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
Searchers, The

Atypically dark Western about the quest to find the truth about a young girl kidnapped or killed by Indian raiders. Wayne’s hatred of Native Americans is played as bigotry, not heroism.
Western
F
SAG100
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Sense and Sensibility

Excellent adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel by star Emma Thompson, adroitly directed by Ang Lee. Sense is actually a contrast with sensibility, as it refers to sensitivity and living by emotions rather than acting sensibly.
Comedy
F
AFI400
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

The rare movie musical not based on a play. Features catchy tunes, exuberant dancing, and (of course) an ensemble cast of 14.
Musical
F
SAG100
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Seven Samurai, The

Be prepared to immerse yourself totally in this 3½-hour epic of seven Japanese warriors who risk their lives without pay to protect a village from bandits—some for honor, some for glory, some for duty. (subtitled)
Drama
A
ETG50
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Seven Year Itch, The

When the wife’s away, the husband will … dream about seducing the upstairs bombshell. Particularly when she’s Marilyn Monroe. Tom Ewell reprises his Broadway performance.
Comedy
M
AFI400
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Seventh Seal, The

An evocative allegory that follows an errant knight and Swedish family during the Black Death.
Drama
A
ETG50
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Sex, Lies, and Videotape

Andie MacDowell’s perfect marriage unravels when a college friend of her husband’s comes to stay, bringing a commitment to truth and a collection of videotaped interviews.
Drama
A
AFI400
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Shall We Dance?

Among the better Astaire-Rogers musicals. This time around, Fred is tap dancer Pete Peters—AKA Petrov, a world-famous ballet dancer. When the media links him with singer/dancer Linda Keene, Petrov decides to make the fictitious romance a reality. Great Gershwin songs and some nifty dancing help hide a weak plot.
Musical
M
SAG100
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Shane

The archetypal stranger who rides in, stands up for the farmers, and rides on. Jack Palance is the spookiest hired gun on film.
Western
F
SAG100
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Shop Around the Corner, The

Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan are bickering co-workers and anonymous pen pals looking for love.
Comedy
A
ETG50