My earliest memories of geek or proto-geek films come from television, when I was really young:
King Kong, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, Jason and the Argonauts, One Million Years B.C., The Valley of Gwangi, lots of Godzilla movies ... and then ... my parents took me to see Star Wars.
I didn't see Close Encounters of the Third Kind in theatres, guess I was a little young for that but remember it was a big deal; and didn't see Jaws until it was televised and found it pretty scary and gory at that age.
I also have memories of the Universal Monsters but nothing super-specific. Also vague memories of my older siblings watching vampire movies on TV but those creeped me out a lot as a kid (although it's one of very few horror genres I enjoy as an adult now).
(Definitely remember Abbot & Costello along with Star Trek TOS reruns being kind of a big deal).
Took the GF to see FOTR in IMAX last night. WOW. You know for whatever reason revisiting this film on 4K disc for the first time in about 8 years didn't impact me the way that I thought it would last month but seeing it again on the big screen made all of my love for this film just keep flooding back.
1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. Star Wars
3. The Fellowship of the Ring
4. ALIENS
It is 100% back in my all time Top 3 and those four films really are my core cinematic loves. Everything else no matter how good is just an offshoot of those.
Took the GF to see FOTR in IMAX last night. WOW. You know for whatever reason revisiting this film on 4K disc for the first time in about 8 years didn't impact me the way that I thought it would last month but seeing it again on the big screen made all of my love for this film just keep flooding back.
1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. Star Wars
3. The Fellowship of the Ring
4. ALIENS
It is 100% back in my all time Top 3 and those four films really are my core cinematic loves. Everything else no matter how good is just an offshoot of those.
LOTR needs to be seen on the largest screen possible. Back in the day I bought a projector just because of those films. I ended up going back to a more normal sized 65 inch TV and the films have never had the same impact. Even in 4K which I loved was nothing like watching them on DVD on my 90 inch screen.
So I am not surprised you fell in love all over again.
Back in the day I bought a projector just because of those films. I ended up going back to a more normal sized 65 inch TV and the films have never had the same impact. Even in 4K which I loved was nothing like watching them on DVD on my 90 inch screen.
So I am not surprised you fell in love all over again.
Hmm. They wouldn't make my list. I haven't wittled this down to 100 but this is what I'd be choosing from of films that I saw in my library - it might give others some ideas. Alternatively it will spark outrage at what's not there - such as the Godfather movies or Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Citizen Kane, Apocalypse Now etc etc. Films that I either haven't seen at all or in so many years that I remember little about them and so can't honestly say they're favourites of mine - meanwhile a film like The Day After Tomorrow makes my list as a guilty pleasure type - or U-571 but no Das Boot.
So, a lot more than 100 here and in no particular order at this time.
The Terminator
Terminator 2 Judgment Day
Alien
Aliens
Alien 3 Assembly Cut
Predator
Predator 2
Robocop
Die Hard
Die Hard 2
Die Hard with a Vengeance
Back to the Future
Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part III
Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon 2
Lethal Weapon 3
Lethal Weapon 4
Star Wars
The Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
Rogue One
Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek IV The Voyage Home
Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek Generations
Star Trek First Contact
Jaws
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Blade Runner
Blade Runner 2049
Total Recall (1990)
The Running Man
Kindergarten Cop
True Lies
The Abyss
Titanic
Avatar
Gladiator (according to IMDB a sequel has been announced, WTF)
Black Hawk Down
Saving Private Ryan
Braveheart
Goodfellas
Carlito's Way
Apollo 13
Jurassic Park
A Few Good Men
The Avengers
Avengers Infinity War
Avengers Endgame
Thor Ragnarok
Captain America Civil War
Captain America The Winter Soldier
Captain America The First Avenger
Iron Man
Batman
Batman Begins
The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight Rises
Spiderman
Spiderman 2
The Thing
Heat
Interview with the Vampire
Rain Man
Cocktail
Valkyrie
Minority Report
Mission Impossible
Mission Impossible III
Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol
Mission Impossible Rogue Nation
Mission Impossible Fallout
Unforgiven
Open Range
War of the Worlds
Independence Day
Stargate
The Day after Tomorrow
Rocky (and sequels)
Creed/Creed II
Speed
Demolition Man
The Martian
White Men Can't Jump
Dazed and Confused
Ronin
The Shawshank Redemption
Pulp Fiction
Django Unchained
The Hateful Eight
Inglourious Basterds
Point Break
The Matrix
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Revolutions
Casino Royale
Skyfall
GoldenEye
Interstellar
Air Force One
Executive Decision
Big Trouble in Little China
The Poseidon Adventure
Poseidon
Bone Tomahawk
The Impossible
Planet of the Apes
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
War of the Planet of the Apes
Falling Down
Dallas Buyer's Club
A Time to Kill
Taken
The Equalizer
Deja Vu
X-men
X-men 2
X-men Days of Future Past
X-men First Class
Logan
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Stand By Me
Starship Troopers
The Commitments
The Karate Kid/III (II was OK but I actually prefer the less popular III)
The Great Gatsby
The Mask of Zorro
The Untouchables
The Rock
Tombstone
Breakdown
The Theory of Everything
Tremors
The Bourne Identity (and sequels)
The Fugitive
Gangs of New York
The Imitation Game
Schindler's List
Waterworld
American Pie
Dumb and Dumber
Superman The Movie (Really just about seeing Reeve in the role, I don't think the film holds up too well otherwise)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
Scream
28 Days Later
30 Days of Night
Home Alone
Inception
In the Line of Fire
Mystic River
Chasing Amy
Mosquito Coast
Salvador
Gorillas in the Mist
The New World
Platoon
Ransom
Road to Perdition
Se7en
The Revenant
The Edge
The Ghost and the Darkness
The Grey
The Last of the Mohicans
The Last Samurai
The Mist
The Rocketeer
The Wolf of Wallstreet
Catch Me if You Can
U-571
Crimson Tide
Willow
World War Z
Dawn of the Dead (kinda like Snyder's remake
Master and Commander The Far Side of the World
Mad Max 2 The Road Warrior
Mad Max Fury Road
Needless to say given the forum we're on - sci-fi, superheroes and geek movies generally hold a great deal of sway with me
Some great lists here, I love love doing lists, and highly recommend Letterboxd it’s a great way of doing lists like this. I did this list years ago and have attempted to update it but man yeah this one is tough.
As other people have said these aren’t the best films these are my personal favorites, the ones that I love to watch over and over and they were all revisited during covid, some multiple times. There are three groups, the one's I could not cope without them, then those I might not be able to cope without and then those I think I probably could cope without but desperately love them anyway. I refused to order in preference within those groups.
Therapy + prescription drugs
Adventures Of Robin Hood
Aliens
Avengers: Infinity War
Back To The Future
Beverly Hills Cop
Blade Runner
Blazing Saddles
Blow Out
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
Die Hard
ET
From Russia With Love
Halloween
JAWS
Midnight Run
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
Predator
Psycho
Purple Rain
Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Robocop
Rogue One
Romancing The Stone
Shaun Of The Dead
Spider-Man 2
Stand By Me
Star Wars
The Blues Brothers
The Empire Strikes Back
The Princess Bride
The Sound Of Music
The Terminator
The Thing
Top Gun: Maverick
Top Secret
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
Prescription drugs
Alien
Avengers: Endgame
Dr Strangelove
Evil Dead 2
Fantastic Mr Fox
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Ghostbusters
Jurassic Park
Mad Max 2
T2
The Conversation
The Dark Knight
The Exorcist
The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring
The Matrix
Touch Of Evil
Over the counter medication
A Fish Called Wanda
A Nightmare On Elm St
Apocalypse Now
Arrival
Arsenic And Old Lace
Big Trouble In Little China
Bill And Ted’s Bogus Journey
Captain America: Civil War
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Carlito’s Way
Casablanca
Casino Royale (2006)
Citizen Kane
Commando
Donnie Darko
Fight Club
Goldfinger
Gremlins
Highlander
Hot Fuzz
Into The Night
It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
JFK
Lethal Weapon 2
Logan
Mad Max: Fury Road
Matinee
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Near Dark
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Point Break
Poltergeist
Raising Arizona
Rear Window
Rocketeer
Scarface
Se7en
Some Like It Hot
Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan
Taxi Driver
The Godfather
The Godfather Part 2
The Hidden
The Hunt For Red October
The Iron Giant
The Last Of The Mohicans
The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers
The Untouchables
Tootsie
Toy Story
True Lies
Used Cars
When Harry Met Sally
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)
I think a little over 100. I’m sure I have missed lots.
Man I love Doctor Sleep.. Like really love it. One of the best sequels ever. The last 1/2 hour is not as good as the first 2 hours but its a wonderful film.
The director’s cut is especially good. The Shining is my joint favourite film of all time, along with Silence of the Lambs. I wasn’t a huge fan of King’s Doctor Sleep novel, so was very sceptical they would pull off the film. It’s brilliant, especially the True Knot stuff. Much better than the book imo. Agreed about the last half hour, that felt very much like the studio interfering and telling Flanagan to tie the Overlook in. I reckon this film would’ve worked just as well without The Shining tie-ins. It’s that last half hour that makes what would’ve been a 10/10 film into a 9/10. Btw I’m rating the director’s cut.
I cannot wait to see what Mike Flanagan does with The Dark Tower, I couldn’t think of a better man to tackle it. He’s a great filmmaker, a Stephen King addict, and a Dark Tower junkie. Get Pedro Pascal to play Roland and Bob’s your uncle.
He also did a really good job of King’s Gerald’s Game.
The director’s cut is especially good. The Shining is my joint favourite film of all time, along with Silence of the Lambs. I wasn’t a huge fan of King’s Doctor Sleep novel, so was very sceptical they would pull off the film. It’s brilliant, especially the True Knot stuff. Much better than the book imo. Agreed about the last half hour, that felt very much like the studio interfering and telling Flanagan to tie the Overlook in. I reckon this film would’ve worked just as well without The Shining tie-ins. It’s that last half hour that makes what would’ve been a 10/10 film into a 9/10. Btw I’m rating the director’s cut.
I cannot wait to see what Mike Flanagan does with The Dark Tower, I couldn’t think of a better man to tackle it. He’s a great filmmaker, a Stephen King addict, and a Dark Tower junkie. Get Pedro Pascal to play Roland and Bob’s your uncle.
He also did a really good job of King’s Gerald’s Game.
Sure, that's kind of why the ending of the book is underwhelming. Then again I've read Stephen King for over 30 years, you kind of get used to disappointing endings. I think going back to the Overlook was great in the movie, especially the forboding drive there. However, it went way over the top with the fan service moments, especially the stairs scene with all the resident ghosts. It felt like a cheap popcorn ending for a film that had earned the right to a good ending. The father/son conversation with Jack and Danny was a very nice touching moment though.
