The Ten Movies You Just Can't Do Without

General General Discussion
1

My list (not necessarily in any order):

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (aka Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark)

Nazis and archaeologists are looking for the lost Ark of the Covenant. Maybe the best action movie ever made.

2. Broken Arrow (1996)

John Travolta steals two nuclear weapons while on a practice mission in the stealth bomber. Christian Slater and Samantha Mathis are all alone in the desert trying to get them back or at least stop them from being used. It has some plot holes, but its non-stop action gets your blood going for sure.

3. King Kong (1933)

Okay, so the effects are hokey compared to CGI. But this version captured the “safari” feeling better than any other version. You can see yourself hunting dinosaurs on Skull Island. I always thought the movie was a commentary on how society in that era could not accept a black man with a white woman.

4. The Peacemaker

Another nuclear bomb theft movie, this time with George Clooney. I think it’s his best movie and it’s also full of cliffhanger action that holds your interest.

5. Fantasia

A guilty pleasure of mine, it’s basically a series of animated music videos for famous classical pieces. Its whole concept was somewhat of a flop, but it’s the one Disney movie I never get tired of. Fantasia 2 was horrible: it had none of the magic of the original.

6. Big Trouble in Little China

Somewhat of a “spoof” ripoff of the Indiana Jones movies. Its charm is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously, and is therefore great.

7. War of the Worlds (1953)

Seeing those snake-necked Martian war machines disintegrate everything in their path was the ultimate experience when I was a kid. Still is.

8. Last of the Mohicans

Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeline Stowe turn this into a great period piece. Don’t listen to naysayers that the director’s cut sucks. This film will make you want to go buy a muzzle-loader. Trust me.

9. Black Hawk Down

Non-stop action. A little gore. Helluva war movie. If you don’t own an AR15 before watching this movie, you will want one after seeing it.

10. The Searchers

Possibly the best western ever made. It’s certainly John Wayne’s best movie. The Indians in this are not noble savages, but cruel atrocity-committing brutes.

2

Star Wars Episodes IV-VI (I’m counting them as one, way too important to my childhood!)
The first thing that I ever watched as a kid that got it’s hooks in me, and helped me become a nerd. Caught Return of the Jedi on TV late one night and my Mom let my stay up to watch it. As a kid who was bullied pretty bad, these offered me an escape and a chance to grow my imagination. It also helped me become a reader, because I wanted to consume everything Star Wars. Like I said, a very important part of me growing up. Love it!

Boondock Saints
My first cult film on this list. I was browsing the video store in my little Montana town that I grew up in, and the clerk asked if I had a VHS player, and then suggested it. I was in love instantly, I even drove three hours the next day to go buy myself a copy of it. Campy, funny, great action and just the perfect amount of cheesy.

Collateral
I went into this film completely blind and was blown away. Tom cruise is perfect as Vincent and the action scenes are second to none as far as realistic firearms manipulations and operations. It made me buy an HK USP 45…

American History X
At the time I was told to watch this, I was going down a negative path. I personally think Edward Norton is absolutely brilliant here, and I think it is one of the greatest roles ever on film. Dark, powerful and unflinching. The message in this film is so real. I feel this movie should be show in every high schools across America.

The Raid: Redemption
Hands down the greatest action film (IMO) of all time. If you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor and rent it, or buy it before Hollywood ruins another great foreign film.

Training Day
One of my very favorite Denzel roles. I really enjoyed it.

The Dark Knight
As a Batman geek from a young age, this is the perfect Batman film to me. Heath Ledger’s Joker truly makes the film what it is, and I think it is Bale’s best performance as Batman and Bruce Wayne.

Oldboy- The Original
Another incredible foreign film. Dark, twisted, brutal, and an insane twist. Enjoy.

Silence of the Lambs
Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter is one of the greatest roles of all time.

V for Vendetta
Just different and deeply political. Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman are excellent here, I enjoyed it before it gained cult status.

3

-The Goonies
-Red Dawn
-Blood Diner
-The 5th Element
-The Shining
-Groundhog Day
-Jurassic Park
-Indiana Jones Trilogy (IF I can only have one it is Raiders)
-Star Wars Trilogy (IV-IV Obviously! If only one then Return of the Jedi)
-Brotherhood of The Wolves (Le Pact De Loupes)

Hard to narrow it down that far but I love all ^those^ flicks so much!

4

1. A Walk to Remember

This is perhaps one of the best films ever made about love and faith.
About personal morals. About accepting things you can’t change and finding the right motivation to get it together to fix the things you can.

2. The Wild Bunch
It has overlapping themes on aging, loyalty, and recognizing that you just don’t fit in anymore. There’s no place for you. Plus cowboys with 1911s and machine guns

3. Dawn of the Dead 1978

A nihilistic view of societal collapse. A thinking man’s zombie film. The plucky female and the normal guy are refreshingly NOT the heroes. Two well trained SWAT guys with M16A1s are.

4. Unforgiven
For a lot of the same reasons as AWtR.

5. Commando
No real deeper reason other than I always wanted a gun shack, still hold out hope that an Army Navy store might potentially have an awesome stockpile in the back, and it was one of Freddie Mercury’s best roles.

6. Normal Life
Disgruntled cop, blonde Ashley Judd, and an underground 90s Alt Rock soundtrack. It hits in the feels

7. Control
The movie about Ian Curtis’(peace be upon him) torment as he did Joy Division.

8. Robocop 1987
The allegory of the American Jesus in the form of a ghetto police.

9. Death Wish 3
Wildey’s here.

10. Bad Lieutenant
Just for the church scene alone.

Honorable Mention:
Red Dawn because it is Red Dawn

5

Tombstone
Heat
Street Kings
Shutter Island
Miami Vice
Spy Game
The Fugitive
U571
Shawshank Redemption
Dazed and Confused

6

“Yes they do, yes they do.”

Almost forgot how amusing that one was

7

In no particular order:

Heat
Blackhawk Down
The Wild Bunch
Chinatown
Blade Runner
2001
Apocalypse Now
The Matrix
The Wind and the Lion
Collateral

8

Some of my top favorites:
In no real order.

  1. Twister
  2. Fast and the furious (first one)
  3. Django unchained
  4. Act of valor
  5. Apollo 13
  6. Saving private ryan
  7. The kingdom

ill add more as I remember:sarcastic:

9

Heat
Blow
The Exterminator
Savior
Sanjuro
Goodfellas
Aliens
Office Space
Best Years of Our Lives
Cleopatra

That’s off the top of my head. If I sat down to think about it, I’d probably switch out half of them.

10

I am sure I am missing some, and these will probably come to mind right after I post this, but whatever. In no particular order:

Alien (the first one): Sci-fi groundbreaker. Ridley Scott’s best film. Ditto for Sigourney Weaver. The supporting cast was stacked with acting talent as well.

Event Horizon: Sci-fi sleeper. Pretty disturbing film. Watch it if you get a chance.

Terminator 2: Arnold, T-1000, Linda Hamilton at her physical peak. Everyone loves T2.

Predator: Again, Arnie, Jesse Ventura (before he allegedly started badmouthing SEALs), classically cheesy but awesome lines.

The Lives of Others: A peek into life in Communist East Germany, following a secret police agent and an author’s personal life. Very good film, with a few memorably funny moments.

Harsh Times: This movie kind of grew on me over time. Christian Bale doing his thing very well.

The Godfather: Brilliance.

The Godfather Part II: Brilliance Part II

Goodfellas: Despite starring Hillary Clinton nuthugging DeNiro, it still works.

The Prestige: Excellent movie. I never thought I would like Hugh Jackman in a serious role, but the rest of the movie is so good, that it works.

11

Kelly’s Heroes - Telly Savalas, and Don Rickles steal the movie.

Das Boot - Best sub movie ever.

To Kill a Mockingbird - tremendous performance by Peck.

Casablanca - Bogie at his best.

Ben Hur - Heston without a rifle.

Twelve O’clock High - Used as a leadership film at West Point.

Fort Apache - John Wayne. Henry Fonda playing Custer.

Saving Private Ryan - Bunch of libs playing war, but it works.

Bridge at Toko Ri - One of the few Korean War films.

The Wild Bunch - Another film where Holden shines.

The Planet of the Apes - Heston with a rifle. “Get your stinking paws off me you damn dirty ape”. I saw it in the theater when if came out in 1968, and everyone cheered when he said that.

12

The Wizard of Oz
Groundhog Day
Godfather II*
Pulp Fiction
The Wild Bunch
Ride the High Country
The Lady Eve
American Graffiti
Saving Private Ryan
The Philadelphia Story
The Awful Truth
Most Laurel & Hardy

Okay, a couple extra. My top ten really needs to be twenty.

13

In no particular order, off the top of my head,

Apocalypse Now
Blade Runner
Unforgiven
The Big Sleep (Bogart pre-release version)
12 O Clock High
Star Wars
Maltese Falcon
Saving Private Ryan
Bullitt
Raiders of the Lost Ark

With the caveat of course that there are way more than 10 I feel cannot be done without.

14

Star Wars (IV-VI)

Raiders of the Lost Arc

Iron Man

Tombstone

Halloween ("78)

Aliens

A Bridge Too Far

The Bounty

The Wild Geese

Dawn of the Dead ('78)

15

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Tombstone

The Matrix

Pulp Fiction

The Bourne Identity

The Dark Knight (all)

Rocky IV

The Empire Strikes Back

True Lies

Ace Ventura- Pet Detective

***Honorable Mention
Training Day
Casino
Fight Club

16

Star Wars I-IX

3:10 to Yuma (2007)

Serenity

Kingdom of Heaven (Director’s Cut)

The Lord of the Rings

The Matrix

Die Hard

Star Trek II, III, IV & VI

Enemy of the State

Collateral

17

One Flew Over The Cucko’s Nest
Wizard of Oz
The Dirty Dozen
Primal Fear
Rudy
Vertigo - Rear Window - Birds – pick one
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man
Leon: The Professional
A Clockwork Orange

I could live without them but they are memorable.

18

Oh man, only ten . . . that’s a tuff one.

[ul]
[li]Thunderball
[/li][li]High Plains Drifter
[/li][li]Taxi Driver
[/li][li]Blade Runner
[/li][li]The Thing
[/li][li]Red Dawn
[/li][li]The Last of the Mohicans
[/li][li]Heat
[/li][li]Ronin
[/li][li]The Road
[/li][/ul]

19

Terminator
Terminator 2
Gladiator
Heat
Rambo
Aliens
Predator
Commando
Last of the Mohicans.
Die Hard

20

In no particular order

Blow
V for Vendetta
Firefly (Serenity)
Die Hard 1
The Big Lebowski
The Professional
The lives of others
Goya’s Ghosts
Snatch
Lock, Stock and two Smoking Barrels

It’s hard to pick just 10

Some useless trivia. Die Hard 1 was supposed to be Commando 2 but Arnold didn’t want to do it so the script was rewritten for a different actor

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