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
Stagecoach

Perhaps the first psychological western. John Ford took a fairly hackneyed story and breathed new life into the western. What makes it a standout are the portrayals of the almost stereotypical cast of characters. John Wayne went from B western hero to major movie star with this one film; Claire Trevor is excellent as the…

Western
F
SAG100
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Stalag 17

As comedic as it is dramatic, this film follows the attempts of WW II POWs to live with elan—and to uncover the spy in their midst.
Drama
A
ETG50
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Stand By Me

In Rob Reiner’s excellent film of a Stephen King short story, four young boys in the 1950s bond on a hiking trip of discovery.
Drama
F
AFI400
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Star Wars

A New Hope (the original Star Wars movie) is a nonstop extravaganza of heroes, villains, aliens, and magic. The Empire Strikes Back (1980), although in some ways a richer film, rates an F from me just because nothing could match the magic of the original. Return of the Jedi garners only an M for its…

SciFi
A
ETG50
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Sting, The

You may need to see it twice to follow the intricate plot(ting), but this is the ultimate con game movie.
Mystery
A
ETG50
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Strangers on a Train

Tennis star Farley Granger is sucked into a madman’s plans for a Criss-Cross Murder. Topnotch Hitchcock.
Mystery
A
SAG100
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Streetcar Named Desire, A

Topnotch Tennessee Williams play is given its due by a first-rate cast. Vivien Leigh won best actress Oscar honors for her portrayal of the fragile, mentally unstable Blanche DuBois, a refined lady who’s fallen on hard times. When she comes to stay with her more earthy sister, Stella, she sets in motion a tragic confrontation…

Drama
M
SAG100
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Sullivan’s Travels

Comedy director Joel McCrea decides to do a serious drama and prepares by traveling the country incognito and penniless.
Comedy
F
AFI400
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Sunset Boulevard

Arguably the best film about the corruption of Hollywood and the need to be a star.
Drama
F
SAG100
Movie Genre Rating Lists
Superman: The Movie and Superman II

Once again, Richard Lester shot both movies simultaneously; Superman II is actually a better film, with villains who are really evil and a culmination of the Superman-Lois romance.
Action
F
AFI400