Can I strike this out twice?)
41. Dazed and Confused (1993)
42. Clueless (1995)
43. Gladiator (2000)
44. The Player (1992)
45. Rain Man (1988)
46. Children of Men (2006)
47. Men in Black (1997)
48. Scarface (1983)
49. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
50. The Piano (1993)
51. There Will Be Blood (2007)
52. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988)
53. The Truman Show (1998)
54. Fatal Attraction (1987)
55. Risky Business (1983)
56. The Lives of Others (2006)
57. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
58. Ghostbusters (1984)
59. L.A. Confidential (1997)
60. Scream (1996)
61. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
62. sex, lies and videotape (1989)
63. Big (1988)
64. No Country For Old Men (2007)
65. Dirty Dancing (1987)
66. Natural Born Killers (1994)
67. Donnie Brasco (1997)
68. Witness (1985)
69. All About My Mother (1999)
70. Broadcast News (1987)
71. Unforgiven (1992)
72. Thelma and Louise (1991)
73. Office Space (1999)
74. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
75. Out of Africa (1985)
76. The Departed (2006)
77. Sid and Nancy (1986)
78. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
79. Waiting for Guffman (1996)
80. Michael Clayton (2007)
81. Moonstruck (1987)
82. Lost in Translation (2003)
83. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)
84. Sideways (2004)
85. The 40 Year Old virgin
86. Y Tu Mamá También (2002)
87. Swingers (1996)
88. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
89. Breaking the Waves (1996)
90. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
91. Back to the Future (1985)
92. Menace II Society (1993)
93. Ed Wood (1994)
94. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
95. In the Mood for Love (2001)
96. Far From Heaven (2002)
97. Glory (1989)
98. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
99. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
100. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999)
Now, about that reason. Soulhuntre, Quin, Kimiko and I were having a discussion- the five authors and the five films that have impacted/ influenced you the most. They don’t have to be classics… they don’t even have to be good. Just the right film at the right time, the right words at the right moment, that helped shape who you are and define your world.
1. Hunter S. Thompson ( Discovered when I was 14- I had never read anything like it- and I still haven’t. The majesty of excess, the pure mad poetry of words.)
2. Edward Gorey (Shaped my sense of humor, propriety and style – like something terrible either just has, or is just about to happen.)
3. Niel Gaiman (Showed me poetry in beauty and horror, “fear in a handful of dust”)
4. Ayn Rand (If you don’t know by now, I can’t explain it.)
5. Stephen King (The Stand and The Dark Half left indelible impressions… after reading The Stand, I bought my first pair of boots.)
Movies: (In no particular order)
1. Ed Wood (Makes tribute of our efforts to be great, and holds all our dreams as equally grand… and is funny as hell, when it’s not kicking my ass.)
2. Videodrome (Showed me I was not alone)
3. Fight Club (Combined film with brilliant wordsmithing as only really powerful graphic art had done for me before)
4. American Beauty (Paralyzes me every time I see it)
5. Empire of the Sun (Showed me film could be about more than mere events)
Meme this if it you inspires you- I think it says a lot about who we are, and how we came to be that way.
Comments
2 responses to “Memes with ulterior motives…”
I actually wrote my college essay on Ed Wood.
And American Beauty has a special resonance with me. It’s a bit like a sucker punch of emotion.
The movie that has impacted me most is “Performance” and if you haven’t seen it, I’d bet $5 it will be one of your favorite movies too.
Other fave movie is “Salome’s Last Dance” but I doubt anyone can find that movie in any form. 🙁