Recommended Movies

Posted by Elliot

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Sure, there are lots of movie review sites. And if you’re looking up something particular, they’re a great help. But if you don’t know what to watch, you need trustworthy advice to heighten the signal/noise ratio. Welcome to etg Design’s database of worthwhile movies.

The few hundred films included focus mostly on classic movies, which today probably need a little extra help getting the attention of younger viewers. These recommendations are brought to you by Elliot and Steve Grant, longtime movie buffs who are relatively open-minded about what constitutes a good movie.

To get second opinions, you can choose to display only movies that made the AFI’s 400 nominations for Top 100 movies (62K PDF) or FilmSite.org’s 200 Greatest Films. NB: Both these lists exclude foreign films; the AFI 400 was finalized in 1996.

Steve’s list includes roughly 100 movies and also excludes foreign films. To continue the pattern of 50% greater exclusivity, Elliot’s list attempts to capture the approximately 50 most important films. Within those 50, I’ve tried to cover as many genres, cultures, eras, and themes as possible. Don’t write to me complaining about the choices—it’s subjective, it’s an impossible task, and it’ll probably change over time. Finally, the intersection of all four lists is approximately 30 movies.

(If you want a larger list, take a look at the New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made.)

To display films, simply select the appropriate search criteria below. You can filter the search by genre, rating, or inclusion on the various lists mentioned above.

Movie Ratings

Movies are rated on a system devised by my movie-watching cabal based on the simple question: How much worth your time and/or money is seeing this film?

There are six levels of ratings. They’re easy to remember, and they even proceed in alphabetical order:

  1. A (Advance Showing): Some films are such must-sees that they’re worth paying extra and going out of your way to catch—as you might do for an advance (a.k.a. special sneak preview) showing.
  2. F (Full Price): A film rated Full is worth seeing on its intital run in the theaters, even though you’ll have to pay the full ticket price. It’ll be worth it.
  3. M (Matinee): Matinee movies are worth seeing in the theaters, but only if you can get a discount on the ticket price. They’re good—usually a lot of fun—but probably not worth seeing more than once.
  4. R (Rental): Rental flicks have redeeming qualities, but they’re ones you definitely won’t mind catching on video. The screen may be small, but you don’t want to pay even a matinee ticket price for this kind of film.
  5. TV: A movie that gets a TV rating isn’t worth spending any money on. If it comes on TV, you probably wouldn’t mind spending a few hours to catch it, but otherwise you can avoid it with a clear conscience.
  6. W (Worthless): This bottom category is exactly what it says. A Worthless film is one that you should skip even if it comes on TV and you have nothing better to do.

Recommended Movies

Movie Genre Rating Lists
Great Escape, The

True story of WW II POW escape artists who are confined to a maximum-security camp only to plan the biggest breakout ever.
Action
F
AFI400
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Great Train Robbery, The

A caper that might seem tame by today’s standards comes to life in this [fictionalized] gripping step-by-step account of the first train robbery.
Action
F
AFI400
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Gregory’s Girl

Deftly underplayed story of Scottish footballer Gregory out to win the heart of the new goalkeeper.
Comedy
A
AFI400
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Grosse Pointe Blank

Those with a dark sense of humor will appreciate this story of hitman John Cusack’s return home for his 10-year high school reunion.
Comedy
F
AFI400
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Groundhog Day

What would you do if you lived the same day over for eternity? Bill Murray gives a fine performance as the cynical weatherman trapped in Punxatawney, PA, for a neverending Groundhog Day.
Comedy
A
SAG100
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Gunfighter, The

One of the great unknown films. A thoughtful, brooding western about a gunman/outlaw who is hounded everywhere by young fast guns wanting to prove they’re faster on the draw than the great Jimmie Ringo. Ringo himself (Gregory Peck) just wants to reunite with his wife and son and settle down.
Western
F
SAG100
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Gunga Din

Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and Victor McLaglen take on a Thuggee assassin cult to protect a British outpost and plunder some treasure. The original buddy adventure movie.
Action
A
ETG50
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Hail the Conquering Hero

Comedy
A
AFI400
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Harold and Maude

Harold (Bud Cort) is a death-obsessed teen; Maude (Ruth Gordon) is a 79-year-old free spirit. Offbeat classic with Cat Stevens soundtrack.
Comedy
F
AFI400
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Here Comes Mr. Jordan

An over-eager angel takes boxer Robert Young too soon, so Young is offered a choice of recently deceased bodies to inhabit.
Comedy
M
AFI400