25. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Logline: Rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling (Foster) is charged with hunting down serial killer and transsexual-wannabe ‘Buffalo Bill’. But in order to penetrate the mind of a serial killer in order to anticipate his next move, young Starling must make contact with evil incarnate: Hannibal ‘The Cannibal’ Lecter.
Memorable Moments: Who can forget the scene where Jame “Buffalo Bill” Gumb demands of young Catherine, who is being held in a deep, indoor well, to “put the fucking lotion in the basket”?
Why People Love It: Because it’s the very epitome, the benchmark of what a crime-thriller should feel and look like: Dark, gritty, unremorseful, purposeful.
Best Quote: Lecter (Hopkins): “A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.”
24. The Usual Suspects (1995)
Logline: The sole survivor of a boat (carrying many criminals) explosion misleadingly recounts his crimes with five other career criminals. Hence a bizarre, unpredictable series of plot twists (revolving around a mysterious, absolutely fearless Keyser Soze) unravels.
Memorable Moments: [Possible spoiler!] The final scene where Verbal Kint walks out of the police station, near crippled, and reveals who is really is.
Why People Love It: The Usual Suspects, in perhaps a nod to the neo-noir movement spearheaded by Tarantino, is easily one of director Bryan Singer’s most coveted, iconic crime thrillers.
Best Quote: Roger ‘Verbal’ Kint (Kevin Spacey): “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”
23. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
Logline: A reclusive, self-absorbed, has-been actress (Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond), dreams of returning to the spotlight in Hollywood with her ex-husband and director, Max. After developing a relationship with Joe Gillis, a wannabe writer, things soon turn deadly.
Memorable Moments: When Norma discovers that Joe, who is not only seeing her, but also a younger woman (Betty). Norma, needless to say, is not happy and things turn…well, dangerous.
Why People Love It: Possibly, it’s because the famous quote below sums up the vanity and manipulative attributes of the movie’s lead character.
Best Quote: Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson): “All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.”
22. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Logline: Jack Ripper (Sterling Hayden) has goneMemorable Moments: The dialogue between the Soviet Premier and U.S. President. President Muffley, “Hello Dimitri…you know how we’ve always talked about…something going wrong with the hydrogen bomb? Well, now…um…one of our base commanders…he’s gone a little funny in the head and went and did a silly thing, he ordered his planes to attack your country.” Priceless moment.
Why People Love It: It is, among a long list of other iconic movies by Stanley Kubrick, one of the most memorable films—portraying a globally-nightmarish event (nuclear annihilation) in a brilliant, hilarious manner.
Best Quote: Dr. Strangelove/President Muffley (Peter Sellers): “Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room!”
21. Psycho (1960)
Logline: After making off with $40k from her employer, Marion (Janet Leigh) embarks for California to begin a ‘new life’. Mid-trip, she stops for some R & R at the Bates Motel, operated by Norman Bates—a grown man seemingly way too fond and obedient of his mother.
Memorable Moments: Obviously, the most memorable scene not only from the movie, but perhaps from all Hitchcock films combined, is the shower scene.
Why People Love It: Because, simply said, it’s a prime testament to story-telling genius that Hitchcock was and still is. Oh, and because Norman Bates pins down the role of momma’s-boy psycho every bit as well as Hannibal did ‘The Cannibal’.
Best Quote: Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins): “A boy’s best friend is his mother.”
20. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Logline: In 1936, professor/adventurist Indiana ‘Indy’ Jones was commissioned to find and protect the Ark of the Covenant from the likes of Renee Belloq and evil Nazis.Memorable Moments: The blood-curdling (at least for fellow ‘ophidiophobics’) scene in the Well of Souls, where snakes are everywhere in sight, is pretty symbolic of much of the rest of the film.
Why People Love It: It’s very hard not to love the film the started the whole Indiana Jones saga—and possibly even a new genre.
Best Quote: Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford): “You want to talk to God?! Let’s go see him together, I’ve got nothing better to do.”
19. Fight Club (1999)
Logline: The Narrator (Ed Norton) is an insomniac and burnt-out 9-5′er. Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) is a crooked soap salesman and eccentric leader of a gang of angry men. The Narrator joins this ‘Fight Club’, which pits member against member in all-out, brutal fights.
Memorable Moments: This is a hard one (and will contain spoilers), but it’s the ending scene when The Narrator realizes that he and Tyler are the same person—and proceeds to off himself.
Why People Love It: One of Brad Pitt and Edward Norton’s most memorable films, Fight Club is a man’s-man kind of movie. It takes the stereotypical workaholic and insomniac (and the accompanying, pent-up anger) out of his element and—with the ‘help’ of Fight Club’s leader, Tyler Durden—ushers him into an underground world of ruthless street-fighting and seedy characters.
Best Quote: Tyler Durden (Pitt): “Listen up, maggots. You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You’re the same decaying organic matter as everything else.”‘ & Tyler Durden: “Welcome to Fight Club. The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club”
18. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
Logline: When Luke (Mark Hamill) learns that he must save the rebellion’s leader, Princess Leia, he teams up with Chewbacca, C-3PO, RD-D2, and Han Solo, knowing that one of their greatest and most fearsome obstacles lies in their way—the Empirical Death Star.
Memorable Moments: In the epic climax to the Mos Eisley bar scene (where some pretty bizarre-yet-charming creatures lounge), Han Solo (Harrison Ford) fantastically dispatches of Greedo.
Why People Love It: It’s Star Wars: One of the few “bigger” movie franchises that people either love, hate, or could care less about–very little middle ground.
Best Quote: Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness): “The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.”
17. 12 Angry Men (1957)
Logline: Once a young Latino’s (who’s accused of murdering his father) trial has commenced, 12 wary men–initially ready to convict right off and split–must now (thanks to a skeptical juror) seriously deliberate the youngster’s fate.
Memorable Moments: One of the defining moments occurs when jurors # 2 and 3 attempt to persuade the only dissenting juror, Juror #8 (Henry Fonda), to vote in favor of ‘guilty’.
Why People Love It: 12 Angry Men works has worked so well with audiences (even five decades later) because it epitomizes the courage one man displays when the overwhelming majority are eager to convict and go about their lives.
Best Quote: Juror #6 (Ed Binns): “Well, I’m not used to supposin’. I’m just a workin’ man. My boss does all the supposin’ – but I’ll try one. Supposin’ you talk us all out of this and, uh, the kid really did knife his father?”
16. Casablanca (1942)
Logline: Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), owner of a popular nightclub in Africa, happens upon a former lover, Ilsa, and her Czech husband (who’s wanted by Nazis). Forced to choose between love and virtue, Rick decides to help them by rebelling against Vichy/Nazi forces, while secretly planning to run away with Ilsa.
Memorable Moments: For all of you that love a good, passionate on-screen kiss, the final scene—when Rick and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) cement their love for one another and lock lips—is very much your cup of tea.
Why People Love It: It’s literally impossible to reminisce about classic films of the 1940s/’50s-era without so much as a mention of Casablanca—a timeless, enduring symbol of Hollywood-style romance.
Best Quote: Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart): “Here’s looking at you, kid.” & Rick Blaine: “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.”
15. Rear Window (1954)
Logline: When photographer L.B. “Jeff” Jeffries is injured on the job and bound to his NY apartment, he becomes obsessed with observing his neighbors through his ‘rear window’. Before long, though, he highly suspects one of them of murder, and puts a couple of acquaintances on the case.
Memorable Moments: The scenes where the ever-voyeuristic Jeff witnesses Mr. Thorwald (Raymond Burr) with ‘suspicious’ items such as a saw, large knife, and large crate—all in the absence of his (Thorwald’s) formerly-bedridden, invalid wife.
Why People Love It: Yet another of Alfred Hitchcock’s finest works, Rear Window is a fun adventure in voyeurism and the sometimes-serious consequences of.
Best Quote: Lisa (Grace Kelly): “A murderer would never parade his crime in front of an open window.”
14. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Logline: In a quartet of story lines, two henchmen (Jules and Vincent), a mafia boss (Marsellus) and his wife, a boxer, and a thuggish couple all become entangled in crime and corruption and will, ultimately, realize that their lives are intertwined.
Memorable Moments: Near the end when Jules and Vincent, grabbing some grub at a diner, must deal with a man-and-woman robbery. Epic.
Why People Love It: Perhaps most importantly, it’s a Tarantino flick. That granted, Pulp Fiction is instantly recognizable as a super dark, yet hilarious and eccentric, film icon from the mid-90s.
Best Quote: Jules (Sam Jackson): “Shit Negro! That’s all you had to say!”
13. Citizen Kane (1941)
Logline: On a mission to discover the truth about the last word spoken (“Rosebud”) by millionaire Charles Foster Kane, a posse of reporters chronicle the man’s rise to the top of the corporate food chain and his show, agonizing fall into exile in his fortress-like home, Xanadu.
Memorable Moments: The opening sequence—with its shocking-for-the-time aesthetic—when Kane, owner of The New York Inquirer, utters ‘Rosebud’ and keels over.
Why People Love It: Many consider it the crowning achievement of film, both then and still in modernity. Others cherish the storyline, which essentially espouses many untruths about capitalism in ordinarily down-to-Earth fashion.
Best Quote: Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles): “Don’t believe everything you hear on the radio.”
12. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Logline: At the instruction of Yoda, Luke (Mark Hamill) and R2-D2 receive coveted Jedi training in preparation to save his kidnapped friends (Princess Leia, C-3PO, and Han Solo) from the clutches of the dark lord Vader.
Memorable Moments: In one of the most memorable scenes of the whole franchise is one of the most repeated (often in jest) quotes in cinema history: Darth Vader to Luke “No…I am your father.”
Why People Love It: The Empire Strikes Back is widely considered the best of the series, boasting an even deeper and more sophisticated story than even A New Hope.
Best Quote: Yoda (Frank Oz): “No. Try not. Do… or do not. There is no try.”
11. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
Logline: To shirk his duties in prison, R.P McMurphy fakes insanity. Transferred to a mental institution, he tries hard to develop rapport among the crazies—while spearheading a revolt against a fascistic head nurse.
Memorable Moments: The scene where McMurphy, in all his charming quirkiness, vividly enacts an imaginary commentary of the ’63 World Series to his mellow friends, who are barred from watching the real thing on TV.
Why People Love It: It’s one of Jack Nicholson’s first movies that made the world fall in love with his distinctive character: Funny, sarcastic, looney-in-a sane way, and at times, scathing.
Best Quote: R.P. McMurphy (Nicholson): “Why don’t ya shut your goddamn mouth and play some music.?”
10. Once Upon a Time in the West (1969)
Logline: A southern belle, Mrs. McBain, moves to the far West Frontier to join her family. Upon arrival, though, she finds discovers all were ruthlessly murdered; she has to rely on perfect strangers (outlaws and nomads) to protect her and find her family’s killer.
Memorable Moments: Frank (a ruthless outlaw) sexually harasses Jill (Claudia Cardinale). He tells her that she can’t even the resist the advances (having been informed that she was previously a hooker in New Orleans) of the very man who murdered her husband.
Why People Love It: Once Upon a Time isn’t just your de facto Western flick: Rather, a Western thoroughly blended with metaphor, style, and—perhaps—poetic justice that could be easily deemed A Hot Mess.
Best Quote: Frank (Henry Fonda): “How can you trust a man who wears both a belt and suspenders? The man can’t even trust his own pants”
9. Goodfellas (1990)
Logline: Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) enters the Italian mob and, as he grows older, rises through the ranks with Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy De Vito (Joe Pesci) until one day, the whole criminal enterprise (as well as Henry’s life) starts to crumble.
Memorable Moments: With Henry Hill narrating, the corpses of several mafia figures (mostly linked to the Lufthansa heist) are paraded in a musical montage.
Why People Love It: An epic film, especially among mob-movie fanatics, that digs deep into the rise and fall of gangster Henry Hill, Goodfellas is the quintessential mafia movie that makes absolutely no excuses for itself and glorifies nothing about the seedy, brutal underworld of the Italian mob.
Best Quote: Jimmy Conway (De Niro): “I’m not mad, I’m proud of you. You took your first pinch like a man and you learn two great things in your life. Look at me, never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut.”
8. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
Logline: A sort of “prequel and sequel” hybrid, The Godfather II chronicles Vito’s early life in the fledgling 20th-century, as well as his son Michael’s (Al Pacino) assumption of power and attempts at expanding the family enterprise in the 50′s.
Memorable Moments: At the club, Michael grabs Fredo, “kisses” him and spills the beans: “I knew it was you, Fredo…you broke my heart…..you broke my heart!” Some time later, Fredo is faithfully executed by an assassin, hired by Michael.
Why People Love It: Very few sequels enjoy the luxury of being deemed just as good as the first. The Godfather II is almost universally considered one of those.
Best Quote: Michael Corleone (Al Pacino): “Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.”
7. Seven Samurai (1954)
Logline: When a poor farming community is terrorized by bandits, seven former samurai take up arms to defend it. In exchange for defending it and teaching the locals self defense, the village people feed the samurai.
Memorable Moments: Rice, which a farmer had harvested for the samurai, was stolen from under the farmer responsible for it; sobbing as he picks up leftover grains, Kikuchiyo (Toshiro Mifune) throws him money to purchase more.
Why People Love It: You don’t even need an interest in martial arts to appreciate this masterpiece. Seven Samurai is laden with phenomenal action sequences, unforgettable characters, and a timeless story.
Best Quote: Kanbe Shimada (Takashi Shimura): “Danger always strikes when everything seems fine.”
6. Inception (2010)
Logline: Cobb (Leo Dicaprio) is one of the most specialized thieves in the world; that is, he enters others’ minds through their subconscious (dreams) and sells their secrets to the highest bidder. But soon, Cobb and his team must carry out one of the most unfathomable missions ever, Inception.
Memorable Moments: From the scene pictured above, Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) fights others in a gravity-defying, spinning hallway—’falling’ to the ceiling, walking on walls, and kicking ass mid-air.
Why People Love It: Inception’s premise—intruding into the unconscious mind, which seemingly allows all rules of reality and logic to disappear—is refreshingly original and its plot, nothing short of brilliant.
Best Quote: Yusuf (Dileep Rao): “That many dreams within dreams is too unstable!”
5. The Dark Knight (2008)
Logline: Batman (Christian Bale) collaborates with Harvey Dent and Lieutenant Gordan to rid Gotham’s streets of organized crime. While initially successful, the trio must now face their most formidable opponent yet: The Joker (Heath Ledger) and minions.
Memorable Moments: Either the phenomenal explosion scene (where The Joker merrily skips off), the jailhouse interrogation scene, or the hospital scene when he visits the horribly-burned Harvey Dent, who subsequently becomes Two-Face.
Why People Love It: The lion’s share of Batman enthusiasts agree that The Dark Knight is the best Batman film to-date (and probably ever), thanks in large to an unquestionably great performance by the late (RIP) Heath Ledger.
Best Quote: Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart): “The night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming.” |Or| The Joker: “Why so serious?”
4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
Logline: Three men—Blondie/’The Good’ (Clint Eastwood), Tuco/’The Ugly’, and Angel Eyes/’The Bad’—learn of a mysterious grave, rumored to be full of gold, in a remote cemetery. It soon becomes apparent, though, that it will be every man for himself in the quest to find this grave.
Memorable Moments: Near the end when Blondie, Tuco, and Angel Eyes find themselves in a three-way duel, and Tuco realizes that Blondie had secretly unloaded his revolver the prior night.
Why People Love It: Maybe it’s one of the most memorable Western titles ever, or the utter irony of the title itself? Or perhaps because it stars gun-slingin’ Clint Eastwood in one of his best roles ever?
Best Quote: Blondie: “You see, in this world there’s two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig.”
3. Schindler’s List (1993)
Logline: Nazi-occupied Poland: Businessman Oskar Schindler wasn’t initially the loving, humanitarian-type—instead, a savvy profiteer. But witnessing the systematic brutalization of fellow Jews, Schindler (perhaps the most unlikely candidate for ‘hero’) opens his heart and factory to provide over a thousand Jews refuge from Nazis.
Memorable Moments: Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes)—a merciless, wicked Nazi commandant—”falls for” his Jewish maid. After almost raping her, he realizes that even kissing her would be high treason, Goeth delivers a savage beating to her for “seducing” him.
Why People Love It: Schindler’s List symbolizes the love and humanity that each and every one of us is capable of having, despite all of our (possibly) innate/instinctual tendencies toward self-interest, greed, and even having the capacity for murder.
Best Quote: Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley): “It’s Hebrew, it’s from the Talmud. It says, Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire.”
2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Logline: The Shawshank Redemption, possibly the greatest movie of both Freeman’s (“Red”) and Robbin’s (Andy) careers (make that one of the best movies overall, ever), is an epic tale of two gentlemanly, intellectual prisoners who show remarkable courage and sustain hope against almost all odds of ever getting out of the joint for their old crimes.
Memorable Moments: The epic scene where a just-released, elderly man (James Whitmore)—isolated in his humble New York apartment and missing his ‘home’ in prison (basically, the only life he’d known for decades) —kicks the chair from underneath his feet and hangs himself.
Why People Love It: Directed by Frank Darabont/written by Stephen King, it symbolizes our struggle between the demons that imprison us (quite literally here) and the hope for better-days-to-come—which is all we really have to cling to in the end.
Best Quote: Andy Dufresne (Robbins): “Get busy living, or get busy dying”
1. The Godfather (1972)
Memorable Moments: One of the biggest turning points is when Michael Corleone, whose hands are free of anyone’s blood, murders the corrupt policeman (McCluskey) and wiseguy Sollozzo from a rival family.
Why People Love It: People and critics generally swear by Godfather franchise whenever one of these lists pops up. Plus, how can you dismiss a flick that’s received Oscar after Oscar after Oscar? Performances are second to none (ever), the riveting score is perfect in all senses, there’s nearly flawless editing, and the scenery is fantasticly well-suited.
Best Quote: Vito Corleone (Brando): “I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.”
JOIN DISCUSSION AND SUGGEST YOUR OWN TOP 10 MOVIES OF ALL TIMES!
I'd personally include Short Cuts by R.Altman from 1993.
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