12 Angry Men (1957)
Searing examination of the real meaning of innocent until proven guilty. Henry Fonda battles 11 other jurors in a search for truth and justice.
|
Drama |
A |
AFI 400 FilmSite 200 Steve's 100 Elliot's 50 |
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
See it on the big screen if at all possible. Then go beyond the obvious plot of a computer-controlled mutiny in space to explore the questions of human origin and our destiny in the cosmos.
|
Sci-Fi/Fantasy |
A |
AFI 400 FilmSite 200 Steve's 100 Elliot's 50 |
3 Days of the Condor (1975)
Robert Redford accidentally survives the execution of his entire office—an obscure government branch paid to read books. Now he must stay alive long enough to figure out what information is worth killing for.
|
Mystery/Suspense |
F |
|
39 Steps, The (1935)
Robert Donat’s life is turned upside-down when a mysterious spy is murdered in his apartment. On the run from both the police and enemy agents, he must uncover the secret of the 39 steps to survive…
|
Mystery/Suspense |
A |
FilmSite 200 Steve's 100 |
Adventures of Robin Hood, The (1938)
Errol Flynn only! Simply the best costume epic ever: stars, direction, script, and music all come together perfectly in glorious Technicolor.
|
Action/Adventure |
A |
AFI 400 FilmSite 200 Steve's 100 Elliot's 50 |
African Queen, The (1951)
Bogart and Hepburn as unlikely lovers who travel up the Congo in wild hopes of torpedoing a German gunner during WW I.
|
Action/Adventure, Comedy |
A |
AFI 400 FilmSite 200 Steve's 100 |
Airplane! (1980)
One of the funniest movies ever for its barrage of sight gags, bad puns, and sick humor.
|
Comedy |
A |
|
Alien and Aliens (1979)
I might just give Aliens (1986) an A for an excellent job raising the stakes while injecting some tension-breaking humor. Both deliver nail-biting human vs. monster battles. I didn’t like Alien3 and skipped Alien Resurrection entirely. |
Horror, Sci-Fi/Fantasy |
F |
AFI 400 FilmSite 200 |
All About Eve (1950)
THE film about the American theater. Great performances all around, esp. by George Sanders, with Bette Davis, Gary Merrill, Anne Baxter, and a very young Marilyn Monroe. Has Davis’s classic line: Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy evening.
|
Drama |
A |
AFI 400 FilmSite 200 Steve's 100 |
All of Me (1984)
Dying millionairess Lily Tomlin tries to transfer her soul into her young secretary’s body, but ends up coinhabiting her lawyer (Steve Martin). Silly but fun.
|
Comedy |
M |
|
All the King’s Men (1949) Wonderfully realized political drama, with Broderick Crawford at the top of his game. Based on poet Robert Penn Warren’s novel, itself a barely disguised portrait of Louisiana senator Huey Kingfish Long. |
Drama |
M |
|
Amadeus (1984)
Fascinating study of talent coming to grips with the immensity of genius. Feeling betrayed by his god, Court Composer Salieri vows to destroy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
|
Drama |
F |
AFI 400 |
American Graffiti (1973)
George Lucas captures the summer of 1962 in California with this tale of graduating high schoolers.
|
Comedy, Drama |
A |
AFI 400 FilmSite 200 Elliot's 50 |
Angel Heart (1987)
Spooky (if somewhat over-the-top) account of PI Mickey Rourke’s attempt to locate a missing singer.
|
Mystery/Suspense |
M |
|
Apartment, The (1960)
Another one where comedy, drama, and romance interact with wit and heart. Jack Lemmon is the schmoe trying to be a mensch and win Shirley Maclaine.
|
Comedy, Drama |
A |
AFI 400 FilmSite 200 Steve's 100 Elliot's 50 |
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
Cary Grant’s two sweet aunts relieve old and sad gentlemen by adding arsenic to their elderberry wine; one brother thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt, the other is an internationally wanted murderer. Just the place to bring the new wife.
|
Comedy |
A |
|
Auntie Mame (1958)
Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death. Mame may be a kook, but she’s an inspiring, lovable kook who opens doors for everyone around her. Don’t miss out.
|
Comedy |
F |
|
Awful Truth, The (1937)
Wonderful Leo McCary comedy about a couple who discover after splitting up that they still love each other. Sophisticated humor and slapstick meld nicely in this romp. Ralph Bellamy plays the role he owned in the 1940s—the sincere rube and nominal romantic rival who is way, way over his head.
|
Comedy |
F |
AFI 400 FilmSite 200 Steve's 100 |
Back to the Future Trilogy (1985)
The first installment may even deserve an A for its inventiveness and humor. As usual, additional installments were progressively less appealing.
|
Comedy |
F |
|
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
Spencer Tracy is the only man to get off the train in Black Rock in years. His questions about a local Japanese farmer light a hidden keg of resentment, guilt, and fear.
|
Mystery/Suspense |
F |
FilmSite 200 |
Ball of Fire (1941)
Barbara Stanwyck is a gangster’s moll who hides out with seven bachelor scholars writing an encyclopedia.
|
Comedy |
A |
Steve's 100 |
Band Wagon, The (1953)
One of the last great MGM musicals, with the singing and dancing of Fred Astaire, the legs of Cyd Charisse, and the comedy relief of Jack Buchanan and Oscar Levant. The extended gangster-style dance routine is one of Fred’s best.
|
Musical |
M |
Steve's 100 |
Batman (1989)
Michael Keaton pulls off a surprisingly good take on the Bruce Wayne/Batman split personality, and the tone as a whole is welcomely dark, not campy. A pity the obligatory romance falls so flat.
|
Action/Adventure |
M |
AFI 400 |
Batman Returns (1992)
A movie with decent moments that could have been much better by cutting out the Penguin (Danny De Vito). Michelle Pfeiffer steals the show.
|
Action/Adventure |
M |
|
Beauty and the Beast (1991) Engagingly theatrical feature has some wonderful characters and sparkling tunes. |
Children, Musical |
F |
AFI 400 |