2. Annie Hall (Woody Allen, 1977)
The ultimate anti dating movie. Allen's Alvy embodies everyone's insecurity
when it comes to our own religious and emotional backgrounds spiced with
the best dialogue ever written for the big screen.
"A relationship, I think, is like a shark. It has to constantly move forward or it dies.
And I think what we got here is a dead shark"
3. Sunset boulevard (Billy Wilder, 1950)
Probably the best performance by an actress, ever.
When Gloria Swanson's Norma Desmond walks down the stairs into Cecil B deMille's
camera it's the definitive end of an era.
"I'm ready for my close up Mr deMille"
4. On the waterfront (Elia Kazan, 1954)
The first movie I saw with Marlon Brando who's performance completely blew me away.
I even went out and bought a jacket like he had in the movie.
Loyalty and brotherhood are questioned in this urban masterpiece.
Great performances by Cobb and Malden as well and a surefire direction
by Elia Kazan.
"A pigeon for a pigeon"
5. King of comedy (Martin Scorsese, 1983)
Everyone talks about about "Goodfellas" and "Taxi driver"
as DeNiro's best acting achievements.
But I think here we see DeNiro in his best role ever,
and that counts for a lot in my book. A both tragic and hilarious
look on the search for staredom, an alienated Rupert Pupkin taking
things to the extreme in order to appear on a TV show.
"Better to be king for a night than a schmuck for a lifetime"
6. Manhattan (Woody Allen, 1979)
The best opening 5 minutes in moviehistory.
Citylife has never looked so romantic with a firework display over
Central park and Rhapsody in blue topping things off.
A more colourful movie has seldom been made, that despite Gordon Willis'
black and white photo.
"You think you're God.....well, I gotta model myself after someone"
7. 2001 a space odessey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
People slate this movie for its slow pace.
That is exactly WHY this colossus of a sci fi movie works so extremely well.
It's all about realism baby! Kubrick managed to capture what life in space
most probably is in real life. Boring and sterile.
The struggle between man and machine enthrills and haunts
the viewer so that you'll never scream or raise your fist at your PC again after this.
"I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that"
8. The silence of the lambs (Jonathan Demme, 1991)
For each good thriller about serial killers there are 10 bad ones.
And for each great thriller about serial killers there are 10 good ones.
This is THE serial killer flick. Some people say "Manhunter" is superior
to Demme's masterpiece, but I beg to differ, strongly.
The interaction between Agent Starling and Dr Lecter IS this movie.
Plot comes in 2nd place and the "love" relationship between the famed killer
and Foster's FBI trainee is now movie history.
"Quid pro quo, doctor"
9. Dead ringers (David Cronenberg, 1988)
One of the most disturbing movies I've had the pleasure to watch.
"Dead ringers" crawls under your skin,plays with your mind, twists your
arm and sends chills thru your entire body. But don't get me wrong, you'll love the experience.
The Mantle twin brothers' dependence on each other will move you,
frighten you and ultimately sadden you. Cronenberg's
most mature film uptodate.
"I've often thought there should be beauty contests for the insides of bodies"
10. Goodfellas (Martin Scorsese, 1990)
This was the best film of 1990, and I don't care what the Oscar Academy says.
I think most of you out there agree with me.
The raw- in your face editing and photo works so well with
the fast and pacy narration of Scorsese, giving "Goodfellas"
an almost documentary feeling. It's a period piece with the punch
of "Raging bull" and the grit of "Mean Streets".
"As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster"
11. Zelig (Woody Allen, 1983)
A movie about fitting in and the need for being loved by the society you live in.
One feels this somehow is Allen's most personal film impersonating
everyone from an African American to a German nazitrooper.
The underlying themes are clear, alienation and insecurity in a condemning society.
"I especially want to apologize to the Trochman family in Detroit.
I never delivered a baby before and I just thought that ice tongs were the way to do it"
12. Key Largo (John Huston, 1948)
Bogart+Huston=great movies. I sucked at math in school but
this one adds up just fine for me.
Add Edward G Robinson as a crook, Claire Trevor as a wannabe singer
and a script so cutclear it makes a samuraisword look like a butterknife and it can't go wrong.
"One Rocco more or less isn't worth dying for"
13. The ice storm (Ang Lee, 1997)
This haunting, psychological movie didn't receive one (1) Oscar nomination.
The ultimate proof that the Academy watches "Armageddon" and "Showgirls" at
least 10 times a day instead of "good" or arguably "great" movies.
Ang Lee's take on 70's USA, suburban life outdoing "American beauty" when it
comes to portraying angst, disfunctional families and sexual insecurity.
"I'll show you mine if you show me yours"
14. The last seduction (John Dahl, 1994)
This was the first movie I saw with Linda Fiorentino and I've been
a fan ever since, even though she could've done without "Jade".
There's a scene when she's making love to a dominated, to say the least,
Peter Berg, which tells much about her character in this film noirish gem of a thriller.
Bill Pullman in one of his few interesting roles as her left behind husband-doctor,
who sells drugs to various strange people trying to track down his runaway wife.
Fiorentino's gives one of the best performances by ANY specie,
whether it be female, male or animal (that including Mel Gibson).
15. Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)
Yes, I have seen "Aliens", and no, I don't think it's superior to the
first chapter in the series of the super survivor Ripley.
I prefer dark claustrophobic tunnels over bombs and other high volumed phenomenons.
I prefer a John Hurt being ripped apart by an Eraserheadesque dildo over a screaming Newt.
I prefer Weaver's pantyline slipping down over panicking marines.
(which doesn't have to be a bad thing mind you)
FYI, I loved "Aliens", it's just that I think "Alien" is far far better,
and it has Ian Holm.
"You admire it....I admire its purity"
16. Celebration (Thomas Vinterberg and Mogens Rukov, writing credits, 1998)
I don't particularly like the Dogme95 concept.
I find it somewhat pretentious and unnecesserary. Did they really have to package
label and sell it the way they did/are?
"Celebration" however is one of the best movies to find its way out
of Scandinavia. A movie concentrating on the basics of moviemaking and
with a plot and characters so edgy it'll literally throw you out of your seat.
17. Die hard (John McTiernan, 1988)
A groundbreaking actionflick set in Fox's skyscraper in LA,
in this case working as the Nakatomi building.
The movie that made Bruce Willis into the star he is today.
It's East meets West in more ways than one,
commenting on the use of white shirts and lack of shoes in dangerous environments.
"Yippie ka ey , motherfucker"
18. Dr Strangelove (Stanley Kubrick, 1967)
Slim Pickens, playing Major Kong, allegedly thought this was a serious dramafilm.
Slim must've been in for a shock when watching the finished product.
Seriousness and Dr Strangelove doesn't quite fit together,
it's all biting irony and satire, in other words pitch black humor
mixed with realistic combat photo.
"Mein Fuhrer, I can walk!"
19. Se7en (David Fincher, 1995)
I normally can't stand pretty boy Brad Pitt, but in Fincher's dark urban
thriller he's perfect as the hotheaded policeofficer Mills.
Gwyneth Paltrow is as equally as effective as Mills' alienated girlfriend
and Morgan Freeman's poignant and human as the veteran detective.
The movie belongs to David Fincher and scribe Andrew Kevin Walker though.
Word of advice: Stay in the countryside.
"Just because the fucker's got a library card doesn't make him Yoda"
20. All about Eve (Joseph L Mankiewicz, 1950)
Along with Gloria Swanson's performance in "Sunset boulevard"
I'm holding Bette Davis' tour de force as filmhistory's best.
Bette Davis' jealous-passionate-starlet Margo Channing takes command
from the first frame and never let's go of her audience.
Wonderfully "backed up" by George Sanders, Anne Baxter and
a young Marilyn Monroe in an early role, this "staged" film takes us
through a journey of hope, jealousy, fame and
manipulation. Dark humor at its best.
"Fasten your seatbelts, it's gonna be a bumpy night"
21. Bull Durham (Ron Shelton, 1988)
There are sportsmovies, then there are sportsmovies.
Here's one of my guilty pleasures, and I'm not ashamed for
admitting this: I actually think Kevin Costner is a good actor
and think he's getting a lot of abuse just for looking good.
(or so they say, I also think Charlie Sheen is funny as hell).
"Bull Durham" is a lovesong for the game of baseball, the most American phenomenon of them all.
As a Swede I find it rather dull, but this movie made it all bearable.
I've come to the conclusion that baseball is about 3 things:
Sex, gospel, and in the intermission, more sex.
"Why's he calling me meat? I'm the one driving a Porsche"
22. The player (Robert Altman, 1992)
"The player" sets the tone by paying homage to Orson Welles'
“Touch of evil" in the opening scene.
A crane shot which lasts 3 minutes without a cut.
Altman never ridicules but often satirize the Hollywood studio system,
showing it at least some kind of respect. Loads of Hollywood stars in cameos,
Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis, John Cusack, Marlee Matlin plus many others.
Both Tim Robbins and Vincent D'Onofrio convinces highly and even the otherwise
so weak Greta Scacchi works. The player is simply one of the
best films about Hollywood ever made.
“Movies, now more than ever”
23. Take the money and run (Woody Allen, 1969)
I can't decide which era I like more when it comes to Woody Allen movies.
One thing is for sure though, he's never been funnier than in "Take the money and run".
The grandfather of movies such as "The naked gun", "Airplane", "Hot shots".
The comedy of all comedies in my humble opinion. Allen's love for the Marx brothers
shines through in every single scene, with a hilarious one with the
Allen character's parents trying to hide their identities behind Groucho Marx masks.
"After 15 minutes I wanted to marry her, and after half an hour
I completely gave up the idea of stealing her purse"
24. Once upon a time in the west (Sergio Leone, 1969)
Everytime I hear Ennio Morricones haunting and mesmerising score
it makes me want to get down to the nearest costumeshop and buy myself a cowboy outfit.
Leone's finest achievement in a long line of great films.
Plus Morricone's best filmscore along with a deliciously
looking Claudia Cardinale, a great Jason Robards, a for once great
Charles Bronson and last but not least, a bad to the bone Henry Fonda.
A story about family values, lost times and payback.
Watch out for the flashbacks, they'll play with your mind.
"He not only plays, he can shoot too”
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Last updated 010218